Because Nobody Asked: We Still Don’t Get It

What a day Adam Orth has had. What was thought to be a relatively benign conversation on Twitter has blown up to a worldwide fiasco leaving Orth’s employer, Microsoft, with a damaged public image and leaving Orth under siege by press and message board posters. More than 50 websites have linked Orth’s comments about “always being online” to the persistent rumor that Microsoft’s next platform will indeed require a constant internet connection to work.

I’m not going to get into the right and wrong about constant connectivity. I have no horse in the emerging console race; the console video game industry has already successfully scared me off. I think that there are pitfalls with such a strategy, and if consumers can’t play their games, it could be very bad… but I can also see the benefits, mostly in the arena of courting online players who tend to spend more on DLC and online subscriptions. I think there are fair points on both sides of the debate, but that’s not for me to moderate.

What I want to touch on here is the power of social media and the illusion that what you say in fact does represent others.

We’ve seen several instances where social media situations have led to firings. People say things on Facebook and/or Twitter that don’t necessarily represent the opinions of their employers, and yet it very much does. Once you attach the name of your employer to any public profile, using “these opinions are mine and not my employer’s” does not apply. People try to hide behind this all the time, thinking that it’s some kind of immunity… but we see time and time again that it simply is not. When you post anything potentially controversial, such as a picture or sharing a personal opinion, it’s tied to you and to everything tied to you that you’ve publicly disclosed. Your school. Your employer. Your family. If said opinion or picture is deemed offensive or controversial, people are going to react. Employers usually bear the brunt of Web reactions and get raked over the coals, suffering damage to their public image and dealing with the pressure from those seeking to punish the company because of one person’s opinion or picture.

In Orth’s case, the assumption was made by many that his opinion was reflective of Microsoft’s strategy moving forward with its new platform. This led to an explosion of reaction across the Web. Generally negative news stories appeared on websites. Message board posters and news story commenters pledged not to buy the next Xbox. Some even called for Orth’s termination. In response, Orth locked his Twitter account, several members of the game development community attempted to defuse the situation and vouched for Orth’s character. Microsoft made a statement distancing itself from Orth’s position but which did not deny the persistent rumor about constant connectivity.

Like it or not, it’s time for us to learn to watch what we say in the social media space. We can cry about “freedom of speech” and not being able to express ourselves as we see fit, but the truth is that what we say in social media follows us everywhere. You might think that your posts don’t represent your employer, but the scores of people who read what you say don’t see it that way… and if it becomes a negative reflection on that employer, you very well could be looking for a new one.

Think before you post. It’s not hard. If you get that nagging feeling that says, “Hey, this might piss some people off,” then rethink it. Post it privately. Call someone and tell them. Write it in a journal.

I’m not saying that your fate will be anything like the ordeal that Adam Orth is facing, but do you really want to take that chance?

I played Facebook games, and I liked them

I conducted a little experiment over the weekend.

I played some games on Facebook. I didn’t expect much, but after reading about how much fun Jetpack Joyride was supposed to be in my Twitter feed, I figured I’d see for myself. Not only did Jetpack Joyride make two hours pass quickly, but I wound up dropping close to eight hours total on Facebook games without spending a single cent. I played some slot machines, I swung my sword playing Fruit Ninja, I checked out Mark Turmell‘s Bubble Safari, and I got my virtual contestant on playing some game show games.

So. Addictive.

For the low price of zero, I got a lot of enjoyment out of my time and will probably play more of these games in the future. I can see why some consumers are choosing to go this route for their gaming fix, or even choosing to play games on their smartphones or tablets. These games may not necessarily be for the hardcore and devoted video game player, but for everyone else… they’re actually pretty decent. Sure, they aren’t 30-40 hour masterpieces, but are cheap and entertaining ways to pass some time. These games can test your reflexes, tease your brain, and some have that unmistakable arcade quality about them… where you just want to play one more time to try and beat your best score.

Facebook gaming isn’t without its annoyances. Jetpack Joyride was probably the least intrusive in trying to get me to spend money to lengthen or enhance my gaming experience, but the game show and slot machine games were quite direct about monetization. After a couple of games of Family Feud, for example, I was locked out for the day unless I paid. Running out of bubbles in Bubble Safari can be rectified by paying some money out of pocket. Once my hot streak ended while playing The Price is Right Slots, I was offered the chance to get back in the game by paying up.

This hooked me for over an hour. I admit it.

Most of the games I played were more limited experiences for free players, which is arguably fair. Advertising can only do so much, so attempting to generate revenue makes sense. Using a couple of free games to get players interested is a good tactic. Sometimes it works, and sometimes– like in my case– it doesn’t. I’m far more inclined to play Jetpack Joyride or Fruit Ninja with frequency, as opposed to more strictly limited games like The $25,000 Pyramid or Deal or No Deal. I could be persuaded to spend money on extra time with The Price is Right Slots, as it feels closer to a casino slot machine experience than most other games of its kind that I’ve played. (And, yes, I know it’s not for real money; it’s the authenticity of the experience that draws me in.)

The rise of social and mobile gaming makes it harder for consoles and handhelds to live up to the standards of success that we’ve seen over the last few years. Social, iOS, and Android gaming is legitimate, whether the gaming community chooses to recognize it or not.  It’s also elicited negative responses, with angry reactions to the idea that consoles and handhelds are being replaced. I don’t think that a full-on replacement is close at hand here, but trends suggest that more people who play games are doing so in different ways. That’s why I’m a firm believer in the idea that the next console generation will be less successful than what we’ve seen over the course of this generation– but there will still be some level of success to be had.

For me, as a fan of video games in general, I’m happy to see them branching out to new and successful platforms. Video games are still enjoyed by millions of people, whether they play on their smartphones, tablets, computers, handhelds, or consoles. I’m not embarrassed to admit that I had fun playing Facebook games recently, and I’m not ashamed to say that I’ll play more of them down the road. I won’t give up my consoles to play them anytime soon, but they’re an enjoyable alternative to my usual gaming habits.

Consoleation Status Report: Birthday Break!

Hey there, everyone! Not that my recent birthday (4/22) was a big holiday or anything, but I’m taking the rest of the week and weekend off to celebrate when I can while also working some extra karaoke events this weekend. The next update will be on Monday, April 26th.

Please feel free to take this time to check on some of my archived work here at Consoleation, as well as to supply feedback to any of the posts here. Some of you are using the 5-star rating system for posts recently, and the more feedback I see, the better I can tune my work to match up what you like to read. Any written feedback is also welcome; my e-mail address is gameguypeter@gmail.com and I promise to reply within a day.

As always, thanks for taking the time to check in here at Consoleation, as well as for your comments, ratings, and retweets. Knowing that people are reading my work is the best birthday present I could have asked for– aside from the new PlayStation 3 I got, that is. When I return on Monday, I might have some very exciting news to share!

Lastly, before I go, I wanted to remind those of you with Xbox 360 units or PlayStation 3 units that I still have room for friends on both networks… My Xbox LIVE Gamertag is GameGuyPeter while my PSN ID is GameGuyPete. Feel free to drop me a line or an invite! In the meantime, you can keep up with shorter opinions and other nuggets of wisdom and real life via my feed on Twitter. I usually update my feed every day, touching mostly on gaming but also talk about a range of topics from karaoke to sports to even politics here and there. I’m also on Facebook, too, should you wish to drop in and see me there.

Have a great weekend, and we’ll be back on Monday!