Communicating with Video Gamers Using Twitch and YouTube

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Like movies, video games don't always meet consumer's expectations. These expectations, in my mind, are the product of traditional promotional efforts such as cinematic trailers and perfectly orchestrated gameplay videos that show the game in the best possible light. These promotional materials certainly have their place and generate tremendous amounts of attention and hype around a game, and who doesn't like a good cinematic? However, looks can be deceiving. Many of us can recall a movie that had an amazing trailer but simply didn't deliver the expected experience in the final cut. A video game is no different. I'm not saying to not use these promotional materials, but I am saying that consumers, in my opinion, are relying less on these traditional means of communication to make a purchase decision, and, in the video game world, to decide whether or not they will continue to play the game after release. Unlike movies, many video games evolve over time and have frequent updates that fix bugs, and add new content to keep the players engaged. Many developers release patch notes that detail the incoming bug fixes and plans for the future. This type of environment creates a unique opportunity for game developers to engage with their players beyond a page of text by using Twitch.tv live streams and YouTube videos. 

So what are these opportunities?

1. Create two-way communication

If game developers live stream on Twitch or YouTube they have the opportunity to break down traditional marketing communications barriers by engaging with their most passionate player-base in real time. I have seen this well done when WildStar would have a Twitch Livestream and talk about known bugs and what the developers were doing to fix them, as well as what is to come in the future. They would also do live Q&A with lead developers at the end to answer some of the player's most important questions, and they would pick these questions in real time on Twitter or in the Twitch chat. This has also been well done by the Overwatch, "Developer Update," videos on YouTube. 

2. Build Trust

Posting a page of text that details upcoming changes is much different than putting a face to those words. Patch notes in the form of text should be released for the fine details of up coming changes, but putting a face to those words creates a connection between the company and the player-base and helps build trust. Having a developer stand in front of a camera and say that these changes are coming, these bugs will be fixed, and this future content will be released is more trust worthy from the consumer's eyes. The developers in a sense are creating an expectation for the future state of the game, and this may make the development team work harder to meet or exceed those expectations. Therefore, the player-base sees that the company made a claim and delivered on it, in turn, building trust, and loyal customers. Furthermore, beyond satisfying expectations, just seeing that a game company is willing to take the time to address the issues of a game, builds a sense of trust with the players. To the players, the most important investment they make in a game is not the money, it is the time. If players feel that the game is not addressing issues and creating new content, they may feel it is a waste of their time and will stop playing. Using Twitch and YouTube can assure players that their time is not being wasted.

3. Data

Live streaming or posting videos about the current state of a video game, and the changes and content to come can get people talking about the game in the Live stream chat, or in YouTube video comments. This qualitative data can be used to see how consumers perceive the current game as well as provide ideas for future content. The data can also be used to measure how well players agree with the upcoming changes, and how well they think the development team will perform, which may help create communications objectives aimed to change the player's perceptions about the company. 

The point

The point is that utilizing Twitch and YouTube to communicate with players breaks down traditional communications barriers, allowing two-way communication, trust building, and the collection of valuable data.  Game companies should take a step beyond the traditional release of patch notes on their website, step out in front of a camera, and tell their players what the issues are, how they are working to fix them, and what is to come in the future. This should be done on a continuing basis throughout the life of a game, from pre-release to the end of the game, which may be a predetermined minimum concurrent player count. In all, it is important for game developers to put a face to their words in order to build long term relationships with their players.