24 ответов в этой теме

[Bachuck]

One of the most insightful post I've read on these forums since this 'ME3 ending' controversy began has been this one from a user named atghunter. I shall quote him:

atghunter wrote...

I don't think Bioware is out of touch with their customers though I agree with an earlier poster that right now they are assessing their options. Nor do I think that everyone speaking up for them at the moment is a "yes man" or shill. That said:

I don't for a moment think there are any other endings, this was a hallucination, etc. Bioware/EA is letting these speculations go on for two reasons. First, they are letting people vent. Secondly, they are weighing options.

Years ago, I worked for a PR damage control team and everything right now is going by the book. First, re-affirm and ignore (also known as doubling down), then try and define the detractors in the mainstream with things like "this is all a big mistunderstand", etc. while remaining civil in the hopes the detractors go rabid. Meanwhile go dark and use countermeasures through third part sources to prop up your position and brand the outcry as driven by hacks, haters or a minority trying to wear out the detractors on these outlets or "shock troops" while protecting the corporate core. Next, offer something distracting (notice SWTOR is free this upcoming weekend) known as the "faux olive branch"/ask the angry people to explain their concerns (without agreeing to commit to a compromise), buy more add time (definitely going on right now), and hope it dies down. If the pressure is still on, determine the economic viability of 1) ignoring the outcry and banking on the fickle nature of consumers to get over it or 2) determining if we can make money off of fixing it.

If it is any consolation, the decision whether or not there is a fix DLC, etc, won't be made by the writers so illusions to things they wanted to convey don't matter much atm (to wit: the leads comments yesterday). I suspect he's been called in and politely told by the PR guys to not do that again. This is now a corporate problem, not an artistic struggle with fans. Somewhere in the EA bunker, attorneys, PR guys, writers and brass are sharing numbers b/c in the end this will come down to hard currency.

As one who despises the endings, I'm hoping the suits tell the visionaries that the customers are loud enough and numerous enough to swallow their pride and get them out of this storm. For those that love them, I readily accept your position and respectfully disagree.

atghunter's analysis was posted on March 15 and the next day, Bioware announced the N7 weekend "Operation: Goliath" event enticing gamers with promises of "FREE STUFF" like weapon unlocks and such.

I noticed a number of customers, who had sworn off Bioware for the ending, were inquiring how they could participate in the event. Disgusted by their short-term memory, I decided to create this thread to bring EA/Bioware's PR tactics into light using atghunter's post as a starting point.

Soon afterwards, atghunter commented again.

atghunter wrote...

A couple follow-up thoughts for those wondering what is likely going on with the other side of the mirror in the last couple days:

First, Operation Goliath, the free Star Wars online weekend, and the recent noncommittal overtures to listen arefaux olive branches. Sorry. Customers intrinsically want to believe companies they patronize listen and when they stop believing that, the company has to say they are listening and do anything to get the detractors off-message.  There are a dozen names for this, but the most memorable was "The Shell Game." 

You will know that there’s a genuine need for dialogue in the corporate bunker when the message turns from “we’re listening” to “we acknowledge we may have a disconnect with our consumers and are willing to discuss a meaningful solution to the problem.” It signals an end to non-committed deflection and opening genuine talks to solve the problem (it’s knows as “Exposing Your Throat” btw). At present, you’ll notice Bioware/EA has only said they will “explain” the endings. That’s not a give, that’s a delay tactic.

But here’s the part that amazes me as an old PR guy and is totally new. The disenfranchised base here is changing the old methodology. It’s akin to comparing old-style bunker PR defenses to new blitzkrieg-style consumers. To date, the “bunker strategy” was always used because it was virtually foolproof. However, social media and the 24 hour news cycle have simply changed everything. Twenty years ago, you could not mass 30,000 protesters into a networked base without some luck, money, a GREAT cause and (most importantly) time. By the time you did get organized, folks were either burned out or lost interest. Groups like Take Back have altered the landscape and suddenly the contest is taken from the old paradigm to a crazy new (and wonderful IMO) place. Preorder sales took away customers biggest weapon in the past (i.e. don’t buy the product). Now customers who feel they have received poor value have been potentially re-empowered by the internet. Bioware/EA is feeling the full brunt of this thing while passion is hottest. They are deploying countermeasures faster than the old strategies ever would have ever suggested. To some degree, they are being outmaneuvered atm. But now it depends on how long the protest/outcry holds up.

Two more quick points and I’ll close. First, the Child’s Play movement was brilliant. Notice over the past few days how some of the most visceral detractors to the outcry have had to shift their vitriol from “you’re spoiled selfish haters” to “sure you gave to charity, but you are spoiled selfish haters.” Nobody is drinking that Kool-Aid. Better yet, some outlets are now saying “maybe the game has problem but its still art” from the precedent message “best game ever.” That won’t fly with the mainstream. If its one thing they know is that when “art” hits the marketplace, it is a commodity, nothing more. You’ve changed the countermeasures from "unbiased" critics of the movement into drum beaters simply trying to get you angry. EA’s PR guys probably envy you (grudgingly) atm.  

Second, don’t buy the only X people voted in the poll out of 1 billion customers, so they don’t care. That’s bunk. Are there "drum beaters" on both sides of this issue that just want to see controversy, sure. But if I was sitting in an office looking at that Bioware poll, I’d be reaching for a cigarette.

Finally remember, they have much more data at their disposal. They know how sales are going, how much time people are playing that are synced into Origin, etc. They will watch those numbers this weekend. If sales slow, watch for price cutting within 10 days (just over the two week US release date). It will mean that retailers are getting nervous and will slow new unit orders. As I’ve said before, this will come down to hard currency. If the protests start having an effect on that front, the response will come.

I’m an older gamer and again appreciate the repost. To everyone (on both sides) continue to let your voices be heard. You are consumers and have every right to engage in this discourse. The boards being locked yesterday proves someone is watching and knows this is an issue.  I'm in the hated-ending camp to be sure, but I admire everyone one of you who is arguing for what believe on both sides!

Cheers.

Many men may be willing to die heroically for a noble cause, but few men will live humbly for one.  Wilhelm Stekel

Then "Casey Hudson" released his second statement.

Here’s atghunters analysis of that:

atghunter wrote...

Been spending a few minutes reading over Mr. Hudson’s response.  Here's my PR insider perspective.  Hope it helps a bit.

First, let’s simply look at strategy over content. 1) They definitely released this on a Friday evening to bury it in the news cycle (because it does acknowledge in passing there are unhappy customers, but more next paragraph). Btw, kudos to those who pointed that out earlier in the thread-Solid catch. 2) Several of the “anti-ending” articles (most notably Forbes) are now creeping into front page searches for “Mass Effect 3” instead of “Mass Effect 3 endings” and they are hoping this release will knock those stories to page 2. 3) They are hoping to deflect some of the current silence anger by combining this message with this weekend’s faux olive branches (discussed earlier). 

