So at one point, TT Games tweeted from the stage, offering a huge deal to anyone that felt down about LEGO games or simply good games in general. The people at TT Game Studio themselves with their upcoming LEGO DC Game are asking any creators and lucky few players that get their hands on the game to please find and talk to at least two of the team members, Malin and Amy, and give them a completely slanted survey-they want you to tell them really what you think. This is the kind of interaction between developers and designers that we rarely ever see, especially in an environment that’s been bastardized like Gamescom.
Pretty much self-explanatory: a call out from the official TT games account inviting anyone at the convention to drop in and play the game in return for their honest scored critique by the developers. The big attached image, though colored in a vignette, features a quick glance at what seems to be an extremely colorful, animated LEGO DC setup, possibly their rendition of the common ground in-between booth area. Very smart stuff, really-live and direct gratification from those who would actually go ahead to buy and play your game beats a hopeful vibe about the potential of a given game any time it eventually hits retail. Nothing to lose-win situation, if you ask me.
The replies paint a different story maybe- mixed with hopes, sadness, and hyper-specific demands! Let’s unpack it all.
First up, the hype team: Users like ‘Mario Cinematography’ are hyped; “TT taking feedback, Heck yeah!” That was just the mood over there. ‘Jemarcus Mckenzie’ pitched in calling the game “Very Dope” with much vibe, while ‘John Yost’ offered the sweetest “So proud of you guys”; clearly, their love for TT Games and their LEGO title runs very deep dim red is top color. Thereafter, the ‘LEGO’ official account engages with: “Give us all the deets [checkmark emoji],” setting a fun tone between two corporates.
Here stands the not-at-Gamescom group. Well, they’re *sad*. ‘Dj Tubz’ says, “Can’t no passport.” Probably hit a little close to home. ‘CistReactZ’ wondered out loud, “Anything for us creators not there ;-;?” And that’s a justified question! Not everybody can just jet off to Germany to hit a video game convention. Wearing character, ‘KnightWing’ asked if some B-roll footage might be posted for the press who couldn’t attend. Now that is a good one.
The bulk of the replies—like so many—are about Turkish support. It’s almost some kind of movement here. ‘MASKARA57’, ‘Ozan’, ‘Kadir Eren’, ‘kadir eren ceylan’, ‘Efe Yaşar’, and ‘Ufuk’ are all specifically pleading for Turkish subtitles/localization. A loud and aggressive message coming out of a part of their audience. They want to play their game in their language. Direct feedback coming from the community right under the very official tweet is a great thing.
Of course, we can never not have the classic “when release date??” comments right after a game announcement. ‘BigRed’ goes all out: “Release dateee.” We hear you, buddy, all antsy over here.
Then we got all those specific game questions. ‘Pipkin Bambie’ is crying “which robins will be playable? Thats very important!” For any DC fan, that is a CRITICAL question. ‘Shawn Grant’ is already dreaming about the next one, pitching “Lego Ninja turtles game or Ghostbusters”. And ‘Chase’ comes through with the serious questions: “When next lord of the rings game?” We would all like to know that, Chase. All of us.
But not all of the feedback will be favorable. ‘David ✠’ throws down some serious criticism, referencing their prior game: “Let me guess, this will be released with a bunch of game-breaking bugs… Just like you did with The Skywalker Saga. No thanks. Never buying TT Games product again.” Oof. That’s an opinion they will really want to listen to if they want to regain some trust.
And then there’s the wonderful weirdness that makes Twitter Twitter. Someone asks which hall they’re in. Another one tells them to come to Fan Expo Canada. And then there’s a brief and confusing exchange for a “Switch 2 version” that attempts to be a joke, coupled with a mocking spongebob-case text response. Gotta love it.
So what’s the takeaway from all this? TT Games is on the floor at one of the biggest game events in the world, and they’re not here for just some show-and-tell. They’re here to *listen*. They’re actively soliciting every possible opinion-whether it’s praise or criticism-to make their game better. A developer that cares about their community. Whether addressing bug issues with past titles or starting to take into account language concerns of a massive region, that’s how you make a better game and make players actually feel appreciated.
Anybody at Gamescom, go and find Malin and Amy. Tell them what you really think. For everyone else, I guess, keep tweeting your Turkish support requests. They are definitely reading.
