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General: A Hello and a New Column
SBFord
Former Associate EditorMember LegendaryPosts: 33,129
MMORPG.com is pleased to feature a brand new column that will focus on MMORPGs and gaming communities. Few have more qualifications to talk about these two important components of online gaming than the President and CEO of The Syndicate Sean Stalzer. Read Sean's introductory column as he offers up his qualifications and some thoughts about the future of his column.
One of the comments that is sometimes made in regards to any news about The Syndicate is that we come off as egotistical or elitist and I can see how the above paragraph of facts, figures and achievements could be read that way. My intent, however, is not to thump my own chest but rather to explain why I feel there are lessons we have lived through that both can be shared for great discussions and debates and that do provide a perspective on the every changing MMO landscape in so far as those changes help or hurt the stability of communities. The experience of leading The Syndicate is one of the qualifications that I bring to this column. We can discuss and debate other qualifications in future articles.
Read more of Sean Stalzer's A Hello and a New Column.
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Comments
"MMORPG.com is pleased to feature a brand new column that will focus on gaming communities. No one is more eminently qualified to talk about these two critical features than the President and CEO of The Syndicate Sean Stalzer. Read Sean's introductory column as he offers up his qualifications and some thoughts about the future of his column."
I havent even made it to the article and already two bones to pick. First off, what TWO critical FEATURES are you talking about? A community isnt a "feature" and even if it was that's only one example.
Secondly, are you seriously trying to say no one in the entire world of gaming is more "eminently" qualified than this person in the realm of game communities? Seriously? No one? Is anyone remotely close? Maybe you could give us your top ten and list what ranking system you used to tally that score.
I don't trust and Presidents or CEOs, they always seem to be in it for themselves and not the greater good of everyone who is working for their company.
As far as who this person is, I don't know. But my general idea is that CEO/President's cannot be trusted.
I am entitled to my opinions, misspellings, and grammatical errors.
So, hyperbole not really in your vocab then?
Cheers,
Jon Wood
Managing Editor
MMORPG.com
I've been involved in various gaming communities since the early '90s and played basically every MMO yet I've never heard of "The Syndicate" before this. Also, worst clip art ever.
Anyway, welcome Dragons.
I prefer honesty and integrity.
ooh, burn.
Seriously man, it's a video game website. a little bit of hyperbole won't hurt. No need to take everything so 100% seriously. It ws written obviously in a hyperbolic style, and you're nitpicking. Let it go and roll with it.
Cheers,
Jon Wood
Managing Editor
MMORPG.com
I would like to see a poll and results on who wants to read this type of column. Just to see if I'm in the minority or majority as I could really care less about it or this "Syndicate" who I've never heard of until now.
This is a whaaat?!
@finnmacool1: Fixed the wording for you. Better?
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
The Syndicate? Who are those guyes?
Been playing MMO's since Ultima Online, and never heard of that guild.
Besides when I think of "The Syndicate" I think of...
Ma I loved that game back in the day.
Well, I'll be glad to read it, because I feel that communities in MMORPG's have suffered in recent years, largely due to game design but also due to the influx of a broader player base with newer titles.
But what would really be interesting is to hear from the folks who run the Goon Squad/Swarm group on Something Awlful.com, heck they figure out a way to get thousands of people to pay them up to 50 bucks a month to be a member. Those are some smart fellas and they do so by creating communities that to the outside world are arguably juvenile and rotten.
"True friends stab you in the front." | Oscar Wilde
"I need to finish" - Christian Wolff: The Accountant
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
Oh, now you're just encouraging them.
I see why we had the non news of their april fools joke now, further down the line it would have been news once we got some debates going and listened to what insites can be offered by Dragons, but guess I'm just nit picking now
I'm intrigued by what conversations we can get going around this idea, I agree with Dragons that the communities of games are very important, few dev houses seem to encourage their community growth as well as they should IMHO.
I'm from a guild that has grown more in to a clan, we are spread across games but remain a close knit community, I've been with them five years now though the guild has been going longer that. We have yearly holidays and have formed some great friendships, I'm sure ours is only the tip of the iceberg, none may have been around as long or as succesful as The Syndicates but I'm sure other guilds experiences can provide useful examples in how best to grow a community (for those of us interested in that). The more that get involved in the debates the more useful it will be. I'm not too fond of their self promotion or (seemingly) large egos, but I'll put that aside and keep an open mind on whats to come, where's the harm?
look forward to seeing what transpires.
