Brand Loyalty (was Re: [MUD-Dev] Requirements for MM (wasComplexities of MMOG Servers))

[szii at sziisoft.com]

From: "Caliban Tiresias Darklock" <caliban at darklock.com>

> Which leads to the obvious question: what should game companies do
> to *create* brand loyalty? Clearly, brand loyalty was once very
> important to the American people, and it seems to me that it would
> be important again if it actually meant something. How could the
> game industry add meaning to their brands most effectively?

More importantly, what can they do to *KEEP* brand loyalty.  Case in
point: VI/SOE.  After seeing the game-breaking bugs and many many
design flaws in EQ (IMHO, due to a lot of REALLY stupid decisions
and lack of foresight) I'm extremely hesitant to even give EQ2/SWG a
shot, just because of the backing, 'sour taste' and total lack of
confidence.  (I know there's a few SWG devs lurking, nothing
personal.  =P ) The game may be great, but companies should work on
keeping their image pristine.  Brand loyalty is created by having a
superior product and a clean rep.  You cannot please everyone all of
the time, but the products speak for themselves.  If you have a bad
experience once, that may be "it" for you.  How many poorly
constructed pairs of shoes do you buy from BrandX before you stop
buying?  Cars?  Restaurants?  Ex: Bridgestone/Firestone have been
around for years.  One bad string of tires cost them HOW many
millions and led thousands of people to totally waive off their
product(s) without ever trying them?  Granted, gaming is not
life-n-death, but people are very impressionable and most won't
stand for being "burned" even once.  I filed 18 "game breaking" bugs
against AO.  2 months later they didn't have ANY of them fixed and I
cancelled my account.  1 year later they offered a "free trial" for
previous accounts.  I dug up that email, jumped on and lo and
behold...they weren't fixed.  Any of them, including item
corruption/duplication bugs. *boggle* Will I ever buy a Funcom game
again?  Nah, too much hassle and total lack of confidence.  Will I
buy a VI/SOE game again?  Iffy.  Had a lot of fun, but a lot of
"wtf" moments.  Would I buy another Origin game?  Hell ya, in a
heartbeat.  For all the time I spent on UO every bug I found got
fixed fairly quickly and they seemed to actually CARE about the
player.  There may have been a zillion bugs I never saw..but my
perception of the game was smooth and working.  Right, wrong, it's
all about perception.

As consumers, we have an expectation of getting what we paid for -
getting our monies worth.  That expectation is let down, the
consumer doesn't return.

-Mike


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