All in all, the message release strategy is nothing too interesting at this point.

The content, however, is interesting. Most of the statement is doublespeak meant to let you see whatever you want as to as to the direction this thing is heading. Mr. Hudson then clearly tries to give validity to the greatness of the game by citing a couple news sources in the hopes of getting those stories more hits and onto search page one (nicely played EA PR), but the main thing is a clear acknowledgement that Houston has a problem with “some” fans. Mind you, he uses the term “some” and “most passionate fans” to try and minimalize the level of the outcry, but the disenfranchised fan base has reached the level of acknowledgement. That is important. Does it mean those disenfranchised fans have won? Not by a long shot. But Mr. Hudson’s statement was written (or at least approved by someone running damage control). And ultimately any time you have to acknowledge a problem with your product or customers, you have issues.

Does he continue on holding his own line that they intended “bittersweet” endings? Yes. Is the comment that you’ll see more of Commander Shepard an illusion to an “ending” DLC? Not certain but probably not at the moment. Does he utilize the “we’re listening to feedback but not promising we’ll do anything” line used on the boards yesterday? Sure.

It is clear most of his statement is insubstantial and leaves tons of room for spin either way down the road. Whether it gets used or not, management is trying to find some wiggle room in case they have to change course.

Last bit. A warning. PR guys know that right now many people’s emotions are on edge and often use a tactic called “Sound and Fury” (Shakespearean reference see Macbeth) to see if it gets people raging. It helps that strategy that people are looking at anything coming out of Bioware to detect wind changes. That said, I was reading through the thread burning with Mr. Hudson’s statement (though to be fair it is a Bioware/EA statement) and it seems for the most part folks are being passionate, but civil. EA PR will probably chalk up that aspect of this release as a failedruse de guerre (trick of war).

    

Shortly afterwards, a thread was created for Bioware rep Jessica Merizan to gather feedback from unsatisfied fans:

Here is atghunter's analysis of that:

atghunter wrote...

I promise some individual answers (working my way forward from page 18 atm) and my wife thanks you all for letting me have dinner. But first, a take on the latest Bioware maneuvers from a PR perspective.

First, I’ve never met Ms. Merizan personally, but I’ve read some of her tweets and find her to be an engaging and personable individual online. She is a PR guys dream because I believe she genuinely has empathy for the players and it shows.

That said, please remember that she (like everyone else in this storm at Bioware is saying nothing more than they are being told/authorized to say).

So on to the post. Of course, we’ve covered the whole churning things out on Friday night to avoid the news cycle under Mr. Hudson’s post. Standard Operating Procedure there. However, the tenor of Ms. Merizan's post is much better than what we’ve been seeing in the last 24 hours. Moreover, it is simply less of a CYA publicity statement acknowledging a situation but minimalizing the problem. Notice she drops the pretense of “most people love this but a few people may disagree” and heads straight into a quasi “throat exposure” by saying:

“In order for a collaboration between the devs and the fans to work, I need you guys to CONTINUE being constructive, and organizing your thoughts. I know where to look, but I need you to help me by contributing to the dialogue.” 

It is a direct communication to the offended customers. No promise of change to be sure, but probably the first genuine offer to discuss this issue in terms of possible collaboration vs. discussion/explanation. It won’t make the news b/c of Mr. Hudson’s statement issued shortly before as a media "screen" (though honestly, this was probably the intended message the PR guys want us to have all along). 

As I mentioned before, once you gain acknowledgement, you have taken the first step in a PR campaign towards a compromise. Lots of road ahead, but to that end, well done.

Also take that Ms. Merizan acknowledges the positive aspect of the RetakeME3 movement. From a PR standpoint, it’s like acknowledging the people you are presently struggling with actually have virtue. You’re not saying they are right, but you aren’t simply acknowledging their presence either. Mind you this can also be a gambit to 1) deflect (as we’ve previously discussed) or 2) to enrage (i.e. hope that the players will refuse to communicate and thus be seen as unreasonable at this overture). Best PR counter response: strength, civility, a touch of wariness and loads of conviction. 

The only troubling thing I can see is the collecting feedback data for “weeks” comment when the game went into full release only about 12 days ago, but I’m guessing that was possibly a PR guy’s oversight who assumed (based on the historical curve of these kind of things) that this matter has devolved in a much longer time that has actually elapsed. But it is equally possible she has been keeping track as well.  Still doesn’t detract from the tone of the message. 

Much less deflection, a bit more acknowledgement. If it hasn’t become clear, these fights (and make no mistake, they are fights be it abet civil ones) are of move and counter-move. 

Continue to make your voices heard. Give them the concise arguments I’ve read on this forum a hundred times (regardless of your side). This is a game of choices, and call me an old optimist, but I have to believe there is enough room on my hard drive for some endings for both the producers and we consumers. Continue to post respectfully, but with the passion and conviction that inspires an old gamer like me. If you do, and this ultimately turns out to be a deflection, it is a dangerous one for EA/Bioware.

Here's why. One of the greatest lessons of PR is don’t offer to negotiate, unless you mean it. Doing so and ultimately being outed is called “Brokering Solutions but Delivering Stonewalls”. Not to be melodramatic, when I did this work, we called it something else…

Sudden Death

As this thread progressed, a Bioware employee - Jarrett Lee - entered the thread and began posting.

Jarrett Lee wrote...

Most of these things you see as olive branches aren't that at all. They are part of the already planned launch period of ME3 (Star Wars I can't speak for). The N7 MP weekend was planned some time ago - before the ending situation came to light. Not everything revolves around this controversy. It's just unfortunate timing. Same goes for the recent strategy videos for example - we filmed those weeks ago. I think Corey and Eric did a great job in them and was dismayed at the vitriol in the YouTube comments.

You're complaints are being heard, and considered and discussed etc, but I wouldn't read so much into some of the marketing stuff we're doing. I know a lot of you won't buy that - i cant "prove it" - but I've actually always been honest with you guys all the way back to ME1. Operation Goliath is an event we planned because the multiplayer is really fun, and we want to engage the players with it (i just completed the challenge tonight myself!). Of course we had events and releases planned for the week after launch-week. There are no nefarious scheming evil meetings on this topic. We take it seriously, and are discussing it internally. Nobody is happy or dismissive about the fan reaction, at BioWare. Quite the opposite really. These are good people who care deeply about the work they do. 

I would suggest patience but not sure there's receptiveness to that at this point. 

Guess that's all I wanted to say for now. Have a good night/weekend.

