Why would a game developer choose to make FB the exclusive community hub?

MarkShot · August 28, 2012, 05:26:24 PM

Folks,

Perhaps some of you can explain this to me.

I've spent years without being on Facebook, Gmail, logging in to Google, or using custom ISP software. In short, I just want to use the Internet without becoming become part of some big corporate social network of tracking. Now, I have nothing to hide as most of you know quite a bit about me simply due to public posts. On the other hand, I have not grown up in the generation where I feel everything about me should be broadcast to complete strangers and data warehousing applications.

So, I've never signed up for Facebook and my life has been no less for it.

Well, as some of you know, I like shooting some VP3 (Virtual Pool 3) sometimes. After almost ten years, Celeris has released VP4. It became pretty obvious that they have no intention of supporting it from their Company Forum or via their Company Domain other than some basic promotion and driving sales.

So, I created a throw away email address (forward) ... easy for me as I own my own domain. With it I created a throw away Facebook ID. Not so much that I could purchase VP4 ... I am not in the market just now, but mainly so that I could find out more about it.

However, I don't understand why a developer/publisher would feel Facebook is superior to the basic mechanism of the forum for support and creation of community?

I go over to their Facebook page and there is clearly posts/discussions, but it lacks the clear hierarchical organization of most forums.

Am I missing something? Why centralize on Facebook?

Also, for those of you who know Facebook if I provided no information about myself and I only login to visit the VP4 page, and then log out when I am done ... do I need to be concerned about security and privacy? I am not inclined to spend hours reading about Facebook settings just to see what VP4 customers are saying about the game. So, have I compromised my online existence with what I just did?

Thanks.

PS: I suppose if I was really paranoid, I could access Facebook via a VPN anonymizer site while using private browsing. I did subscribe to a VPN service so that I could access USA only based services from outside the USA.

Silent Disapproval Robot · August 28, 2012, 05:31:33 PM

Too many companies do this. I suspect they do it because it saves them having to have a forum support guy as it's all handled on FB's end.

MarkShot · August 28, 2012, 05:35:42 PM

Don't you still have to create some type of topical structure, provide for support tickets, make patches and official content available, and moderate the community? How does Facebook alleviate one from doing that? Also, aren't you alienating some portion of those on the Internet who chose not to be on Facebook?

bayonetbrant · August 28, 2012, 05:38:52 PM

It's very easy for their fans to hit 'share' to put something about the company in front of their other friends, thus widening the footprint/exposure of the company. That's not easy to do from a forum. Yes, you can email a link to someone, but it's much easier to hit "share" and make a comment and let fly. Plus, when you email a link, you have to address it to specific people, rather than shotgun it at your entire address book, or you annoy a lot of people.
We actually picked up one of our writers on the site here - Jim C (Stoutshoe in the forums) - when he saw me sharing GrogHeads articles on my Facebook feed. Jim and I went to grad school together for a year or so back in 04-05-06 and hadn't seen each other since then. But he saw what we were doing over here and asked to be a part of it. Companies on FB are banking on something similar for their products.

junk2drive · August 28, 2012, 08:14:30 PM

I've been on FB for a while. Just don't put anything important in your profile. Only way that I get pics of the grandkids.

jomni · August 28, 2012, 08:44:40 PM

Yes there are ways to stay private in Facebook.
Just be mindful about what you post.
Also you can group your firends into several categories and target the posts to a specific audience.
Never post anything targeted to the Public.

But people hacking into FB and geting your details is another story. :'(

GJK · August 28, 2012, 09:19:03 PM

We know who you are Markshot.....
;D
I'm ready for FB to just go away personally.

Nefaro · August 28, 2012, 10:03:22 PM

Quote from: bayonetbrant on August 28, 2012, 05:38:52 PM
It's very easy for their fans to hit 'share' to put something about the company in front of their other friends, thus widening the footprint/exposure of the company. That's not easy to do from a forum.

That's exactly the reason. It gives them more visibility. The same reason a lot of games push their Facebook/Twitter/Blahblah buttons into their games and do promos attempting to get you to 'like' them. It's free advertising. ;)

I suppose that going only that route is just forcing people to push their visibility there, but it sounds like a terrible idea due to the disorganization. Not to mention the absolutely TERRIBLE Facebook interface & layout. It's just horrible compared to a nice tidy forum - I'm surprised it caught on with the masses because I don't think it's user-friendly.

LongBlade · August 28, 2012, 11:35:06 PM

Quote from: Nefaro on August 28, 2012, 10:03:22 PM
Quote from: bayonetbrant on August 28, 2012, 05:38:52 PM
It's very easy for their fans to hit 'share' to put something about the company in front of their other friends, thus widening the footprint/exposure of the company. That's not easy to do from a forum.

That's exactly the reason. It gives them more visibility. The same reason a lot of games push their Facebook/Twitter/Blahblah buttons into their games and do promos attempting to get you to 'like' them. It's free advertising. ;)

I suppose that going only that route is just forcing people to push their visibility there, but it sounds like a terrible idea due to the disorganization. Not to mention the absolutely TERRIBLE Facebook interface & layout. It's just horrible compared to a nice tidy forum - I'm surprised it caught on with the masses because I don't think it's user-friendly.

I keep thinking of the nightmare scenario where your tech support is FB but you can't squish a vexing bug. And everyone is liking the snarky comments about how it sucks...

Nefaro · August 29, 2012, 12:58:28 AM

Quote from: LongBlade on August 28, 2012, 11:35:06 PM

I keep thinking of the nightmare scenario where your tech support is FB but you can't squish a vexing bug. And everyone is liking the snarky comments about how it sucks...

Hahah! LOL!

Yeah that would be a mess.... if you could even find it in the heap of musings and spammers.

MarkShot · August 29, 2012, 02:32:16 PM

I must say it is just a confusing mess to me. There is no separation into major categories like: support, general discussion, online play, ... Additionally, unlike an easy to read list of topics, it is like every topic is fully expanded. Also, there appears to be no sorting of topics, filtering, and way to search. Is there any way to subscribe to a topic and get an email if someone replies to you?

How did this thing ever get over half a billion users?

It looks like FacePoop to me???????

jomni · August 29, 2012, 08:18:47 PM

The way I see it, FB should just be used as a marketing tool. Software Support should still be in forums. You can do a quick shoutout to the devs in a facebook post (which may be effective in grabbing their attention) but all resolution and details should be in the form a forum.

If it's all done in FB then it will be a mess.

MarkShot · August 29, 2012, 08:45:56 PM

I asked the developer and he responded that he is serious about Facebook only.

I suppose as long as the game is solid, I don't need community for pool. Everything I need to improve my game is covered in thee books I own. The difference between pool on a PC is much less than simulations of war and the real thing.

Nefaro · August 29, 2012, 09:49:12 PM

Quote from: MarkShot on August 29, 2012, 08:45:56 PM
I asked the developer and he responded that he is serious about Facebook only.

I suppose as long as the game is solid, I don't need community for pool. Everything I need to improve my game is covered in thee books I own. The difference between pool on a PC is much less than simulations of war and the real thing.

That's crazy. I'd go nuts if I even had a question.

Facebook is a freakin' mess.

jomni · August 29, 2012, 10:29:00 PM

Quote from: Nefaro on August 29, 2012, 09:49:12 PM
That's crazy. I'd go nuts if I even had a question.
Facebook is a freakin' mess.

Ya. Imagine this situation:

User: How do I do "A"?
Support: That question has been asked a lot of times. Do a search.
User: I can't search your wall/timeline efficiently in FB.
Support: Well that's your problem not mine.

Or maybe support is forced to answer each end every question if it's been asked several times.