I think of myself as a butterfly. Not only because I am extremely elegant and have bright colours that astonish everybody, but mainly because I never stay in one place for long. I fly around with a clear goal – live my life in the best way possible – just like butterflies go from flower to flower to live their lives in the best way… If I review my life so far, I see that I have done many things (completed few) and that a long engagement was fairly uncommon. True, I have worked in the same place for the last 4 years but then again: my job consists of change on a daily basis. Repetition didn’t happen often and every day posed new threats, challenges and opportunities.
My engagement with Powersoccer has however put a series of question marks behind the “butterfly thesis”. Today I celebrate my second year as a member of the Powersoccer community. If all goes well – and I don’t see why not – I will celebrate my second anniversary as Master Assistant of this game March 1 2010. Am I turning into a bee? How else can we interpret the fact that for the past two years I have been returning to the Powersoccer colony? How else can we interpret the fact that I spent time, energy and above all brain cells to make the community stronger? Isn’t that the behaviour of a honey bee who flies out to collect nectar in order to produce honey at home, in the colony?

I guess it is. Then again, I don’t regret being turned into a honeybee. Those are social creatures who live and die in a friendly and communal society. I guess it explains why I am hooked. It also explains why I am willing to buy tokens to gear up my players, to hire coaches and to go wild on a hairstyle or a good-looking cleat. Powersoccer has brought me more than “fast fun”. I haven’t walked the path from excitement to boredom. I have invested time and energy and I have been given much more in return: friends, unforeseen experiences, laughter and above all the feeling that I am part of something special, a fabulous online community.

As most of the readers of this blog probably already know, I am a 100 % Forumite. I never enter a gameroom on this account. In fact, I even am not allowed to enter a gameroom according to my religion (of which I am obviously the High Priest – interested people can contact me in the game). If the gamerooms were to be scrapped, I wouldn’t leave my sleep over it. I can challenge everybody I want to challenge and I can play cups without really entering a gameroom.
The forum is my home and my love. I just love to browse through its many daily posts and reply to some threads I find interesting. I am always happily surprised to see that people take time to actually sit down and write a proper text of 200 + words. And I am even more “walking on clouds” as I see it happens more and more often! The forum of Powersoccer is booming. The number of daily threads and daily posts equally borrowed those Seven-League Boots I mentioned yesterday. I have seen a whole bunch of young, fresh and inspired people entering the forum and started to post. Earlier this week, Powdersnow – on request of the Forum admins of the game – decided to expand the forum section of some of the existing languages (Dutch, Turkish, Polish, Spanish, Portuguese) and to create a new forum for Romanians. The forum seems to be the newest place in town everybody seems to check out. Let’s hope it can develop into one of the bars you simply had to have your beer when you are in town.

Not only is the number of posts increasing, there has been a new trend discernible too. People actually start to understand the community-feeling and living up to it. In a previous blog post, I noticed that a strong forum creates a community and a sense of belonging. You don’t cheat on your peers, you don’t offend your brothers and sisters. This seems to be happening as we speak. The post of one person, timcahill7, led to an avalanche of replies by various persons. What did timcahill7 exactly say?

“Hey guys,

Today is the day I make a public apology. Today is the day that I say sorry for all my PS mistakes, bans and lies .
So lets start off. To all of PS, i am sorry for my mistakes that I have made. I am sorry for my bans and lies. From now on you will see a big change in me, i will not do this stuff.

There is one person I would like to make a big apology to. And that person is sipwell. There is one reason why I would like to apologize to him. And that reason is I’m sorry for sending in all those FA apps, the reason I am sorry about that is i am under age, I am 14, not 19. So i am sorry about that. Can you forgive me?

I am sorry to the rest of PS if I have done anything to you. I am sorry for every single bad thing I have done. There is going to be a new timcahill7 around today.
Thank you, and goodbye.

Tim”

At least 5 other “bad seeds” in this game apologized for past behaviour. Some offered their public apologies to users they offended, to people they lied to or for their overall bad behaviour. Isn’t that superb? Isn’t that proof that the Powersoccer community works? Ah, posts like that simply make my day. They make my functioning in Powersoccer - voluntarily apart from the Swedish meatballs sent over by Powdersnow every week - worthwile. Make the community work, the game blossom in order to secure the income of some friends over in Sweden and increase the quality of the game even more. It is a circle I gladly step in.

