Phedre
Members
121
Jan. 2003
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:::A Q&A between Tom Melcher, CEO of There inc. and There revolution members:::
Interview with Tom Melcher, There, Inc. CEO - A response to questions regarding improving There retention and the member experience
Preface: It started out with a simple question. Who is gone? Friends we'd met and enjoyed spending time with in the world of There that no longer logged in. The list grew, and grew, and grew. Next came why, and we all began to really enter the looking glass.
The reasons varied, however all related to the core retention concepts surrounding boredom, accountability and communication. Within several forum posts, and a great many in world discussions, the catalyst for change had been planted. A plan was hatched, a group of citizens gathered around the idea, shaped it, and made their plea to There, along with the subtle challenge that the power of the people should not be ignored.
There responded quickly. At a lengthy meeting with CEO Tom Melcher and some key personnel, the citizens outlined their concerns in full. Tom explained that There also deeply shared these concerns, and outlined a plan that addressed retention, that a change was coming.
To satisfy the entire population who shared these concerns, a Question and Answer document was composed based on the logs of that discussion. The following summary represents the direct challenge of There's citizens, now and in the future, and ThereInc's reply.
Q1. The number one goal of our mission was to have Thereinc address the issue of retention, especially amongst the long-term core users. Would you agree that There is not sufficiently interesting to long-term members? Please explain why you feel it is or is not so.
TOM: While we are excited about the initial response to There, we are not satisfied with the early retention numbers. The Management team reviews the data and talks about this all the time, trying to identify the new features and bug fixes we can deliver to provide a better long-term member experience. We also use one on one conversations with members, Forums, and member surveys to help us understand the issues.
Here’s what we’ve learned so far:
1. Members want longer operating hours that better fit their schedule
2. Fix bugs that become annoying over time, for example:
a. Lag and rubber banding
b. Event Management bugs (getting bounced from events for example)
c. The speed at which Web pages load
3. Develop more ways to earn $T, besides just being a developer. Members want more earning opportunities!
4. Improve ways to find and stay in touch with friends in There and add content that allows members to socialize (relax) and hang out.
5. Create ways to identify common interests, and assist member connections around those common interests. Help organize groups of members into teams; improve ThereMail reliability, and make Club functionality faster and easier
6. Increase the number of things to do in world
7. Provide more places to Explore, and we want to Explore more content over longer periods of time
8. Provide member tools to that allow members to create more content in There
Obviously, this is not a comprehensive list, but we hear these themes on a regular basis.
Q2. Can you define that long-term core group a little more, and what they represent to There in terms of product life-span, in-world economy and most importantly, community?
TOM: We don’t have a precise definition of the “long-term core group.” In general, they are people who have been members for 3 or more months, that have attended regularly (at least a couple of times a week). But we’re not stuck on that kind of definition.
These members are very, very important. We value them because the are often the core of the community. That means they are really important to the long-term growth of the community, and its values. We have tried to create an online experience that provides an alternative to most massively-multi-player games, which typically emphasize killing and competition. In contrast, we have tried to create a fun place to hang out online with friends (real life ones and new ones). A key part of this kind of “fun place” is that it feels welcoming, inclusive, and fun.
What we know about most of the long term core group is that they seem to value friendship. Most don’t tolerate griefing and harassment. Most are honest. Most enjoy meeting new people and making new friends, and enjoy embracing the diversity of the human experience. We think that most people in the real-world world share these values, and would agree that it would be fun to visit a place like that.
From our perspective, finding people who share these values, and working with them to create the foundation of There, is critically important. This overshadows other issues (which also need to be worked out), such as the economy, skills tuning, and product marketing. That’s why our Forums are intentionally so active and open. That’s why we have so many people in customer service, and a toll-free number. That’s why we invite people in (rather than letting in anyone who asks), and take swift action against people who have a very different idea of what’s fun.
