2012-05-17, 03:57 PM
I could write an essay about this...but here are some broad points I think Nexon needs to read.
1. Start caring about your customers. It's extremely disappointing to see how the customer service of this game has deteriorated since I joined the beta version of the game in 2005. Caring about your customers (a.k.a. customer service) is not just limited to sending automated replies to tickets and fixing errors when they arise, it's about engaging your community and actually listening to what they have to say (not just ignoring them). Nexon makes this game out to be larger than it actually is, so they have no excuse.
2. Be proactive. Any company that waits for things to break instead of testing them before hand is digging their own grave. Don't wait until users report errors to fix them. What is with this nasty habit of releasing game updates that have barely been tested and are loaded with bugs and then taking the servers down from anywhere from 8-24 hours at a time to fix bugs that could have been fixed before the game even went live? Sure, there will be things that slip through the cracks but over the years the amount of errors, glitches, and bugs in the game has just increased.
3. Stick to your guns and be honest. If you say you're going to do something, then do it. Don't make false promises to players, especially ones you can't keep. Be honest with your players. A little transparency will go a long way. Remember that little old message when the cash shop was released in 2006? You know, the one about how you would never give paying customers unfair advantages over non-paying customers? Yeah, you might want to go re-read that.
4. Remember where you came from. What Nexon seems to be forgetting is that if it weren't for us (the players), they would not have a game and wouldn't have a cent to their name. They can put on a happy face every day if the want, but the game is losing players every day and the players they do gain, are short-lived. MapleStory used to have dedicated players who stuck with the game because they loved it...no matter what happened. People left, but they always came back. Just because you have a fancy new office in California, a YouTube channel, and are making some money doesn't make it okay to treat your players like crap. If you continue to do so, you will lose them.
5. ADAPT OR DIE. It's 2012. The tech industry is taking over. Nexon can either adapt and start fixing MapleStory while they still can (time is QUICKLY running out) or they can go the way of MySpace and Friendster and every other internet startup that got lazy and thought they had it in the bag. You're not Facebook, Nexon. Your players aren't invested as much as they used to be in your game. If you think that a new game won't come along in the next few years and blow MapleStory out of the water, then you are all kidding yourselves. The only way you can succeed is to continue adapting (remember when MapleStory was a groundbreaking game?), innovating, and caring about your customers. Make us feel wanted again...because most of us feel like just another dollar to you. If you don't, you will be eaten alive.
1. Start caring about your customers. It's extremely disappointing to see how the customer service of this game has deteriorated since I joined the beta version of the game in 2005. Caring about your customers (a.k.a. customer service) is not just limited to sending automated replies to tickets and fixing errors when they arise, it's about engaging your community and actually listening to what they have to say (not just ignoring them). Nexon makes this game out to be larger than it actually is, so they have no excuse.
2. Be proactive. Any company that waits for things to break instead of testing them before hand is digging their own grave. Don't wait until users report errors to fix them. What is with this nasty habit of releasing game updates that have barely been tested and are loaded with bugs and then taking the servers down from anywhere from 8-24 hours at a time to fix bugs that could have been fixed before the game even went live? Sure, there will be things that slip through the cracks but over the years the amount of errors, glitches, and bugs in the game has just increased.
3. Stick to your guns and be honest. If you say you're going to do something, then do it. Don't make false promises to players, especially ones you can't keep. Be honest with your players. A little transparency will go a long way. Remember that little old message when the cash shop was released in 2006? You know, the one about how you would never give paying customers unfair advantages over non-paying customers? Yeah, you might want to go re-read that.
4. Remember where you came from. What Nexon seems to be forgetting is that if it weren't for us (the players), they would not have a game and wouldn't have a cent to their name. They can put on a happy face every day if the want, but the game is losing players every day and the players they do gain, are short-lived. MapleStory used to have dedicated players who stuck with the game because they loved it...no matter what happened. People left, but they always came back. Just because you have a fancy new office in California, a YouTube channel, and are making some money doesn't make it okay to treat your players like crap. If you continue to do so, you will lose them.
5. ADAPT OR DIE. It's 2012. The tech industry is taking over. Nexon can either adapt and start fixing MapleStory while they still can (time is QUICKLY running out) or they can go the way of MySpace and Friendster and every other internet startup that got lazy and thought they had it in the bag. You're not Facebook, Nexon. Your players aren't invested as much as they used to be in your game. If you think that a new game won't come along in the next few years and blow MapleStory out of the water, then you are all kidding yourselves. The only way you can succeed is to continue adapting (remember when MapleStory was a groundbreaking game?), innovating, and caring about your customers. Make us feel wanted again...because most of us feel like just another dollar to you. If you don't, you will be eaten alive.