Though not in an official capacity, right?
I'll be there as a fan, but it's not like I'm representing my company there.
WotC WotC invites Bob the World Builder and other creators to an in person Summit.
- Thread starter darjr
- Start date
I'll be there as a fan, but it's not like I'm representing my company there.
darjr
I crit!
I think at GaryCon it’s been both. Not sure about recently though.
overgeeked
B/X Known World
Propaganda 101.
Considering how the majority of the community flipped the second WotC released 5.1 under CC-BY, it likely won't take much wining and dining to bring many of the "influencers" back into the tent.
Vaalingrade
Legend
That is the obvious intent on WotC's part, yes. But I'm not so sure it's going to be effective. These people already risked their online careers fighting back against WotC, many are no longer covering just D&D and unlikely to turn back from that. What worked in the past with people of the past isn't necessarily going to work now.
Edit: Even if you want to impugn the ethics of the influencers, two things: these are people who never grew up in an environment that thought corporations could be trusted and in fact have their livelihood shackled to Youtube, which is just a sliver above Amazon in abusing the free labor of the content mill, and second, what have they seen gets more clout: leading the charge against WotC when they screw up or towing the corporate line? Hell, they're the ones being placated here, not WotC.
Dragonhelm
Knight of Solamnia
It would be nice if WotC included those of us who have been working on fan sites for the last 20+ years.
Scribe
Legend
Better brush up on your Twitter and YouTube skills...
bedir than
Hero
Yes, the people that got better than they wanted stopped attacking the company for doing the thing they didn't like
Micah Sweet
Level Up & OSR Enthusiast
That would be my assumption. 2024 has to pop, and they can't rely on 1D&D to do it for them on its own.
Micah Sweet
Level Up & OSR Enthusiast
I don't watch them. I actually kind of hate the idea of "influencers". The whole quasi-celebrity, in it for the clicks mentality depresses me.
I don't think many on this Board are as pessimistic about WotC as I am, but I don't think the intent was that Kyle's interviews were ever going to be enough by themselves.
This summit is one more step towards making it right with the community. For me, there are more steps I want, but every bit of progress is welcome.
Saracenus
Always In School Gamer
If you are doing community building for any game your mantra should be, go where the people are. In this case you should be running a spectrum of social media and keep your hand on the pulse of the new to follow them wherever they may be.
I have been pulling back from doing this kind of work myself (I have been handing off my previous social media accounts, mostly Facebook, to others that share my values and are still willing to work in that medium) because I just cannot keep up and my attention is being pulled by work and other hobbies.
Right now, the places I ran skew to a much older demographic and frankly WotC is right to no court my groups as they are a small slice of the market, and pretty much set in their ways. They have a much better chance of getting younger (and more numerous) DMs and players by courting them on the social media they congregate and consume. They want to capture those newer players so they associate their RPG memories with D&D and not some other competitor.
In short, it is not enough to have a destination anymore, you have to reach out, push content out. That is a lot of work that my old bones is not up for.
Micah Sweet
Level Up & OSR Enthusiast
I just hope it doesn't end up being some kind of bribe or manipulation.
I don't find Bob the World Builder, Matt Colville, or many other channels depressing. In fact, I find them entertaining and educational about the game. It's no different to me than reading posts on here or articles from the staff on EN World.
Many of these content creators are just like us - passionate fans.
Micah Sweet
Level Up & OSR Enthusiast
My issue with it is what sometimes seems like an inherent self-aggrandizement. The people who post written articles or write posts and run forums don't come off that way, but videographers running off click-generated ad revenue very often do.
Vaalingrade
Legend
People sharing what they like in a medium I don't makes me sad also. Why is Madonna always saying things to a melody with music in the background? Talk normal!
overgeeked
B/X Known World
It's that they're starting with the media personalities that gives it a kind of whiff of something sketchy. It absolutely makes sense from a damage control, propaganda, and change the conversation sense. But it's important to keep in mind that the YouTubers are not the "community," they're only a very small part of the community. They just happen to be the ones with out-sized influence on the rest of the community.
Their channels can be entertaining and educational. They are not depressing in-and-of themselves. The idea that our culture is so thin, hollow, and malleable that we can be easily influenced by a few people with better than average appearance and enough money for AV gear is what's depressing. And no, this isn't limited to RPG spaces.
MonsterEnvy
Legend
I think people are taking wizards inviting Influencers to an event to advertise for them as something less standard than it is.
Like this is super basic. It’s something they would want to do regardless of any events earlier in the year.
Like this is super basic. It’s something they would want to do regardless of any events earlier in the year.
MonsterEnvy
Legend
Or basic advertising.
Micah Sweet
Level Up & OSR Enthusiast
Which is why I said I hope it's on the level.
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