SOE made that mistake. They believed in a two-way symmetrical form of communication between developer and player. They used focus groups and surveys to determine that the game (Star Wars Galaxies) was too difficult and too hard to become a Jedi (which everyone wanted).

They decided to take an active strategy and change the game to meet player's desires. There was the uproar in the forums but the belief was that most players did not use the forums, that they were the vocal minority.

The result was disaster. The lesson learned is that the assholes on the forums were the opinion leaders and makers in the game.

WoW's system of constant class rebalance has been a winning strategy for the company, and not one based on listening to player complaints. It's end goal is to keep the game fresh and prevent any one class from being the most powerful.

CCP should also be shown as a company with good practices when it comes to two-way communication. From player elected representatives to the EVE convention in Iceland, they should be held up as the model of open communication.