Selective hearing
A Case of Selective Hearing
Grandmother used to call it “selective hearing”. I should point out at the outset that there is a world of difference between those among us who need hearing aids, someone who is hard of hearing, and someone who has selective hearing. We have a dear friend of many years who needs a hearing aid for no other reason, like all of us, than the years eventually take their toll
But “hard of hearing” and “selective hearing” are different altogether – at least as my grandmother saw it.
At some point in the youth of our lives we all experience “hard of hearing.” Actions we take that would merit the application of the phrase are usually followed by our mothers saying things like “YOUNG LADY ARE YOU LISTENING TO ME?”
Ah but selective hearing – that is something special.
Our dogs have selective hearing; especially the little one.
When I give our little dog a treat followed by the words, “That’s all there is, no more” she doesn’t hear that. Instead she somehow hears the words “hop up on the table and help yourself.” But selective hearing isn’t limited to dogs and little children – adults get it too from time to time. I know of a business that has had two separate audits of its business operations that determined the problems it was having were due to poor management. As unlikely as it seems, the executives of this fine organization heard the words “poor management” as “a problem with the employees.”
That, my friends, is selective hearing.
Now it seems that Mythic Entertainment (or now that they have been reorganized by EA do I call them “the developers formerly known as Mythic”?) have developed selective hearing.
Don’t get me wrong. It was a pleasure to have their creative director on not one, but THREE of our shows. After all, if nothing else, Paul Barnett gives good interview. But that is where it ended. After that he doesn’t call, he doesn’t write. We are starting to think he doesn’t love us here at No Prisoners, No Mercy any more. All we can say to that is, “Oh Well” – he isn’t the first and he won’t be the last. Leave fifty dollars on the dresser when the interview is over please and we will call you when it comes out.
If Gamastura.com is to be believed (after all we weren’t at the Austin Game Developer’s Conference) it seems that Jeff Hickman has developed a bit of selective hearing as well.
“There’s a big difference between easy play and ease of use. And one of the lessons that we thought we learned from ourselves and other games, was that it’s important to have ease of use, and it’s also important to hit the right balance between easy gameplay, challenging gameplay, and too difficult. We thought we hit that, but Warhammer, in PVE, in the beginning, is too easy. It doesn’t make you thrilled to do it.” – Jeff Hickman at the Austin Game Developers Conference, as reported by Gamasutra.com
He goes on to talk about the second problem and says the following:
“We had great ideas for all of these really cool social tools, and we built them into the game. But the game doesn’t require friends. Part of it is that it’s too easy.” – Jeff Hickman
It amazes me how so many players can say things like:
“The game crashes too much”
“Public Quests don’t work”
“Fortress Battles don’t work”
“I shouldn’t have to PUSH my way to the level cap, it should be enjoyable”
“The lower levels of the game are deserted.”
Yet Jeff Hickman somehow hears.”
“The game is too easy.”
Selective hearing is a hell of a thing when it happens. It is made all the worse when someone thinks they are communicating when instead they are TALKING AT the community. He does go on to point out “Economic models are its third biggest problem”. Now THAT I will certainly hand him – I think he is “spot on” as it is sometimes said. Mind you, not everyone can do as good a job at virtual economics as CCP (the good folks who brought us Eve Online) have done.
Perhaps I should throw in the usual adage at this point saying “I have a great deal of respect for Jeff Hickman.” It wouldn’t be a lie. You don’t get to where he is by being a fool. On the other hand, you don’t stay at places like where he is by not listening.
See you online,
Julie Whitefeather