At which point there was a rash of, "Thank you for talking to us like human beings" and "I feel bad for you Jarrett" comments.

atghunter replied to him:

atghunter wrote...

Mr. Lee,

Thanks for joining the dialogue. I haven’t read ahead, but I hope the discourse over your post remains civil and positive as I think this thread has been.

First, I wholeheartedly believe that there are good people at Bioware that care about the work they do. But I hope you can equally agree that sometimes the best people in business, with the best intentions, can misstep when it comes to consumer relations. It does not make them bad or wicked, just human. And when that happens, a tedious (and sometimes strained) relationship occurs requiring ultimately a dialogue between the conflicted parties brokered by PR folks. I don’t think anyone (certainly I haven’t) ascribed Bioware’s response as “evil”, but it is most certainly calculated. It has to be given the stakes.

We should also probably agree that atm the PR folks are directing the course of Bioware’s response (with lots of input to be sure).  Were some/all of the events going on this weekend pre-planned? I don’t know but I’ll take your word for it. Could those same events have been planned as firewalls (aka potential faux olive branches) or for just plain fun? I don’t know. However, while I certainly wasn’t the most savvy PR guy, it simply seems illogical that someone wouldn’t build some firewalls into a worldwide pre-sale release just in case. Again, no evil intentions, just solid market share defense. Those same firewalls turn into great media boosters if the game had been acclaimed and unneeded. In short, they get repurposed. 

I don’t ascribe Bioware as a malevolent group bent on the destruction of its fan base. At the moment I do ascribe them in one sense as you do:

We take it seriously, and are discussing it internally. Nobody is happy or dismissive about the fan reaction, at BioWare      

And that is, in my opinion, is because the situation cannot be ignored. As I’ve posted previously, Bioware/EA seems to have acknowledged a problem. Now it is simply a matter of how a business determines the economic viability of its response.

Again, I’m glad you chimed in. I always enjoy good discussions. And please don’t believe there isn’t “receptiveness” to your point. It’s fatalism. Honestly, people here have been passionately, but in an overwhelmingly civil tone, chiming in all week hoping for a modicum of acknowledgement with virtually no response from Bioware, and most still seem possessed of great hope for that same receptiveness.

During Jarrett's time in the thread, emotions were running very high and there were disagreements (naturally) between members with some people believing he was sincere, while others did not.

Even atghunter and myself didn't exactly see eye to eye on the situation. 

atghunter's reply to my post about Jarrett
My reply back to atghunter

It's all good.

Next we have a post by Gexora that analyzes Jarrett Lee's involvement.

Gexora wrote...

I have just read this whole tread, from the page one (and yep, I am probably getting fired soon). I think I have some valuable insight as someone who could see the way situation unraveled. 

So I read 35 amazing pages of people being mostly civil and discussing our movement; atghunter's posts were fascinating, I have seen the first one before and was amazed by how insightful it was, and glad he continued to help us.

Then Mr. Lee waltzes in, says some vague stuff while being polite and humorous, ignores all questions but the most innocent one, waltzes out - and everyone falls head over feet praising him. Then, some pages later, people are slowly realising they were played like little vorcha, and start arguing about that. I agree with someone saying we were so tired of Bioware treating us like bull****, we are at the point where anyone treating us like humans is idolized.

Then the thread got back to the topic again, but it just didn't have the same fire, had a lot of off-topic and arguing. So, the result? 

Jarett Lee just nuked the promising thread while being nice.

atghunter's post on Jarrett Lee's involvement. 

Former military officer, KeldoreKatern, offers his analysis of this situation

Redknight38's suggestions for the 'ReTake' movement

cokohpuffs41 financial analysis of EA/Bioware

Some members have been asking for "leaders" of the movement. Here's atghunter's take on that.

atghunter wrote...

Leaders vs. Organizers:  As I mentioned yesterday, one of the marvels of the present disenfranchised player movement is that it can be anyone, young or old, from any walk of life, from around the globe.  I've seen banners and posters from throughout the world in just the last 20 pages.  PR folks know it is widespread.  That said, does the disenfranchised base need leaders?  Just one voice here, but my take is that is ultimately for the base to collectively decide.  There are advantages and disadvantages to that call.  One charismatic leader can unite a movement, one misguided one can destroy it.  But regardless, any movement ultimately needs organizers.  Men and women who will step from the ranks of the masses to set up threads, start pages like the Take Back and Child's Play campaign, letter writing campaigns, etc.  In short, folks who become willing to help build consensus and focus energy. No one upset with a circumstance wants to mill around forever. PR deflection is used to wear out a voice that has nothing else to do except be vocal and then claim that ultimate silence is tacit approval.  Ultimately do organizers become leaders?  Sometimes.  But please bear in mind, this present circumstance is about a very vocal group of consumers upset at a product.  So put forth your thoughts and build consensus through civil dialogue to that end.  Does it mean you'll go along with the consensus, perhaps or perhaps not (especially if you liked the product).  But it lets the Bioware/EA know you are stillengaged in the discussion.  

A Continuing Chorus of Voices will Continue to be Heard but you Can Go Hoarse:  Stay involved (for as long as you wish, of course), be loud, passionate, and proud (no matter what side of this discussion you take) but understand from a PR standpoint (as mentioned above) that the whole stratagem of going into your bunker and using deflection is to wear out the outcry then dismiss it as a minor issue.  Being involved takes effort and being upset takes energy.  My suggestion, stay involved, but take breaks.  I have no doubt EA is assessing this constantly, discussing options, but not every person is at the helm 24/7.  Get a good meal, get some rest, watch a favorite movie, and decompress then come back to share more epic tales of Marauder Shields with the rest of us.  Resolve sustains a movement.  Become galvanized, stay passionate, but take care of yourself as well as the things you believe in!

The 'Galvanized" Veteran and the "Fiery" Newcomers Unite:  This one is mostly for the mass of disenfranchised players here but ending approval folks might fit in here too.  All of us (on the disapproval side) are at different stages of the "I'm an unhappy consumer and I'm doing something about it!" spectrum.  Some have become resolved, some are downright angry and want to vent, some are proposing solutions and some are talking about how let down they feel. All of those people belong here. And what I’m seeing catching up on this thread this morning is a genuine banding together of those voices. Some upset folks finished the game an hour ago, some a week ago—All should be welcome here. Embrace the passionate (yet civil) fire of the new poster and the stoic, galvanized conviction of those who have been here longer and everyone in-between. Each has a voice to be used in this discussion! 

