For the longest time in video gaming, the only way players could let the developers know their thoughts on games was through word-of-mouth, certain events, and letters. Then, with the Internet, it became message boards, emails, and then eventually social media and sites like Reddit. And, because of the evolution of video games themselves, developers now listen more to player feedback, as it helps shape, as well as fix, their games. And to developers like Sledgehammer Games, who made the recent Call Of Duty: WWII, they’re grateful for it.
In an interview with PlayStation Lifestyle, Sledgehammer studio head and co-founder Michael Condrey talked about the community feedback, and how Sledgehammer Games sifted through it all to find out what worked and what didn’t.
We have a very passionate fanbase, and they love to stay engaged and tell us what they think.
A key point he notes is that because there are so many “voices”, they don’t all agree. So, they use a “match data” system to try and figure out the more objective suggestions and fixes that need to be made. Even so, they’re grateful to all those who send feedback in to the team.
We value it when people reach out and are earnest with what they want in a way that’s helpful, but even when it’s not as constructive, we know it comes from a place of passion.
Even when the team at Sledgehammer Games can’t fulfill every wish of the gamers, they want to make sure the players know why certain things are happening, and why others aren’t. It’s a tough job, but they don’t seem to mind.
And they’ve proved that they do listen to fans, and are fixing the game as fast as they can. Such as when the Headquarters feature in Call of Duty: WWII wasn’t working at launch, and they eventually got it fixed, and now many are enjoying it.
