April 6, 2020

Does Kingsisle Favoritism Exist?

Hi there!

Welcome to another blog post! Today, I thought I'd make another blog post about something that has been on my mind, not only over the past few weeks but over the past year. Kingsisle Favoritism. Today, I thought I'd make a post full of my opinions on why it doesn't exist. I was guilty last year of saying it did, but today, I'll be making a blog post to prove 2019 Edward wrong.




So, let's talk about what I said last year. During a rough time, I made various comments about Kingsisle favoritism for certain members of this community. I truly believed, at the time, that Kingsisle, as a company, only accepted feedback & supported a select few members of the community. But, like I said above, I am here to prove myself wrong. So here are a few bullet points as to why I believe I was wrong. Let's get started, shall we?



Game Spoilers - From A Select Few To A Select Many
In 2009/2010, Kingsisle only shared game spoilers on their official pages and every now and then would allow Official Wizard101 Fansites to share spoilers on their websites. While there were YouTubers that shared their game experience and content creation, not one - no matter how well known they were - got the opportunity to share upcoming game content. Today, YouTubers - no matter how well known they are - have been allowed to share awesome upcoming content with the community. Even some who are on record of criticizing the game the more than most, have been allowed to share game spoilers. In terms of game spoilers, it's quite awesome that Kingsisle is widening the opportunity for everyone to have a chance to share their awesome creations.

Contests - Content Creator Support
As of late, trusted content creators have become quite lucky to receive codes from Kingsisle to giveaway to their communities. Just a few years ago, Official Fansites were only allowed to receive codes. Sometimes, certainly not many times, YouTubers were able to host a giveaway from Kingsisle. It's quite nice that Kingsisle gives every content creator a chance to give away a little something to the community. I'm no longer an official fansite, but they've even helped me out on contests as well - even after all of the chaos of 2019. More people have been included to give so many awesome things away, so I give a special THANK YOU to Kingsisle for all of the codes they create for many content creators here in the community.

Feedback - A Few Official Channels to Interaction With The Devs
One last bullet point I really wanted to include in this blog post is about feedback for the game. Since 2009, there has been an improvement that I never thought I would see. I remember thinking how amazing it would be to talk to a Kingsisle employee on Twitter or the game. Now, the devs join in our Twitch Channels, our events, our channels, ask us what we want in the game, etc. This is the great atomic bomb to my comments last year. Kingsisle has improved its relationship with their fanbase, unlike most game companies, do. Before and After this pandemic, Kingsisle employees joined in on the conversation with the community while at home. They could have spent their time elsewhere, but they're still here dealing with dramatic people. The interaction is massive with anyone and everyone - content creator or not. So with that, I want to give a MAJOR thank you to Kingsisle for their hard work. The majority of your fanbase appreciates what you do for us and we hope your company continues to thrive. So to answer the question. Yes, it does. They favor all of us. (Had to edit the post to include that - hehe).


April 5, 2020

Monolithic Thought: Why We Should Disapprove

Hello there,

Over the past several days, there has been a lot of talk in the community about the upcoming pet updates. Two of these being: how expensive it is to hatch with another pet and the time it takes for a pet to hatch. There are many that disagree with this, but there are also those that agree. With that, I thought I'd make a blog post - one of many somewhat "controversial" posts to come - about monolithic thinking & my opinions (which you may or may not agree with - that's okay).





Agreeing with Kingsisle
Kingsisle has released many updates for Wizard101 in its near 12-year span. There are many great things about the game - which is why we're all still here, to begin with. I know that I support things that Kingsisle does that I know some, or in some cases, many, don't agree with. One of the things that I really do like is the option to run around with your pet. While some might think it's useless, I think it's a very cute feature. Another thing I absolutely love is the graphic updates for the spells. Now, I know we can all agree that it's amazing that these spells are finally getting a graphic update. I look forward to seeing all of the higher tier spells being updated in the future. There are many different things I love about this Spring Update, but let's get on to where I disagree with Kingsisle.



Disagreeing with Kingsisle
While agreeing with Kingsisle on certain things is always nice, it's also appropriate to disagree time-to-time. Many might not believe it, but I actually don't support the price of how much it costs to hatch a pet. I do agree with many when it comes down to new players - since it would be unfair to new players since they're not able to make as much gold when they first start out. I agree with many when it comes down to that. I believe it should be changed back to its original price or if it has to cost more, maybe a little less than it is in the Test Realm now. But in the end, this is the Test Realm and things always change. We can still submit our ideas by clicking on the Bug which is only available on the Test Realm - not Twitter.



A Common Purpose
Overall, agreeing and disagreeing with Kingsisle helps Kingsisle improve the game. At the same time, the community would be able to agree to disagree while also making the game the best that it can be. There are many reasons we should follow this path instead of thinking in a monolithic way. If someone agrees with Kingsisle 24/7, Kingsisle won't see what they're doing wrong & will be destined to repeat these same mistakes. If someone disagrees with Kingsisle 24/7, they won't see the good things that they are implementing for the community and the player base as a whole. At the end of the day, everyone should be allowed their thoughts without being bombarded with how wrong they are (unless they're being disrespectful to individuals - which is an exception). We should also respect those who are still working during these crazy times to make this game the best it can be for the public. At the end of the day, everyone can make this game and community a great place to be. Monolithic Thinking usually only divides the community (even those who may agree with you, but don't agree with your disrespect). Let's follow this common path together. Be respectful and don't think monolithically. Try to understand why those agree or disagree with you. And remember... this is a video game, not real life. Anyway, that's all I have to say. Thank you all for reading. Until next time, I'll see you around the spiral.




April 1, 2020

It's No April Fools Joke

Hello Wizards!

I hope you're having a wonderful start of your April. To start off, I just want to remind you to keep practicing social distancing, washing your hands, and covering your mouth when you cough. Remind your friends of this as we continue through the month of April. So, let's talk about something. Today is April Fool's Day and while I had a joke planned late last year, I decided not to participate in it. Today, I want to talk about something that's not a joke.. The Massive Comeback of SpiralVision and this blog.



Over the past few weeks, I've been thinking about this website and our Twitch Channel, SpiralVision. In early January, I announced that I have decided to focus more on my personal life instead of as much attention on the games. During this 3 month break from events and blogging, I started thinking about the community and the direction it is going. I don't believe I can ever change the community on my own. I also don't believe it's my time to leave the community. While I won't be here a century and a half, I would like to provide more to the community, especially during these crazy times.



I haven't totally been away from the community - as some of you may see, I still tweet and I also participate in group questing every Sunday with an amazing group of friends (everyone is more than welcome to join us). SpiralVision has also been on my mind. I announced a few days ago that I wanted to host a Santa Run, but, I decided I wanted to host a different kind of event (and host the Santa Run in December as we usually do). We will soon be hosting an event called The Wizard Run. We are going to put a lot of work into this event for the community - so do keep an eye out for more information here on Around The Spiral and on social media. You won't want to miss it!



Overall, I just wanted to make this post to let you know that I'm not giving up and I will be back to do my part, along with many other great people here, to make the community the best place to be for all. I'd love to improve upon my time here by recognizing the mistakes I've made and not repeat them. I'd also like to focus on the positive parts of the community and promote it through our events and this website. There are many things to look forward to this year and I hope you join me to make them happen. Let's make this community as inclusive as it can be! Thank you all for reading. Until next time, I'll see you around the spiral.