When Your Game Becomes a Meme for the Wrong Reasons

We put our heart and soul into developing games that delight players. We strive to create experiences that are engaging, entertaining, and lasting. ...

Despite our best efforts, games can sometimes be associated with negative or humorous memes rooted not in the actual gameplay but in absurd scenarios that highlight perceived weaknesses or quirks of the game. This blog post explores what happens when your game becomes a meme for the wrong reasons and how to handle these situations.

1. Understanding the Meme Culture
2. The Dark Side of Meme Culture
3. How to Respond Effectively
4. Conclusion

1.) Understanding the Meme Culture

Before diving into how to handle such memes, it's important to understand the context in which they emerge. Memes are cultural elements-such as ideas, behaviors, or stories-that spread from person to person within a culture and that tend to have an amusing or unexpected effect when communicated with others. When a game becomes meme-worthy, it often does so because players find something inherently funny about the game's mechanics, graphics, storylines, or other aspects.

2.) The Dark Side of Meme Culture

1. Misinterpretation and Overgeneralization

One common issue is that some memes are based on overgeneralized player experiences that don't represent the full spectrum of gameplay possibilities. For example, a game might have an overly punishing difficulty curve which leads players to create memes about -the infamous potato level.- While challenging levels can be frustrating, they aren't universally considered difficult across all games; thus, creating memes based on this oversimplified experience doesn't reflect the game accurately.

2. Focusing on Minor Issues

Memes often highlight what players perceive as minor or trivial flaws in a game rather than its core strengths. This can be due to the player's perspective but also because major issues (like technical glitches) tend to get more attention from developers and are generally easier to point out publicly. When memes focus too much on these minor issues, it may give the impression that the developer hasn't adequately addressed significant problems or concerns.

3. Creating a Negative Public Perception

When a game becomes a meme for its negatives, it can lead to a negative public perception about the game and even the studio behind it. This perception might linger long after the memes have died down if not effectively managed, affecting future marketing efforts and player recruitment.

3.) How to Respond Effectively

1. Address the Issue Publicly

The first step in handling such situations is acknowledging the meme and its origins. A public statement from the development team can help clarify misunderstandings or misrepresentations of your game. It's important to be honest about any issues highlighted by the memes but also to avoid overly defensive language that could escalate the situation.

2. Highlight Positive Aspects

Acknowledge the meme, then shift focus towards highlighting what makes your game unique and enjoyable. This can include showcasing gameplay clips, behind-the-scenes content showing development challenges overcome, or detailed explanations of mechanics that are more complex than they initially appear.

3. Engage with Your Community

Community engagement is key to managing a meme culture effectively. Regularly interact with your community on social media, forums, and other platforms where discussions about your game take place. This active listening helps in understanding player perspectives and can lead to more tailored responses or improvements based on player feedback.

4. Use Humor Responsibly

Sometimes, using humor can be a helpful way to diffuse tense situations. If the meme culture around your game leans too heavily into negativity, consider creating light-hearted memes that celebrate aspects of the game that are fun and not typically highlighted in marketing materials (like sharing funny player quotes or cosplay photos).

4.) Conclusion

While it's natural for popular games to have moments that become meme-worthy, it's crucial to steer these instances towards positive engagement with your community. By actively addressing misconceptions, highlighting the game's strengths, and engaging with players, you can mitigate negative impacts of meme culture on both player perception and your studio's reputation. Remember, while memes can be a source of entertainment for some, they also have significant power to shape public opinion-use it wisely.

When Your Game Becomes a Meme for the Wrong Reasons