Short Term Gains vs Long Term Campaigns: Last point. Lots of folks are asking, will Bioware address this on (fill in your selected date here)? I suspect that some folks even in the know at Bioware don’t know. As I’ve mentioned previously, Bioware/EA seem to have acknowledged a genuine disconnect with a very vocal portion of their client base. The PR damage control team is evaluating everything and assessing the costs of all options. The data involved is mind boggling and far more detailed than I can imagine with the proliferation of information potentially available in today’s business environment (weekend sales figures, new unit orders, online use, press reaction, fan feedback, cost of a variety of “fix” DLC platforms, projected long term losses to not fixing the game, customer short term/long term impacts, etc). To that end, I will give the same cautionary note I mentioned before: A meaningful solution to a serious disconnect between customers and a business takes time. Moreover, would it be reasonable to see EA release more of the same countermeasures/deflections/faux olive branches this week? Definitely. If for no other reason, you are testing the consumer’s resolve and hoping to keep the news headlines towards the corporate base somewhat positive with articles claiming “we’ll respond to our customers”. 

The "ending" press right now certainly isn't what Bioware/EA wants and they want to get past this as soon as the best economically viable solution is decided on.  

I said this a dozen times on the thread yesterday, but it bears repeating. I applaud the folks on both sides of this issue who have let their voices be heard. You are patrons, customers, and consumers. You can passionately praise or decry a company’s product so long as you are civil. You can buy their next product or refuse to do business with them ever again. This is the marketplace and ultimately comes down to the bottom line for EA. To claim any business can produce products with impunity to customer satisfaction is myopic and unrealistic. Conversely, companies should be willing to be bold with new products but with a clear understanding that customer disapproval is a potential outcome and could impact the long term business/customer relationship. And finally when that consumer disapproval happens on a significant scale its time for a business to economically do what it can to redress that disapproval to repair/preserve the relationship with their customers.

Then there was the “twitter fiasco” where a Bioware employee accidentally posted, “At this time we have no plans to change the ending.” Obviously the forums exploded and the post was removed from both social media sites and a new message was put in its place.

Here’s atghunter’s analysis of that social media faux pas.

atghunter wrote...

New Developments vs Miscues: Late last night, Bioware had to head off a minor PR storm when one of their employees posted there were no plans for a new ending. First, could this have been the truth or another ruse de guerreby some clever PR guy wanting to stick his toe in the water to see how quickly they’d get a response? Anything is possible and without more data, my opinion is as good as the next. The response by the fan base was (putting it mildly) a touch negative. The Bioware/EA response was the real fascinating thing to watch. Bioware almost immediately scrubbed the post, sent their arguably most well-liked spokesperson (Ms. Merizan) out to quell the crowd personally, apologized on Facebook, and sent sweepers into the forums to quickly lock a number of associated threads all in the space of roughly one hour in the middle of the night on a Sunday here in the States! 

In short, while the message was probably a miscue, the response tells you that they are watching this whole thing like hawks and reacting to things almost in real time. That just isn’t easy to orchestrate. While Bioware is certainly still mostly in “bunker” mode evaluating data from the weekend, reviewing projections, etc, they are clearly ignoring very little atm. Does it mean change will come? Not necessarily (But as a dissatisfied consumer, I personally remain hopeful). Does it mean you should keep letting your voice be heard? Absolutely. New week, new news cycle, and more analysis of data.

Silence isn’t Always Golden: Someone touched on this last night and it jogged my memory (remember folks, I’m older and occasionally prone to forget). Rudimentary PR response is deflection and bunker (as mentioned before) to tamp down the outcry and protect to corporate core. That said, silence isn’t always golden. Does the negative consumer reaction currently sweeping the social media represent a majority of the customer base? Not sure if even Bioware/EA knows atm and I sure don’t. But the outcry does pretty clearly represent the majority of vocal (and invested) fans (i.e. the loyal base). The retake message here seems mostly consistent (i.e its the product folks are dissatisfied with, they want the company to fix the product, and re-establish a good consumer/business relationship). 

Casual consumers may buy your product, but are often less inclined to purchase pre-order, buy memorabilia, and sing your praises to anyone who will listen. The loyal base will. They will buy models, talk the game up at conventions, and act as an incredibly strong advertising resource. As the bunker mentality wears on, the noise may die down, but it also stands a good chance of turning galvanized unhappy consumers who hope for a dialogue and compromise into disenfranchised former customers who loose faith in the consumer/business relationship. At best those people become casual potential customers of your future products. At worst, they’ll become adversaries. Someone once said:

The worst enemy a man can face is a former friend.

Why? Because it’s personal. At some point, people will no longer care about the deflection-style public overtures to listen by Bioware and faux olive branches. They’ll take their bags (and loyalty) and move on. Does Bioware/EA wish this whole thing would go away? You don’t have to be a PR guy to know the answer to that is of course. Do they want to try and find some way to salvage this disconnect and protect the bottom line? Again, of course. 

I can only extol everyone to stay involved in this dialogue no matter what side you are one and use your voice (as long as you individually wish of course). Take breaks, but keep on keeping on. Why? Because you are consumers and just as this is ultimately about the bottom line for Bioware/EA, its about where you spend your money and interest in the future as well. As a very dissatisfied consumer, do I still hope Bioware/EA will address this? Absolutely. But even if the end of this becomes “Brokering Solutions but Delivering Stonewalls” this outcry will be talked about in various circles for years. The social media has been amazing in letting people come together from around the world, a charity has benefited, I watched people on this thread engage in some of the most insightful and supportive discourse I’ve ever seen, and each of your who have spoken up have sent a clear message to the gaming industry that will likely become a cautionary tale in PR circles. /salute

Turns out Amazon.com is taking open box returns of ME3 – 13 days after release. Here’s atghunter’s take on that.

There's also a civil protests for fans to mail back their N7 patches to Bioware. Details can be found here.

Another in-depth analysis of the situation, this time from Skaldfish.


March 21, 2012

Bioware community manager Jessica Merizan posting in the thread. ME3 customers like, Mister Mida, Nefelius, Mavaras, rfrombrazil, Darkeus, mattynuts and Doug M.

-Bioware co-founder Dr. Ray Muzyka releases a statement on ending controversy
-Forbes analyzes Muzyka's statement with a scintillating article.
-JohnnyG provides Dr. Muzyka with "constructive criticism".
-Forbes writer says 'Indoctrination Theory' is the easy way out, but not in a good way.

-Jessica Merizan says she's changing how she interacts with the community, which prompted a reply from mattynuts, which lead to a response from Jessica clarifying her stance and one from mattynuts clarifying his.

-Here's my response to Jessica's decision to cut off the community.

March 22, 2012

-Jessica decides NOT to cut off the community.
-New Forbes article saying that Bioware changing the endings is a good thing.
-Mass Effect Drone Volume 5: The Customer Is Always Right. Why Bioware Should Change Mass Effect 3′s Ending.