And to end with a message to all the people still unsure about what to do: “Every violation of truth is not only a sort of suicide in the liar, but is a stab at the health of human society.” (Ralph Emerson). Powersoccer is a society too. Don’t deceive it.

Sometimes I wonder what I like most about Powersoccer. Theoretically you would have to like the game itself most, because that was the reason why you initially started playing and which made you go all the way to level 99 in a period when that was still exceptional.
The more I think about it, the more I am convinced that what I like most about Powersoccer is its exceptional community. Although crew members are deciding more and more (so it seems) to put the community central – and not the game in itself – it seems that this decision followed rather than preceded a community.
What would happen if you would take community building elements (the clan zone, the fan zone, the personalized player items, …) out of the game? Probably just a lot of mumbling in the forum. The community would continue to live, thrive and make this game the best online game you can find on the wider web. It is interesting to see that this game has so many intriguing tentacles:
- a reporter team collecting information and posting them in on a specially designed website;
- a public forum where, next to the questions concerning gameplay, especially community matters are discussed (user A is sick and won’t be logging in for a couple of days, user B his granny died and looks for support, user C got to level 99, user D faced an unfriendly user, user E her rates dropped in school and her parents are blocking this game, user F …);
- many external for a and discussion platforms (the Marx Brothers clan blog being one of them);
- a Powersoccer “youtube” community where all the highlights, matches with comment and tricks are collected

… and many more…

Talking to a lot of users have learned me one thing: people stay in the game because they like the community, because they like the wide variety of people to engage with. People talk about this game on other platforms, talk about the thrilling community there… A while ago I noticed many low levels directly participating (in a very qualitative way) in ongoing community development discussions in the forum. Intrigued by who they were and how they got here, I talked to some. It turned out that they read somewhere on the world wide web that the community of Powersoccer is amazing: you get easy access and you are fairly quickly part of a small and wide group. They wanted to check it out, played some games (enjoyed them!) and noticed that those “unpaid marketeers” were right. They decided to stay…

Why am I writing all this? Generally I am bored with analyses on soccer games or on futile details with regards to practical matters… In the wide variety of community output, I found this brilliant article.

I smiled (again) and it suddenly became even more clear: Powersoccer is an all-in package. You get excitement, action, humour and friendship… all for free. Now that’s what I call a killer game! I hope I will get to be very old to see the uphill evolution this game will make.

Yesterday a major update was launched, another step towards perfection was set. The gameplay was basically reset and all of the trodden paths are now out of order. Again. How spectacular is that? Not only do we get a new look of the game (with an active audience in the back of your game, a pitch greener than the greenest pitch imaginable and new ball reception moves by the players) but also a completely new game. Powersoccer as we knew it is no more, welcome Powersoccer 2009. You have to reinvent your game style, the tactics you follow and the passing schemes you with an eye for detail developed.
I have been witnessing many updates in my powersoccer career and each and every time I had to restart. As all players. Yesterday, late in the evening, I played a game against the former number 4 in the world – he was, just a week ago – and he really had to struggle to defeat me and in the end did not succeed: we drew 2-2. We were like two schoolboys on the brink of doing something completely new (what that is, I will leave open for your imagination): both uncertain and both very eager. This is what powersoccer is all about: new challenges!

For me personally, the most important element of the update is the fact that “my” precious forum moved up a rank, from a meagre tab within a tab to tab of its own. The forum no longer is hidden away – as probably a dangerous place to enter – and is no longer out of sight: you simply cannot miss it.
O joy! Out of sheer happiness, I opened up a bottle of Italian wine of the exceptional year 1997. I also took out one of my best Montechristo sigars – market prize 22 euro – and sat back, gazing at the screen for more than half an hour… thinking: “The forum has its own tab. The forum has its own tab. The forum has its own tab. The forum has its own tab.”

