online-spil…. casual gamers…. casual gamers…. 1. time: background introduction to online games...
TRANSCRIPT
Online-spil….
Casual gamers…
Casual gamers….
1. Time: Background
Introduction to online games –starting of casual games
Casual games – what does it mean
Casual game properties
Advertainment
Critical games
Edutainment
Designing casual games
The future of casual games
Me…
Masters degree Psychology, Copenhagen University 2000
PhD. student IT-University Copenhagen, Game Centre
Consultant
Framfab Children, education, computer games, internet
Game Research.com Collaboration and communication between game industry, researchers and other industry
Incircle Digital learning processes, computer games and internet.
Books
‘Den digitale leg – om børn og computerspil’
‘Digitale udfordringer – informationsteknologi i en skole under forandring’
Game-Research, Incircle, Game-studies, DAC, AOIR, DIGRA, IGDA
Hype about online-games?
South-Korea, hotspot for online games 5,4 mio are active in online games.
450.000 Everquest500.000 Dark Age of Camelot2.500.000 Lineage: The bloodpledge(pays app. 10$ each month)
Dedication… Two dead as a consequence of play in South-Korea10% of players in Game-research study played more than 30 hours a week
51 MMOG today and app. 120 in development – not for casual gamers
Casual potential…Zone.com have up to 160.000 online at peak hours.Spil.tv2.dk have up to 2500 online at peak hours.
We also want to make money on all of these players…. The online games got the casual gamer hype going… + hardcore gamers worn down
Revenue in online games
IDC prognoses project online games revenue will grow with 42.9% from 2001 to 2002 to almost $300 millions.
Themis Groups estimate for online games revenue in 2003 app. $635 million.
DFC Intelligence suggest 114 mio. will play online in 2006.
X-box og PS2 have launch online-service with large success
Casual gamers….
1. Time: Background
Introduction to online games –starting of casual games
Casual games – what does it mean
Casual game properties
Advertainment
Critical games
Edutainment
Designing casual games
The future of casual games
Are you a casual gamer?
A quick survey…
• Would you say you play a lot?
• Do you know what ‘FPS’ and RPG stands for?
• Would you list playing computer games as a primary pass time activity
• Do you spent more than 1500 Danish crowns on games or game related stuff a year.
How many can say yes to all these questions….?
What is a casual gamer?
A person that:
• Play games but is not an avid computer game player
• Is not capable of talking of genres and game related stuff
• Do not list gaming as a primary pastimes
• Does not spend more than 1500 Danish crowns a year on computer games or related purchases
• The game industry wants you…..
• We do not no a lot about the casual gamer….
What is a hardcore gamer?
1. Technologically savvy
2. Have the latest high-end computers/consoles
3. Willingness to pay
4. Prefer violent/action games
5. Prefer games that have depth and complexity
6. Play games over many long sessions
7. Hunger for gaming-related information
8. Discuss games with friends/bulletin boards
9. Play for the exhilaration of defeating (or completing) the game
10. Much more tolerant of frustration
11. Engaged in competition with himself, the game, and other players
12. Age at which first started playing games
13. Comparative knowledge of the industry
14. Indications of early adoption behavior
15. Desire to modify or extend games in a creative way. Source: Ernest Adams, 2002
What is a casual game?
A game that:
• Accessibility over depth
• Give a fairly complete experience within a relatively short time span
• Focus more on offering immediate rewards than core games
• Use familiar mechanics or interface to create a game experience
• Limit player frustration compared to core games
Some alternative genres with a casual touch….
• Traffic driver games (ex. Hearts)
• Advertainment (ex. Mind Cage)
• Critical games (ex. Kaboom Kabul)
• Edutainment (ex. Mulle Meck)
• Mobile games (ex. Snake)
Background casual games
Edutainment Military Business Social relations/Gender Political games Critical games Advertainment
1970
1980
1990
Easy access to produce and distribute have accelerated use of casual games
The fight for attention: branding, learning, political..
