Podcasts Business Community Signal Creator Tools Drive Community Interest and Revenue for Old Call of Duty Games

Creator Tools Drive Community Interest and Revenue for Old Call of Duty Games

Published: April 19, 2021, 9:30 a.m.

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The\\xa0Zombies\\xa0game mode within the popular\\xa0Call of Duty\\xa0video game franchise has created a massive community of fans and players who not only play and connect with the developers, but with each other as they try to discover every aspect of each piece of content released for the game.

In two versions of the game, they are even able to create their own content that can be played and shared online with other players. This ability to co-create and remix is the focus of this episode, as it leads to the game being more valuable to all parties, from the game publisher that owns the franchise to the player who plays alone.\\xa0

But you don\\u2019t need to be a fan of\\xa0Call of Duty: Zombies\\xa0or even video games in general to take community learnings from this conversation.

MrRoflWaffles\\xa0is a YouTuber and streamer that has grown his channel to over 1.7 million subscribers and 400 million views. His audience comes to his channel to partake in all things\\xa0Call of Duty: Zombies\\xa0\\u2013\\u2013 whether it\\u2019s the latest news from Activision or deep dives on Easter eggs. In talking with Patrick, MrRoflWaffles explains how mod tools, which allow you to create new content for the game, and Easter eggs keep\\xa0Zombies\\xa0fresh, interesting, and challenging to both expert players and folks that are new to the game.

He also shares his \\u201chungry player theory\\u201d \\u2013\\u2013 a theory that even as game studios release more content for their games, players are always hungry for more. And while it\\u2019s not possible for game studios to constantly release new content, mod tools put the power of game creation directly in the hands of the community.

What tools and tailored experiences can you offer to your community members?

MrRoflWaffles and Patrick discuss:

  • Extending the play life of your game and your community by giving your members tools to create
  • The importance of communicating through game dev challenges
  • How mod tools can alleviate pressure from game studios and developers

Our Podcast is Made Possible By\\u2026

If you enjoy our show, please know that it\\u2019s only possible with the generous support of our sponsor:\\xa0Vanilla, a one-stop shop for online community.

Big Quotes

How mod tools have created an endless\\xa0Zombies\\xa0experience (10:52):\\xa0\\u201cI\\u2019m very close with a number of developers that have made [Zombies] maps or contributed to making maps over the years. Some of the things they have been able to create are so unbelievably unique. It means that a player today can think they know the bounds of what\\u2019s possible in\\xa0Zombies\\xa0and then they can dip into the customs community a bit and their minds will be totally blown because it doesn\\u2019t even feel like [Call of Duty] anymore.\\u201d \\u2013@MrRoflWaffles

A game with custom content never gets stale (16:33):\\xa0\\u201cAs a [content] creator, [the mods community] fills a gap in a really powerful way that just makes my life easier because things are more dynamic and more fresh. They don\\u2019t get so stale so quickly with [the ability to create] customs.\\u201d \\u2013@MrRoflWaffles

Custom content provides breathing room for game studios and a creative outlet for community members (19:32):\\xa0\\u201cGames take a long time to develop and updates take time to develop. The devs cannot keep pace with the appetite of the people playing the games these days. They just cannot do it. Having an extra pool of [custom content] to dip into at any time is incredible from a creator perspective and from a fan perspective, too.\\u201d \\u2013@MrRoflWaffles

Custom maps provide an experience for every level of Zombie\\xa0player (26:17):\\xa0\\u201cTreyarch is making [the official\\xa0Call of Duty: Zombies] maps for everyone. Whereas the custom map maker, they can decide [to] target the top 1% of players, the most hardcore Easter egg experience possible, and then deliver, [which means] that community is spoken to and has the experience they want. Or, they could make them with no Easter eggs if they see fit. Then the more casual fans can jump in as well.\\u201d \\u2013@MrRoflWaffles

\\u201cHungry player theory\\u201d and gamers\\u2019 needs for more content (30:13):\\xa0\\u201c[Explaining the hungry player theory]: I think people just get hungrier and hungrier and each new map satisfies them less and less and less. Even though in the exact moment of its release, it\\u2019s great, you end up with something that then just makes people want more and more and more and more and it spirals out of control a little bit.\\u201d \\u2013@MrRoflWaffles

Open communication is imperative for any community (36:11):\\xa0\\u201c[As a game developer], making sure that you stay involved in the conversation and bring the community with you as you fix [bugs and problems], and you\\u2019re honest about things when they don\\u2019t go so well is, in my opinion, a really big asset for any team that is trying to make a game or build any kind of community with any kind of product.\\u201d \\u2013@MrRoflWaffles

About MrRoflWaffles

MrRoflWaffles, Milo, is a YouTuber and streamer based out of London, UK. He started his current YouTube channel in 2009, while in secondary school, and today has over 1.7 million subscribers and over 400 million lifetime views. MrRoflWaffles is very interested in the wider workings of the creator economy, game development, digital culture, and the intersection of all of the above.

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Your Thoughts

If you have any thoughts on this episode that you\\u2019d like to share, please leave me a comment,\\xa0send me an email\\xa0or a\\xa0tweet. If you enjoy the show, we would be so grateful if you spread the word and supported\\xa0Community Signal on Patreon.

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