Social network integration for games?

[Deleted]

I'm here to raise this question, what's with the social integration for games?

What am I talking about?
Well, I'm talking about things like you getting a weapon in a game and having an option to share it, or gaining a level and this event being automatically shared if you're logged to a social network, or doing the most stupid and mundane things and getting a share button or having it automatically shared.

I am not talking about, for example, you finishing the game or making a review of it and sharing that, I'm talking about being able to share the most mundane and stupid things "oh, you reached level 2? you want to share that? I mean yea, it took you 30 seconds, but still share?".

Do people actually use these things? I don't, and find them annoying more then anything, logging into Facebook and seeing there 32749274 messages from people playing Facebook games at the Games section... what's the use? If anything, it makes me less interested in playing said game, it's like seeing Justin Beiber all over, it doesn't make me more interested in hearing his music, on the contrary, it makes me despise it without even listening to it because him being all over the place is so annoying. Same with the game integration and their auto-posts and sharing stupid mundane tasks which... do people actually do?

What is your opinion on this?

[Pua]

It's the sort of thing that gets a lot of hate but, honestly, I think it's the next logical step for online games; I really do.

[Edge-]

It's in some MMO's I play and I ignore it. I really don't give a fuck about sharing to all my friends that I got something in a video game they don't care about. I have no issues with social integration, as there are plenty of people who do like it, but I don't ever plan on using it.

[Wilian]

It depends on few things. If "social network integration" stands for Steam overlay type of chat, I'm fine with it. Same if the game itself is built around competition and scores in a sensible manner.

However, there are few things I despise in general which are notifications of friend's progress, game's dependance on them when there's absolutely no need or good in game justification and then the achievements.

Achievements are sort of pet peevee of mine, in their current iteration. If the way they are handled in games at the moment would translate into real world, you would be rewarded for being capable of breathing. If there's something built for them and they're actually hard things to attain that are not part of what could be considered main fare of the game, then it could be alright. But all this "You picked a flower! WHAZAPAM YOU ARE A HERO!" ..."You gained level 2, YOU ARE A GREAT!" sort of shit is just plain annoying.

[Edge-]

But all this "You picked a flower! WHAZAPAM YOU ARE A HERO!" ..."You gained level 2, YOU ARE A GREAT!" sort of shit is just plain annoying.

Yeah, I utterly loathe all the boring achievements that you get for simply playing the game. But, you know, positive reinforcement and establishing a metagame within games, meng. Gotta keep driving sales.

[Dezerte]

The whole idea gets diluted when everything, even the simplest things, apparently needs to be shared. It's the same thing with those people on social networking sites that write stuff like "Taking a poop" or "Just ate a sandwich".

[Wilian]

Yeah, I utterly loathe all the boring achievements that you get for simply playing the game. But, you know, positive reinforcement and establishing a metagame within games, meng. Gotta keep driving sales.

It's also very cheap (in all meanings of the word) way of extending the game's life without real content. Just slap on arbitary number of things to collect or somesuch and suddenly you get load of defensive fanboys calling how "you haven't done everything the game offers!" when you would point out lack of actual content. <.>

[banur]

It's also very cheap (in all meanings of the word) way of extending the game's life without real content. Just slap on arbitary number of things to collect or somesuch and suddenly you get load of defensive fanboys calling how "you haven't done everything the game offers!" when you would point out lack of actual content. <.>

But, but, but... you have to have BiS gear, full clears of everything and achievement points maxed before your concern is worth anything!

[Pua]

The whole idea gets diluted when everything, even the simplest things, apparently needs to be shared. It's the same thing with those people on social networking sites that write stuff like "Taking a poop" or "Just ate a sandwich".

That's a fair concern, but I'm more supporting of a client that works with the major platforms such as Twitter or Facebook and provides chat or messaging functionality. Something like, say, using your in-game mail box to post a Tweet, a PM or something on your wall. You can link achievements if you like, or send a Scroll of Resurrection via Raptr to someone that doesn't play any more. That's the sort of thing I'm talking about, not a never ending stream of dud "Reached level 10!" toasts.

Off to have a sandwich now.

[Deleted]

if i have an option to link facebook, twitter etc.. i say no. If im forced to then i link it to an account with no friends or lnfo.

[Deleted]

It's also very cheap (in all meanings of the word) way of extending the game's life without real content. Just slap on arbitary number of things to collect or somesuch and suddenly you get load of defensive fanboys calling how "you haven't done everything the game offers!" when you would point out lack of actual content. <.>

But this is the issue, I'm not even talking about trivial achievements, I'm talking about the option to share them or them being shared automatically for no reason. So maybe the game does indeed extend its duration with "kill 50 rats" achievements... but it doesn't mean I want to have such a stupid thing shared somewhere on a social network.

[Edge-]

But this is the issue, I'm not even talking about trivial achievements, I'm talking about the option to share them or them being shared automatically for no reason. So maybe the game does indeed extend its duration with "kill 50 rats" achievements... but it doesn't mean I want to have such a stupid thing shared somewhere on a social network.

Yes you do. Because you want to market companies games for them. You know you do. You want to tell all your friends how much fun you're having and all the wonderful adventures you go on...so that the company doesn't need to spend their marketing budget : D

[Deleted]

Yes you do. Because you want to market companies games for them. You know you do. You want to tell all your friends how much fun you're having and all the wonderful adventures you go on...so that the company doesn't need to spend their marketing budget : D

hmmm... never really thought of that. Marketing, yes, that makes sense indeed. And while someone like myself does get less interested if spammed with posts from a game... many might not.

Still annoying though

[Edge-]

hmmm... never really thought of that. Marketing, yes, that makes sense indeed. And while someone like myself does get less interested if spammed with posts from a game... many might not.

Still annoying though

It's the same thing with all those, "If our pages gets X likes, we'll release new info!" and "Like and share this page/post for a chance to win something that doesn't cost very much!" It's all social marketing, getting social media users to do your job for you. Hashtags function the same way on Twitter, getting people to get your hashtag for a game to be one of the top trending things is immensely valuable from a marketing standpoint.

I agree with you though, I utterly loathe that kind of stuff (ignored/unfriended people on Facebook because they bugged me about their damn farm so much) and wish it would go away. It's annoying as all hell.

[unholytestament]

All they need is a way to opt out.

And not just by hiding them, by making them actually go away if I choose to make them do so.

[Remilia]

I don't really have a problem so long as there's a opt-out or just not use button. If people want to spam their facebook go for it, but if it's a requirement... ewwww

Also unholy your new avatar is weird and bad quality.

[unholytestament]

Also unholy your new avatar is weird and bad quality.

Are you volunteering to improve it?

I'm no photoshop wiz.

[Remilia]

Are you volunteering to improve it?

I'm no photoshop wiz.

Sure, I'm bored, :P
I am on my laptop though, but shouldn't be a problem.