No PR damage control from Zenimax?

Reverb

A widely publicized interview with Matt Firor, where he blatantly told subscribers who play every day that the company does not see you, does not care about you. People became very upset. Rather than issuing any official response, the threads were closed and posts deleted.

A widespread cheating "scandal" with many, many players (some top ranked and previously well respected) were permabanned for using a 3rd party tool to alter client side game calculations. Mere days later many of them were back in game, proudly owning their cheating in chat, and openly mocking Zeni for overturning their ban.

Several screencaps (and even more anecdotal reports) of a Zeni CS agent closing tickets by saying "due to high ticket volumes, we are unable to help you".

These are not bugs within the game, these are examples of serious PR issues. The kind that destroy confidence in the game, the publisher, and the parent company. Enough people thought poorly of Zeni before, but the radio silence on these issues is boggling.

Ritzey01

Reverb wrote: »

A widely publicized interview with Matt Firor, where he blatantly told subscribers who play every day that the company does not see you, does not care about you. People became very upset. Rather than issuing any official response, the threads were closed and posts deleted.

This is being thrown way out of proportion. He was simply talking about the majority of the player base not being "hard core players". Not that there werent any and that ZOS doesnt care about them. Go actually read the statement, i know this is not what i took from it and i am one of those players thats on everyday.

Elsonso

It seems that they have a new person assigned by Bethesda to be the marketing and PR person. A Pete Hines just for ESO, if you will.

I have no idea what this person does for a living. I never hear anything from them. I only hear about them. I assume that is who they are looking at off camera during ESO Live when they are trying to decide what to tell us. I suspect this is the person who is in charge of responses to things like cheating, even if we can't see them.

I don't even remember the name of this person, but I bet the Super Fans that attended E3 can tell us.

Ourorboros

Does zos even have a PR team? If they do, they are the worst. This goes back to how zos handled the conversion for sub-based game to B2P. There was rampant speculation about what was meant when 6 month sub options mysteriously disappeared, while zos remained silent as the grave. Really, it goes back even further, to an article describing how zos would be more open with their communication, followed by.........silence. Maybe the PR team is controlled by The Black Hand.

Reverb

Ritzey01 wrote: »

Reverb wrote: »

A widely publicized interview with Matt Firor, where he blatantly told subscribers who play every day that the company does not see you, does not care about you. People became very upset. Rather than issuing any official response, the threads were closed and posts deleted.

This is being thrown way out of proportion. He was simply talking about the majority of the player base not being "hard core players". Not that there werent any and that ZOS doesnt care about them. Go actually read the statement, i know this is not what i took from it and i am one of those players thats on everyday.

He didn't say anything about the majority, he specifically said "we don't see hardcore players". You can maintain that it's being overblown, but when you've clearly offended many of your most loyal customers, it deserves some form of response.

Callous2208

Anyone ever stop to think that maybe he was right, and that maybe the numbers back it up? I play most days and subscribe and yet I'm not offended in the least. But then again, I'm a grown man who thinks it's laughable to get offended by really anything, especially that a video game developer didn't specifically say he was gonna cater the game to my playstyle. Here's some facts for ya. I've been here since day one. I'm a loyal paying customer. I'm not offended by the interview at all. Anyone who has taken this much offense over the comments made is a small minority of children who have yet to experience the cold hard realities of the real world.

Ritzey01

Reverb wrote: »

Ritzey01 wrote: »

Reverb wrote: »

A widely publicized interview with Matt Firor, where he blatantly told subscribers who play every day that the company does not see you, does not care about you. People became very upset. Rather than issuing any official response, the threads were closed and posts deleted.

This is being thrown way out of proportion. He was simply talking about the majority of the player base not being "hard core players". Not that there werent any and that ZOS doesnt care about them. Go actually read the statement, i know this is not what i took from it and i am one of those players thats on everyday.

He didn't say anything about the majority, he specifically said "we don't see hardcore players". You can maintain that it's being overblown, but when you've clearly offended many of your most loyal customers, it deserves some form of response.