In the next few months we will be formalizing several “member councils”, which will include members who have distinguished themselves in one or more areas (such as sports, or developing, or event hosting). We will also be organizing other councils to address specific issues (we already have a formal women’s group, for example). As soon as we finalize the details, we will announce our plans.
Q3. Do you think the volume of interest and traffic, as well as the number of people staying logged in longer than most games has caused a shift in your mode of thinking during Beta?
TOM: Very much so! We have been astonished by the number of people who have signed up for the beta test, as well as the amount of time that the “average” member logs into There. We have been blown away by how often, and for how long, the average There member spends in There.
We’re tremendously flattered and encouraged by this response, but we’re also working hard to keep up. We’ve always believed that one of the core aspects of There is something we call “connecting by doing.” Simply put, this means that people have an easier time conversing when they have something to do together. This is very true in real life – we typically have our best conversations with friends and family when we’re doing something else, whether it’s going for a drive, shopping, watching TV, bowling, whatever. The shared experience catalyzes the shared conversation.
Because of this, There has to include LOTS of things to do: organized and impromptu, games and serious things, public and private. These things need to be easy and fun, and support groups of people who can converse before, during, and after they “do.” Since we can’t ever create all the “content” that is required, our strategy has been to develop a robust, open, and scalable platform, and then release tools that let people create their own fun. We’ve released some already (like “conversation flags”, “fun zones and events”, all the Painter/Builder/StyleMaker tools, AdventureMaker, etc.), and we have more on the way.
The challenge right now, is that our long-term members have blazed through all the “content” we have built so far, and we haven’t finished enough tools so these members can create their own fun. We’re therefore all stuck in an awkward stage – we all want There to be successful, and we all agree that “doing” is a key part of that, but we don’t have enough to do, and we don’t have enough tools released yet. That can add up to boredom and frustration.
So why stick around? First, we hope that the early Beta “pioneers” feel they are an integral part of the community that helps develop There into a truly differentiated online destination. Second, our plan is to continue to lay the groundwork that will allow this platform to be a creative outlet for our members and their talents. Third, while the September release and the late October release won’t answer all of the retention issues, we hope you will see constant improvement in the product and continue to have more and more fun as you spend more time in There. Lastly, we hope early members feel like they are heavily involved in the feedback loop and are personally invested in the product improvement, and feel a personal sense of pride in contributing to the shaping of a world that continues to grow and improve.
The last point is that we know our product is still evolving. So we will adjust our pricing programs to give our early adopters special pricing to reward them for their pioneering spirit. We will also be introducing a rewards system that allows you to earn points and exchange them for in-world goods or even real world goods! We will be announcing the details of our pricing programs and rewards programs in late August. Stay tuned.
Wrapping up with a bang on Friday:
New features, managing a larger community after Launch, user created islands, and the “unveiling.”
Questions to be covered:
4) Have you considered how the inworld experience is going to change once there are 10K simultaneous avatars in world at any one moment?
5) Would it be a fair assessment to describe There today as a "consumer oriented world," because a small company was trying to handle the immense interest, and found it easier to bring out features along these lines to a much larger group?
6) When there goes public, and this trend is multiplied, how will There address the retention concerns of the core group as it expands?
7) Can you give us dates for every item you have listed for submission to Q/A and then release? What about larger features like Amusement parks?
8) Do you really think these will help with retention? Which would you specifically say support the claim that retention has become a focus for There as opposed to Just more consumer toys and existing feature polishing.
9) Exploration of the world and places is one of the most compelling experiences in There. But after a month you've seen everything and want more - there has to have developers who would jump at the chance to create more terrain and stuff. When will this happen? Dates?
10) There has stated the development of the bike took 2 days since it was
based on the hoverboard. With a new technology like an amusement park, what retention oriented features could There build just as easily using these new core technologies?"
11) On that same vein, how will things like there's current sports be transformed into a retention oriented activity?
12) Retention can also be attained if people can to work towards a long term goal. What kind of long term goal oriented activities can we anticipate, and when?
