Game Developer Public Relations 101

Discussing how developers should pay more attention to what fans are saying/what they want instead of dismissing them entirely.

[user5467007]

Great bloody article...some one gets it

"That is where SuperBot went wrong. PSASBR is the fan service game the fans were asking for. The fans wanted a game with their favourite characters that helped to define the Playstation brand; they didn’t want characters they didn’t like or that had no part in making Playstation a successful brand."

<applauds>

[DragonKnight]

Thank you. I truly think that SuperBot made a bad move with Dante. I don't think it will have a big impact on sales, but it will cost them potential loyalty and it makes Capcom look even scummier than ever. SuperBot should have remembered the spirit of the game and just said "well this game is for the fans, so it's Classic Dante or nothing" and just left with that. I really doubt Capcom would deny that since it is overall brand promotion instead of specific game/character promotion for them.

Hell, Capcom could have had another character from any of their other games that actually NEED the attention more than DmC in PSASBR.

[user5467007]

I know theres a sh*t storm over in the official PAS fourm about this...

Although it sems we have a new problem on our hands...this is geting people worked up because no one can tell if it's real or not

http://community.us.playsta...

SPYRO.....but Activisions Spyro

Fake or not...it's scary

First new Dante, then rumors of Lightning being in this, Metal Gear Solid Rising Raiden instead of Old Snake and now ugly Spyro. <sigh>

EDIT:

Below @ PersonaCat

I highly doubt they will include a alt costume to play as old Dante. There will be a Vergil skin and the closest we'll get is how New Dante looks when he's doing his Lv3...he'll have a red coat and white hair but still have his horrible looking character model. Sad I know...hell I could be wrong but I don't have high hopes.

[PersonaCat]

Do you think SuperBot has the power to say no to Capcom? This is their first game made and it hasn't proven itself yet. They aren't really in a position to demand anything. I think that if Dante wasn't in this game, people would have bitched that SuperBot didn't try. We should all know by now why we have new Dante in this game. It's them promoting the new DMC.

All you can hope is that there is a costume to play as Old Dante.

EDIT:
@Mike
I just read that entire forum post.... No one was worked up. In fact, a vid was posted on that forum showing that it's a fake. Please don't stir up unnecessary drama.

[DragonKnight]

@PersonaCat: Of course they have the power to say no. Are you kidding? Do you know how many other developers would gladly have one of their characters in this game? Being in this game is saying that your character is synonymous with the success of the Playstation Brand. I'm pretty sure if SuperBot simply said "well I guess we'll just pick someone else's character to gain free promotion and a place among the characters who have contributed to the Playstation Brand's incredible success."

Please, SuperBot doesn't need any handouts for this game, not at all. The smart publishers would gladly allow them the rights to put one of their iconic characters in this game. And that is the main point of this game, ICONIC characters. New Dante isn't iconic.

[Omar91]

I really hope that link mike posted is fake. I would hate for skylander spyro to be in this. hopefully not.

[TronEOL]

I think they might have chosen this Dante not only because the name is of Playstation origin, but because Ninja Theory made one of the first PS3 games, and so it sort of advertises a developer as well.

I honestly don't mind the new Dante, and I plan on using him as my main. But I also see where everyone is coming from. This Dante is a multiplatform character, not a Playstation character. Same goes with Big Daddy. Born on the Xbox and PC, yet somehow manages to be a Playstation All-Star. If anything, Bioshock helped push Microsoft more than Sony.

I hope they at least add new outfits that allow you to play as DMC1 and 3 Dante. Then that should satisfy those complaining.

[Outside_ofthe_Box]

That Spyro leak better be fake.

[-Alpha]

I'd have preferred if they dropped Dante and put resources towards more exclusive names like Wanderer (Lack of Team ICO representation so far is a letdown), but really, Superbot did a great job translating the characters into the game, and what they can't control, they can't control. I am firmly confident we'll see an alt skin (maybe for DLC) and that repping the current Dante just makes more sense for Capcom.

That Spyro pic is beyond fake, but I do want Spyro, and it will sadly be Acti Spyro if it does happen. However, I am fairly confident we will see proper alt skins, especially if you put it up as DLC, because who will say no to that? Crash and Old Dante are PSN Avatars for crying out loud, I'm sure Capcom and Activision are smart enough to know fans exist who want alt costumes, and I really hope that having the game cross promoted in their current states is a tradeoff for also having alt skins, because I'm sure Sony could have rejected Dante all together and went with someone of their own.

[user5467007]

-Alpha

The thing is though why should we have to buy DLC skins for characters who should have them as the defult skin. I wouldnt buy them.

The new models should of been skins

[sinncross]

Superbot and Sony do not own Dante... if Capcom were only going to compromise with the new Dante then what do you want them to do? Not have a Capcom rep?

Then you will just have a scenario where everyone complains that there is no rep from Capcom and we come back to this very point of Superbot supposedly not listening to their fans.

[beerkeg]

Still crying over Dante I see. At some point you MUST think to yourself - Am I wasting my time? Do people really care what I think or am I just looking like a dick?

Seriously MikeCosgrove, no one cares. You have no public sway. It's quite sad to care about something so petty, and care about it as much as you do.

[MySwordIsHeavenly]

SuperBot has been listening to the fans more than ANY developer! What are you people talking about?!? I'm in the beta. Every single question we ask them gets a response. They listen to us.