Share some of the same problem – integration between gameplay and message is a tough challenge
Evolution of games for other than entertainment
Popular games…
Game Unique Users
1. Solitaire 46.7 million
2. FreeCell 21.3 million
3. Hearts 6.6 million
4. Minesweeper 5.4 million
5. Spider Solitaire 4.6 million
6. MS Ent. Pack 4.2 million
7. 3D Pinball 2.6 million
8. The Sims 1.6 million
9. Snood 1.5 million
10. Slingo 1.5 million
9 /10 are casual games…. Source: Jupiter Media Metrix study,October 2001 (USA)
Casual games categories
Word
Card
Puzzle/Strategy
Casino
Classic Arcade
Trivia
Sports
Classic Board
Casual games sites…
The sites have the same games….
The internet have become ‘king’ of casual games – but is hard to transfer to other game platforms
Casual gamers….
1. Time: Background
Introduction to online games –starting of casual games
Casual games – what does it mean
Casual game properties
Advertainment
Critical games
Edutainment
Designing casual games
The future of casual games
Casual games - properties
• Accessibility over depth
• Give a fairly complete experience within a relatively short time span
• Focus more on offering immediate rewards than core games
• Use familiar mechanics or interface to create a game experience
• Focuses more on limiting player frustration than core games
Some properties are more important when designing casual games
Source: Meretsky, 2003 (GDC)
Casual games - access
• Accessibility over depth
Cow game: http://www.ferryhalim.com/cowgame/
Casual games – full exp
•Give a fairly complete experience within a relatively short time span Bubble game: http://www.orisinal.com/games/bubble.htm
Casual games - rewards
•Focus more on offering immediate rewards than core games
Spring game: http://www.orisinal.ws/games/spring.htm
Casual games - familiar
•Use familiar mechanics or interface to create a game experience
Snake game: http://www.popit.dk/html_new/html/games/arcade/snake/default.asp
Casual games – frustration
• Focuses more on limiting player frustration than core games
Three monkeys: http://www.orisinal.org/games/3monkeys.htm
Break….
15 minutes break….
Casual gamers….
1. Time: Background
Introduction to online games –starting of casual games
Casual games – what does it mean
Casual game properties
Advertainment
Critical games
Edutainment
Designing casual games
The future of casual games
Advertainment
Advertainment, critical games, and edutainment share features……
Quick survey.. How many play these games….
Fun is not the only factor
They compete for attention
Gameplay is limited by other factors
Try to ease other things in through the game
Message hits harder than through other media
Advertainment
Branding through computer games with simple flash or Shockwave
Prevalence
Increased from mid-90s to late 90s with the dot.com wave
Purpose
Increase awareness and loyalty towards brandConvince players of a specific message
The premise…
• Computer games engage users for longer time, more intense than other media forms ( 7-30 min. for advertainment).
• Computer games give access to people which would otherwise be hard do get access to to.
• The message is stronger
• Is not perceived as annoying compared to other ads.
Advertainment
Challenges:
Product impose tight limits for the game
Must fit with other marketing
Clients expectations/lack of knowledge
Technical platforms ex. Bandwidth, plugins
Development time shorter
Examples – from tankers to sweet dogs:
www.nikefootball.com (Secret Tournament)
www.getupstayup.com (Race)
www.nike.com/freestyle (Stick man)
www.jyskebank.dk (Jens Marius)
www.carlsberg.dk (fussball)
www.kellogs-by.dk (Kellogs)
Advertainment ex. Race
Issues:
Choosing Game engine / choose gameplay (to early)
Changing campaign (new vision) and Telling the story (sports has a problem)Integrating brand (power-ups)
Develop time short (testing)
Race www.getupstayup.com
Casual gamers….
1. Time: Background
Introduction to online games –starting of casual games
Casual games – what does it mean
Casual game properties
Advertainment
Critical games
Edutainment
Designing casual games
The future of casual games
Critical games
Encourage user to reflect about the content in a broader context
Prevalence
Increasing through the parallel with advertainment.
Purpose
Increase awareness to message and increase identification with the messageConvince player of specific message
The premise…
• Computer games engage users for a longer time and is more intense than traditional media forms.
• Access to user groups, which are otherwise hard to reach
Critical games
Challenges
Ethic considerations – how far can you take a game…
Games cultural status – will you be taken serious / target group narrow
Limits imposed by the message
Technical platforms – bandwidth, plugins.