13) If you compartmentalize all of There, it falls into the following categories. Dressing Up, Social Games, Exploring, Sports, and personal decoration space. Can you address new features of retention (rather then fixes or consumer based facets) in each one of these categories?
14) Trust and communication are going to be key elements between Thereinc and achieving a long term community. Do you think There has been successful so far and attaining that goal? Please explain what methods you will employ to either repair or maintain these elements.
15) Thereinc must be under some intense scrutiny right now concerning how to make a long-term virtual environment viable and profitable. You have set out to build a civilization, with laws and an economy. The citizens of that world are what will make this product successful. How will There delegate some of the responsibility of shaping the way it evolves so both the citizens and There can held accountable?
16) Thank you Tom, and Thereinc, for the opportunity to talk with you about our concerns, we really do appreciate it. Rest assured the revolution is in a holding pattern  Any last words for all us Therians?
Find out the answers to these questions by Friday July 25th!
Want to know more about how to help shape the community and world of There? Join the club “We_The_People”. Miss P
:::make me your sin:::
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Spliff
Admin
843
Jan. 2003
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The #1 frustrating thing for me was when they completely changed the hoverboard controls starting with PB2. That really sucked! Thankfully in PB3 they integrated the old controls with the new so it was a lot better. I'm still not 100% satisfied with the controls since they still are a bit different (for the worse) from PB1. I'm fairly confident that any attempt to make them exactly like PB1 would succeed in alienating many of the newer boarders.
The #2 thing that really sucks is that pretty much any item you drop gets returned to inventory shortly afterwards due to server load and other limits. I realize this is because of a limitation in the software/hardware, but I find it truly frustrating. The ability to create cool stuff like skypads, ramp layouts, and land sculptures has become a ridiculous notion -- and that was one of my favorite parts of There. Moreover, I have seen many members either take a long vacation, or leave There permanently(?) due to this issue.
Other than these two issues I am still quite pleased spending my limited free time on There.
While I don't consider myself a member of this "revolution", the two issues above have certainly diminished some of my enjoyment of There... and I'd love to see the server load issue go away some day.
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xorsyst
Members
197
Mar. 2003
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im glad to see there giving an official word on this issue. it seemed as though they were hesitant to comment in the threads started on the forum. it will be interesting to hear about the new tools that will be available to members as member created content will be vital in not only keeping content fresh, but providing a way for users to stay interested in there. one of the main reasons im still here after 4 months is creating content. the more options available to create different kinds of content, the better! cant wait  X Ware Clothing
Innovating the There community.
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WaterSign
Members
562
Feb. 2003
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LOL! Funny. My tree-sitting didn't get nearly the response this so-called revolution has. Obviously my piety and brash nature (not to mention that I'm male) aggravates official There persons.
WaterSign
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CrystalShard
Members
380
Feb. 2003
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Or it could be that this revolution had the support of more then 3 people, raised hell on the official forums, and also came at a good timing - when people are leaving by the masses, and the managment really (and finally) getting worried enough to think of a plan. Either way, looks like we're finally having some progress...
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WaterSign
Members
562
Feb. 2003
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You make it sound like they weren't going to improve things anyway. Protests that "raise hell" only result in changes enough to shut the "hell raisers" up. If you're settled with a patronising chat with Mr. Melcher, then that's fair by me.
WaterSign
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MBoffin
Members
56
Feb. 2003
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The very fact that it was not clear that they would "improve things anyway" is exactly the push behind the "revolution".
Also, it was made pretty clear to There that we wouldn't be satisfied with "enough changes to shut the 'hell raisers' up". Believe me, that was made clear.
And in terms of being "settled with a patronizing chat with Mr. Melcher", well it's kind of one of those "you had to be there" kind of things. In nicer words Tom was told, "Cut the crap and give it to us straight." And for the most part, he did. We should appreciate that the CEO is willing to sit down and really discuss this stuff with the users. People will always cry, "Well of course he should!" But in reality, it's a rare and valuable thing.