Social Enterprise in MMOs, "It has begun." ; )
I will be happy to read this column. Edit: Syndicate was an awesome game! More drugs!
http://www.gdcvault.com/play/1014633/Classic-Game-Postmortem
As long as this column doesn't become Syndicates' ego blog, I will entertain it.
I believe this idea springs from our comments on the not-so-bright post from Syndicates on April 1st. The least we can do is let them try this out before we burn them with more hate comments.
What did you *REALLY* expect? People dislike The Syndicate for various reasons, some of which I happen to agree with. Expect more of the same. Everytime there are so called "news posts" made regarding The Syndicate they always turn into pages of dislike by people who dislike TS for their lack of integrity, honesty, and humility. In the end you only have yourselves to blame. No one forced you to bring them here. It was your choice to do so. Now these are the repercussions of your actions.
Banegrivm
Leader of the 1st Fist of Light
www.1stfistoflight.com
Whoa, why aren't we just listen to what a man has to say anymore? Sheesh. At the end of the day a CEO is a person like you and me. I reply to what a person SAYS not what his position is.
"Better be robbed than live surrounded by scarecrows." Nietzsche
People don't ask questions to get answers - they ask questions to show how smart they are. - Dogbert
{mod edit}
I like the irony of improving things for the gaming community and actively chasing guilds in other games for using such a generic name as Syndicate
anyways, make your future articles based around the guild and they wont go down well - be more general in your approach about the industry as a whole and maybe things will work out better
Not being funny but a bit of drama and the odd implosion often goes along way to make a strong over all mmo game community. If everyone just got and servers would be a very bland place indeed.
"Come and have a look at what you could have won."
Welcome to this particular community!
Hope you brought your flame-retardant suit -- I can't lend you mine, it's in use.
Seriously, most people here are lovely. A few are in it just to spew vitriol for its own sake, but they're quickly spotted and ignored (as elsewhere).
As someone who's been in the same gaming guild for going on 11 years now (only a few 100 people but just as stable and no leadership changes, nor are any likely), I know how to value my tribe. Looking forward to more columns!
I find it ironically amusing that the entire purpose of this 'new feature' is about mmo communities, yet the MMORPG.com community has unanimously pointed out their feelings on the biased amount of publicity this one single solitary guild is receiving.
If this is about many different guilds and communities then I'm all for it, but to make a utterly ridiculous statement claiming NOONE is more qualified that the CEO of The Syndicate is beyond reasoning. There are professionals and academics who far surpass the 'expertise' of a so called 'guild leader' in social communities of all kinds. Just the fact he is calling himself a CEO like hes the head of some kind of billion dollar multinational financial institution is out right silly and preposterous.
I like many others come here to read about news on mmo games, not to stare at the blatant obviousness of certain articles attempting to make us believe this 'guild out of millions' is some how superior to everyone else's guild and that these guys speak for the entire MMO community 'for our own good'.
Come back to reality, this is a mmo news site read by intelligent people, not a bias The Syndicate Knows Best concoction.
Sorry, but why? Why do you MMORPG crew THINK we want to read stuff from this guild? I THINK we, as a MMORPG community, made it pretty clear the last few weeks that we don't want any more articles from The Syndicate.
And I know this is not about The Syndicate, but when the President & CEO (whatever) talks about a community I just give up. 1200 people and he talks about community? I think he doesn't even know 95%.
Well, its a very self-confident arrival and i am totally sure "The Syndicate" is a bunch of elitist bastards but i respect competence even if it is from a paramilitary organized sort of a mmo guild.
Community is a key to MMOs and many decisions have the WTH factor so its already leading into a direction of interest and impact and i am curious what wisdom will spring out of this puddle of thoughts.
PS: I dislike the pictures...powerpoint type and not mmo worthy.
"Torquemada... do not implore him for compassion. Torquemada... do not beg him for forgiveness. Torquemada... do not ask him for mercy. Let's face it, you can't Torquemada anything!"
MWO Music Video - What does the Mech say: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FF6HYNqCDLI
Johnny Cash - The Man Comes Around: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0x2iwK0BKM
I wonder this myself
Agreed. I have nothing personal against The Syndicate but in all their posts I've read, this introductory column included, they've come across as arrogant and egotistical. I'm happy to have a new columnist to write about community but if all their articles are laced with not-too-subtle Syndicate ego stroking I will quickly stop reading.
Always read the small print.