[MUD-Dev] Research in the Gaming Industry

[Kerry Fraser-Robinson]

We're building a MMORPG that is as historically authentic as we can
possibly make it.  The research involved would usually be
unthinkable and would give most traditional-thinking corporates a
nightmare.  However as most of you know already, with a broad enough
and happy enough community some serious talent is available and all
the rules change drastically.  Our 'modestly sized but heavily
qualified' community includes etymologists, sociologists,
anthropologists, archaeologists...... you get the picture.  Anyway,
over the last couple of years we've built up a huge archive of
research and as a result, it looks to me like we may well end up
with a level of historical authenticity that most educational sims
would die for. >)

Once upon a time, a developer might build a game with some modest
topic research handled either internally or through some single
third-party - perhaps with a bit of help from the publisher.  Then
during the later stages of beta and after release they'd get
inundated with feedback from slightly disgruntled players that - of
course - knew their subject matter a good deal better.  IMHO it's
far better to let all those potentially disgruntled players in on
the process -before- all the work is done.  And if that sounds like
a job of work in itself - it is, but it works out to be more
efficient in the end, and the playerbase will be much more likely to
have faith in both the developer and their relationship with the
developer. :)

Of course I'm biased towards topic research given what we've been
doing but people have been lecturing about technical, design and
conceptual contributions from the community for ages.  That's
research too of course.  ;-)

-KFR

P.S.  This certainly isn't meant as either a gloat or a plug - it is
however intended to 'preach the gospel of community' again heh. =P

P.P.S.  Magnus Cedergren recently put forward an idea for 'open
content' in a paper which did the rounds on Slashdot. It overlapped
quite heavily with this subject although of course research and
content creation are not the same thing but nevertheless I think
there are some interesting parallels.
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