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<blockquote data-quote="houstonderek" data-source="post: 5427477" data-attributes="member: 6668015">Something Erik forgot to mention...Paizo also hires people from their fanbase. I know of at least three people off the top of my head who were just regular posters who were hired by Paizo in the last year or so, one even relocating from the&nbsp; East coast to take a job.Furthermore, they run a contest every year looking for new creative talent, and have used contestants (and not even just people who hit their &quot;top 4&quot; in the contest) as freelancers. Heck, they've used fan feeelancers who never entered their contest (AFAIK). This also generates a feeling of the fan base having a stake in Paizo's future. Being part of a community like that makes fans feel way more invested in the company on a personal level. The feedback and participation on the Paizo forums by everyone from the C.E.O. to the guy who boxes orders for shipment cultivates a &quot;family&quot; atmosphere (and, like any family, there are black sheep and the drunk uncles - I know I probably fall into that category, I tend to be a PITA for the moderators), and that atmosphere makes Paizo special to its fans.I don't see the wild speculation on the Paizo boards that I do on a lot of boards; the devs and employees always seem to be willing to explain business decisions, design decisions, and field questions about a variety of Paizo and non-Paizo related topics. Unlike the WotC boards, which are crazy with wild speculation and whatnot. This also fosters a &quot;Paizo loves its customers&quot; vibe I rarely get from gaming companies. I know WotC values its customers (as do 99% of other companies - GW I'm not too sure about, though), but the way they interact (or don't interact) seems to create unnecessary anxiety in their fan base (like the thread that led me here). So, I guess I'm saying I disagree with the article posted by the OP. Healthy interaction with the fans helps devs and the like keep a finger on the pulse of customer wants, needs and concerns. Good practice, if you ask me.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="houstonderek, post: 5427477, member: 6668015"] [b]Something Erik forgot to mention...[/b] Paizo also hires people from their fanbase. I know of at least three people off the top of my head who were just regular posters who were hired by Paizo in the last year or so, one even relocating from the East coast to take a job. Furthermore, they run a contest every year looking for new creative talent, and have used contestants (and not even just people who hit their "top 4" in the contest) as freelancers. Heck, they've used fan feeelancers who never entered their contest (AFAIK). This also generates a feeling of the fan base having a stake in Paizo's future. Being part of a community like that makes fans feel way more invested in the company on a personal level. The feedback and participation on the Paizo forums by everyone from the C.E.O. to the guy who boxes orders for shipment cultivates a "family" atmosphere (and, like any family, there are black sheep and the drunk uncles - I know I probably fall into that category, I tend to be a PITA for the moderators), and that atmosphere makes Paizo special to its fans. I don't see the wild speculation on the Paizo boards that I do on a lot of boards; the devs and employees always seem to be willing to explain business decisions, design decisions, and field questions about a variety of Paizo and non-Paizo related topics. Unlike the WotC boards, which are crazy with wild speculation and whatnot. This also fosters a "Paizo loves its customers" vibe I rarely get from gaming companies. I know WotC values its customers (as do 99% of other companies - GW I'm not too sure about, though), but the way they interact (or don't interact) seems to create unnecessary anxiety in their fan base (like the thread that led me here). So, I guess I'm saying I disagree with the article posted by the OP. Healthy interaction with the fans helps devs and the like keep a finger on the pulse of customer wants, needs and concerns. Good practice, if you ask me. [/QUOTE]

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