More updates to come...


Related Links:

Official "Retake Mass Effect 3" Facebook page
Retake Mass Effect on Twitter
Retake Mass Effect - Child's Play ***Please Donate***
Forbes article
CNN video segment about ME3 controversy (starts @ 4:00)
BBC article on ME3
Mass Effect 3 debacle - Pre-release developer quotes
Poll About The Ending
'Official' Poll For Mass Effect 3 Ending DLC
[POLL] What exactly would you change with the ending?
EA/Bioware in Full PR Damage Control Mode ***Regularly UPDATED***
Retake Mass Effect Banner Templates
Mission Statement Thread
Retake Mass Effect Group on BSN ***Please Join***
Mass Effect 3 Resource Site with collection of statements and reports
Retake Mass Effect 3 Statistics
Retake Mass Effect on Youtube
Retake Mass Effect 3 Endings - Extranet Site - Resource Collector
Theorycrafting HUB (a forum for, among other games, ME3 theories and speculation)

Reviews:

Angry Joe's top 10 reasons to hate the ME3 ending
ME3 endings comparison
Jeremy Jahns - Mass Effect 3 Ending and Why We Hate It!
Reaping the Harvest of Poor Choices

Inspirational stuff:

The Commander Shepard song!
The Hold the Line video
Commander Shepard is still a jerk

Satire and Parody:

ME3 Recontextualised
Mass Deffect 7 Shepard's Reaction
The Animal House ending
The World Reacts to the Mass Effect 3 Ending
Mass Effect 3 - The Controversial Ending

Articles for Reading:

A Logical Breakdown of Why the Mass Effect 3 Ending Makes No Sense
Mass Effect 3 Ending-Hatred: 5 Reasons The Fans Are Right
Why you enjoy art and the one problem with Mass Effect 3

Twitter:

HarbytheReaper

Сообщение изменено: Bachuck, 22 Март 2012 - 09:30 .

[Jarrett Lee]

Most of these things you see as olive branches aren't that at all. They are part of the already planned launch period of ME3 (Star Wars I can't speak for). The N7 MP weekend was planned some time ago - before the ending situation came to light. Not everything revolves around this controversy. It's just unfortunate timing. Same goes for the recent strategy videos for example - we filmed those weeks ago. I think Corey and Eric did a great job in them and was dismayed at the vitriol in the YouTube comments.

You're complaints are being heard, and considered and discussed etc, but I wouldn't read so much into some of the marketing stuff we're doing. I know a lot of you won't buy that - i cant "prove it" - but I've actually always been honest with you guys all the way back to ME1. Operation Goliath is an event we planned because the multiplayer is really fun, and we want to engage the players with it (i just completed the challenge tonight myself!). Of course we had events and releases planned for the week after launch-week. There are no nefarious scheming evil meetings on this topic. We take it seriously, and are discussing it internally. Nobody is happy or dismissive about the fan reaction, at BioWare. Quite the opposite really. These are good people who care deeply about the work they do.

I would suggest patience but not sure there's receptiveness to that at this point.

Guess that's all I wanted to say for now. Have a good night/weekend.

[Jarrett Lee]

redknight38 wrote...

You will note that ATGhunter's post and the others in this thread was one of the few to warrant an official response. Yes, I know, reading into it too much and conspiracy theory, but it does make you take notice.

There's no voodoo at work here - I'm just sitting on my couch reading this on my iPad, it has been a difficult week, I'm very tired, and wanted to respond to some of the points made here. I just followed the link from the thread about Casey's post

[Jarrett Lee]

Caz Neerg wrote...

Nice to see that Merizan isn't the only one who can communicate like a real person, rather than solely in PR doublespeak.

The unfortunate implication of Jarrett Lee's post is that, while they are paying attention and are not enjoying our discontent, they aren't allowing it to interfere with their pre-planned schedule at all. Which, frankly, implies that they don't take us that seriously, or they would actually be adjusting something based on our reaction, rather than having pretty much everything proceed as if the controversy doesn't exist.

So formal, just call me Jarrett

The execution of a few marketing things we'd already planned doesnt preclude this situation being taken seriously, believe me.

[Jarrett Lee]

We're listening, and hopefully I haven't said anything too scandalous

But now you guys are making me paranoid, so I'll zip it for a while!

[Jarrett Lee]

Darkeus wrote]


So, more PR it is then?  Because all I read there was, "Spin, spin, spin, spin, spin."

Sorry but it is hard to believe anything EA/Bioware says right now.  But I hope you are listening, it has to be loud and clear by now.

Hold the line....

*shrug* wasn't spin. Just giving you some info - unfiltered. Just me, at home, describing some of my work.

[Jarrett Lee]

Peete wrote...

Jarrett Lee wrote...


There's no voodoo at work here - I'm just sitting on my couch reading this on my iPad, it has been a difficult week, I'm very tired.

Mr. Lee
You mentioned it's been a difficult week. Out of curiosity, why has it been a difficult week?

Again out of curiosity, and if you don't mind me asking are you a (just) forum moderater or one of the developers?

Im the senior marketing guy....one of them. Have been for the whole franchise really. I can't tell if your question is serious or if yer messing with me  the fan reaction is difficult to watch, after all the hard work basically. I'm not a moderator really, just an employee.

[Jarrett Lee]

DeadLetterBox wrote...


So, I'm not gonna let up on your company, but I do hope you're able to get some rest. 

Thanks . Take care all. 

[Stanley Woo]

TurambarEA wrote...

Volion wrote...

Noatz wrote...

I like how Stanley Woo is saying "End of Line." whenever he locks a thread.

This could just be an ironic turn of phrase, but it is also possible he is doing it specifically to try and get under people's skin.

Don't rise to it.

"End of Line." The phrase was most famously used by the Master Control Program in TRON. 
It is similar to human phrases like, "End of communication", "That's final", and "That will be all".

There's no way he picked it absent of thought for our unofficial catch cry 'hold the line'. I thought it was somewhat inflammatory as well (throwing sarcasm at already agitated people is always going to be inflammatory) but yes, agreed, don't rise to it.

I don't see how any threads concerning the endings or reactions to them can be considered not to be relevant to the story/campaign but if he's locking that thread for not being story related, then this one is really no different. Any Plan B in the event they start locking our threads?

"End of line" predates "hold the line"  by approximately 25 years. I have been using it for at least 9 years, since before Mass Effect 1. It is an homage to the Mster Control Program in the 1982 Disny movie "Tron," not a dig at anyone's cause or protest movement. If you believe it is inflammatory, then I would suggest that you're overthinking things and should perhaps learn a little more about me and the movie I am referencing.

