2 years ago, 2020 Studio Wildcard introduced to us ARK 2 by showing is the first trailer. Since then, we got another trailer, an in depth game mechanic description from the devs, info about events in ARK 2 and concept art. Two years have passed and next year the game is supposed to be released. But at this years Game Awards fans somehow expected to see more ARK 2 despite no announcement suggesting it. And then when it didn’t happen – they turned against the developers because they were disappointed to now see any news about ARK 2. Let’s look into this weird situation.
What we know (The facts)
We know that Wildcard never announced that ARK 2 would be at the Game Awards. The story was made up by a handful of creators who hyped it up over the past weeks. Even last night after a Fan-Account posted that we might see ARK 2 News at the Game Awards, Product Manager Dollie posted on Twitter:
“Please keep in mind this “ARK2 news” Twitter account is just a fan account, folks, and has no affiliation with Wildcard”
During the charity event we also got no ARK 2 news. Again it was also not announced, but people went berserk in the Twitch chat the longer the stream went. We then got the info that the next time they talk about ARK 2, we will get gameplay, but not now.
A few weeks ago, fans also made up a release date for ARK 2 by pretending a key seller site would have the correct date for a release, which they of course don’t have. But yet again, fans were angry at Wildcard for the Key Seller site being wrong.
Why you should not spread rumors
The most obvious reason is – they are not true. Therefore, you willingly spread lies. Not cool.
The next reason is that rumors can be harmful. They raise expectations about events that will never happen the way they are promised by the person starting the rumor.
The anger when those events don’t happen usually goes against the person or company the rumor is about and not against the person being responsible for the rumor. This can harm the reputation of a person or company without them actually doing anything wrong.
Suddenly everyone is a game developer
Right after the Game Awards when the first angry gamers smashed insults into their keyboards and phones directed at the game developers, suddenly everyone had deep knowledge of game development, game dev studio management, business strategies, PR strategies, and they also knew how development timelines have to look. Not bad.
In reality most people have no idea what game development looks like. It is disappointing to see how the community treats the devs. They pour their heart and soul into creating the games we play, and often face hard and demanding work conditions. Yet, despite their hard work and dedication, they are met with harsh criticism, negativity and harassment from the community.
Some people are quick to jump to conclusions and blame the developers for any delays or problems, without considering the many factors that can affect the development of a game. This negativity can be demoralizing and can make their already challenging job even harder. Why should we make the job even harder for them. Nothing is more exciting for a dev to know we are excited.
Who is to blame for this
It is okay to be disappointed but the only one you have to blame is yourself for having wrong expectations. Just because you yell into the internet, you are not right, because for one, people often mistake their own emotions and personal experiences for objective knowledge. When we are upset about something, we tend to believe that we are right and anyone who disagrees with us is wrong.
The act of complaining itself can make us feel more confident in our opinions. By vocalizing our anger, we are reinforcing our own beliefs and convincing ourselves that we must be experts on the subject in order to have such strong opinions about it. However, just because we are loud and angry in our complaints does not mean that we actually know what we are talking about. In fact, studies have shown that people who complain the most are typically the least knowledgeable about the subject at hand. (Imagine a surprised Pikachu face here)
Game Devs are under NDA (Non Disclosure Agreement)
Game developers who are under a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) are not allowed to speak about the game they are working on. NDAs are legal contracts that prohibit individuals from sharing confidential information, and they are commonly used in the gaming industry to protect the secrecy of upcoming games.
Yep they can get in big trouble for doing what you so strongly demand. Believe it or not, devs would love to talk about development all day, share what they experience, work on, throw some breadcrumbs as goodies. But they are simply not allowed to do so.
Where do we go from here
Fact check before spreading rumors!
- Verify the information with multiple sources. If the rumor originated from a single source, it’s important to check with other sources to see if the information has been confirmed.
- Look for official statements from Wildcard. Check to see if they have released an official statement addressing the news.
- Consider the source of the information. Is the source credible and reliable? Do they have a track record of providing accurate information?
- Research the topic and fact-check the information. Use reputable sources such as developer social media accounts, official discords or the official forum. Or just ask the developers yourself.
- Use your own judgment and common sense. If the rumor seems too good (or too bad) to be true, it’s likely that it is not accurate. Trust your instincts and avoid spreading information that you have doubts about.
So all in all the situation surrounding ARK 2 and the Game Awards has highlighted how important it is to be cautious and only trusting official sources. The rumor that gameplay would be shown at the game awards turned out to be false, and it’s unfair to blame Wildcard for made up expectations. Game development takes time, and it’s important to remember that game developers are under no obligation to reveal information about their games unless they choose to do so. By fact checking information with multiple sources and using our own judgment, we can avoid spreading false or misleading rumors.
@tiiaaurora I'm still working on the original. Ark 2 isn't even on my horizon atm.