The plan!

[FaustWolf]

So it'll be like, "3-2-1! News Update!" and then all the SE fansites will have a similar outreach message to Square Enix on their front pages? I really dig that idea.

Since it would be a synchronized effort, I'm wondering if any game news sites would become interested in running a blurb on it? Sounds like it might make a nice feel-good, grassroots effort story to me.

[The Dreaded Paw]

If we are doing this idea, we're going to need a lot more sites to join the cause. I do really like the idea, though.
Have we tried FFwiki? I'd also suggest FF compendium, but I think they're gone. I don't really know many places since I tend to find a community I like and stick with it.
Though not SE-specific, there's also andriasang, Creative Uncut, and other such places.

Also I was thinking about N4G. It's a good way to advertise, but I also would like to avoid centers of mass stupidity like that.

[The Twilight Mexican]

Sounds like a good plan, but, yeah, it might need a few more sites to contribute to the effort.

[X-SOLDIER]

FaustWolf wrote:

So it'll be like, "3-2-1! News Update!" and then all the SE fansites will have a similar outreach message to Square Enix on their front pages? I really dig that idea.

Since it would be a synchronized effort, I'm wondering if any game news sites would become interested in running a blurb on it? Sounds like it might make a nice feel-good, grassroots effort story to me.

The Dreaded Paw wrote:

If we are doing this idea, we're going to need a lot more sites to join the cause. I do really like the idea, though.

That's precisely what I was going for, but I agree that we'll need some more places on board. Once we get enough sites, we'll set a day/time, and all have a news update, because that'll generate more positive news, and word through the internet travels fast, especially when it'll be popping up almost everywhere.

The Dreaded Paw wrote:

Have we tried FFwiki? I'd also suggest FF compendium, but I think they're gone. I don't really know many places since I tend to find a community I like and stick with it.
Though not SE-specific, there's also andriasang, Creative Uncut, and other such places.

Also I was thinking about N4G. It's a good way to advertise, but I also would like to avoid centers of mass stupidity like that.

I haven't yet. Does anyone have existing connections at any of those places? I'm more than happy to reach out, but if anyone has existing connections, I'd rather utilize those first. If not, I'll see about setting up connections. If you wouldn't mind just compiling some links for me, so I can go through, register accounts, and reach out, it'd be greatly appreciated, and then I can update them into the first post as they're made available, and respond.


X

[Cthulhu]

Doesn't anyone think it might be better to centralize this effort, and have all the sites sign it and report on it? That way, once it's out, other sites that do not directly contribute to it can do a news report on it, linking to the 'central' letter, and people / sites that want to sign it can err. sign it. Or show their support, you know, without going 'OMG WHERE DO I GO?'

Just a thought, off course.

[GlitterBerri]

X-SOLDIER wrote:

Letter to Brian Ashcraft

If he replies, it might be worth noting that we're capable of multilingual communication in case he thinks we're asking him to be our Japanese-English conduit. Square might also be more inclined to release statements to us if they don't need to hire a whole new person or divert an existing translator to the task of trying to deal with our feedback and requests.

By the way, do we have any names of Japanese Square employees with known webpages or Twitter accounts or other means of contact? I'd be happy to try sending a message to them in the hopes that one of them will take interest or forward our plight to the higher-ups.

[X-SOLDIER]

Cthulhu wrote:

Doesn't anyone think it might be better to centralize this effort, and have all the sites sign it and report on it? That way, once it's out, other sites that do not directly contribute to it can do a news report on it, linking to the 'central' letter, and people / sites that want to sign it can err. sign it. Or show their support, you know, without going 'OMG WHERE DO I GO?'

Just a thought, off course.

Also a well-made point. Opinions anyone? More specifically the other site admins.

GlitterBerri wrote:

If he replies, it might be worth noting that we're capable of multilingual communication in case he thinks we're asking him to be our Japanese-English conduit. Square might also be more inclined to release statements to us if they don't need to hire a whole new person or divert an existing translator to the task of trying to deal with our feedback and requests.

By the way, do we have any names of Japanese Square employees with known webpages or Twitter accounts or other means of contact? I'd be happy to try sending a message to them in the hopes that one of them will take interest or forward our plight to the higher-ups.

Will do.

Also - I don't know any, but this is a REALLY good idea. Does anyone else know of any? I might be able to look around for some if not, though I'm not sure of the best place to start.

I was chatting with my admin buddy on SCLegacy, and he says that life gets a lot easier if you manage to contact someone from within the company, even if it's a loose connection, it'll expedite the process significantly (at least, that's what they experienced with Blizzard).


X

[The Twilight Mexican]

X-SOLDIER wrote:

Does anyone have existing connections at any of those places?

DrakeClawfang does with the FF Wiki.

[Strangelove]

GlitterBerri wrote:

By the way, do we have any names of Japanese Square employees with known webpages or Twitter accounts or other means of contact? I'd be happy to try sending a message to them in the hopes that one of them will take interest or forward our plight to the higher-ups.

I think Shinji Hashimoto is behind the SE Members' Twitter account (http://twitter.com/#!/SQEX_MEMBERS_JP).

Takashi Tokita also has a Twitter account:
http://twitter.com/#!/Takashi_Tokita

The 3rd Birthday Twitter account often has messages from Hajime Tabata and Tetsuya Nomura, and they've used it to communicate with (Japanese) fans in the past, I believe:
http://twitter.com/#!/3rd_birthday

And perhaps the best of all (in terms of higher-up-ness, anyway), Youichi Wada himself:
http://twitter.com/#!/yoichiw

[GlitterBerri]

Perfect. I'll see what I can draft up later today. Does anyone have recommendations for what they'd like to say?

[X-SOLDIER]

It depends, wouldn't the Twitter contacts be limited to a specific character limit? (I have one, but I've essentially never used it, so i'm blissfully unaware of how this'd work). I can try to think of some ideas if I've got the context to work within, especially since I tend to be VERY tr;dr.


X

[Strangelove]

140 characters, yeah. If the message to them was translated into Japanese you might be able to say a bit more, or you could direct them to a page elsewhere without the limit?

[X-SOLDIER]

Otacon wrote:

140 characters, yeah. If the message to them was translated into Japanese you might be able to say a bit more, or you could direct them to a page elsewhere without the limit?

With that in mind, should we create a page on TLS that's not accessible anywhere aside from a direct link that's got a full summary of our intentions at length, along with the sites involved, and contact data (both in Japanese & English)? Then just provide them with a short summary & a tiny link to said page?


X

[The Twilight Mexican]

Sounds like the way to go, if you ask me. Maybe a message like "Please read this request from your overseas fans" along with the link. Like hito said, written in Japanese, you'll get more mileage out of your character limit, and could probably fit both that message and the url in.

[Cthulhu]

Or set up a trap and go 'HOT XXX PIX OF EURO BOYS <shortened url to tls>', .