You can mis-read it any way you chose, but if you take the statement AS A WHOLE, and not a few out of context words, it is clear he is talking about the majority of who is seen playing and how they play.

Lokey0024

They need a liaison to the public. Matt sounds like a straight shooter that tells it how it went down in the meeting instead of sugercoating.

And the no eta BS he did was hillarious, Just cringe worthy public relations work. Think someone set him up lol

Ritzey01

Callous2208 wrote: »

Anyone ever stop to think that maybe he was right, and that maybe the numbers back it up? I play most days and subscribe and yet I'm not offended in the least. But then again, I'm a grown man who thinks it's laughable to get offended by really anything, especially that a video game developer didn't specifically say he was gonna cater the game to my playstyle. Here's some facts for ya. I've been here since day one. I'm a loyal paying customer. I'm not offended by the interview at all. Anyone who has taken this much offense over the comments made is a small minority of children who have yet to experience the cold hard realities of the real world.

YES!!! This!! This is exactly the way i feel. Thank you for summing it up so well!

sadownik

Callous2208 wrote: »

Anyone ever stop to think that maybe he was right, and that maybe the numbers back it up? I play most days and subscribe and yet I'm not offended in the least. But then again, I'm a grown man who thinks it's laughable to get offended by really anything, especially that a video game developer didn't specifically say he was gonna cater the game to my playstyle. Here's some facts for ya. I've been here since day one. I'm a loyal paying customer. I'm not offended by the interview at all. Anyone who has taken this much offense over the comments made is a small minority of children who have yet to experience the cold hard realities of the real world.

Problem with data is, as much its important to have numbers its even more important how you interpret them. IS it really true that most players log in just after upadte for a few days? Perhaps. Is it because those players prefer this way or is it because they log in hoping for some improvement, see none or very little and leave?

Callous2208

sadownik wrote: »

Callous2208 wrote: »

Anyone ever stop to think that maybe he was right, and that maybe the numbers back it up? I play most days and subscribe and yet I'm not offended in the least. But then again, I'm a grown man who thinks it's laughable to get offended by really anything, especially that a video game developer didn't specifically say he was gonna cater the game to my playstyle. Here's some facts for ya. I've been here since day one. I'm a loyal paying customer. I'm not offended by the interview at all. Anyone who has taken this much offense over the comments made is a small minority of children who have yet to experience the cold hard realities of the real world.

Problem with data is, as much its important to have numbers its even more important how you interpret them. IS it really true that most players log in just after upadte for a few days? Perhaps. Is it because those players prefer this way or is it because they log in hoping for some improvement, see none or very little and leave?

Could be both, I admit. But I would probably think more on the side of playstyle at this point. They see people subscribing or buying the dlc outright. Over time, and a few dlc drops, one would assume that those who were fed up would not continue to make purchases/sub and log in just to check for improvements. I know I don't continue to drop cash on something I've decided is not worth it until improvements are made, and I definitely will not pay money again just to pop in for a day or two to check on that progress.

sadownik

Callous2208 wrote: »

sadownik wrote: »

Callous2208 wrote: »

Anyone ever stop to think that maybe he was right, and that maybe the numbers back it up? I play most days and subscribe and yet I'm not offended in the least. But then again, I'm a grown man who thinks it's laughable to get offended by really anything, especially that a video game developer didn't specifically say he was gonna cater the game to my playstyle. Here's some facts for ya. I've been here since day one. I'm a loyal paying customer. I'm not offended by the interview at all. Anyone who has taken this much offense over the comments made is a small minority of children who have yet to experience the cold hard realities of the real world.

Problem with data is, as much its important to have numbers its even more important how you interpret them. IS it really true that most players log in just after upadte for a few days? Perhaps. Is it because those players prefer this way or is it because they log in hoping for some improvement, see none or very little and leave?

Could be both, I admit. But I would probably think more on the side of playstyle at this point. They see people subscribing or buying the dlc outright. Over time, and a few dlc drops, one would assume that those who were fed up would not continue to make purchases/sub and log in just to check for improvements. I know I don't continue to drop cash on something I've decided is not worth it until improvements are made, and I definitely will not pay money again just to pop in for a day or two to check on that progress.