Threads are locked if they are not story and campaign related. Since we already have a couple of threads discussing the protest movement, new threads discussing only the protest movement or addressing the protest movement will likelt be locked. This is not decret information, and I would have gladly told you all of this had you but asked in a private message. Jumping to conclusions and crafting conspiracy theories based on half-considered circumstantial evidence does none of us--least of all your "cause"--any good.

thank you.

[Stanley Woo]

Please note that posts which contain nothing but "Hold the line" type sentiments will be considered a violation of Rules #5 and #6 of our Site Rules.. We are still a discussion forum, thank you.

[Jessica Merizan]

Hey guys,
I just wanted to clarify a few things.

1) The twitter account is my personal one. No one is paying me to tweet on it and considering how much people are trying to extrapolate from replies I make that are meant for certain people (Twitter operates in a way that it's assume that while replies are public, people don't see them on their feed unless they follow both individuals -- or unless they camp on someone's profile which is what people are currently doing on mine). There's not a script I'm following and I'm not being "told" anything by PR. PR actually has very little to do with this situation, but I doubt you will believe that.

2) I was speaking to a person who enjoyed the ending (which is very much a personal opinion that I respect just as I respect someone else's opinion that they did not like the endings or even that the endings ruined their ME experience. All opinions are valid.) and I indicated that people who like things do not talk about it enough. People took this to mean that I was indicating that people don't talk about things when they're happy or that word of mouth isn't discussing things. That was not my intention.

2A) Twitter is terrible about having forum like conversations but currently I'm finding that's how people are trying to use it. After sending thousands of tweets this week (no small feat, try it) yes I get fatigued and don't always say exactly what I mean. But it's worse when I know that everyone is camped out on my feed just waiting to pick apart something I've said and prove me to be a liar or the harbinger of hope. Neither of which I am. I am a community manager who is a trained anthropologist and I feel that at times like this having a dialogue is more important than ever. It would certainly be easier if I didn't say anything at all, but I don't think that's the right thing to do.

2B) My intention to that person was to say that more people need to vocalize their opinion, positive or negative. When we insulate ourselves in tight-knit communities, it's harder to see that most people aren't doing that. Not the same most people however, just most people in different situations. An example I used is the 90-9-1 principle or the 1% rule (which is all over the internet and I studied it during my master's coursework in media consumption at University College London, namedrop intentional as people have recently accused me of being unable to read and interpret statistics or data, something I'm very good at and pride myself on).

3) The above rule is quite simple. 90% of consumers will passively engage in the product through consumption (such as playing a video game). They might lurk on forums or read articles. 9% of these people will take it a step further and actively engage in discussions and talk. These are the people that you rely on for WOM sales (word of mouth). They'll "like" a post on Facebook, share it to their wall, reply to a forum thread, RT or reply to something on Twitter. Then you have people who take it one step further and create content based on the original product. These are your fan artists, cosplayers, and even as simple as someone who starts a forum thread or makes a youtube video.

3A) An example I gave of this on Twitter is 3 products that I enjoy: Dominos pizza, the television show The Venture Brothers, and the Mass Effect Franchise. While I spend an embarrassing amount of money on Dominos every month, I don't discuss my purchase online with my friends. I haven't "Liked" their page on Facebook and I'm not a member of their community. I'm still an important consumer and I vote with my wallet. However I'm in that 90% that Dominos is constantly trying to engage with pizza ordering widgets to share on my Facebook wall etc. But I'm not biting. On the other hand, I'm a much more vocal consumer of the Venture Brothers. I'm in the 9% there. I've been a member of several fan sites, tuned into their livestreams and donated money during their charity drives, I tweet quotes from the show and am involved in discussions with other fans I met online. And finally, long before I worked for BioWare, I was in the 1% of this community. Even though I didn't go on the forums much (other than lurk), I created costumes, spread my love of their games at conventions, actively participated in their facebook initiatives etc.

3B) This doesn't just apply to people who like something. This applies to consumption as a whole. The 9% vocal minority isn't a bunch of naysayers. It's literally just the vocal bunch out of the entire group. It includes people who like, dislike, and are neutral. The media has just latched onto "vocal minority" as if it's a bad thing. It's not. It's just the way consumption works. Go look at any Facebook page, specifically their "People Talking About This" (PTAT). We consider 10% a great number. 20% is off the charts. But it rarely goes above that. It's just the way things work.

4) Honestly, if you want people to communicate more, you have to stop ripping apart everything. I'm speaking in generals here, most people don't do this but we remember those people who do the most. I have devs who don't want to write blogs for me because they don't want to lovingly craft a nice post and then watch it get picked apart and analyzed to death. There have been countless times this week that I wanted to stop talking because people were misinterpreting things I said such as my tweet in reply to one specific person that was taken out of context. One tweet that I made when I was tired and it was poorly worded. And seeing people rip it apart in the forums made me want to stop tweeting for good. Make my account private and just use my public one for generic information and boring updates. But I didn't because I know that it's awful when a few people ruin it for everyone.

I respect that even if I personally disagree with the end goal of RetakeME, their means to be heard are noble. Even if they have a demand, they aren't coming across as demanding. They try to be polite and fight stereotypes about fandom. And as their community manager, I'm advocating for their opinions to be heard. But this BioWare PR damage control stuff is ridiculous. How can we expect to have a conversation about this when people are slinging around jargon that frankly none of our PR professionals have ever even heard of. You're making yourselves paranoid and rejecting anything we have to say. It's one thing to be skeptical (as a consumer, it's smart to be an informed buyer) but it's another thing to lead yourself to believe that someone is actively trying to pull the wool over your eyes. We aren't. I'm not. I'm losing sleep over this and regardless of what you may think I'm not getting paid to sit and type this out. And any PR person would tell you this entire post is a mistake to write and publish.

Thanks.

P.S. Since I'm trying to be informative, a disclaimer about "this is my personal Twitter. Opinions are my own." don't actually hold up or keep someone out of hot water, so it's a waste of precious characters to have that in your description.

P.P.S. Yes, as someone previously mentioned we are actively monitoring how many people are finishing the game and comparing it to ME2 as a standard. This is the primary reason that we have held off on discussing the endings, for better or worse. You can expect fuller details later, but when I ask you to be patient it's not because I hate you or am scrambling to find the right words to say. I will tell you that I'm really encouraged by the feedback I'm getting and what I'm hearing from the team and I look forward to when that can be shared. Also, multiplayer numbers are a completely separate metric so you don't need to worry about us conflating the two.

Сообщение изменено: Jessica Merizan, 21 Март 2012 - 09:26 .

[Jessica Merizan]

OneWithTheAssassins wrote...

