Better/additional info here: https://www.gamesradar.com/games/third-person-shooter/helldivers-2-community-manager-seemingly-fired-after-encouraging-negative-reviews-over-now-canceled-psn-mandate-i-knew-i-was-taking-a-risk-with-what-i-said/
Spitz:
“Generally it’s not a good idea to tell people to refund and leave negative reviews when you’re a community manager. TIL,” Spitz said. “I appreciate all the support and I appreciate even more that everyone can play the game again without restrictions. I knew I was taking a risk with what I said about refunding and changing reviews. I stand by it. It was my job to represent the community, that’s what I did.”
They added: “I wanted to work for Arrowhead because they’re my all-time favorite studio. I got that chance. I’m thankful for that opportunity. I’d happily continue working for them if I had the choice, but that isn’t up to me or anyone else in here. I can walk away happy and I don’t want anyone causing trouble on my behalf, especially not to people I still have a lot of care and respect for.”
This definitely sounds like Sony wanted them out and Arrowhead wanted them to stay.
He is a bit dickish before the debacle but I also appreciate him jumping on the grenade for telling people to leave bad reviews and refunding.
It makes sense. I respect the hell out of the guy for being honest and true of his morals and standing by his community, but I’m sure he knew what he could get into by doing that, and he took the shot anyway. I hope he’s just been shuffled around elsewhere and still has a job.
Looks like someone setup a petition for Spitz to get rehired. https://www.change.org/p/re-hire-the-legendary-community-manager-general-spitz
Seems like his job was to “manage” the community in the control sense.
Why else would large companies pay for such positions? It’s a marketing role.
Right, but cynics like ourselves need to jump on the proof that we were right to spread our jadedness to the masses.
Even if I side with the community on the turnout, I feel like a community manager’s job is to represent the company’s interests to some degree. Kind of like a defense lawyer.
They shouldn’t go as far as lying to people or making bad promises, which can make it a tough job, but they definitely shouldn’t be siding with the players against the company, or the internal employees are catching flak from both sides.
I feel like a community manager’s job is to represent the company’s interests to some degree.
I mean, I think he was. All he did was show the community how to communicate their feelings to Sony. He tried to save them from themselves.