You are right, but honestly do we know anything about situation? Its all PR mambo-jambo. How the dlc sales are going? How many people subscribe? All we got was terrible 7 mln show, which had to be corrected later from 7 mln players to 7 mln accounts created from launch on 3 platforms.

Callous2208

sadownik wrote: »

Callous2208 wrote: »

sadownik wrote: »

Callous2208 wrote: »

Anyone ever stop to think that maybe he was right, and that maybe the numbers back it up? I play most days and subscribe and yet I'm not offended in the least. But then again, I'm a grown man who thinks it's laughable to get offended by really anything, especially that a video game developer didn't specifically say he was gonna cater the game to my playstyle. Here's some facts for ya. I've been here since day one. I'm a loyal paying customer. I'm not offended by the interview at all. Anyone who has taken this much offense over the comments made is a small minority of children who have yet to experience the cold hard realities of the real world.

Problem with data is, as much its important to have numbers its even more important how you interpret them. IS it really true that most players log in just after upadte for a few days? Perhaps. Is it because those players prefer this way or is it because they log in hoping for some improvement, see none or very little and leave?

Could be both, I admit. But I would probably think more on the side of playstyle at this point. They see people subscribing or buying the dlc outright. Over time, and a few dlc drops, one would assume that those who were fed up would not continue to make purchases/sub and log in just to check for improvements. I know I don't continue to drop cash on something I've decided is not worth it until improvements are made, and I definitely will not pay money again just to pop in for a day or two to check on that progress.

You are right, but honestly do we know anything about situation? Its all PR mambo-jambo. How the dlc sales are going? How many people subscribe? All we got was terrible 7 mln show, which had to be corrected later from 7 mln players to 7 mln accounts created from launch on 3 platforms.

Nope. And I'm sure we won't ever really know. Such is the way of things with these modern gaming companies. Well, all corporations really. I know it's totally cliche to say but really it all comes down to, if you like the game keep playing, if not, move on. And I don't mean you specifically I'm just saying in general for folks that seem to be so caught up with taking offense to the whole ordeal. Maybe I'm just not as empathetic as I should be but I just don't see a need to be personally hurt or upset by the interview. Did we really learn anything new and groundbreaking aside from the One Tamriel thing? Not really. Was it meant to personally *** of a select group of players and in a sense, spit in their face for all their dedication? Absolutely not.

sadownik

Callous2208 wrote: »

sadownik wrote: »

Callous2208 wrote: »

sadownik wrote: »

Callous2208 wrote: »

Anyone ever stop to think that maybe he was right, and that maybe the numbers back it up? I play most days and subscribe and yet I'm not offended in the least. But then again, I'm a grown man who thinks it's laughable to get offended by really anything, especially that a video game developer didn't specifically say he was gonna cater the game to my playstyle. Here's some facts for ya. I've been here since day one. I'm a loyal paying customer. I'm not offended by the interview at all. Anyone who has taken this much offense over the comments made is a small minority of children who have yet to experience the cold hard realities of the real world.

Problem with data is, as much its important to have numbers its even more important how you interpret them. IS it really true that most players log in just after upadte for a few days? Perhaps. Is it because those players prefer this way or is it because they log in hoping for some improvement, see none or very little and leave?

Could be both, I admit. But I would probably think more on the side of playstyle at this point. They see people subscribing or buying the dlc outright. Over time, and a few dlc drops, one would assume that those who were fed up would not continue to make purchases/sub and log in just to check for improvements. I know I don't continue to drop cash on something I've decided is not worth it until improvements are made, and I definitely will not pay money again just to pop in for a day or two to check on that progress.

You are right, but honestly do we know anything about situation? Its all PR mambo-jambo. How the dlc sales are going? How many people subscribe? All we got was terrible 7 mln show, which had to be corrected later from 7 mln players to 7 mln accounts created from launch on 3 platforms.

