What Vegas Can Teach MMO DesignersWhat Vegas Can Teach MMO Designers

(and how to take a design lesson from almost anywhere)(and how to take a design lesson from almost anywhere)

Damion SchubertDamion Schubert Lead Designer, Wolfpack Studios Lead Designer, Wolfpack Studios

http://www.zenofdesign.comhttp://www.zenofdesign.com

ACC Computer Games Seminar 2 Nov ACC Computer Games Seminar 2 Nov 20052005

An ObservationAn Observation

Designers going to the next Designers going to the next level dissect everything level dissect everything else.else.

Good designers Good designers dissect games.dissect games.

ExamplesExamples

• “ “A Pattern Language”A Pattern Language”• Russian Space ProgramRussian Space Program• “ “Understanding Understanding Comics”Comics”

Raph Raph KosterKoster Will WrightWill Wright

• Stanford Prison Stanford Prison ExperimentExperiment• “ “The Tipping Point”The Tipping Point”• Language LearningLanguage Learning

So….So….

Where should a designer of virtual Where should a designer of virtual world look for inspiration?world look for inspiration?

Other social Other social spaces.spaces.

All Social Spaces Are All Social Spaces Are DesignedDesigned

Amusement Parks and ZoosAmusement Parks and Zoos Locations of gift shopsLocations of gift shops

SupermarketsSupermarkets Impulse purchases on endcaps.Impulse purchases on endcaps. Eye level item placementEye level item placement Bakeries near entrancesBakeries near entrances

BarsBars ‘‘Ladies night’Ladies night’

Why Look At Casinos?Why Look At Casinos?They are the original massively They are the original massively

multiplayer gaming spaces – multiplayer gaming spaces – social spaces that contain social spaces that contain minigames.minigames.

They, too, are a service-They, too, are a service-oriented business oriented business demanding customer demanding customer satisfaction for repeat satisfaction for repeat business.business.Have you PLAYED a slot Have you PLAYED a slot machine? It’s a grind.machine? It’s a grind.

Don’t lose sight of differences: they Don’t lose sight of differences: they want all your money now, want all your money now, whereas we focus on retention.whereas we focus on retention.

Casinos in a NutshellCasinos in a Nutshell

A myth: They do not, in fact, A myth: They do not, in fact, pipe oxygen into the air to pipe oxygen into the air to make you gamble more.make you gamble more.

Designed with spectacle in Designed with spectacle in mind.mind.

Bigger is better. Bigger is better.

Subtle things: no clocks, Subtle things: no clocks, floors tilt towards casinos, floors tilt towards casinos, hard to find exits, busy hard to find exits, busy floors and boring ceilings.floors and boring ceilings.

Tried to be family-oriented, Tried to be family-oriented, now focused on being an now focused on being an adult Disneyland.adult Disneyland.

Some ObservationsSome ObservationsOn The Casino ExperienceOn The Casino Experience

Basic Casino Basic Casino LayoutLayout

The MGM Grand is an The MGM Grand is an exceedingly well-designed exceedingly well-designed casino. The show theatres casino. The show theatres are all well inside the facility – are all well inside the facility – you can’t get to them without you can’t get to them without walking by gaming tables.walking by gaming tables.

By comparison, MMO world By comparison, MMO world designers frequently designers frequently send people to the send people to the middle of nowhere, and middle of nowhere, and offer nothing but a long offer nothing but a long dull walk back.dull walk back.

Think about flow, and if the Think about flow, and if the journey is to be its own journey is to be its own reward, ensure the reward, ensure the journey is rewarding.journey is rewarding.

AddressingAddressingCheatersCheaters

In In Bringing Down the House, Bringing Down the House, blackjack cheaters from MIT blackjack cheaters from MIT get caught and banned get caught and banned from casinos for life.from casinos for life.

They are assaulted in a casino They are assaulted in a casino restroom in the Bahamas – restroom in the Bahamas – a casino they’ve never a casino they’ve never visited before. Casinos visited before. Casinos freely share the data of freely share the data of suspected cheaters.suspected cheaters.

Tell that to your boss the Tell that to your boss the next time he doesn’t next time he doesn’t want to ban a known want to ban a known cheater.cheater.

Losing TimeLosing TimeVegas tries to create a Vegas tries to create a

sense of timelessness in sense of timelessness in their casinos, hoping their casinos, hoping you’ll get lost within.you’ll get lost within.

There are no clocks anywhere There are no clocks anywhere to be seen, and no windows to be seen, and no windows you can see from the casino you can see from the casino floor.floor.

This is a place where we are This is a place where we are too much like Vegas.too much like Vegas.

With new regulations in China, With new regulations in China, MMOs will actually begin MMOs will actually begin moving in the opposite moving in the opposite direction.direction.

Sense of SafetySense of SafetyDespite their slogan, Despite their slogan,

Vegas puts a premium Vegas puts a premium in creating a very safe in creating a very safe and secure atmosphere.and secure atmosphere.

The places feel ‘a little bit The places feel ‘a little bit dangerous’, but in fact are dangerous’, but in fact are an adult Disneyland.an adult Disneyland.

MMOs would be well advised MMOs would be well advised to pursue the same sense of to pursue the same sense of safety in their social safety in their social atmosphere.atmosphere.

This atmosphere helps Vegas This atmosphere helps Vegas attracts a large female attracts a large female demographic.demographic.

Automated Automated EventsEvents

Treasure Island and Rio Treasure Island and Rio use automated events use automated events to draw customers to to draw customers to their casinos.their casinos.

