I've posted this to the PR thread as well, b/c these threads move so fast. It's also a blog post
here.
Just a few words of encouragement:
First: I think I may sometimes come across as some kind of know-it-all. The fact is I don't know very much about very much at all -- a fact that becomes clearer with each passing year. But, having been a practicing graphic artist, then working as a project manager, IT manager, programmer, software architect, and finally enterprise architect, over a 33-year career, I do think I understand corporations, and especially software product companies. So what I'm about to say isn't a posterior pull.
I see quite a few posts since yesterday from people who are either discouraged by the silence or are concluding "It's over" or some similar sentiment. In response, I'd like to make a few points that I hope will provide insight that encourages continued patience and resolve.
My disclaimer? Simple, in spite of long-term exposure to lots of corporate cultures, I could easily be wrong. The decision could already be made, and all that's left is a date to trigger an announcement. But it's opinion informed by experience. It's somewhere above a wild-ass guess and somewhere below insider information. So, for what it's worth:
- This will take time. It just will. Never forget that. I'm not the first to say that, but it bears repeating. Nothing happens quickly in a corporate environment. Nothing. This is especially true in an acquired business unit of a larger corporation. It's likely that there are "urgent" meetings regarding the ME3 ending whose reminders haven't even come up on calendars yet. We like to think we must be the only thing on BioWare executives' minds right now, but that's just not going to be the case.
- A company is not a hive mind. While this isn't the only issue on the executives' plates, some key decision makers and other key players at BioWare have not been able to think of anything BUT this issue since customers began to finish the game and discuss their experiences. That focus does not mean they are able to take any official action or make any statement, even if they personally feel they know what course should be taken. Escalation processes, market analysis timetables, change management procedures, and communication approval protocols are just a few of the hurdles that have to be crossed before any message can go out. Even if key decision makers have already reached a consensus (which is doubtful), they can't just pick a person to fire up a laptop and push out an email. It's also likely that there are internal power structures on both sides of this issue. The apple cart will have been upset, and some may be fighting to retain or gain credibility that earns them the right to be heard within the corporate culture.
- This is serious. There can be little doubt that BioWare, as they have said, are taking this seriously. If they had foreseen the possibility of this level of negative reaction, they would have prepared statements designed to close the door quickly, and these would have been issued immediately. (Microsoft, for example, folllows this approach whenever they plan to announce discontinuation of a product, and they execute the plan with precision.) Instead, the first official statement from BioWare didn't appear for days, and both it and subsequent statements -- even firefighting statements like the Facebook statement -- have been careful to leave options open. This is the behavior of a company that was blindsided to some degree and is very carefully weighing its options. This takes time (but not months of time), because...
- This is all about impact analysis. They're not weighing all the details of all the possible actions they could take. That would require many weeks of detailed analysis. They're weighing the impact of a small set of broadly framed approaches, like "continue with original post-release plan," looking at short- and long-term revenue impact, brand impact, and impact on their core demographics, across all their sales channels. While this doesn't take months, it brings together decision makers from multiple departments and involves unplanned expenditures from multiple cost centers. Issues surrounding that kind of collision of varying perspectives, goals, and budgets is not something that gets resolved quickly or in a single meeting.
- Silence is a good thing. The fact that we hear very little outside of approved channels, and misstatements are VERY quickly corrected, is a very strong indication that this is now designated a corporate-level public relations issue. Depending on BioWare's corporate culture, there have been company-wide team/department/business unit meetings, or perhaps minimally internal memos, detailing very clear and enforceable restrictions on employee communication on this subject outside the company until a decision has been made.
- None of this is personal. While I'm sure there are employees at BioWare who are angry or frustrated or feel insulted or disappointed or sad (and we've seen evidence of that on Twitter), that will never cross the corporate barrier, and I can assure you that no publicly-held corporation that wants to survive will ever make decisions based on personal feelings. The decision we hear will be based solely on factors related to revenue, market demographics, and public relations. The good news there is that all three of those factors are inextricably tied to us as consumers, and that's the main thing I urge you to remember.
Don't be discouraged. Don't fall silent. Don't let the natural tendency towards cynicism lure you into fatalism.
Even when the first response comes, don't let it be an "off" switch. Compare it with what we're asking for. If there are gaps, say "what about [these things]?" It's not over until each one of us decides s/he is satisfied with the result.
Hold the line!
Modifié par SkaldFish, 21 mars 2012 - 12:52 .
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