@Jessica
...I'm at a loss of words right now. Thank you Jessica, for taking the time out of you obviusly busy life to speake with us. It will not be soon forgoten. Sorry for causing you so much stress.

Causing me stress isn't so much the issue. My goal in everything is to create more supportive community that is more positive in nature (with undertones of social equality, solidarity, and togetherness) even when we fundamentally disagree. 

I can't praise the Retake movement enough for helping work toward that and I don't want to see us slide backward after the work they've done to unite many within the community. No matter what side of this issue you fall on, I don't see any other communities expressing themselves in such a positive manner.

Please don't take my longest-post-on-the-bsn-ever as a scary word of caution. It's just me candidly expressing myself to try to make this the best community possible. Also I'm possibly unhinged lol. 

Lastly, I hate that people in the media write about our fandom and sling around abusive labels. I'm fighting for that to stop too. 

Сообщение изменено: Jessica Merizan, 21 Март 2012 - 09:40 .

[Jessica Merizan]

cApAc aMaRu wrote...

Jessica Merizan wrote...

But this BioWare PR damage control stuff is ridiculous. How can we expect to have a conversation about this when people are slinging around jargon that frankly none of our PR professionals have ever even heard of. You're making yourselves paranoid and rejecting anything we have to say. It's one thing to be skeptical (as a consumer, it's smart to be an informed buyer) but it's another thing to lead yourself to believe that someone is actively trying to pull the wool over your eyes.

And any PR person would tell you this entire post is a mistake to write and publish.

So PR doesn't know their jobs, but don't want you talking to the community. No wool huh?

And this my friends is the best example of what I was describing in my post. Not interested in debating but I couldn't have made up a better case study for my words getting picked apart and twisted in a manner that I did not intend.

[Jessica Merizan]

BalooTheBear wrote...

 However I do feel that some of the pre-production promises do need to be addressed by the team because of the wide gap between what we were promised and the ending we got.

This is something that we can most definitely discuss when the time is right. I've been compiling an excel sheet since before launched (the endings were beginning to be discussed a few days prior to launch) that have questions the community would like answers to. I unfortunately, cannot give you an estimated time of when those will be answered due to various logistical timing reasons (and yes, marketing, PR, and studio buy-in will be important with getting these questions answered in a way that we're all comfortable with). 

I know it's hard, but we really appreciate your patience. The studio is very impressed many aspects of the community right now

[Jessica Merizan]

This is probably not my place to say this, but I really feel bad about Casey's statement. That's just the way he talks (it's seriously awkward having one on one conversations with him in his office sometimes, but for the most part he's hugely inspiring). He put a lot of thought into it and I read over it and gave him my support. In previous companies I've worked for, the leadership NEVER writes their own statements. Someone from (yes) PR wrote them at my previous jobs. But at BioWare, Casey, Aaryn, Mark, Ray, they all write their own statements and it comes from them.

Sometimes even guys like Casey need people to trust that he has good intentions even if his language doesn't resonate.

[Jessica Merizan]

Gespenst wrote...

Jessica Merizan wrote...

questions the community would like answers to. I unfortunately, cannot give you an estimated time of when those will be answered due to various logistical timing reasons

This worries me somewhat - you do know that the issue we have isn't that we "don't get" the ending right?

Yes. My documents are incredibly thorough. And there isn't an "issue" - it's complicated and many people have different reasons. But yes, I hear you and we're working as quickly as we can on this. 

[Jessica Merizan]

Livein wrote...

I'm sorry, but I'm not buying this Jess. Majority people who liked ending are sitting silent? Seriously? EA/BW is all about money, if we were just a vocal minority as many media tries to present us, we wouldn't even have this conversation.

Major sites (like IGN-orance) are worried to post poll about endings. I mean how stupid Colin M. must feel when their own poll of FB page showed him wrong. Only mainstream site that had a guts to ask people straight what they feel about this on frontpage was german Gamestar, and guess what, numbers are overwhelmy on our side.

That is why EA/BW said that all options are on the table. Not because they respect 'vocal minority' .

That is absolutely not what I said. Please read it again. And when you said "that's why EA/BW said that all options..." who do you think wrote that? I did. 

Read my message again.

[Jessica Merizan]

EsterCloat wrote...

While you may not personally agree with our end goal here at Retake, I respect your right to disagree. I hope this situation is resolved in a satisfactory manner for both sides.

Maybe someday I can have an open and honest discussion about my personal feelings regarding the ending and the controversy that arose out of it. I can't at this point because someone will call it a "BioWare statement" or somehow affiliate me with the company. 

However, just know that like any person advocating for a group, my personal opinion doesn't dictate how I represent the community. I rely on measurable metrics, community sentiment, and yes sometimes old fashioned anthropology. But I'm always your advocate. 

[Jessica Merizan]

Thermorium wrote...

Nadtsat wrote...

Nithe wrote...

cutegigi wrote...

please forgive me for asking a very naive question, but can please someone explain to me why there are logistics that need to be involved when we are only talking an answer to a question ??

Tis' a fair question, I will admit.

Yes, one I wouldn't mind having an answer for.
But sometimes, I think one must resort to "42"

By no means an expert on this, but i think that we're not just talking about "an answer to a question" here. 
If this is to be handled correctly, than things need to be done correctly. How do you make sure things are handled correctly? You plan meetings, and start talking. And you need to do lots of talking and plan lots of meeting to make sure this is resolved in a satisfactory way for the majority of people involved. EA needs to be ok with it, bioware need to be ok with it, the fans who disliked the ending have to like it, and you don't want to disenfranchise people who liked the ending.

Just think about it for a bit, it takes a lot more effort than you'd think on first glance.

THIS. And that's all I can say on the matter :innocent:

[Jessica Merizan]

Cybermortis wrote...

Jessica Merizan wrote...



<Please forgive the snip>

3) The above rule is quite simple. 90% of consumers will passively engage in the product through consumption (such as playing a video game). They might lurk on forums or read articles. 9% of these people will take it a step further and actively engage in discussions and talk. These are the people that you rely on for WOM sales (word of mouth). They'll "like" a post on Facebook, share it to their wall, reply to a forum thread, RT or reply to something on Twitter. Then you have people who take it one step further and create content based on the original product. These are your fan artists, cosplayers, and even as simple as someone who starts a forum thread or makes a youtube video.