Nope. And I'm sure we won't ever really know. Such is the way of things with these modern gaming companies. Well, all corporations really. I know it's totally cliche to say but really it all comes down to, if you like the game keep playing, if not, move on. And I don't mean you specifically I'm just saying in general for folks that seem to be so caught up with taking offense to the whole ordeal. Maybe I'm just not as empathetic as I should be but I just don't see a need to be personally hurt or upset by the interview. Did we really learn anything new and groundbreaking aside from the One Tamriel thing? Not really. Was it meant to personally *** of a select group of players and in a sense, spit in their face for all their dedication? Absolutely not.

I must confess i also dont feel offended a bit by this interview but i am surprised. It seems to me a rather shortsighted approach when it comes to MMO to not aim for constant healthy population - you need to keep up servers and all infrastructure.

imnotanother

Maybe I'm just not as empathetic as I should be but I just don't see a need to be personally hurt or upset by the interview. .

More like you are apathetic.

idk

Matt Firor has always been out of touch with us and the game itself. It's why the developement team seems to lack direction and focus. It's no surprise he thinks no plays this game heavily.

Rohamad_Ali

Turelus

As annoying and insulting as I found the comment I think as others have said it wasn't intended and it's not like the forums are in turmoil over it with topics all over the front page.
As such I don't think you'll see a reaction from it, besides once the new class balance changes hit PTS we'll be back to arguing about OP/Nerf as normal.

Junipus

People are frustrated and/or offended because it's easy and not incorrect to interpret his comments as focusing their development time and tools on cranking out new content for people who will continue to buy it. From a business perspective it's great financial sense but truly poor PR.

As someone who's also been playing since beta and got heavily into the PvP within the game, having an official statement (which is what it is) insinuating they're focusing their time and effort into new content and not fixing issues (both ongoing and old) causes a great deal of frustration and annoyance with the game.

I like this game, I want it to succeed and so won't walk away from it until it's beyond hope, because otherwise what sort of message is that to give to people.

KaleidoscopeEyz

This reminds me of the Destiny guy who said "When you see our new emotes, you'll be throwing money at your TV screen." That was a disaster. The community assembled with pitchforks and torches. I'm surprised he wasn't fired.

Reverb

People arguing about the intent or sincerity of Matt's statements are missing my point. Of course he didn't really mean that Zeni doesn't care about hardcore players. But in industry and public reputation it doesn't matter what you meant, it matters how it was perceived.

In the case of Matt's comments (one of 3 examples I gave), it was perceived negatively. Loyal customers felt devalued. Any corporate rep worth his salt would have known there would be backlash from the statement. Any company that cares how they are perceived would have issued a quick mea culpa, a trite "of course we value our subscribers and dedicated players, and have taken much of their feedback... blah blah, ...developing new content for everybody including players who have shown they want shorter, infrequent immersion... blah blah".

Zeni said...nothing. Threads discussing it were deleted. Again, it's not Matt's statements that I'm questioning, it's the complete lack of reaction to the response. Same with the other examples I gave.

Callous2208

sadownik wrote: »

Callous2208 wrote: »

sadownik wrote: »

Callous2208 wrote: »

sadownik wrote: »

Callous2208 wrote: »

Anyone ever stop to think that maybe he was right, and that maybe the numbers back it up? I play most days and subscribe and yet I'm not offended in the least. But then again, I'm a grown man who thinks it's laughable to get offended by really anything, especially that a video game developer didn't specifically say he was gonna cater the game to my playstyle. Here's some facts for ya. I've been here since day one. I'm a loyal paying customer. I'm not offended by the interview at all. Anyone who has taken this much offense over the comments made is a small minority of children who have yet to experience the cold hard realities of the real world.

Problem with data is, as much its important to have numbers its even more important how you interpret them. IS it really true that most players log in just after upadte for a few days? Perhaps. Is it because those players prefer this way or is it because they log in hoping for some improvement, see none or very little and leave?

Could be both, I admit. But I would probably think more on the side of playstyle at this point. They see people subscribing or buying the dlc outright. Over time, and a few dlc drops, one would assume that those who were fed up would not continue to make purchases/sub and log in just to check for improvements. I know I don't continue to drop cash on something I've decided is not worth it until improvements are made, and I definitely will not pay money again just to pop in for a day or two to check on that progress.