This has nothing to do with the fact that I am Forum Master Assistant – and has been one for as long as I can remember – or that I am a top poster (silently approaching 10000 posts in the forum). It has to do with the importance for Powersoccer as a forum can develop a sense of belonging, a sense of community.
Entering the forum, replying to messages, engaging in the community all develop a sense of common identity. You form part of a group; you share some feelings/ideas/… People who are part of a group tend not to betray their group, either out of peer pressure – the community expects you to behave well – either out of a sort of honour – you uphold the values of your community. In every case you can say that sharing a common history – a fun action in the forum, like the daily quizzes or a crazy Marx Brother activity for example – leads to a shared future and a shared belonging. Why would I cheat on my brother? Why should I cheat on my friend? This or that user – even if I don’t know him personally – is part of the community I belong to too. Even in confrontations with the minority of bad seeds of this game – cheaters, offensive players who are swearing, insulting… - their reaction will be moderate: they will send a report to our email address or inform the nearest admin about what happened. No need to retaliate, no need to start swearing. Being part of a community also makes you responsible for the good functioning of that community. Standing outside that community makes you individualistic and selfish: an eye for an eye. If he swears, I swear back. If he cheats, I cheat back.

By giving the Forum such a prominent place on its website, the developers and owners of this game have shown to completely follow that logic. The forum was already there. The forum was already booming. The forum was already creating a sense of community. Now it can shift to sixth gear… and that makes me unbelievably happy.

It seems I have become part of the establishment. I woke up this morning, too early I might add, and discovered I had a key to the Magical Powerchallenge Development Blog. It found it on my doorstep, in a brown paper wrap with golden print and all the logos this company has. I opened the package and there was, written on parchment with a goose feather pen: “Dear Sipwell. Thou art the Chosen One. With thee Magical Key thy shall open the Gate to extensive blogging on the community development of Powersoccer.” The key was out of pure Gold and was massive and had a ball and a racing car as imprints! The trick however was to find which door to open…
Our good friends over in Sweden – and elsewhere in the world so I’ve heard – may be bursting in traditions, they are and will remain Gamers for the rest of their lives. And in how many games do you actually get a key AND a door where it fits directly? None. You have to look for the door. That is the eternal quest (and in some games even the only goal). In some games you have to slaughter ten dragons first – and a Superdragon at the end who can both spit fire and dance the lambada to make you die of laughter, a cunning tactic – and in other games the door is on a hidden place, one you only find by sitting in front of your screen for weeks in a row, giving up and starting to browse the internet or ask colleague gamers. So I had to look for the door as well…
It seems I found it. I won’t tell you about that endeavour, about the cold and near-starvation I went through. I only can inform that, if you manage to survive that challenge, you really are part of an elite. You really are cunning, intelligent, clear thinking and MacGyverish. As I rejoined all the crew members at the end place, it means we have a spectacular crew creating brilliant games, as they survived this ordeal long before me!! How great is that?
On a sidenote – and as I have went through the same struggles you did, dearest crew: we do want to see some more MacGyver in Powersoccer! I know you can do it, as you have proven it on your long journey towards the Magical Kingdom of Powerchallengia. Wouldn’t it be awfully cool if, when the ball was almost in the goal, the game paused and we got a puzzle: “stop the ball with a) two electrical wires, b) a funnel, c) a 2 volt battery and d) some Swedish pie. You get one minute.” Then another Power Challenge starts… Think about it!

Anyways, for those short in time and unwilling to descend in my somewhat absurd yet quite amusing world, here is the short, dry, accountant-like version: thank you Powerchallenge for the opportunity to blog. I really appreciate what you guys are doing with the games: they have evolved spectacularly over the last 2 years (when I was playing). The Community knows you are a great team and is looking forward to yet another level of fun you always seem to be able to bring to us.

Dear old Sipwell answered my prayers and tried out Superstar Racing. He pretty much sums it up as “crappy” with graphics bringing him back to the 90’s.

I’ve been in the nineties. I don’t want my games to be the same like then, the nineties are over… we look at the future. The screenshots of PR give me the future.

Well people, there you have it. Seriously though, I agree. I’m not impressed either by gameplay or graphics - or even their somewhat acclaimed “socializing” community part. I just wanna scream “get out of my face!” to those running around the paddock, getting in my way, standing to close. Invasive!

Anyhow, besides ripping that not so great game to pieces he also sent me a picture that proves, once again, the almightyness of my being… I’m not just a mum - I’m also a bot.

And have a great weekend everyone. See you on Monday!

