NOTE: This is The Column, a regular feature on Apolyton where anyone can write about anything to do with Civilization or the gaming industry as a whole. If you feel like writing, please visit the article submission page.

PREVIOUS ARTICLES

188# A CIV3 PREVIEW Solver summarizes our knowledge of civ3 187# THE ESOTERIC ALLURE OF CIVILIZATION Will civ3 be as flexible as civ2? 186# LAMENT OF AN OBSESSIVE GAME MODIFIER A hymn to modification 185# MOO3 AND CIV3, SUPPLIES AND TACTICS Two articles: a comparison of moo3 and civ3, and an idea on unit supplies 184# GAMES I'VE GOT BUT HAVE YET TO "GET" Sometimes things dont turn out good when you buy a game... COLUMN ARCHIVE

"Plain and simple - if you don't like what you hear, cancel your order...but how dare any of you 'righteously' make rude and unproven statements that defame a man, a company, a myth, and a legend"

Fallacy! Oh, alright this is not creative criticism. So, let's put it in another way: This quote and the article it came from, is definitely a way to upset everyone who knows his position as a consumer/gamer and an individual and at the same time upset the people he 'supposedly' stands for, namely Firaxis company.

And that is because it shows that he who wrote this piece has no sense of what the market is all about. And the gaming market in particular.

Firaxis is a private owned company. It exists for it's own good' that meaning they have to make a profit in order to carry on as a company. The fact that it employes a number of intelligent, creative people, capable of producing high caliber games for all of us to enjoy, is only a side effect' a quite fortunate one if you ask me.

That is one thing, but worshiping Firaxis 'or Sid Meier, for that matter' as a company, a myth, a legend is not quite sane or reasonable. The concept they know better doesn't hold much water either even if sometimes it proves to be the truth.

Allow me to explain why:

The gaming community, stripped of it's uniqueness, is nothing more than a body of consumers. Quite sophisticated, if compared with the average consumer and thus more demanding and for a good reason. Still, though, nothing more than a body of consumers.

The companies producing gaming software are aiming at us we are their target group! Anyone knowing even just a bit about marketing should know what that means: They have to listen to us, they have to take into account our reactions, they have to adjust their product to our needs.

It's basics in marketing, people. And stating, we should not bicker and complain, because they know better is providing a very bad service to Firaxis itself.

Personally I (and many of you, I guess) consider this company (Firaxis) a good company: One that tries to satisfy their customers needs, by introducing a product as best as it can be. It's the best way for any given company to get a share into the 'very demanding and very competitive' gaming software market: To listen to its customers (us) and satisfy their needs.

So, Apolyton Forums, with the massive attendance of civ gamers, is working as a continuous poll (customer report, if you go for a more official term) for Firaxis. They get massive feedback from their target group and they adjust their product accordingly. What is wrong with that? On the contrary, people who are stating everything is ok, do not bother Firaxis with your petty bickering are doing the best possible to take away from the company (they are supposed to stand for) the most accurate and precise data of what the customers really want.

To understand what the Apolyton Forum is for Firaxis, let's set another example: Don't you think that companies like 'let's say' ITT would be really happy to get the feedback they need to make a better 'fit for the market they aim at' product, without conducting (very) expensive and time-wasting consumer reports?

You understand where I am getting to, don't you?

Since we have seen how Firaxis views this, let's get to the other side, the gamer. We are nothing more than consumers, as I said before. The main difference with consumer groups for other products (let's say Peanut Butter) is that we do have a saying in the procedure of the making of said product.

Apolyton (and the Net in general) gives us that chance.

We have the power that consumer unions throughout the world are only wishing they could have 'direct approach to the manufacturer and the chance to really get him to do what we want.

We can't waste that chance with mindless just-for-the-heck-of-it shouting or with constant bickering without an object. We have to act with responsibility and reason, because we have the power to make them change their initial plans.

Another potential danger is to overwhelm those people in Firaxis with ideas, demands, flames etc. in a way that they have to try to implement all those (possibly mutually exclusive in many occasions) elements into the game and create a huge mess out of it.

But that's not the point in our case. Firaxis is doing a great job closing their ears to many not-so-coherent demands and going on with completing a great (hopefully) game.

So to say, the advantages are visible as are the drawbacks sometimes those people (at Firaxis) really do know better what we need. Hell, Sid didn't came up with the Civilization project after reading customer complains.

And you would agree he did a brilliant job from the start.

But now that the flame of creation is gone (because improving a standing product does not take flame, it takes planning, solid ability and intellect) they need our feedback.

They need sane, constructive criticism and they need some 'bickering and moaning too' just so they can understand that the people who buy their products buy them because they are good, not because of the fancy Firaxis logo or Sid's name on the cover.

We got the power, people, and we have to use it wisely.