What makes people, both young and old, want to sit for hours in front of a
screen, clicking away on their consoles? The answer, say the authors, is status
and friendly competition. Games that track players' progress against their
previous achievements, or against those of others, can make grinding seem like,
well, less of a grind.
...
should look to video-gaming companies for inspiration when it comes to
managing their own communities. They point out that good gaming firms must learn
the language and rules of different customer groups, appointing staff to engage
with them. They also offer prizes that encourage creativity, as well as tools
and support that make it easier for users to come up with mods, while
discouraging unwanted innovation. The resulting software can help predict what
future products might succeed.
The gaming industry also offers examples of what not to do. In 2006 CCP, an
Icelandic company that makes EVE
Online, a game that lets teams of players fight epic online battles over
virtual star systems, got a rocket from its users when it emerged that an
employee had been giving special help to a particularly powerful
team.
German Questioned Over Gamer's Murder
