Give Yamiks an Alpha key!

[Winterwalker]

i don't really see how the technical aspect of development relates with promotion, sales, pr and marketing strategies in this case.

It makes a difference because KS/Horizons set up a narrative of a game that could be so much more. That's a double edged sword in a way but there are moments when you don't want that to be the narrative .. right before a major expansion say when the game will be exposed for the first time to new players with only Yammiks (at best sarcastic) views to go on.

Anyone who loves the game is able to understand Yammiks point of view. We all want the game to be better and finding it's weak points is part of that .. But not 24/7. Sometimes it's best to hold fire. Odyssey launch is one of those times imo, a time to strategically temper internet type meltdowns and whine-fests and act a bit more grown up.

Yammiks is a clown fair enough, that's how he makes his coin. His act doesn't help Frontier to pay their bills though - and without the game Yammiks loses his content too.

 

[BirdWisdom]

I just watched a Yamiks YT vid this morning where he advised he received an official response from FD, turning him down when he requested an Alpha key to review Odyssey for his subscribers. Apparently they have limited Alpha keys reserved for their “ core content creators and the press”. He has 101k subscribers and is one of “THE” core content providers! He is not the largest but certainly in the top group. If this doesn’t send up a red flag about FD’s possible lack of confidence in their product I don’t know what does. Give the man a key! Yes he is more critical about the game than other creators but balanced reporting should be promoted.

Why? half of the video is probably about camping by the stairs

 

[CMDR Serra]

Guess that was the whole trick. To make a few extra bucks.

Yep, but I usually don't like Yammiks' schtik. Sounds like this is a bit different. He can have the 0.3p from my view on this occasion.

 

[znôrt]

It makes a difference because KS/Horizons set up a narrative of a game that could be so much more. That's a double edged sword in a way but there are moments when you don't want that to be the narrative .. right before a major expansion say when the game will be exposed for the first time to new players with only Yammiks (at best sarcastic) views to go on.

okay, but that's not something they get to choose, and even less so with the material publicly available for money. trying to nullify that is doomed to fail and jsut risks creating a streisand effect for nothing. which it has, 23 pages worth already. for nothing.

actually, i bet it wasn't that much the intent to silence him, which was impossible, but simple disdain. that's a pr failure. it is with or without ks.

 

[[PS4] Lorenzo Waringos]

Heh. That wasp is absolutely going to stop if I just let it land on my burger. It won't just come back and complain about my choice of ... this analogy got away from me somewhat.

I have mentioned since making that post that it was a clumsy way of making the point I was trying to make. I wasn't saying that Yamiks would have a change of heart and only make fluffy videos about ED if they gave him the key.

As I already said, if FD thought Yamiks was going to say nothing about this, then they were fools. If they have calculated that they face little risk by not giving him a free key, then I probably agree with that assessment but in the long term In the short term, whilst they are trying to promote a new release, to not give him access was only going to cause a stink and that could cause some problems in the short term when trying to promote your new product. He's preaching to the choir over there and FD have just confirmed what many of them suspected. It doesn't matter if those suspicions are real or not, Yamiks' viewers will take this as proof of their suspicions. It is quite a chunk of people who will remember this. Image is everything and FDs image, with that slice of their customer base now has this to deal with. They already had an uphill battle with a lot of them, they have made that worse now.

My comment was supposed to read "FD should have seen that not giving him a key would then see him raging about it to his audience, their customers, and just given him the key to head his latest video and this thread, off last the pass. "

That is what I really meant.

It looks like they have not given him the key because he makes overly critical videos about their product, other content creators (CCs) do make critical videos about their product but Yamiks' ........ 'brand' is a different kettle of fish to all the others. He will make a video about their new release and he will do it in his style, all FD have done here is kick the wasps nest a bit. He will undoubtedly go to town on them. He was always going to go to town on them but I suspect he will turn this one up to 11 and I suspect his viewers will lap it up.

FWIW, I don't really care if he has the key or not. I don't support Yamiks but I'm not against him either. This for me is about FD's handling of PR way more than it is about Yamiks. They would have looked better, more honest and magnanimous if they had just given him the key in the first place. It's now way too late to correct that. I just wonder what was going through their minds. Was all this (thread, his video), and what is yet to come, worth it?

TLDR

I think this has been a bit of a PR disaster for FD at a time when they're trying to promote a new product. I cant understand the thinking, it looks naive at best.

 

[Vardaugas]

A PR disaster. LOL. Let's write a few blogs about it, get Kotaku and Polygon write articles, get some guest writer for a Forbes article, then we have three sources, which is enough to write it into Wikipedia as the "Yamiks Controversy" and claim it tainted the EDO alpha and release.

