Software Developer Connects With Fans At The Altar

from the we-gather-here-today dept

Tue, Nov 22nd 2011 5:21am — Timothy Geigner

It seems to me that there's a fundemental disconnect that occurs when we discuss CwF+RtB here at Techdirt. Some have trouble latching onto the concept, devolving it into a kind of asanine repetition of "putt putt golf" jokes and t-shirt discussions. It's much more than that, of course. It's a mantra, a way of being, more akin to a philosophy than strictly a business plan. I won't bore you with long-winded diatribes about karmic energies, just the short mention in the words previous. Examples tell the story better, from Kevin Smith merging his brand with the good will of his fans, to going where your fans are (even if that place is unauthorized), to actually taking off your angry artist hat and getting your fans involved in creating the art.

And now Anthony Biedenkapp writes in with the heartwarming Ars Technica story of two crazy kids in love with each other and a videogame, and the story of how the software developer loved them back. Jay Greschner and his fiance were big fans of the game Bastion, developed by Supergiant Games. On a lark, Greschner wrote an email to Supergiant Games asking if there was anyway they could provide some audio for his wedding. They did, in a big way:

"Soon after, Greg Kasavin (writer and creative director of Bastion) got back to me and we had a brief discussion. In my initial e-mails I had sent a couple of example lines but Greg replied that the Narrator had a certain tone that he wanted to keep even though this was out of game and was wondering if he could write some stuff up for Logan. I had no problem with this and Greg said that they'd try and record some lines before PAX Prime.

A couple of days later, I got another e-mail containing 4 recordings that the Narrator had done for us and was just amazed and honored that Supergiant Games would do this for me."

That's a true connection. We have this idea that businesses are these far away entities, disconnected from their fans by whatever middlemen are involved, be they record labels, publishing companies, or retail stores. But that's crap. Even in a big world like ours, true personal connections are possible. More to the point, in the digital era, the world has shrunk and those connections are even more possible than they were before. Kudos to Supergiant Games and many happy years to the Greschners.

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Filed Under: connecting with fans, video games

19 Comments

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Chris Rhodes (profile), 22 Nov 2011 @ 5:59am

Awesome
Bastion was a great game, and its devs deserved all the praise and cash that could be heaped upon them. Now they deserve more!
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- Dark Helmet (profile), 22 Nov 2011 @ 6:10am
  
  Re: Awesome
  You know, never owning any Xbox hardware, I'd never heard of it until this story. Looks pretty strong, though....
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  - E. Zachary Knight (profile), 22 Nov 2011 @ 6:16am
    
    Re: Re: Awesome
    It should be coming to Windows PC by the end of the year if it is not already. I haven't played it either but it looks like a game I would want to play.
    
    The sound track is awesome and I want to buy it but will have to wait for it.
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    - Dark Helmet (profile), 22 Nov 2011 @ 6:18am
      
      Re: Re: Re: Awesome
      "The sound track is awesome and I want to buy it but will have to wait for it."
      
      Or you could just have a wedding?
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      - E. Zachary Knight (profile), 22 Nov 2011 @ 6:37am
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re: Awesome
        I am already married but I guess we could always renew our vows. Not sure if the wife would really go for a Bastion narration though.
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    - The Groove Tiger (profile), 22 Nov 2011 @ 7:23am
      
      Re: Re: Re: Awesome
      Bastion has been available for the PC since over three months ago.
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      - E. Zachary Knight (profile), 22 Nov 2011 @ 7:36am
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re: Awesome
        Shows how much I know. I did a google search for "Bastion PC" and every thing that came up were news articles stating it would be out by the "end of the year"
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    - Miff (profile), 22 Nov 2011 @ 7:25am
      
      Re: Re: Re: Awesome
      It's on Steam!
      
      http://store.steampowered.com/app/107100
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    - hothmonster, 22 Nov 2011 @ 7:42am
      
      Re: Re: Re: Awesome
      Its been on PC for awhile now, you can get it on steam for 10 or 15 bucks. The soundtrack is great, you can listen free on bandcamp.
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jeremy7600 (profile), 22 Nov 2011 @ 6:07am

They just removed any and all hesitation for me to buy this game
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Joe Publius (profile), 22 Nov 2011 @ 6:59am

Though I think we might have to consider this level of connection a one-off deal, big every-once-in-a-while connections are a great point to find the little everyday connections, and a "Make your own Bastion Narrations" service would be cool.

Bastion is a great game, and now I'm even happier that my money seems to have been spent on some good and savvy people.
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technomage (profile), 22 Nov 2011 @ 7:05am

Similar story
I had a similar thing happen with me, with one of the writers that I support. M.R.Sellars connects with his fans by personally answering emails sent to him. I made the request to him through email, that a good friend of mine needed something truly special for Christmas one year. I asked him if he could send her a Christmas card, and after a some bantering back and forth, he agreed. Getting her something unique, and him going out of his way for two fans, insured that ALL of his future books will be bought.
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Anonymous Coward, 22 Nov 2011 @ 7:12am

"It seems to me that there's a fundemental disconnect that occurs when we discuss CwF+RtB here at Techdirt. Some have trouble latching onto the concept, devolving it into a kind of asanine repetition of "putt putt golf" jokes and t-shirt discussions"

Spell check

Fundamental
Asinine

Please fix ... Please please please
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- Butcherer79 (profile), 22 Nov 2011 @ 7:58am
  
  Re:
  R dunt no wat yew mene, lukes eckzakery rite tu us
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  - Butcherer79 (profile), 22 Nov 2011 @ 8:00am
    
    Re: Re:
    soz, **eckzakerLee rite
    
    Thet woz nerly embarussing!
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Anonymous Coward, 22 Nov 2011 @ 8:34am

I'd rather marry the narrator's voice
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Karl (profile), 22 Nov 2011 @ 8:50am

Gary Hudston Project
This reminds me a lot of the Gary Hudston Project. This involved a mod for Portal 2, a marriage proposal, and custom voice work from Ellen Mclain (the voice of GLaDOS):

http://geeks.thedailywh.at/2011/08/23/portal-proposal-of-the-day/
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Isakill, 27 Nov 2011 @ 8:54am

Another game company that connects with it's fans
http://soundcloud.com/tony-12-2/claptrap-eulogy-for-michael/s-tmwpd

'Nuff said.
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adele, 17 Sep 2012 @ 6:22pm

Yes. Connection seems becoming more important than ever before.
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