In his session at Casual Connect Eastern Europe 2014, Conor O’Sullivan spoke on gaining insight into what it takes to develop games. He said, “You have the power to influence the perception of others”.
Avid gamer Conor O’Sullivan thought he would have to be an engineer or a computer whiz to be part of the
games industry. He says, “I would look at a game’s creative content, the characters, the story, the art, and think the creativity buzzing around these organizations must be electric.” Then he discovered that, as social gaming was growing and evolving, there was a need for his expertise in social media. Now, as the social media specialist for Nordeus, he is happy to reveal that he was indeed absolutely right about the electric creativity in the games industry.
He describes the industry as fast-paced and constantly evolving, claiming, “It’s the kind of industry where if you stay on top, you can learn so much! Working in this industry is the closest you can get to a ‘there is no such thing as a bad idea mindset’.” He feels so strongly about the games industry that if he were not already a part of it, he would be doing anything and everything to get in.
Bringing Users Together
As the social media specialist at Nordeus, he works with two other team members, Daniel O’Kelly and Nemanja Posrkaca. Together, they manage a community of over 14,500,000 users of Top Eleven. Their role is to engage these users as the voice of the brand and to connect them to Top Eleven through mutual interests - in this case, football. They curate and create content to improve the gaming experience, while at the same time contributing to the company’s overall goals.
The most exciting time so far in O’Sullivan’s career in the games industry came earlier this year when they ran a live Twitter Promo during the Championship League Final. During the game, they awarded boosters and tokens depending on the events that occurred during the live match; tokens for goals, treatments for injuries, etc. Engaging the community with game elements based on actions happening during a real match opened up an entirely new level of social connection. They were able to converse with community members directly in real time about Top Eleven and the game they were all watching. He proudly announces, “We gained over 6,000 followers in only 90 minutes.”
A Little Bit of Everything
Top Eleven is an obvious choice for O’Sullivan when he is gaming simply for his own enjoyment. But he is also enjoying The Last of Us on PS4 and Retry by Rovio. He is pragmatic in the platforms he uses, with his choice depending on his mood or his location. But he does prefer Android to iOS simply because he enjoys the user experience.
When he describes the consoles he owns, his long-time passion for gaming becomes evident. He owns a PS3, PS4, Wii, and Xbox 360, and plans to get an Xbox One soon. He has no strong preference for any console, he wants them all! After SEGA, he acquired his PS3. When HALO came out on Xbox One, he had to have that too. Ever since, whenever a new console comes out, he immediately craves it, and admits, “I always get the feeling I am missing out if I don’t have them all.”
O’Sullivan is an active person who always wants to be doing something. He enjoys spending his time outdoors, especially playing football and rugby, and he dabbles in rock climbing and skiing. Because social media management is such all-encompassing work, he finds these activities especially good for clearing his mind.
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