Battlefield 3's Community Manager Speaks

Just what does it take to be a community manager for a massively popular online game? We asked EA's Ian Tornay -- community maestro for the upcoming Battlefield 3 -- about that very topic. If you've ever wondered what goes into this kind of job, well... read on. Chances are, it's not quite what you expected!

GameSpy: What skills did you need to be hired as the Battlefield 3 community manager?

Ian Tornay, Battlefield 3 Community Manager: Community management isn't what some people think it is. Sure, it'd be cool if my job was to play a game, make buddies and surf a forum all day long while giving out beta codes and t-shirts, but there's more to it than that. A good community manager, especially in the last few years, needs really solid social media chops. You need to know the ins and outs of Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and the general social media ecosystem; which networks are rising, which are falling, what's on the horizon. Having strong written and verbal skills is also a must. It's amazing how a few misplaced words can turn an entire day on its head!

I think that presentation and performance is a big part of community management as well. Oftentimes, it's a community manager's job to interpret information, translate it for a specific audience, and convey it in a way that resonates with that audience. So, whether you're trying to deliver complex technical information via Twitter to an eager userbase or you're trying to explain what "Wookiees r N00bs" means during a weekly marketing meeting, it's about presentation and performance.

You'll spend as much time in Excel and PowerPoint as you will on Twitter, too. Almost every community manager I know is directly tied to a marketing department, where data is king. Having a good head for data analysis and basic statistics is a must.

At the real core of community management, though, is passion and curiosity. You have to love what you're doing, be able to talk about it all day long, then come in the next day and figure out down to the smallest detail what works and what doesn't about what you're saying.

GameSpy: How did you hear about the job, and how did you apply? Was it a lengthy process?

Ian Tornay: When the company I was working for back in November of last year went under, I started looking immediately for my next gig. You have to stay up with the trends in community management or you can fall behind, especially when it comes to the social media aspect. So, initially, I had a conversation with EA about a role on the Command & Conquer team back in December. While that didn't work out, they kept my information on file, and when the Battlefield spot opened up, they contacted me.

From my first contact with the recruiter to my first day of work, it was exactly one month, which is really fast. Between phone calls, flying out for an interview, and packing up to move from Portland to the California Bay Area, it's been a whirlwind -- but I'm loving it.

GameSpy: Were you an active member of the Battlefield community before getting hired? If so, what were you doing in regards to the community?

Ian Tornay: I played a lot of Battlefield 2 and Battlefield: Bad Company 2, but I wasn't as deeply steeped in the community as you might assume. I like to play a lot of games at any given time, so I don't always wrack up to the hundred-hour milestone. For me, getting a diverse experience from a lot of different communities and appreciating different approaches to community is a more valuable experience.

At the same time, though, I do lurk on a lot of community sites and areas. I would get involved in them more often, but the problem I have is that once I start getting involved in something, I get really passionate and want to completely immerse myself for hours at a time. When I'm playing a few games at once, that's not always practical or possible.

That's not to say, though, that I didn't beef back up on my Battlefield chops when I first heard I would be interviewing for the job. I did the same thing for the Command & Conquer opportunity -- It was the Steam holiday sale, and I went on a real-time strategy buying and playing spree. To me, it's equally important that you're able to talk about a genre or publisher/developer's catalog at large, and not just focus on that one title you're working on.

Battlefield 3 Community Manager Ian Tornay -- the man, the myth, the legend.

GameSpy: What do you have to do on a daily basis as the Battlefield 3 community manager?

Ian Tornay: My responsibilities change, depending on what's happening. Some days, I'm trying to figure out what the best way to release new information is; other days, I'm analyzing the community's feedback and trying to find the best way to pass their ideas along while addressing their concerns.

What a lot of people don't know about community management is that it's a 24/7 "on-call" job. That means that if I'm at home sleeping, but a community issue blows up online? Too bad -- time to get up. Are you out with your friends enjoying a drink, and someone decides to hack your Twitter account? Too bad -- time to get to a computer. Luckily, EA has a really good infrastructure, and teams all around the world working around the clock to make this less of an issue than it could be.

