Insights from Nicolas Nottin, LCM of Tribo Games
Nicolas Nottin is a seasoned community manager with over 12 years of experience in the gaming industry. Currently serving as the Lead Community Manager at Tribo Games, Nicolas is well-versed in the emerging world of Web3 gaming and brings a wealth of knowledge to the table. He has worked with some of the biggest names in the industry, including Square Enix, CA Games, and Innogames, where he honed his skills in community management and leadership. In addition to his work in gaming, Nicolas is also known for his expertise in fashion and often shares his insights on community management and leadership through various speaking engagements. Let’s learn from his insights!
Understanding the Friction Between Personas in Game Communities
Web3, the buzzword of the moment, represents a new era of technology that has the potential to revolutionize the way we interact with the internet. With any new technology, however, come growing pains. One of the most significant challenges that Web3 projects face is the friction that can arise between different personas within the same community. This is especially true for game projects, where different personas can have vastly different interests and skill sets.
Game communities are composed of different personas, and it’s important to understand how they interact with each other. By matching your targeted audience and strategic direction, you can ensure that each persona adds owned value to the project. Despite your best efforts, there can still be friction between different personas within the same community.
One of the main reasons why this can be a challenge for game projects is that there are often unknown parameters at play. It can be difficult to predict how different personas will interact with each other, especially in a dynamic environment like a game community. Additionally, there can be ill expectations coming from the early ages of Web3, such as an over-emphasis on tokenomics or a lack of understanding of the underlying technology.
To navigate this potential friction, game developers need to have a clear understanding of their community and be proactive in managing it. We need to shift our perspective and consider Web3 as an optional element of blockchain tech that enables new personas to find their way and place in already-existing communities. By doing this, we can better identify existing and new personas and answer key questions such as:
How can they find their place in the community?
How can they add value?
What do they require for that?
And, how can it be done in satisfying, rewarding, and fulfilling ways?
To create a bridge between core personas, such as gamers and Web3 enthusiasts, we need more than just a great game that uses the full potential of blockchain.
Gamers are great at engaging with the core gameplay and driving product KPIs, while Web3 enthusiasts typically understand social dynamics, NFT trading, and hype. However, they may not be the best audience to add value through the medium of the NFT in the context of a game.
To address this challenge, we need systems built both in and out of the game that enable the different personas to connect and add value collectively. We need to create opportunities for Web3 enthusiasts to communicate their interest in specific NFTs and for gamers to provide them with better quality NFTs by winning tournaments.
Ultimately, the key to success in the Web3 gaming space is to ask the right questions when drafting or renewing your community strategy.
Which personas are you targeting with your game?
When do they come into play?
Do you have the systems in place to support them?
And, can you add a layer of collaboration to it?
By doing so, we can create games that provide value to both traditional gamers and the Web3 community and help bridge the gap between these two core personas.
In conclusion, navigating the potential friction between different personas within the same community can be a challenge for game projects in the Web3 space. It’s essential to have a clear understanding of your community and be proactive in managing it. By considering Web3 as a small component of blockchain tech that enables new personas to find their way and place in already-existing communities, we can create games that provide value to both traditional gamers and the Web3 community. By asking the right questions and creating systems that enable different personas to connect and add value collectively, we can bridge the gap between these two core personas and create a more cohesive and collaborative Web3 gaming space.
This post is sponsored by Blockstars
Insights from Nicolas Nottin, LCM of Tribo Games was originally published in gam3on on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.