I don't envy Tom's position on having to answer such direct questions from the community. However, I think we should appreciate the amount that he's accommodated us in terms of sharing some of the inner workings and plans of There. They don't have to, by any means, and many other companies in their position would just as soon blow their users off and go for the buck. (And many have.) I can't say I'm completely satisfied with all the answers and of course I'd like to see more, but any way you look at it, you do have to admit that it's a great start and we've gotten more than users would get from pretty much any other company in this business.
Do catch the second half of the Q&A, though.
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WaterSign
Members
562
Feb. 2003
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Yeah sure. Still looks more like to me as a case of "Oh, dear! Phedre, her friends, and some of her friends' friends are throwing a hissy fit! Better talk to them, Tom." I just call it as I see it. (c; Don't hate me because I'm always right.
WaterSign
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digital_signal_X
Members
348
April 2003
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Your right MBoffin. The time is right for a more organized, effective front then any one or two people could pose for change in the past. Many in the development community and the "core user group" - people who have been in world longer then 3 months, agree that at the current direction Thereinc was going, doom was inevitable. Thereinc was not fostering user trust, communication, and retention oriented features, the fundamental precepts for a healthy long term online community. They were instead, moving toward a shopping mall with a 2-3 month boredom induced revolving door of turnover.
The questions posed toward Tom are based on those concerns for the community as a whole, not the desires of any person and their group of friends. If without this "kick in the pants" Thereinc would have gone this direction of disclosure and accelerated a time table for more retentive features eventually or not, no one except Thereinc knows. It's academic now, and pointless to debate. We're here now, at the table, and more importantly, so is Thereinc - It's time for a change, and both sides agree.
I strongly urge people to join the club "We_the_People" to participate more directly in how you want to help shape There as a community. As well, posting *constructively* in forums, sending emails, all help contribute your voice. 
(Click picture for Club links and Galleries! )
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WaterSign
Members
562
Feb. 2003
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By that definition, I'm a "core member" yet I still don't agree with you. Funny, huh?
WaterSign
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ZzeusS
Members
48
Jan. 2003
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| Quote (Spliff @ July 22 2003, 12:57 am) | The #1 frustrating thing for me was when they completely changed the hoverboard controls starting with PB2. That really sucked! Thankfully in PB3 they integrated the old controls with the new so it was a lot better. I'm still not 100% satisfied with the controls since they still are a bit different (for the worse) from PB1. I'm fairly confident that any attempt to make them exactly like PB1 would succeed in alienating many of the newer boarders.
The #2 thing that really sucks is that pretty much any item you drop gets returned to inventory shortly afterwards due to server load and other limits. I realize this is because of a limitation in the software/hardware, but I find it truly frustrating. The ability to create cool stuff like skypads, ramp layouts, and land sculptures has become a ridiculous notion -- and that was one of my favorite parts of There. Moreover, I have seen many members either take a long vacation, or leave There permanently(?) due to this issue.
Other than these two issues I am still quite pleased spending my limited free time on There.
While I don't consider myself a member of this "revolution", the two issues above have certainly diminished some of my enjoyment of There... and I'd love to see the server load issue go away some day. |
On the other side of the coin, one of the major things that annoyed me about There was the fact that people could leave objects lying all over the place for days at a time. Remember the forrests of banners and garbage that used to be stuck all over the three major Tiki areas? I hated that. I think we always knew deep down inside that they were going to tighten those rules up eventually.
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Spliff
Admin
843
Jan. 2003
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| Quote (ZzeusS @ July 24 2003, 4:49 pm) | | Quote (Spliff @ July 22 2003, 12:57 am) | The #1 frustrating thing for me was when they completely changed the hoverboard controls starting with PB2. That really sucked! Thankfully in PB3 they integrated the old controls with the new so it was a lot better. I'm still not 100% satisfied with the controls since they still are a bit different (for the worse) from PB1. I'm fairly confident that any attempt to make them exactly like PB1 would succeed in alienating many of the newer boarders.