Examples: Kz prison camp to Palestinian freedom fighters…
Kz prison camp / Ethnic cleansing
Osama Bin Laden / Sadam Hussein
På borgen (folketinget) / Perkerspillet/Michael Jackson
http://nationallampoon.com/laden/laden.asp
http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view.php?id=31539
http://www.jacaranda.org/frasca/weblog/kabulkaboom.html
Critical games ex. Rocker
Rockerspillet:http://www.dr.dk/skum/roev/rockerne.asp?aktuelt=true"#popspil
Critical games ex. PIS
PIS: http://pis.zulu.dk/
Casual gamers….
1. Time: Background
Introduction to online games –starting of casual games
Casual games – what does it mean
Casual game properties
Advertainment
Critical games
Edutainment
Designing casual games
The future of casual games
Edutainment
Games that educate the player through the game
Prevalence
Long history, increased until midle of 90s – genre destroyed by bad games.. Perhaps the same will happen to other casual games?
Purpose
Learn player about a specific topic, while having fun
The premise…
• Computer games are motivating and engaging thereby increasing learning
• Access to user groups, which are otherwise hard to reach
Edutainment
Challenges Underlying model: Simplified learning theory ex. Behaviorism
Story: Edutainment linear, limited and controlling in their structures
Topic separated from gameplay
Interface (look and feel)
Examples: Ghosts and Mulle Meck…
Bellini
Mulle
Mathblaster
Oregon Trail
Backbacker
Casual gamers….
1. Time: Background
Introduction to online games –starting of casual games
Casual games – what does it mean
Casual game properties
Advertainment
Critical games
Edutainment
Designing casual games
The future of casual games
Gameplay og casual games
Casual game are archetype of games – no fancy stuff… the essence. On the other hand a lot of non-games is also in this category.
Games is a subjective representation of the world: a system with specific rules. Through interaction with the system a winner/looser is determined.
What games are not..
Game vs. simulation – objective vs. subjective representation. Simple emotional representation. Game do not present feelings – this happens through the player
Game vs. Puzzle – Games are interactive and cyclic in nature between activities, while a puzzle is limited and finite. Games can have puzzle elements, which can’t be replayed for example the adventure genre.
Games vs. story – linear vs. non-linear, According Crawford you create your own story while playing – it is not told.
Gameplay og casual games
How to make interesting gameplay (Rollings)
Strategic choices: Long-term versus short-term.
Supporting investments: Primary objectives achieved through secondary
Shadow cost: Investment must be made before getting a specific effect
Versatility: weakness and strength – most damage but slow.
Compensating factors: An advantage but also a disadvantage
Impermanence: Some effect are immediate, others not..
Synergy: Interaction between different elements in the players arsenal
Weak theory covers strategic games.
Designing casual games
Six rules of thumb to get an effective gameplay:
1. Look into the computer game history to find inspiration
2. Causal games are about making the well-known, perhaps with a twist.
3. Keep it simple: interface, rules, winning condition
4. Don’t think about 3D graphics and fancy sound effects at first
5. Keep your goal clear: Edutainment, advertainment, critical game, traffic driver…
6. The player don’t care: Remember the player is passing trough
Remember casual games are different – on the other hand, we need to use the scarce existing resources on games.
Casual gamers….
1. Time: Background
Introduction to online games –starting of casual games
Casual games – what does it mean
Casual game properties
Advertainment
Critical games
Edutainment
Designing casual games
The future of casual games
Majestic – a new genre?
Moving games beyond games…
Games as art…
Games as movies…
Games as multimedia…
Majestic – a new genre?
The game consist of of a thin client on just 1 mb with this interface:
Majestic – a new genre?
“In essence, Majestic is being set up to be a giant wild-goose chase over the Internet. You'll be fed clues through the various on- and offline technologies mentioned earlier, and you'll use them to progress through the game. Some puzzles can't be solved by using the Majestic Alliance or the Web site, however. Sometimes, for example, you will have to physically call a phone number received through an arcane fax or e-mail to listen to someone's voice-mail messages”
Cross media:
Majestic cross media platforms, and is set set in the tension between everyday and game reality
“It plays youthe suspense thriller that
infiltrates your life throughthe internet, fax and telephone”
Use different means to get the players attention, and keep him hooked…phone, e-mail, fax, ICQ….
The end…
Questions or comments:
[email protected] or [email protected]
Slides will be available at www.it-c.dk/people/sen
Other links:
www.game-research.com
www.it-c.dk