Social media as a information tool

Abimor

Hello all, 
does anybody else think it is irritating that game companies use twitter and facebook to spread important updates to their customers?
For instance bethesda support often looks into ticket numbers from people to get them updates or help. So I have to tweet the company for them to look into my problem now. Or said company post the game is down or going down but does not post it in their game launcher or their own forums. I was thinking back a long time ago a problem in lotro with golden leaves and the community manager saying players should just know something is broke rather than put it in their little updates box when you sign in. 
I am all for them getting the info out in many ways but you should always be able to get it from a companies website and tweeting for support is just sad.   

Amathe

I agree with you that it is irritating. And I refuse to communicate with game companies via Facebook or Twitter. 

Vrika

Twitter is often good for giving updates when the game is down. It's not affected even if the company's whole website goes down, and tweets are well suited for giving frequent updates as situation evolves.

But I agree that it's just sad when you have to use Twitter or Facebook for something like normal customer support.

Abimor

DMKano said:

Any company that resorts to solely using social media as a primary tool for patch updates, community updates etc..  it just means I am not going to even bother with their product.

Social media has turned into a political subversion weapon - more than 50% of twitter accounts are bots - real people mistakenly think that there is a huge backing behind some idea or agenda - when in reality it could be a government or a corporation using tens of thousands bots for their own gains masquerading as thousands of regular people.

Vast majority of social media is a cesspool  - yeah hard pass.

couldn't agree more.

cameltosis

The official website should always been the primary source of information, and all information should appear there first, before heading to social media.

To do otherwise is a disservice to your players.

If you use social media as an information outlet, either exclusively, primarily or just first, then you are basically saying that players can only stay up to date by signing up to those social media platforms.

Players have to jump through enough hoops as it is without requiring additional social media. For someone like myself, I have a very negative view of social networks anyway. I am on facebook, tho reluctantly, but I refuse to sign up to any of the others.

Beyond that, as a former web developer, it just seems like bad SEO. You want to be driving traffic to the main website, making the main website the highest authority on your game. Posting your news elsewhere first kinda defeats the point.

AlBQuirky

I call it "Anti-Social" media, not social media. I don't have a twitter account. I left Facebook after my 30th class reunion seeing more political agendas than actual info.

If a company wants to use these, fine by me. I'll just look elsewhere for my gaming info

ChildoftheShadows

As long as it's not the only source of news and IMO should never be used for customer service, only spreading of information. Basically use it like you would newsletters.

Wizardry

All the of the redirects are for one purpose >>$$$$

All websites/businesses are somehow tied in with Google and cookies etc etc.
click click ...clickbait  yep all $$$.

I have bought a LOT of games and i can say without doubt the POLISH and effort going in to them is atrocious.Most games deserve a D minus score for lack of effort.

Every last one of them are more concerned where their revenue is coming from than making the game.

You also need to realize the world has gone full mad,a whole pile of social media junkies.Cell phones gone wild,pro athletes arguing with each other on twitter etc etc.It is like people can't just reach out to anyone like we used to with a telephone,NOW they want the whole world to see it as well.It really is like being a third party listener to two other people talking on the phone,so chances are your support people are also social media junkies.

Iselin

It's particularly annoying for games that impose a unique launcher on you when the launcher is the last place you get the update. Pretty well exposes the launcher for the billboard advertising it is.

Quizzical

Posting information to your own game web site, game launcher, or in-game announcement and also posting it on Facebook and Twitter is perfectly fine.  Posting it only on social media and not through anything actually associated with the game is a pretty good reason to avoid that game entirely unless:

1)  you only do that as a last resort for messages like "yes, our site is down, but we're working on fixing it", or
2)  it's early information on some upcoming game that will have its own website but doesn't yet.

Theocritus

I remember finding a game that looked really good a couple of times, then saw that it was on Facebook only and that was the end of that. I get requests from friends all teh time to join facebook and I just have no interest in the drama.

Abimor

Quizzical said:

Posting information to your own game web site, game launcher, or in-game announcement and also posting it on Facebook and Twitter is perfectly fine.  Posting it only on social media and not through anything actually associated with the game is a pretty good reason to avoid that game entirely unless:

1)  you only do that as a last resort for messages like "yes, our site is down, but we're working on fixing it", or
2)  it's early information on some upcoming game that will have its own website but doesn't yet.

I understand where you are coming from how do you feel about having to tweet their support to see what your support ticket is in the process? I think for me Bethesda is to big of a company to have that kind of mickey mouse operation. @Iselin makes a good point Eso has its own launcher and right now it says nothing about ques or the issues their having it talks about watching streamers kind of dumb I shouldn't have to go searching to see that info. 