 

[Bottom Hat]

Probably just an example how there isn't much to talk about the game, so these threads just attract with controversy. Reminds me of the Slave Carrier debacle, though admittedly it had more meat on it than YT content creator having to shell out some money.

Yeah I think you're right about that for sure!!

 

[bitstorm]

Who are FD's core content creators anyway?

The way that email Yamiks got is worded "our core content creators" makes it sound like they're Frontier property or something.

 

[Linnunrata]

They would have looked better, more honest and magnanimous if they had just given him the key in the first place. It's now way too late to correct that. I just wonder what was going through their minds. Was all this (thread, his video), and what is yet to come, worth it?

Probably, monetary wise it would've been smarter. But maybe they truly did have all their free keys allocated and just didn't bother going through the bother to actually get one only to satisfy a single bad press reviewer?

 

[VR jefranklin18]

I think this has been a bit of a PR disaster for FD at a time when they're trying to promote a new product. I cant understand the thinking, it looks naive at best.

Free key or no free key, whatever content he published would be critical, urine-taking insults. Hardly a PR disaster if he has to wait a few more days to get the insults going.

 

[thistle]

I have mentioned since making that post that it was a clumsy way of making the point I was trying to make. I wasn't saying that Yamiks would have a change of heart and only make fluffy videos about ED if they gave him the key.

As I already said, if FD thought Yamiks was going to say nothing about this, then they were fools. If they have calculated that they face little risk by not giving him a free key, then I probably agree with that assessment but in the long term In the short term, whilst they are trying to promote a new release, to not give him access was only going to cause a stink and that could cause some problems in the short term when trying to promote your new product. He's preaching to the choir over there and FD have just confirmed what many of them suspected. It doesn't matter if those suspicions are real or not, Yamiks' viewers will take this as proof of their suspicions. It is quite a chunk of people who will remember this. Image is everything and FDs image, with that slice of their customer base now has this to deal with. They already had an uphill battle with a lot of them, they have made that worse now.

My comment was supposed to read "FD should have seen that not giving him a key would then see him raging about it to his audience, their customers, and just given him the key to head his latest video and this thread, off last the pass. "

That is what I really meant.

It looks like they have not given him the key because he makes overly critical videos about their product, other content creators (CCs) do make critical videos about their product but Yamiks' ........ 'brand' is a different kettle of fish to all the others. He will make a video about their new release and he will do it in his style, all FD have done here is kick the wasps nest a bit. He will undoubtedly go to town on them. He was always going to go to town on them but I suspect he will turn this one up to 11 and I suspect his viewers will lap it up.

FWIW, I don't really care if he has the key or not. I don't support Yamiks but I'm not against him either. This for me is about FD's handling of PR way more than it is about Yamiks. They would have looked better, more honest and magnanimous if they had just given him the key in the first place. It's now way too late to correct that. I just wonder what was going through their minds. Was all this (thread, his video), and what is yet to come, worth it?

TLDR

I think this has been a bit of a PR disaster for FD at a time when they're trying to promote a new product. I cant understand the thinking, it looks naive at best.

Fair, I guess. But I'm not sure it's been bad for either fdev or yamiks.

I can pretty much guarantee he would have found something on the first day off the alpha to do his hysterical laughing at the terrible devs thing. He might do it more now? Will it make any difference?

It might make more people check it out, who knows. One of the biggest problems EDO might have is lack of exposure.

 

[Winterwalker]

okay, but that's not something they get to choose, and even less so with the material publicly available for money. trying to nullify that is doomed to fail and jsut risks creating a streisand effect for nothing. which it has, 23 pages worth already. for nothing.

actually, i bet it wasn't that much the intent to silence him, which was impossible, but simple disdain. that's a pr failure. it is with or without ks.

I very much doubt Frontier expect to nullify Yammiks. I doubt they even want to .. and many comments on the reddit say the same thing as I am, that he can't expect Frontier to REWARD him for belittling their game as his trademark.

All they've done is choose not to SUPPORT it. That's very different from nullifying and who knows maybe this 23 pager might even make him reassess how he balances his allegedly deep true love for the game with "this game sucks" clickbaiting.

It's getting old.

 

[Vardaugas]

Hot take: Fdev know Yamiks is best when he can whine about something and thus decided against giving him a key. Now he can do what he can do best. All PR is good PR.

 

[thistle]

Who are FD's core content creators anyway?

The way that email Yamiks got is worded "our core content creators" makes it sound like they're Frontier property or something.

He's presumably talking about the ones who have been getting early (ish) sight of things like dev diaries etc so they could get videos prepared in advance.

