This post has not been edited by the GamesBeat staff. Opinions by GamesBeat community writers do not necessarily reflect those of the staff.
Editor's note: This is my last of many editor's notes on an Andrew Hiscock post. But neither of us is going anywhere — he's just joining us as our community manager! Whew. Read on after the jump for his community-managing manifesto, which turns out to be far more agreeable than the average manifesto. -Demian
The imminent arrival of Project Natal and PlayStation Move looms over the coming months, limbs akimbo, twitching, and we've heard your laments and concerns about the motion-control/controller-less future. We could argue all day about the pros and cons of this new control movement (pun intended) — but let's take a moment and celebrate controllers of the past.
All we want you to do is write a short article about a single controller (or element of a controller). You can take any approach you want, but we encourage you to try something different.
What was the historic legacy of a particular controller? Did a design choice lead to the economic success or failure or a console? Which one didn't get its fair shake?
You can take this in a million different ways, and we hope you do! But if you just want to write about how one controller was your favorite, well, I guess that's OK, too. They're all game, from the the very first to the most recent.
Here's exactly what you have to do:
1. Write a short (or long) article about one controller or a single element of controllers. About 200-400 words should do it, but use as much as you need.
2. Include a picture of the controller in all its glory.
3. Tag your article with "Controllers," and any other tags that apply.
4. Submit your article to the Mobfeed by April 14, 2010.
We'll collect the best posts in a front page feature some time after that, and remember: Have fun!
If you want a little direction, I've penned up an example. It's in the Mobfeed, and you can check it out right now.
Oh, hi! I didn't see you there. As this is my first post as Community Manager, let me a take a moment to introduce myself and what I will be doing here at Bitmob.
Some of you will recognize me from the dozens of articles I have submitted. I have been a regular since nearly the beginning and have come to know and love the community. The people who use this site have created something very special. If the Internet is a wretched hive of scum and villainy, Bitmob is an oasis, a breath of fresh air, and a lifeline to game writers who are looking for an audience.
That's why I'm very happy to step in as community manager for Bitmob.
You may recognize the title from other sites you've visited, but my role is going to be slightly different. Most video game sites thrive on staff-created editorial and offer community features as grafted-on functionality. Bitmob was built from the ground up as a marriage of the two: The community and staff create the editorial together.
To that end, I'll put out the call for community frequently (see above), I'm working on a way to organize our vast army of community reviewers, and I've got some more stuff percolating as well.
I won't meddle with the fantastic array of community-driven content that already exists; the creators and contributors to the High Score Challenge, Community Jukebox, Splitscreen, Pixel Revolt, and any others I've missed will remain at the helm of their respective projects. That said, if I can help with my time and resources, let me know.
I am going to keep an open door policy on all matters Bitmob. Nothing is too big or too small. I welcome every single suggestion, question, or comment.
Here are the best ways to stay in touch:
Email: andrew.hiscock@bitmob.com
Twitter: twitter.com/andrewjhiscock