The #2 thing that really sucks is that pretty much any item you drop gets returned to inventory shortly afterwards due to server load and other limits. I realize this is because of a limitation in the software/hardware, but I find it truly frustrating. The ability to create cool stuff like skypads, ramp layouts, and land sculptures has become a ridiculous notion -- and that was one of my favorite parts of There. Moreover, I have seen many members either take a long vacation, or leave There permanently(?) due to this issue.
Other than these two issues I am still quite pleased spending my limited free time on There.
While I don't consider myself a member of this "revolution", the two issues above have certainly diminished some of my enjoyment of There... and I'd love to see the server load issue go away some day. |
On the other side of the coin, one of the major things that annoyed me about There was the fact that people could leave objects lying all over the place for days at a time. Remember the forrests of banners and garbage that used to be stuck all over the three major Tiki areas? I hated that. I think we always knew deep down inside that they were going to tighten those rules up eventually. |
I think the answer to that would be tact and trusted user moderation. For example, There could select garbage collectors from the most trusted members to clean up the clutter. Time limits on objects are good for signs (e.g. the Jopy situation), but blanket timeouts on everything kill any kind of building creativity. And from what I've seen so far of the homesteader zones, they are not up to snuff... way too restrictive. Perhaps, my < mobile fun zone > idea would be more appropriate.
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digital_signal_X
Members
348
April 2003
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The "mobile zone" was presented this evening in forums by There staff officially in reference to building complaints like these. It is coming!!!
Great minds think alike spliff! : )
All of there's responses to the community involvement now is very heartwarming. Agree or disagree on any point, but being involved and getting the information to users makes a better There. That's the key.
(Click picture for Club links and Galleries! )
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UnkleBob
Members
317
April 2003
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Great idea, those mobile zones!
I've been fidgeting with 45 min activity flags on G0D's cloud in Saja and it's getting old fast! I would love to be able to make that an event zone! Unklebob "un-kull-BOB" : More sexiness than you can shake a stick at.
Wow, those tattoos are soo Unklebob.
(from www.urbandictionary.com )
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BamaBabydoll
Members
1697
June 2003
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I want the old controls back for the hoverboard too. They are just too easy to fall off of, very unstable. One little rubber banding can throw you off the course so bad, unlike the easy recovery on the old boards.  All hail Queen Mackie!
Subliminal message: The Lair calls, come to Bama...
(passing popcorn  )
Basking in my ignorance, now I am blissfully unaware. It is the best way to lead a drama free life 
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Nite
Members
35
July 2003
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July 29 2003, 2:15 pm |
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Same here...not to mention, the old controls didn't seem to be as wearing on the fingers. 
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WaterSign
Members
562
Feb. 2003
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LOL! The new controls rock, in my opinion--which is always right.
WaterSign
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UnkleBob
Members
317
April 2003
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No wait, Watersign!!!! There are more! There is left, up, down.... 
Try them, they will vastly improve your performance in there. Unklebob "un-kull-BOB" : More sexiness than you can shake a stick at.
Wow, those tattoos are soo Unklebob.
(from www.urbandictionary.com )
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meghan_elisabeth
UNREGISTERED
Guests
N/A
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Thank you for posting this Q&A, great work.
Based on the definition from Tom, I guess I would be considered a "core" member. I was religiously on There everyday, all day since March. I spent $$, participated in many activites, rent houses and such. But since July, I think I've only signed on maybe once or twice. The game just isn't fun anymore. At least for me. I love the whole chat thing, but the person I want to chat with can't cause the developers don't know how to fix his issue. So that's not fun for anyone. I wanted to get more listeners to my radio station, but attempts to get an event included with the daily emails went un-noticed. My friend place a sign in front of his house promoting my station, and was met with signs blocking the entrance. We assume it's because I am not affliated with WOTR, but who knows for sure. I just get the impression that until I do something to catch the eyes of There, that I will not be able to compete with the services or players they like. Somehow that does not seem fair to me.
