GameSpy: Can hardcore gamers ever be harmful to development?

Muzyka: We think there's a definite difference between your garden-variety hardcore gamer and the vocal minority that sometimes erupt online on message boards. You need to be able to tell the difference between the two groups and understand that the people yelling the loudest aren't necessarily the majority of players, nor are they necessarily even an influential hardcore player or early adopter... We should note that a minority of hardcore gamers actually do seek niche-type features that might cause the mainstream gamers to get turned off by complexity or difficulty, and, to be successful in reaching a large audience with their titles, developers definitely need to be aware of this phenomenon and be careful to screen all comments carefully before changing their designs based on those comments from fans.​

No wonder BioWare makes such great games. It's clear that both Zeschuk and Muzyka understand their audience and truly value their opinions. However, they're also good enough at what they do to sort out the good from the bad when it comes to critiques and suggestions. It makes sense that the bond between developers and hardcore gamers is the strongest out of all the other relationships we reviewed. It's also clear that a good developer just wants to make a good game, and that's something every type of gamer can appreciate.​