It's actually a pretty brilliant move on SOE's part, or the PlanetSide 2 team if it was their call. You are gaining such a multitude of benefits from bringing on an individual like this into the team. If you look only at the surface gain, notably the individual's eSports history, you are missing the bigger picture that is starting to form with these hiring decisions. So, here's what I'm starting to hypothesize based on these hirings...
Gain #1: eSports & Community Background
The surface gain with this hire is you get Whisenhunt's background in eSports. The initial groans of "PlanetSide 2 isn't an eSports title" is merited; PlanetSide 2 just isn't the sort of game that caters to an eSports type of game. The large scale battles make PlanetSide 2 what it is, and minimizing the scale into eSports sized teams may not be feasible. While it is a potential outcome, I don't see it as a likely scenario. However, when you take an individual like Whisenhunt and look at his resume... well, you see someone who has an intimate knowledge of FPS gaming and team synergy.
His background in FPS gaming means you gain an outside consultant who can analyze PlanetSide 2's gameplay from a competitive perspective. His analysis will likely be invaluable to building a game that can deliver a solid product that is friendly to the massive community that this game appeals to, as well as facilitate the creation of in depth mechanics necessary to create a high skill ceiling. Both of these are features you see in many successful titles in today's market; League of Legends, StarCraft 2, Counter-Strike... all of these games are accessible at a general level, but they also provide such complex features that the game's skill ceiling is infinitely expanding.
On top of this, you have someone who is knowledgeable when it comes to communities and team dynamics. Take a look at this quote from
his about page...
|
Our second show that will premier soon is going to cover how to become an in-game leader, taking on a very challenging roll of the strategic mind behind a team of motivated (and sometimes overly ADD) group of gamers.
|
He's essentially working on a show that will help build strong, lasting communities. If these successful outfit communities are built within PlanetSide 2, you will have a healthy player base that is invested in your game. You essentially have someone facilitating the creation of lasting outfits, which in turn creates a stable player base for the team to monetize.
Gain #2: Casting Experience
If Whisenhunt has been doing casting and play-by-play for years, you have someone who is a very confident speaker. Being this sort of caster also requires intimate knowledge of a game, and the ability to break it down into simple terms for an audience. This is a talent not many individuals possess, and it's a very valuable skill for a company looking to appeal to a broad audience.
But wait a minute... didn't SOE just hire another caster? TotalBiscuit.
Think about the possibilities here. You have someone like TotalBiscuit who has an extremely wide appeal for a variety of reasons. He has a very likable personality, which is evidenced by his massive YouTube following and hugely popular streams. TotalBiscuit is also very easy to listen to; he asks the right questions that gamers want to know, he has a great casting voice, and is very in touch with the gaming community at large. Plus, we've seen he is flexible about who he works with. Remember at E3? He was able to cast with PurrfectStorm and Arclegger, and had great synergy with both of them.
Think about the casting duo SOE has just created. Boom, explosions, excitement, oh man I just got super excited.
You have TotalBiscuit as your "every man" of sorts. He's your play-by-play caster who is calling all of the big action and asking Whisenhunt about the more complex mechanics in action. You also have TB steering the conversation towards relevant topics, and creating an accessible experience for new viewers. You then have Whisenhunt acting as your color commentator; he's the one breaking the fights down after the fact and talking about what just happened at a deeper level of analysis, as well as pointing out the right and wrong plays. Whisenhunt is able to create an in-depth analysis for experienced players, while TotalBiscuit breaks it down into simple terms.
You just created an all-star casting team who can truly showcase the brilliance and beauty of a game like PlanetSide 2. Are you excited? You damn well should be, because that's going to be the most exciting web cast you will ever watch in your lifetime.
Gain #3: Exposure
So now you need to get PlanetSide 2's name out there. Whisenhunt is able to lend competitive credibility to a game like PlanetSide 2 with his extensive background in the competitive FPS scene. He is also able to help the game reach a mechanical level that is necessary to build longevity and high skill ceilings. This is giving your game an inherent appeal and level of exposure you would not gain without someone like Whisenhunt. PlanetSide 2 can now boast that they are trying to build a game that is able to appeal to a very large base of players, but it also has the tools there for sophisticated, competitive-level players to dig their hands into.
Essentially, this is giving PlanetSide 2 credibility as a game that isn't about zerg fights.
Excited Yet?
Yeah, this is a massively awesome addition to the team, and everyone should be super happy to hear about something like this. I think at this point you can assume there will be regular casting events where you have two expert commentators breaking down the major fights in the game, and showcasing the best players this game has to offer. You will have the ability to potentially be an internet star, with TotalBiscuit and Whisenhunt on a stream watched by thousands of people talking about how awesome your outfit is.
You also have someone's personal expertise with FPS games critiquing game mechanics. He's essentially going to help create a game that's going to not be about luck, or who has more players, or some other random element of the game screwing you over. He obviously has the background necessary to help create a game that, while it may not be an eSport, will have the mechanics familiar to competitive players.
Or, I could be completely full of crap and off base. I hope I'm not, as I think there's a lot of awesome things they could do with Whisenhunt. Either way, it's a cool hire.
EDIT: Well Higby replied while I was writing, curses. So apparently I was only partially right. Oh well!