3A) An example I gave of this on Twitter is 3 products that I enjoy: Dominos pizza, the television show The Venture Brothers, and the Mass Effect Franchise. While I spend an embarrassing amount of money on Dominos every month, I don't discuss my purchase online with my friends. I haven't "Liked" their page on Facebook and I'm not a member of their community. I'm still an important consumer and I vote with my wallet. However I'm in that 90% that Dominos is constantly trying to engage with pizza ordering widgets to share on my Facebook wall etc. But I'm not biting. On the other hand, I'm a much more vocal consumer of the Venture Brothers. I'm in the 9% there. I've been a member of several fan sites, tuned into their livestreams and donated money during their charity drives, I tweet quotes from the show and am involved in discussions with other fans I met online. And finally, long before I worked for BioWare, I was in the 1% of this community. Even though I didn't go on the forums much (other than lurk), I created costumes, spread my love of their games at conventions, actively participated in their facebook initiatives etc.

3B) This doesn't just apply to people who like something. This applies to consumption as a whole. The 9% vocal minority isn't a bunch of naysayers. It's literally just the vocal bunch out of the entire group. It includes people who like, dislike, and are neutral. The media has just latched onto "vocal minority" as if it's a bad thing. It's not. It's just the way consumption works. Go look at any Facebook page, specifically their "People Talking About This" (PTAT). We consider 10% a great number. 20% is off the charts. But it rarely goes above that. It's just the way things work.
 

There is something I'd like to note/ask at this point about the 90-9-1 principle as it *may* apply to some of the discussions about ME3 - at least on these boards.

Is the 90-9-1 principal based on 'traditional' marketing studies alone, or did/does it include research into internet habits and trends?

I ask because it occurs to me that more people may be inclined to make comments via the internet than through more traditional means. It's fast, easy and somewhat impersonal, which may mean that some of the 90% who wouldn't normally say anything are willing to do so. The question comes from the number of people I've seem posting on here who start with 'Never felt the need to post before' or something along those lines. I'm wondering if the 90-9-1 'rule' can be truely said to apply to the internet or not.

It's largely applied these days to social media, online communities, and CRM campaigns with email newsletters (which is where a lot of the marketing comes in). 

I use it when thinking about community. Again, it's not a hard scientific rule (nothing in sociology is really) but it's a good thing to keep in mind. 

[Jessica Merizan]

I'm a dummy. Left my laptop charger at work so I wouldn't be tempted to you know work at home, so now my computer just died write as I was finishing a reply. Writing on my phone. I guess that means it's time to go to sleep

Be well my community friends. I will continue lurking but I imagine this thread will have shifted to other things by the time I wake up. Again, I have no intention to make you change your mind about the endings or how you feel but I hope this was useful for both sides to talk as equals for a little while. I value this community and I'd be damned if I'd ever go this far as the community manager for any other studio.

You guys make me proud to work for you

Night for me! I should go.

[Jessica Merizan]

PS I'm glad to hear so many people who are moving from the 90 to the 9. Will check BSN registrations and our Facebook PTAT

Nite 4 realzzz

[Jessica Merizan]

Just so you guys are aware, my Twitter account will no longer be a place to discuss BioWare (at least for now). If you're following me there and that's the only reason, I suggest unfollowing me.

I will also be changing my interactions with fans on the BSN to a role that is more moderation focused and less engagement focused. Thanks to those of you who have provided wonderful conversations.

Lastly, despite what someone indicated on an earlier page, I am not a salaried employee. I am paid hourly. It's a good job, but I'm not being paid to engage with the community at 3AM. I did it because I thought it was helpful. I'm sorry that it wasn't.

EDIT: None of this affects my role. I'm still your advocate and am actively collecting feedback, thoughts, questions, concerns etc. 

Сообщение изменено: Jessica Merizan, 21 Март 2012 - 11:02 .

[Jessica Merizan]

mattynutz wrote...

Jessica Merizan wrote...

Just so you guys are aware, my Twitter account will no longer be a place to discuss BioWare (at least for now). If you're following me there and that's the only reason, I suggest unfollowing me.
(snip)

Before I respond to this, let me stand corrected. Part of my point rested on the assumption that Ms. Merizan was a salaried employee and thus was being disingenious when claiming that she was not being paid to tweet about BW and ME. I will, however, stand by my position that her willingness to tweet as a booster for product was the employee equivalent of paying under the table. It wasn't necessary, but if she wasn't going to do it, then someone else who was was going to get the job. 

Clearly the more rude tweets that people sent to her, and discussion of her twitter got to her. I doubt that that was the intention of anyone discussing that on this board. If she's only being paid hourly, then she absolutely should not be tweeting about this in her off time. It isn't healthy, especially given the heated nature of this discussion.

I find it interesting to note that Ms. Merizan didn't address me, nor quote my post, but merely referenced it in the thrid person. The purpose of this is to put a human face on herself while objectifying a person who disagreed with her.

That being said, this is another appeal to sympathy. It's meant to be taken like the kids found Mary Poppins crying in her room when they wouldn't behave. It is meant to soften the harsh criticism and make any percieved victory of the day feel hollow and empty. It is meant to make everyone criticising BW and their PR methods feel guilty. And I think that it has worked. If you haven't yet, you should take a look at the story of Napoleon Chagnone (the anthropologist whom I referenced in that long post I wrote). There are parallels to what just happened here.

To Ms. Merizan, as I said in a follow up post to that really long post., I really don't want to come off as a D-Bag, but it isn't fair to deflect criticism with hurt feelings. I'll add that, it is fair to be displeased with people who were harrassing you on twitter and you should never do work that you aren't being paid for. 

"Mattynutz" - I am not disengaging because of people saying mean things to me on my Twitter or in the forums. I can take it. It's not because evil PR told me not to talk anymore or because this is part of the master plan to win your sympathy and attack you when you least expect it. I'm disengaging because of you and people like you. I won't say anything more than that so my words remain untwisted.

For everyone else, we're discussing dinosaurs and puppies on my Twitter if you're interested. You can hold the line and still choose to engage in positive discussion. <3

Сообщение изменено: Jessica Merizan, 22 Март 2012 - 01:04 .

[Jessica Merizan]

OK a few things.

I've calmed down, eaten a significant amount of candy, and talked with people about puppies and dinosaurs.

I also apologized to Mattynutz for calling him out on this thread for behavior even if I don't agree with it. Regardless of how I feel, I'm still advocating for Matty and everyone else, and I don't want anyone to think otherwise. I forgot that many of you don't see me as a friendly galpal community manager and are automatically distrustful.

The reason I came BACK is to tell you that my interaction with you guys has derailed this thread and I'd like for you guys to get back to the subject at hand. Please don't quote or discuss this, as it will just further keep things off track.

Also live commenting on some random person's livestream about their ending is also not on topic.

I will continue to engage with positive people (you can still hate the endings or be part of Retake and be constructive) because it's not fair to shut myself off just because of a small proportion of people who don't like what I'm doing.

Now, IGNORE ME (woo Venture Brother's reference - yup 9% strong here!)

Сообщение изменено: Jessica Merizan, 22 Март 2012 - 04:30 .