Being a so-called "core" member I would also think that someone would have noticed a huge drop in my activity, and that should have sent up a red flag of some sorts. I know that there are so many users it would be hard to keep track of everyone. But if you're keeping track of how much time people spent on the game, you should have noticed this. Plus you would have also noticed that I have not bought any T$'s lately, another flag. I know that there are members that spend a ton of cash on the game, but I too have spent my share, enough that someone should have noticed. It's a little disappointing.
I have not decided to give up entirely, but I have been spending much more time in Star Wars Galaxies than I have been in There. I know this next comment may get be banned and ignored, but SWG is pretty ####ing cool. I don't have to spend any $$ besides the monthly fee and everyone is so cool, no one is out to place a Mafia hit on me, nor does anyone try to sabatoge my attempts to make $$ or progress in the game. Maybe There should take a look into it? It could be a good learning experience. It made me open my eyes to the differences.
I still have a bit of hope that There will implement changes. Good Luck!
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CrystalShard
Members
380
Feb. 2003
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I have to agree with meghan_elisabeth on several topics:
First off, meghan - i'm glad to say that before leaving, Daemona have putted the mafia hits to an end. It makes me feel better as well.
Regarding your comment how no one noticed a drop in your activity - I had similiar thoughts on the topic. It seems like even if There is tracking member's activities rates, they do not seem to do something about it when the activity drops.
Just like There used to nag me after I was authorised to access There but did not get in due to client trouble in my first few days, There should try and initiate E-Mail contact with people who suddenly stop coming into the world or had a dramatic drop in in-world activity, see what changed, if the situation can be helped, or etleast learn of the circumstances that made the member stop participating to see what should be improved in the future. In marketing they call it "Customer Preservation". There should do something similiar and fit it to their plan of operation: "Member preservation", so to speak.
Last but not least, I do believe that There's staff took lessons from other online enviroments and MMORPGs, but it never hurts to keep on learning. Massive online enviroments are a trend that only recently became a buzz-world and started expanding rapidly, and we keep on learning new things on the art of operating and participating in such enviroments every passing day. I'm glad to see that There is investing in listening to the members - listening to members is the key for survival in this field, where the members are your number 1 resource. This kind of a gesture both ensures There's survival and our feeling that "someone is listening".
Yesturday evening, a number of high-level There employees and engineers have accessed the public beta world to talk with There members and test for bugs (which definetly made sure to follow...). After years of being used to going trough massive walls of Customer Serivce reps, the simple ability to stand in a chat-group with the one in charge and speaks equaly really makes you feel better about the service.
Here's for more evenings like that in the future!
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J Crew
Members
17
April 2003
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| Quote (Guest @ July 30 2003, 8:11 pm) | | I wanted to get more listeners to my radio station, but attempts to get an event included with the daily emails went un-noticed. My friend place a sign in front of his house promoting my station, and was met with signs blocking the entrance. We assume it's because I am not affliated with WOTR, but who knows for sure. I just get the impression that until I do something to catch the eyes of There, that I will not be able to compete with the services or players they like. Somehow that does not seem fair to me. |
Just wanted to add a response regarding the whole WOTR thing - as the owner/operator of what used to be WOTR, I can assure you that we had no special relationship with There Inc., and in fact, were jerked around on more than one occassion.
Thanks to There_Sponsor, however, we did manage to do a few regular events for them (Friday Night Mixer) and some special one-off ones as well. I assure you that the signs blocking your station sign had nothing to do with WOTR or There Inc's relationship with us.
In any event, as you've already mentioned, there's just not a whole lot you can do with a radio station in There and as the listener count dwindled and as more and more people moved on to other games/online environments, I decided it was best to just pull the plug on WOTR. I understand that Pulse Radio, Creek Radio, and others are doing some things in There still, and I wish them all the best of luck. J Crew
Station Owner
WOTR - Way Out There Radio
http://www.WayOutThere.net
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