After “a lot of healthy conversation” in response to how the player base “shared their thoughts” with CCP Games, CCP rolled back recent changes to drone behavior and Wightstorm data sites. Drone bunnies rejoiced and un-cancelled their accounts. Those planning to spend hours customizing Cyberpunk 2077 character genitalia while their drones killed pirates found a new lease on life. Those feverishly running copy jobs on the Nightmare BPOs that accidentally dropped from the data sites were less thrilled, but unsurprised. All is well.
Or is it?
Evidence is growing that CCP planned all along to generate and respond to outrage. A software industry veteran suggested that:
“CCP may have decided to invest in apology marketing. By creating a problem, then solving it quickly, companies create the illusion of responsiveness. Studies show that a well-crafted apology boosts response to special offers presented within a few days of the apology, resulting in a net increase in sales. This is particularly effective in the case that competitors are struggling to respond to their own problems. The benefits to the company appear to extend even beyond the next round of special offers. By creating a situation less desirable than the status quo, such as occurred in the case of changes to drone behavior, the status quo becomes more desirable by comparison. When the behavior reverts to the status quo, this is perceived by those affected as a positive change. For a subset of those influenced to perceive the status quo more favorably by comparison to the alternatives, their long-term opinion is measurably shifted towards the positive.”
A game designer, speaking on condition of anonymity, offered this perspective on CCP’s potential apology marketing:
“Well, maybe so, but the skins are really nice, and do you see complaints about EVE Online’s buggy XBox One and PS4 version? No. Do you see problems with doors not opening or character wardrobe malfunctions during gameplay? No. Do you see problems with respawning mid-combat or enemies who see you through walls? Not since May 2016. And, have you seen the Zakura Zakitsu exploration suits? What a great way to welcome Japanese players to a game that hasn’t had a problem with the game crashing as they walked through a door for more than three years.”
In unrelated news, /u/StainGuy is rumored to have given his personal approval to the decision to roll back changes adding a low-sec gate to Stain after the QA team reported that the gate seemed to be Wi-flagged for a perpetual Electrical Metaliminal storm and relentless camping by insta-locking diamond Sansha rats.