 

[Rubbernuke]

makes it sound like they're Frontier property or something.

Sort of...like slaves?

runs to Polygon

 

[Linnunrata]

Hot take: Fdev know Yamiks is best when he can whine about something and thus decided against giving him a key. Now he can do what he can do best. All PR is good PR.

FDev Marketing department 3D chess moves.

 

[Ian Skippy]

I have mentioned since making that post that it was a clumsy way of making the point I was trying to make. I wasn't saying that Yamiks would have a change of heart and only make fluffy videos about ED if they gave him the key.

As I already said, if FD thought Yamiks was going to say nothing about this, then they were fools. If they have calculated that they face little risk by not giving him a free key, then I probably agree with that assessment but in the long term In the short term, whilst they are trying to promote a new release, to not give him access was only going to cause a stink and that could cause some problems in the short term when trying to promote your new product. He's preaching to the choir over there and FD have just confirmed what many of them suspected. It doesn't matter if those suspicions are real or not, Yamiks' viewers will take this as proof of their suspicions. It is quite a chunk of people who will remember this. Image is everything and FDs image, with that slice of their customer base now has this to deal with. They already had an uphill battle with a lot of them, they have made that worse now.

My comment was supposed to read "FD should have seen that not giving him a key would then see him raging about it to his audience, their customers, and just given him the key to head his latest video and this thread, off last the pass. "

That is what I really meant.

It looks like they have not given him the key because he makes overly critical videos about their product, other content creators (CCs) do make critical videos about their product but Yamiks' ........ 'brand' is a different kettle of fish to all the others. He will make a video about their new release and he will do it in his style, all FD have done here is kick the wasps nest a bit. He will undoubtedly go to town on them. He was always going to go to town on them but I suspect he will turn this one up to 11 and I suspect his viewers will lap it up.

FWIW, I don't really care if he has the key or not. I don't support Yamiks but I'm not against him either. This for me is about FD's handling of PR way more than it is about Yamiks. They would have looked better, more honest and magnanimous if they had just given him the key in the first place. It's now way too late to correct that. I just wonder what was going through their minds. Was all this (thread, his video), and what is yet to come, worth it?

TLDR

I think this has been a bit of a PR disaster for FD at a time when they're trying to promote a new product. I cant understand the thinking, it looks naive at best.

What PR disaster? Salty guy is still salty, his salty fans are still salty, everyone else either don't care or is just having a laugh. The only thing that happened is that the salty guy will have to wait a week with his "OMG EDO worst thing ever!" schtick. The average gamer doesn't care about yamiks, his base will still get their puerile insults. He himself might even compensate for the loss in launch clicks with his new entitled whiny rant.

None of this really matters.

 

[znôrt]

All they've done is choose not to SUPPORT it.

that's bad enough as it is. if the guy is 1/5 of the scene being as popular as he is here simply wasn't a good way of not supporting him, he is too popular to ignore, that's how the influence game works.

(edited: to avoid future not really relevant clarifications about the 1/5 figure)

 

[[PS4] Lorenzo Waringos]

Probably, monetary wise it would've been smarter. But maybe they truly did have all their free keys allocated and just didn't bother going through the bother to actually get one only to satisfy a single bad press reviewer?

When I was studying for my diploma, we had a tutor who was a beast when it came to marking work. I took all my stuff to him before final submission to get the most honest appraisal of my work. He was ruthless. It was the best thing to do. Got me a pass and some. We often need to be criticised heavily to get to the good stuff. If the game is that good then Yamiks' view will be drowned out by all the good reviews.

Free key or no free key, whatever content he published would be critical, urine-taking insults. Hardly a PR disaster if he has to wait a few more days to get the insults going.

Fair, I guess. But I'm not sure it's been bad for either fdev or yamiks.

I can pretty much guarantee he would have found something on the first day off the alpha to do his hysterical laughing at the terrible devs thing. He might do it more now? Will it make any difference?

It might make more people check it out, who knows. One of the biggest problems EDO might have is lack of exposure.

To answer you both, in my opinion, it's not so much to do with him, it's more his audience I'm thinking about. For all I know this could have been the best outcome for Yamiks personally, they just gave him a stack more content for nothing, stuff a lot of his audience will lap up. One man, one view but he carries a lot of weight with his quite large audience. If they had given Yamiks the key I doubt it would have improved FD's image with his audience, that they haven't given him the key, has probably made their image worse with his audience. That is why I say 'PR disaster'. It maybe a strong term but I'm too dim to think of another.

 

[Jmanis]

Only 101k subs? 'kay...