All for One and One for All The importance of user communities in online games - Julien Wera -

PAGE 01 Julien WERA European Public Relations Manager @ Gala Networks Europe Ltd. Who is GALA ? Free to play online games publisher gPotato Europe / North America / Brasil / Japan “ Global Online Community Company” 7+ million members among the gPotato portals Introduction

Julien WERA

European Public Relations Manager @ Gala Networks Europe Ltd.

Who is GALA ?

Free to play online games publisher

gPotato Europe / North America / Brasil / Japan

“ Global Online Community Company”

7+ million members among the gPotato portals

PAGE 01 1. What is a gaming community ? 2. What can a gaming community bring you ? 3. Community Management : What you can bring to gaming communities 4. Conclusion & Questions Agenda

PAGE 01 A gaming community is a group of people bound by a common interest, a common passion , and the will to share it. There are communities about everything. To start one, the only two things people need are : - a topic to be passionate about - a place to discuss about it Communities are micro-societies with their own social rules, languages, codes, legends and heroes 1. What is a gaming community ?

A gaming community is a group of people bound by a common

interest, a common passion , and the will to share it.

There are communities about everything. To start one, the only

two things people need are :

- a topic to be passionate about

- a place to discuss about it

Communities are micro-societies with their own social rules,

languages, codes, legends and heroes

PAGE 01 Game-bound communities : World of Warcraft fans, Flyff fans, etc. Publisher/Developer-bound communities : gPotato users, Bungie fans, Blizzard fans, etc. Website/Place-bound communities : Online Welten, JeuxOnline, TenTonHammer, etc. Users belong to various communities at once, each of them having a particular “community spirit” more or less prominent Various types of gaming communities 1. What is a gaming community

Game-bound communities :

World of Warcraft fans, Flyff fans, etc.

Publisher/Developer-bound communities :

gPotato users, Bungie fans, Blizzard fans, etc.

Website/Place-bound communities :

Online Welten, JeuxOnline, TenTonHammer, etc.

Users belong to various communities at once, each of them having

a particular “community spirit” more or less prominent

PAGE 01 The Birth : A topic and a place to discuss Can happen earlier or later, depending on the communications made about a game Youth & Changes : Launch and first generations - The pre-launch community will be the base of early adopters for the game - After the release, a new generation of users will join the community, users who didn’t follow the game from the start Several generations of users will follow throughout the operation of the game, each with different spirits and expectations - The evolution of the community is very much impacted by the publisher’s actions Migrations : - Many players will leave the game in groups to go to another game Players changing alone will look for former community members to establish in a new game The “lifecycle” of a gaming community 1. What is a gaming community

The Birth : A topic and a place to discuss

Can happen earlier or later, depending on the communications made

about a game

Youth & Changes : Launch and first generations

- The pre-launch community will be the base of early adopters for the game

- After the release, a new generation of users will join the community, users who didn’t follow the game from the start

Several generations of users will follow throughout the operation of the

game, each with different spirits and expectations

- The evolution of the community is very much impacted by the publisher’s actions

Migrations :

- Many players will leave the game in groups to go to another game

Players changing alone will look for former community members to

establish in a new game

PAGE 01 User Acquisition - Word of mouth - Virality - Peer factor - Community migrations User Retention - Users may come for the game, but they will stay for the community - Community features are crucial to user retention in online games - Gaming communities build loyalty to a brand, a developer, a publisher, etc. Support - Feedback & Suggestions - Mutual help 2. What can gaming communities bring you ?

User Acquisition

- Word of mouth - Virality

- Peer factor

- Community migrations

User Retention

- Users may come for the game, but they will stay for the community

- Community features are crucial to user retention in online games

- Gaming communities build loyalty to a brand, a developer, a publisher, etc.

Support

- Feedback & Suggestions

- Mutual help

PAGE 01 A community doesn’t need the publisher/developer’s support to exist. The game operator can influence the community by giving it tools and support to help its growth and build a positive synergy with it. New discipline in communications : Community Management 3. Community management in gaming

A community doesn’t need the publisher/developer’s support to exist.

The game operator can influence the community by giving it tools and support to help its growth and build a positive synergy with it.

New discipline in communications : Community Management

PAGE 01 The role of the community manager Publisher/Developer Media Fansites PR/Marketing Department Customer Support Community Manager 3. Community management in gaming

PAGE 01 Official website Official forums Fansite Kits Blogs Podcasts Newsletters Live events Etc. Common community management tools 3. Community management in gaming

Official website

Official forums

Fansite Kits

Blogs

Podcasts

Newsletters

Live events

Etc.

PAGE 01 Know your community Remain trustful and reliable Inform Entertain Never underestimate your community Common rules of community management 3. Community management in gaming

Know your community

Remain trustful and reliable

Inform

Entertain

Never underestimate your community

PAGE 01 Gaming communities are a two-sided blade and need to receive professional and quality support from the games operators. Well managed, gaming communities can bring many benefits to games business Community Management is just beginning, and evolving very fast Conclusion

Gaming communities are a two-sided blade and need to receive

professional and quality support from the games operators.

Well managed, gaming communities can bring many benefits to

games business

Community Management is just beginning, and evolving very fast

PAGE 01 “ Online Community Management, Communication Through Gamers” Gamasutra.com : http://tinyurl.com/gamingcommunity Community Manager’s Group : http://www.communitymanagersgroup.com/ Sanya M. Weathers : http://eatingbees.brokentoys.org/ More resources

“ Online Community Management, Communication Through Gamers”

Gamasutra.com : http://tinyurl.com/gamingcommunity

Community Manager’s Group :

http://www.communitymanagersgroup.com/

Sanya M. Weathers :

http://eatingbees.brokentoys.org/

PAGE 01 Questions

PAGE 11 Thank you very much! Please contact us with any questions! We look forward to work with you! Contacts Julien Wera (European PR manager) e-mail: [email_address] http://www.linkedin.com/in/juwera http://www.slideshare.net/Juwera Slides available at

e-mail: [email_address]

http://www.linkedin.com/in/juwera

http://www.slideshare.net/Juwera