Abimor

in ESO defence turbine never put relevant info in their launcher either just more ways to sell you something.
this makes me sound like I am some zealot on a crusade I just do not understand how we got here.  

Tiller

Who still uses Facebook but Boomers with a grudge named Karen or Kevin, or Chad?

ChildoftheShadows

Tiller said:

Who still uses Facebook but Boomers with a grudge named Karen or Kevin, or Chad?

I don't think you know who boomers are, lol

kitarad

I just adapt, it is what it is. I want to play a game stuff like this does not upset me in the least. I just use whatever medium they decide to use it or if I don't have a facebook account, lost it to some reason (no idea) now have to contact three very old relatives for codes and I decided not to bother had nothing on it anyway.

I just use Reddit or other forum that has people posting the updates anyway. That is the great thing nowadays you don't need that one source to get your updates. You don't have to have be tied to twitter or facebook. I can read stuff without being logged in anyway.

If I have to tweet a company to look at my customer ticket I do it. Once upon a time I had to call all the way from Singapore so this tweet is nothing compared to the cost of the phone call.

So I have no issues, I just decide if the game is worth it and based on that evaluation I act on it. I can jump through any hoop if the game is good.

When I wanted to play PSO2 on the Japanese servers I had to learn how their alphabet looks and follow websites on signing up for the game. Any hoops if it is worth it.

My reasoning is the same as it was when I made that phone call I wanted to play and if the only way I can get my ticket looked at was to call them, I did that.

AlBQuirky

kitarad said:

I just adapt, it is what it is. I want to play a game stuff like this does not upset me in the least. I just use whatever medium they decide to use it or if I don't have a facebook account, lost it to some reason (no idea) now have to contact three very old relatives for codes and I decided not to bother had nothing on it anyway.

I just use Reddit or other forum that has people posting the updates anyway. That is the great thing nowadays you don't need that one source to get your updates. You don't have to have be tied to twitter or facebook. I can read stuff without being logged in anyway.

If I have to tweet a company to look at my customer ticket I do it. Once upon a time I had to call all the way from Singapore so this tweet is nothing compared to the cost of the phone call.

So I have no issues, I just decide if the game is worth it and based on that evaluation I act on it. I can jump through any hoop if the game is good.

When I wanted to play PSO2 on the Japanese servers I had to learn how their alphabet looks and follow websites on signing up for the game. Any hoops if it is worth it.

My reasoning is the same as it was when I made that phone call I wanted to play and if the only way I can get my ticket looked at was to call them, I did that.

I think most players feel the same way. That's most likely why developers keep looking into these avenues

Tiller

ChildoftheShadows said:

Tiller said:

Who still uses Facebook but Boomers with a grudge named Karen or Kevin, or Chad?

I don't think you know who boomers are, lol

Explain? I'm in my 40s, which makes me Gen X, my parents, aunts and uncles generation are in fact baby boomers who use Facebook.

AmeliaHarris

Why is it so irritating for you to discuss with game manufacturers by Instagram or Facebook? It’s the same if you would contact them by email or phone. Usually, when I have issues with the game I’m playing I always write them on social media platforms. The best thing is that they reply fast via social media, rather when you write those emails. I already got so familiar with the guy I’m talking that he asked me once “do you how can you buy video views on Instagram?” He probably saw I don’t have so many followers, and simply wanted me to become more popular. Please, guys shed some light on why you don’t like social media as a tool to communicate?

Quizzical

AmeliaHarris said:

Why is so irritating for you to discuss with games manufacturers by Instagram or Facebook? It’s the same if you would contact them by email or phone. Usually, when I have issues with the game I’m playing I always write them on social media platforms. The best thing is that they reply fast via social media, rather when you write those emails.

1)  Are you really asking why it's a nuisance to have to jump through a bunch of hoops to register for yet another web site with yet another username and password in order to contact a company?  Doesn't the question answer itself?

2)  If I contact a company through some external site that the company doesn't have control over, then they have no idea whether the person using that other site is the same person as uses the game account in question.  That can create all sorts of security problems where someone else asks them to do something to your account.

3)  There's no reason for a company to reply faster on social media than through their own web site, other than to inform people that their site is down or otherwise broken.  If a company acts that way, then they're terrible at supporting their own product.  If anything, their own site can be organized exactly how they want it to make it easier for them to offer support, which unrelated social media sites aren't.

Theocritus

ChildoftheShadows said:

Tiller said:

Who still uses Facebook but Boomers with a grudge named Karen or Kevin, or Chad?

I don't think you know who boomers are, lol

Yeah its Mabel, Eunice, and Gertrude!