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General : Guild Perspective: The Syndicate
Posted Feb 08, 2010 by Jon Wood
Guilds and guild leaders have a unique perspective on the world of MMORPGs. Today, Sean Stalzer answers a number of questions for the guild that he leads known as The Syndicate.
For those who don't know tell us about The Syndicate and your achievements.
The Syndicate was founded in Feb 1996. We currently have about 625 active, adult members (average age is 33years old). We had a 99.98% retention rate last calendar year. We began as a community focused on Friendship, Loyalty, Team Focus and what we call Guild First as our core values. Those same core values still define us today but we are a far cry different from what we were back then. Some of our more milestone achievements include:
- Years of charitable work for Youth Opportunity Unlimited, The American Cancer Society as well as major support for deployed service men and women. The Syndicate maintains a strong commitment to giving back to the community both within the games we play and in the real world.
- The first online community to Trademark its name.
- The first online community to obtain corporate sponsorship.
- The first to have a book published about our guild. Legend of The Syndicate details the first 10 years of our history.
- We established an annual conference and will be hosting our 9th one this year that will be attended by 200+ Syndicate members and a number of VIP guests.
- Featured in the MMO film Second Skin which was created by Pure West. It is actually available on Netflix on demand now which is a cool, recent development.
- We have been working with Prima Games for years to develop more comprehensive strategy guides to give the customer more value for their dollar. In 2009 we established a branch of our guild that is its own Studio of Prima Games.
- We have done numerous consulting engagements with MMO developers. We have a number of strong relationships that exist today and are helping to shape the future of MMO games.
So while we started as a team of friends focused on playing online games, we have developed into something we didn't imagine possible back in 1996. We have achieved a number of unique success stories that no other group can claim. We continue to seek out new ways to make the overall MMO experience, for all players, better and more fun.
Online communities (guilds), leadership, structure, recruitment, policies, history, etc have always fascinated me. It undoubtedly takes tremendous skill to make a guild a longterm success which the Syndicate seems to have done. I've often heard of the Syndicate myself. While I think the #1 key is simple determination/perseverance to keep it alive and never let the drama or slow periods shut it down, it still is a noteworthy accomplishment.
While many of their accomplishments are unquestionably noteworthy, the whole book publishing, name trademarking and corporate sponsorship aren't really feats but rather something anyone can do with a spare weekend and an inclination to make quick pitches about their guild (but marketing/self promotion is half the battle for a successful community). Now the $$$ amount of corportate sponsorship is where it's either impressive or just a meaningless number to claim "corporate sponsorship!"
Sorry, online mmorpgs and communities make me cynical at times ;)
In all seriousness the Syndicate seems like a top tier guild and an unquestionable one that will be around in another 14 years.
It would be interesting to see mmorpg.com search out really novel/successful guilds out there with varying approaches and showcase them (as opposed to weekly updates on Eve topping it's max population :P ).
You know I have to say that the folks I have f grouped with from The Syndicate have always been extremly helpful and very good at what they do, It's always a pleasure to see one of their ranks in my group.
My first guild in DAoC when it went live was called Syndicate. I wonder if it was the same guild the article speaks up. Very cool. :)
Probably, otherwise this guild would have tried to slap you with a petty lawsuit.
"Guild Perspective: How to take things way too far and be too serious about things"
From what I understand the guild name and logo are trade marked.
http://llts.org/Guild.php?p=Trademark/Trademark
Not sure how that trademark would work as it is at the MMO's discretion and any name change would have to go through that company.
It may stop others using it for a website etc but sure as hell wouldnt do anything in game.
Awesome guild and an excellent interview!
Actualy it means that you can't have the name or any tweak of the name if you are doing what the Syndicate does...things like an online community within a game. The trademark protects the name (when and if Syndicate chooses to fight it) the same as trademarking a business name does in rl.
If The Syndicate challenges you will be forced to change the name. This is true both from a legal standpoint and the power the guild can wield in a game.
Read the book and you will ( maybe) understand