[smashcrashbash]

I agree with you. They have been listening to us all this time and the one time they decide to go with something else they get snowballed with this crap. Superbot has been paying attention and answering every question we ask. I asked them about unlocking costumes an they answered promptly with the fact that there would be more unlockable customs besides the ones they offer for preorder.

They have no obligation to answer to anyone about anything and yet they have and just because they decided to shut you out about this suddenly they are unprofessional and are bad at PR. I have come to a conclusion that people are right. I have denied it and argued against it many times because I believed in my fellow PlayStation owners but there is no denying it now. Sony fanboys ARE the worst. Period.Rain disagrees down on me if you want but you guys are the worst EVER. I long for the more sensible people that existed during the Golden years of gaming but now we have nothing but lynch mobs jumping at every single thing whether it is true, a lie, fake or idiotic.

[smashman98]

I 100 percent agree with you why do they have to be so damn picky and I love how in the article the guy said how the way the character looks come first ... Really? So if it was old Dante and he played like shit we'd all be cool with it because they got what's important.

This game is fanservice and like any service if you don't like it don't get it but as of right now the beta is awesome the other characters look fun and I for one am excited :)

[majiebeast]

Im gonna bet Old Dante is gonna be a alt costume every character in the game will have 1 preorder costume and 2 alt costumes. I bet for Raiden it will be Bishounen/Naked Raiden from mgs 2 and Gray fox from MGS.

The Spyro pic has already been debunked its fake.

We can all keep ranting on how we want Old Dante as main costume but its not gonna happen thats a fact. Who knows maybe Capcom is pissed cause Sony nabbed Seth Killian.

@Tron I think the reason Big daddy is in, is because Ken Levine probably asked for it plus he wrote the story for big daddy in pasbr which is just freaking awesome.

[rdgneoz3]

I don't think he had to ask for Big Daddy to be in the game, as much as he was asked and said sure. Levine and Sony have been getting friendly lately, seeing as at 2011's E3, durig Sony's presentation he announced Move support for the PS3 Infinite version (along with a copy of the first game included in it) and they're suppose to be doing a Vita Bioshock game after it (Infinite) releases.

[Parappa]

I don't see what they're complaining about. They still get Dante. What about Old Snake or even Big Boss? Looks like Raiden will end up replacing them so instead of getting a character you love, you get the worse character to ever appear in Metal Gear instead.

[jonboi24]

Idk people were pretty stoke about Robo-Raiden when he made his first MGS4 appearance at Sony's E3 2007 conference. He seemed to gain a lot of popularity when MGS4 was released. Hell people wanted him to get his own game. Though really the worst character in MGS is Johnny Sasaki.

[Omnislash]

Great article!
Just like everything in life, these video game developers need to remember to put the gamers first and then the money. When you put money first, bad things happen.

[jonboi24]

A pretty good article but when it comes down to it you really think that SuperBot has final say on the roster? Last time I checked the title was "Playstation" All-Stars Battle Royale not SuperBot All-Stars Battle Royale.

The case for Smash Bros. is that Nintendo owns the rights to pretty much all the iconic Nintendo characters from Mario to Olimar. Pretty much half of Sony's most iconic characters are from 3rd parties like Snake, Cloud and Lara Croft and the ones they had Crash and Spyro are not theirs any more. Sony can't just say hey I want Cloud, give me Cloud now Square-Enix. If it was that easy then we would have endless amounts of character DLC or a roster of over 100+. Just like Marvel vs Capcom 3, there must be a lot of negotiating going around just to get one character.

This game is not only a celebration of the connection Sony has with its fans and supporters but a celebration of the relationships Sony has had with its partners over the years. So why should Sony remove Emo Dante from the game now, it's pretty much like spitting in Capcom's face(I know many people would like to do this). Yes it's shameless promotion for DMC but Capcom is doing Sony a favor for allowing them to use a character and yo know what I bet Sony allowed it because Capcom has been good to Sony over the years and for putting Cole in SFxT. Who here hasn't done a favor for a friend simply based on the fact that friend has done so much for you. Hell Nintendo let Snake into Smash Bros and I'll be damn if there weren't ulterior motives for Snake being there. Seriously one of the tracks was from MGS4 a game that was exclusive to a competitors console, hell it even said MGS4 on the title of the track. They were promoting a game and a character that was pretty much a Sony mascot. You see even Nintendo compromised with their roster. Hell at the end of the day they all claim they make games for fans but they still care about the business end of things and keeping fans and their partners happy. Though sometimes they tend to please one side over the other.

[MySwordIsHeavenly]

Exactly. And it's not like all of the characters in Super Smash Bros. are favorites.

Wolf?!?

Who plays as Wolf?!?

[jonboi24]

Really Star Wolf, they could have easily filled that with a better character. Seriously could have added a character from Sin and Punishment, Lil Mac, Ridley, or some one from Golden Sun. Nintendo isn't afraid of adding lesser known characters from less known franchises, look at Marth, Roy, Ness and Lucas.

But still I gave Wolf a chance and he's a cool character. So people should give the characters a chance.

[MySwordIsHeavenly]

I agree with that, as well. I know they can't add in hundreds of characters, due to balancing issues and time constraints, but I do like them to be semi-interesting.

I'm not opposed to them adding in lesser known characters that they believe people will grow to like either. :)

It seems both Nintendo and Sony are doing that.