You are right, but honestly do we know anything about situation? Its all PR mambo-jambo. How the dlc sales are going? How many people subscribe? All we got was terrible 7 mln show, which had to be corrected later from 7 mln players to 7 mln accounts created from launch on 3 platforms.

Nope. And I'm sure we won't ever really know. Such is the way of things with these modern gaming companies. Well, all corporations really. I know it's totally cliche to say but really it all comes down to, if you like the game keep playing, if not, move on. And I don't mean you specifically I'm just saying in general for folks that seem to be so caught up with taking offense to the whole ordeal. Maybe I'm just not as empathetic as I should be but I just don't see a need to be personally hurt or upset by the interview. Did we really learn anything new and groundbreaking aside from the One Tamriel thing? Not really. Was it meant to personally *** of a select group of players and in a sense, spit in their face for all their dedication? Absolutely not.

I must confess i also dont feel offended a bit by this interview but i am surprised. It seems to me a rather shortsighted approach when it comes to MMO to not aim for constant healthy population - you need to keep up servers and all infrastructure.

It is a...different approach to say the least. I guess only time will tell how it all shakes out.

daemonios

Why all the talk about being offended by Matt Firor's interview? I, for one, am not offended. I just don't think the game ZOS are making - tinier and tinier zones, zoneless dungeons as a DLC, play-it-for-2-weeks-and-wait-for-the-next-update - can keep me interested much longer.

I'm sure they care about subscribers. It's nice to have a steady stream of cash coming in. But they're catering to another demographic in their development of the game, so this subscriber has cancelled his sub and is playing out his remaining ESO+ time, waiting to see if anything can lead me to resubscribe.

The_Lex

PR = Public Relations

This implies that the subject actually has a relationship with the public to maintain.

imnotanother

The_Patriarch wrote: »

PR = Public Relations

This implies that the subject actually has a relationship with the public to maintain.

But it was also a coined term because the public have a hard time with the word Propaganda.

Edward Bernays

vyrusb23

Reverb wrote: »

A widely publicized interview with Matt Firor, where he blatantly told subscribers who play every day that the company does not see you, does not care about you. People became very upset. Rather than issuing any official response, the threads were closed and posts deleted.

You sound exactly like the American media: exaggerated and sensationalized half-truths and deliberate misunderstanding to whip up fervor and drama.

Zheg

Matt's interview was just the usual ZOS fumble. The numbers assuredly back up his claims, after all, it's the hardcore players that are exposed to the failings of the game and the company as they play longer and have an ear closer to the ground. They left in droves the first year of the game, and are still bleeding out.

Anyway, that interview should be the least interesting fiasco when compared to the incompetence demonstrated during the ongoing exploit disaster. It's a third party hack that has been in game since launch, reported repeatedly, culminated in an embarrassing and public event, ZOS said one thing and did the other with regards to those exploiters, and the third party hack STILL WORKS. It's ludicrous. Do you know how I know Matt was right in his interview? Because if the player-base was made up of a larger % of hardcore players the forums to this day would be exploding with posts and threads on the exploit situation. They can afford to do nothing/take their time on this because the majority of their player-base is still probably questing and admiring their 5th cat mount and doesn't even have a clue.

Reevster

Bfish22090

the EP role players in riften dont care about cheat engine, neither does 99% of the game that isnt competitive
they cater to the masses that spend more money than pvpers or end game pve raid guilds

FLuFFyxMuFFiN

I can't believe people are still crying about this. Get over it and stop making a bigger deal out of it than it is.

STEVIL

Reverb wrote: »

A widely publicized interview with Matt Firor, where he blatantly told subscribers who play every day that the company does not see you, does not care about you.

Not even remotely close to what he said.

In fact he did not say ANYTHING about people who play everyday. he did comment on how much they see six month then gone playstyle, however which he called hardcore.

the fact that a number of folks in search of outrage decided to use different definitions of hardcore to imagine offense, isn't his fault and doesn't need any PR.

IMO.