Twitter in Game Menu?

countbasiecountbasie Join Date: 2008-12-27 Member: 65884Members
edited July 2012 in NS2 General Discussion
Is it a just for fun test or are they serious about that as a feature? I can not think of any circumstances where a Twitter Feed could be useful in the main menu of a game...other than notifications about server problems. It actually kills the immersion<b>/aesthetic coherence</b> quite a bit.

EDIT: added the bold text to prevent more spamming on how a main menu is not immersive.
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Comments

  • KoruyoKoruyo AUT Join Date: 2009-06-06 Member: 67724Members, Reinforced - Shadow
    I could think of many things, as long as devs stay very close with their community.
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  • IronHorseIronHorse Developer, QA Manager, Technical Support & contributor Join Date: 2010-05-08 Member: 71669Members, Super Administrators, Forum Admins, Forum Moderators, NS2 Developer, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue, Subnautica Playtester, Subnautica PT Lead, Pistachionauts
    There's immersion in the main menu? Where? I must destroy it..
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  • NordicNordic Long term camping in Kodiak Join Date: 2012-05-13 Member: 151995Members, NS2 Playtester, NS2 Map Tester, Reinforced - Supporter, Reinforced - Silver, Reinforced - Shadow
    <!--quoteo(post=1953173:date=Jul 22 2012, 09:00 PM:name=ironhorse)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ironhorse @ Jul 22 2012, 09:00 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1953173"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->There's immersion in the main menu? Where? I must destroy it..<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    Same thoughts here
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  • AsranielAsraniel Join Date: 2002-06-03 Member: 724Members, Playtest Lead, Forum Moderators, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Shadow, Subnautica Playtester, Retired Community Developer
    I think its a nice way for the non hardcore gamer community to stay in touch with the developers. Many gamers dont visit the website, read the news or twitter. seems like the easiest way to communicate with them.
    And it is a symbol of the close connection of the developers to the gamers.
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  • countbasiecountbasie Join Date: 2008-12-27 Member: 65884Members
    <!--quoteo(post=1953173:date=Jul 23 2012, 04:00 AM:name=ironhorse)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ironhorse @ Jul 23 2012, 04:00 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1953173"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->There's immersion in the main menu? Where? I must destroy it..<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    Well if there's not, we don't need the music and ingame scenes in the background. For me it's like "Ok, another world now". Until a prosaic Twitter feed pops up. But seems like I am the only one. Nvm.
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  • AngeluszAngelusz Harmonic entropist Join Date: 2003-07-10 Member: 18072Members, Forum Moderators, Constellation, NS2 Playtester
    The immersion of the game really starts in the ready room, I'd say. As for your point, I understand, but think the information is more important than a little pre-immersion. Many games do it these days, too.
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  • endarendar Join Date: 2010-07-27 Member: 73256Members, Squad Five Blue
    Maybe the twitter feed should be displayed on a TSA computer, so you can keep some immersion, would that satisfy?
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  • countbasiecountbasie Join Date: 2008-12-27 Member: 65884Members
    <!--quoteo(post=1953207:date=Jul 23 2012, 12:34 PM:name=endar)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (endar @ Jul 23 2012, 12:34 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1953207"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Maybe the twitter feed should be displayed on a TSA computer, so you can keep some immersion, would that satisfy?<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    A newsfeed from the TSA Central, I'd be fine with that. Pretty cool idea actually.
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  • MestaritonttuMestaritonttu Join Date: 2004-07-29 Member: 30229Members, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Gold
    Immersion... In an online shooter. In the menu, no less.

    I simply do not understand. But I think the newsfeed is great. Who the hell reads twitter on a website or something? ...oh, well, lots of people. But they don't value their time lol.
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  • twincannontwincannon Join Date: 2011-06-14 Member: 104459Members
    twitter feed is amazing, just wish it wouldn't track @replies or something as it's pretty useless when the UWE twitter responds to someone with "Thanks" or such. For patch/server notification etc. it's fantastic.
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  • cake.cake. Join Date: 2012-01-12 Member: 140165Members
    lol @ "main menu immersion"
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  • PersianImm0rtalPersianImm0rtal Join Date: 2010-12-02 Member: 75414Members, Constellation, NS2 Map Tester
    I love the twitter feed in game, as do 99% of us, I think your just a little wierd lol
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  • elodeaelodea Editlodea Join Date: 2009-06-20 Member: 67877Members, Reinforced - Shadow
    This is one of those things where 'its beta' does apply. It's nice to have convenient access to useful information about the progress of the game.
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  • countbasiecountbasie Join Date: 2008-12-27 Member: 65884Members
    edited July 2012
    OK, I am not a native speaker, maybe immersion was the wrong word. I'm talking about aesthetic coherence, which we all know UWE has a great feeling for (see all the Artwork). But a twitter feed like that doesn't fit at all. Call me weird, but it sores my sense of aesthetics. Twitter is in no way one of the things I want to see while playing a video game. The monitor-idea was pretty funny though.

    Well, as I said before, nvm, sometimes people don't understand me.

    EDIT: Seeing a screenshot from Quake1 wakes the same feelings like seeing the main menu from Quake1. So it is definately a part of the game.
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  • piratedavepiratedave Join Date: 2012-03-10 Member: 148561Members
    i agree with the op

    and ill take it further

    i find the main menu screen aesthetically displeasing. It seems mathematical/programmed/function over form, and in stark contrast the evolve menu for aliens seems very organic and aesthetically pleasing.
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  • LocklearLocklear [nexzil]kerrigan Join Date: 2012-05-01 Member: 151403Members, NS2 Playtester, NS2 Map Tester, WC 2013 - Shadow
    The ticker in the menu is fine. A lot of games have done it.

