Online-spil…. Casual gamers…. Casual gamers…. 1. Time: Background Introduction to online games –starting of casual games Casual games – what does it mean

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




Advertainment

Critical games

Edutainment



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




Advertainment

Critical games

Edutainment



Casual games - properties


• 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


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




Advertainment

Critical games

Edutainment



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




Advertainment

Critical games

Edutainment



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




Advertainment

Critical games

Edutainment



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




Advertainment

Critical games

Edutainment



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.


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




Advertainment

Critical games

Edutainment



Majestic – a new genre?

Moving games beyond games…

Games as art…

Games as movies…

Games as multimedia…


The game consist of of a thin client on just 1 mb with this interface:


“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

Documents

Online-spil…. Casual gamers…. Casual gamers…. 1. Time: Background Introduction to online games –starting of casual games Casual games – what does it mean