Suggestions for a more interactive community approach, What would you like to see (Bethesda do)? is a new topic set by Blinzer on the Bethesda Fallout 3 forum where he brings some suggestions for more community/Bethsoft interaction and asks for ideas coming from the community there. It’s an interesting initiative, and Community Manager Matt “Gstaff” Grandstaff took the opportunity to say this:
Definitely some good ideas in here. A lot of them are things I’ve already talked about with folks in the office since I started here. I’m seeing stuff we’re thinking of doing, and stuff that we’ll probably not do as well.
I do encourage guys to send me PMs with ideas that you have. Maybe this will open flood gates, but I’m open to ideas.
Also keep in mind, and I’ve mentioned this many times, we’re still a long ways off from the game release. As we get closer to the release, you can expect more information to be shared about the game compared to what we’re sharing now.
I think a really good example is how Bungie handles Halo 3. For a couple of years, you weren’t seeing/hearing anything, but since E3, they’ve been releasing tons of screens, releasing podcasts, etc. Of course somehow I seriously doubt we’ll get to sell Nuka Cola in stores (a la Mountain Dew Game Fuel).In terms of you guys getting information second hand at this point, it shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise…simply the nature of the beast. I was listening to the 1Up Yours podcast today, and I noticed how they referenced that they’re seeing/playing games typically 6 months to a year before everyone else does.
Just to reiterate, we’re looking for ways to work with the community. Coming soon, we should have the answers to the community FAQ questions Blinzler helped set up soon. As soon as we do, I’ll get the answers to you guys.
You can go to the forum and bring your ideas, let’s take this opportunity and make something constructive.
Bethsoft folks always replied to my requests, since I don’t ask direct questions about Fallout 3 that was never a problem. They are a bit more open than what sometimes is perceived. Still on the institutional side the fact that they keep not sending me press releases, press images packs or warn me when something big is coming out, like the official site being opened, as they unfortunately do to all the Fallout fansites, is something that doesn’t help their efforts on making a constructive relation with the Fallout community at large. It’s a corporate culture thing, very annoying.
Fallout 3: A Post Nuclear Blog 
Maybe they don’t consider a blog to be that important, which I agree in a way. But that they dismiss all Fallout fansites is bit odd. Then again, their intentions lie in bringing the hype machine to average gamer, and that seems to be their target audience.
Yeah, but how hard is it to add a couple site to the blast e-mail address?
Yeah, that’s what I’m asking. They used to do it to DAC, even that changed.