/ Linda

It struck me, looking through the Power Soccer forum like I always do a couple of times a day. Found a thread started by Powdersnow called “Presentation thread” where he encouraged everyone to write about themselves, age, occupation, favourite food and tv-series and colour, name and whatever else that anyone might want to know.

And I started reading through the answers, page up and down with people gathering, communicating. There was a 10 year old from Hong Kong, someone named George from Greece, Sipwell of course, a 12 year old from Tirana and hundreds of others. Seven pages, 340 replies. Everyone so eager to share, to get the chance to learn more about the friends and co-players of PS.

I got to think about my son Lewis and how he, the other day, with great pride in his voice shouted that his post was “post of the day” on his favourite forum. Needless to say he’s an active member and this forum is like the centre of his universe. “Everyone will read this! It’s the top post!”

The topic of the thread itself might not be that important, but the look on his face, his self esteem boost… not to mention his improved social skills and English vocabulary… that matters a lot.

Imagine that. Being able to write something you care about and innumerous people around the entire world will be able to read it within seconds. Everywhere. Suddenly it doesn’t matter where you live, how old you are, what you look like, how fast you run 100 meters, if you bother to cut your hair or not, what sneakers you wear…

That was when it struck me. Internet sometimes has the ability to make real life matter less.

In a good way. You can be whoever you want to be.

It lets you find friends who share your interests. It lets you be the person you really are. It patiently waits until you got the time. If you’re shy no one will see you blushing. If you want to write you write - and get published! If you like flamingos you’ll find others just like you and you can start a flamingo club.

To me that’s what online gaming and communities are really about. Friendship. Communication. Mutual understanding and support. Finding friends no matter what happens in school, at work or at home.

So besides all the great lol cat pictures and cookie dough recipes, there are other ways in which the internet is fundamentally cool.

Making people grow. Making the friendless socialise. Letting the quiet speak up. Allowing the wannabe to BE.

God save the internet.

…and granted you three or five or innumerous requests, features, brought to life in our upcoming racing game - what would they be?

Are there any fundamental parts that we can not afford to miss? What do you look forward to the most? And what super-cool options do you want to find in the game?

Stuff to do with, for instance,

the cars, the tracks, the modification, the individuality, the fun-factor, the reliability, the game modes, the cooperation, the community, the creativity, the handling, the speed, the predictability, the unexpected, the network, the rules, the economics, the environments…anything. Everything.

What is most important to YOU?

// cheerful greetings from your friendly spirit 

In less than an hour I’ve received nine medals and tried out ten different tracks. So far so good. But the process of getting to the starting line was far from simple. Let me put it like this. My mum couldn’t have downloaded and installed this game. Probably not even my sister, who’s not an entirely idiotic person when it comes to sort-of-techy stuff. Then again, maybe my family isn’t exactly the TrackMania prime target group?

Ok, so using STEAM is not the end of the world. But it’s not common knowledge either. And ok, there was probably another, much easier way, to get hold of TrackMania then the STEAm one… but if so, it’s very well hidden.

It’s not just about the actual gaming experience, the race itself. It’s also about the accessibility.

Still, they’ve definetely done a few things right.

• the tracks are rather short - this in combination with smooth restart/respawn functionality gives you the strength to actually bother trying to improve again and again without wanting to strangle yourself out of boredom
• instant replays after every race (not so funny every time, but they’re easy to escape. litterally.)
• extremely easy-to-grasp-and-use controls
• easy-to-understand menu system
• instant feedback/ratification - “New Personal Record” in a popup window after pretty much each race (this could also, on the contrary, be very annoying for a non newbie who is confident in him/herself)
• very quick loading of tracks

On the downside of things…

• graphics are “dead” - no real feeling in the environment
• extremely complicated, non intuitive, download and installation process
• no obvious social context or community activity next to the game  (ok, so I played single player races… but still - the game didn’t shout “social activites” or “forum” at me…no sir…)

And after I’ve played this game for more than like… 40 minutes I’m sure I will have much more to say about the depth, the gameplay, the physics, the controls, the game modes, the fps rates, the track designs, the cars, the community functionality etc etc etc forever and ever. Is it realistic enough? Challenging enough? Is it good looking enough? Does it provide me with enough variety? You know, all these things that put together decides if this is game for you, or not.

Will play some more tomorrow. Time to hop out of the office.

// L