Looking forward, I'm getting ready to attend a conference. Hands-down, my favorite part of the job is going to conferences and traveling to meet the people who play our games. I remember looking up to people who worked in the industry and being inspired by conversations I'd had, and I really hope that I can connect with someone in that way.

I've also been an adjustment, working inside a company as big as EA. It's amazing to be able to work on a huge title and to work with so many talented people, but it's also a lot different than working for the startup I was with at my last job. Everyone that I've worked with has been really cool, though, so it's been a pleasure.

GameSpy: Forums are renowned for having a vocal minority comprised of angry douchebags. How do you deal with them without wanting to punch someone?

Ian Tornay: A place where anonymous people go to post permanent things on a whim, where thousands will read it -- what could go wrong? But seriously, I like forums. Some of the best friends I've made in any community, I met through forums. A lot of the more familiar and friendly conversation goes on in places like Internet Relay Chat or instant messaging, but the forums are a really important place to meet people and find new perspectives. I haven't dug too deeply into the EA forums yet, but the interaction I've had so far has been great! Oh, and as a PSA -- if you have a problem and you figure out how to solve it on your own, don't post "NVM -- I fixed it!" Please actually post the solution. The Internet thanks you.

GameSpy: Do you round up reader feedback to give to the developers? If so, what's the process for doing so -- how do you identify key demands amongst all the clutter?

Ian Tornay: Absolutely -- it's a big part of my job. More specifically, I round up information to give to whoever requests it, or keep it ready in case someone asks for it. If you're posting to our Twitter feed, our Facebook wall, or sending us messages, we are getting them and reading them. We can't answer every question right away and we can't bend to every request, but your input matters. Sometimes, it comes down to me sorting through YouTube comments or blogs, looking at what people have said and literally counting out people's opinions. So even if you feel like we're not listening, I'm counting your "vote."

I won't mention specifics, because it would be a total nightmare if it happened every week -- but in my experience, when people really get together to write to us en masse about a specific issue, we notice, and it makes a difference. Maybe you won't get exactly what you're asking for (because it would break the game or you don't know the whole story), but it puts us in a position to work more closely and better with you, which is great for everyone. Another side note: Online petitions can be a great way to organize a cause and rally big numbers, but nothing really has the same effect just writing directly to us. So share your opinions with us and make sure to use things like vowels and proper grammar -- it helps!

GameSpy: If somebody wanted to be the community manager for their favorite game, what advice would you give them?

Ian Tornay: The first thing you need to know about working on a game that you love as a community manager is that you won't spend your time at work playing it. You'll spend your time reading and writing about other people that are playing it. Yes, you will spend some time at work getting paid to play, but it's pretty rare. The best way to get your foot in the door is to start getting involved with the existing community. Participate daily and consistently, almost like it's a part-time job. Help do some of the grunt work for moderators like diffusing arguments or, if you have the official story, direct people who are confused. Volunteer to be a moderator!

The next thing you need to do is get your communication and writing skills up to par, and there's only one way to do that -- practice. Really work on your writing. Learn proper grammar and how to appreciate the subtleties of composition. You're never going to get a gig yelling in l337 speak.

Make connections. Go to conferences like Penny Arcade Expo, and go out of your way to meet other community managers and people who you respect in the industry. Tell them that you're looking for a way in, that you're serious, that you understand it's not about playing games all day, and that you'd really like some guidance. I can't think of anyone I've worked with that wouldn't be really flattered and want to help you.

GameSpy: Anything else you'd like to add?

Ian Tornay: I'd encourage anyone that's looking to work in a passionate, genuine, and growing industry to look into games. I remember when I was in school, I put the industry up on a pedestal where I didn't really think it was attainable. Although it's a competitive field, it's also filled with people from a lot of different backgrounds. Yes, there are a lot of business, computer science, and marketing majors, but there's also room for the rest of us. I never thought I'd be in games (I was a music major), but now, I don't think I could work in any other industry. So if you think you've got what it takes get out there -- it's probably not as big a stretch as you think.