    I don't see how this is a problem.
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  • internetexplorerinternetexplorer Join Date: 2011-10-13 Member: 127255Members
    edited July 2012
    I don't like it because it doesn't tweet things that are relevant to me as "someone who just launched the game"

    Do you think I'm going to alt-tab and start watching Hugh give a speech at Dreamhack, or read a design document? If I managed to launch the game through Steam, it means I got whatever the latest patch is, so any tweets about changelogs aren't going to be useful as "something to keep me busy before I can play"...

    The idea itself has potential, if it's integrated with a live match viewer or in-game event tracker (like Guild Wars, League of Legends etc) but the way it has been in the beta hasn't seemed too useful to me. Right now, it's basically a tech demo ('twitter feed can go here'), with no cohesion to the overall menu experience.

    <!--sizeo:1--><span style="font-size:8pt;line-height:100%"><!--/sizeo-->Woops. I forgot to identify with one of the polarized viewpoints in all the other posts.<!--sizec--></span><!--/sizec-->


    <!--quoteo(post=1953257:date=Jul 23 2012, 01:44 PM:name=cake.)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (cake. @ Jul 23 2012, 01:44 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1953257"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->lol @ "main menu immersion"<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    Show me the triple-A money making games that have twitter feeds awkwardly snuck into the main menu just because it can be done.

    Immersion doesn't have to mean "thinking you're really an alien/space marine", since that only works on 5 year olds. A different type of immersion could be "getting your mind in the right place to start playing NS2 like you wanted, free of distraction from twitter/facebook/youtube/some other social media flavour of the month".

    Also, food for thought: when I log into Quake Live or Starcraft 2, there are messages from the developers about upcoming events, community issues etc. They don't use twitter, so they feel more like 'a part of the game' despite not being composed of hydralisks or rocket launchers. They get across the same information without making me feel like the game is pandering to people who can't breathe without the help of a social media device.
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  • KoruyoKoruyo AUT Join Date: 2009-06-06 Member: 67724Members, Reinforced - Shadow
    edited July 2012
    True, games usually have a launchpad before the game menu for news and feeds etc(you can like or dislike that, and that uwe uses twitter instead... the drama!), tho to be honest... if we are ranting about twitter feeds in the menu screen you spent almost no time in(i instantly click the immersion breaking server browser - with server names like "heidis goat farm" translated)... then im not sure if i can take this forum serious anymore. (or at least a bunch of its posters)

    PS: do you guys also have this? everytime i start the game, somebody holds a gun at my head shouting that i have to read the twitter messages out loud before i m allowed to play... awkward.

    Update: i found out how i can skip this gun holding twitter maniac - <a href="http://hypernovadesign.co.uk/nanogrid/" target="_blank">http://hypernovadesign.co.uk/nanogrid/</a> a webbased server browser... (im so immersed now - i think ill skip eating this month and just request medpacks instead.)
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  • internetexplorerinternetexplorer Join Date: 2011-10-13 Member: 127255Members
    sorry i guess you're only allowed to criticize things that can't be reasonably fixed like fps

    sorry folks

    <b><i>It's A Beta ™</i></b>
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  • JowJow Join Date: 2011-06-23 Member: 106032Members
    I honestly hope they add more ###### to it, community news, live streams, event news, patch notes and all that, it would be great.

    However I agree the twitter ticker isn't the most useful thing ever, but the immersion thing is a bit odd, it's just the main menu.
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  • ellnicellnic Join Date: 2010-07-19 Member: 72559Members, Reinforced - Shadow
    Keep twitter away!
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  • Raza.Raza. Join Date: 2004-01-24 Member: 25663Members, Constellation
    Well, I can see where countbasie is coming from. It's not an immersion thing, the ticker looks just very unpolished. There's the raw Twitter syntax, a lot of messages that are only relevant for a few hours, some that are completely irrelevant ('@RandomGuy Thanks!') and don't get me started on that awful text scrolling.

    A dedicated news feed containing only relevant updates like announcements or patch notes would be much more professional. Preferably in a small text area, that allows to scroll through the most recent news. You can find examples of this in the Diablo III launcher and the DoW2 menu.
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  • countbasiecountbasie Join Date: 2008-12-27 Member: 65884Members
    edited July 2012
    <!--quoteo(post=1953317:date=Jul 24 2012, 12:08 AM:name=Koruyo)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Koruyo @ Jul 24 2012, 12:08 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1953317"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->True, games usually have a launchpad before the game menu for news and feeds etc(you can like or dislike that, and that uwe uses twitter instead... the drama!), tho to be honest... if we are ranting about twitter feeds in the menu screen you spent almost no time in(i instantly click the immersion breaking server browser - with server names like "heidis goat farm" translated)... then im not sure if i can take this forum serious anymore. (or at least a bunch of its posters)

    PS: do you guys also have this? everytime i start the game, somebody holds a gun at my head shouting that i have to read the twitter messages out loud before i m allowed to play... awkward.

    Update: i found out how i can skip this gun holding twitter maniac - <a href="http://hypernovadesign.co.uk/nanogrid/" target="_blank">http://hypernovadesign.co.uk/nanogrid/</a> a webbased server browser... (im so immersed now - i think ill skip eating this month and just request medpacks instead.)<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    Could it be possible that one likes funny server names, because it's a tradition, but doesn't like social media and doesn't like it to be in his favorite game, only because 'others are doing it as well'?
    I don't think I am a TSA marine when playing NS, but I just don't want to see anything that reminds me of crappy reallife companies getting on my nerves all the time. I will never enjoy art using twitter as a feature. It is just an aesthetic thing. Please do not make fun of me, it's hard enough :(

    It seems like this topic actually has the potential for some sociological observations :D


    EDIT: Again, useful information displayed inside the monitor would be quite funny. Kind of satiric.
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