Treasure Island’s also have Treasure Island’s also have the benefit of being visible the benefit of being visible from the street.from the street.

While lacking the star While lacking the star power of a hit concert, power of a hit concert, they are still must-see they are still must-see items for many, and can items for many, and can be seen 365 days of the be seen 365 days of the year.year.

Apparently, loving events Apparently, loving events isn’t limited to MMOs. isn’t limited to MMOs. Casinos have found out Casinos have found out how to do them more how to do them more cost efficiently.cost efficiently.

MetricsMetricsHarrah’s won the Insight Alignment Harrah’s won the Insight Alignment

award for their IT and data mining award for their IT and data mining practices. More importantly, practices. More importantly, those practices turned the those practices turned the company into a major player.company into a major player.

They datamined ‘Total Rewards’ They datamined ‘Total Rewards’ members to validate market members to validate market assumptions, identify (and assumptions, identify (and predict!) valued customers predict!) valued customers and even guide slot machine and even guide slot machine placement.placement.

Don’t just use metrics for failure Don’t just use metrics for failure detection – use it to guide your detection – use it to guide your design and your marketing.design and your marketing.

“[Our datamining program earned a] 50% annual return-on-investment… This is one of the best investments that we have ever made as a corporation.”

-- John Boushy, CIO of Harrah's

FreebiesFreebiesHarrah’s discovered that 26 Harrah’s discovered that 26

percent of customers percent of customers produced 82 percent of produced 82 percent of the revenues. the revenues.

They started rewarding They started rewarding these customers with free these customers with free hotel and show tickets, hotel and show tickets, and reaped huge and reaped huge rewards.rewards.

Although our definition of Although our definition of ‘best customers’ may be ‘best customers’ may be different, the importance different, the importance of coddling them isn’t.of coddling them isn’t.

Maverick DesignMaverick Design

Introducing Bill FriedmanIntroducing Bill FriedmanBill Friedman was a highly Bill Friedman was a highly

regarded casino regarded casino manager in Las Vegas, manager in Las Vegas, and literally wrote the and literally wrote the book on hotel book on hotel management.management.

He quit to become an interior He quit to become an interior designer. designer.

Introducing Bill FriedmanIntroducing Bill Friedman““In Las Vegas, where 87 percent of tourists In Las Vegas, where 87 percent of tourists

gamble an average of four hours a day, gamble an average of four hours a day, not one of the megaresorts on the famous not one of the megaresorts on the famous Las Vegas Strip has managed to lure even Las Vegas Strip has managed to lure even 10 percent of its visitors to gamble in its 10 percent of its visitors to gamble in its casino areas, and some megaresorts casino areas, and some megaresorts proportion of players to visitors is even proportion of players to visitors is even worse, as low as 2 to 3 percent.” -- worse, as low as 2 to 3 percent.” -- FriedmanFriedman

Friedman sought to find out Friedman sought to find out why.why.

Bill FriedmanBill Friedman

Friedman’s research found Friedman’s research found that players chose not to that players chose not to play in casinos that were play in casinos that were too sparse – that felt empty too sparse – that felt empty or where players were too or where players were too far apart.far apart.

This flies in the face of 50 This flies in the face of 50 years of megacasino years of megacasino design.design.

Friedman proceeded to Friedman proceeded to compare the interior compare the interior designs of crowded casinos designs of crowded casinos with the less crowded with the less crowded megacasinos.megacasinos.

The AladdinThe Aladdin

The Aladdin boasts the The Aladdin boasts the highest ceilings on the highest ceilings on the strip and has poorly strip and has poorly defined sight lines. defined sight lines.

Friedman calls it the ‘barn Friedman calls it the ‘barn effect’, and claims his effect’, and claims his metrics prove that metrics prove that players reject these players reject these grandiose spaces for grandiose spaces for casinos with a ‘less is casinos with a ‘less is more’ interior.more’ interior.

Friedman cites the Friedman cites the Aladdin in Vegas as one Aladdin in Vegas as one example. The casino example. The casino cost $1.4 billion to build cost $1.4 billion to build and frequently sits and frequently sits empty.empty.

Bill FriedmanBill Friedman

When gambling, players prefer smaller When gambling, players prefer smaller alcoves, lower ceilings and an overall alcoves, lower ceilings and an overall cozier experience.cozier experience.

Players like to gawk at megacasinos, Players like to gawk at megacasinos, but Friedman stresses it’s important but Friedman stresses it’s important to differentiate between getting to differentiate between getting onlookers and capturing gamblers.onlookers and capturing gamblers.

One observer said, “If Friedman's One observer said, “If Friedman's arguments are right, then modern arguments are right, then modern conventional casino design standards conventional casino design standards are akin to what 18th century are akin to what 18th century doctors prescribed for many of their doctors prescribed for many of their patients: bleeding for the purpose of patients: bleeding for the purpose of ridding the body of 'bad blood.’”ridding the body of 'bad blood.’”

Cozy CasinosCozy CasinosFriedman feels that casinos Friedman feels that casinos

need to be cozier, so need to be cozier, so that they can reach a that they can reach a social critical mass.social critical mass.

Slot machines are boring. Slot machines are boring. Being around other Being around other people makes them people makes them interesting.interesting.

Designing Cozy WorldsDesigning Cozy WorldsThat applies to MMOs as well. That applies to MMOs as well.

We want ‘cozy worlds’.We want ‘cozy worlds’.

And finally offers a And finally offers a compelling explanation compelling explanation why some players love why some players love MMOs but hate grouping MMOs but hate grouping with others.with others.

We want our online spaces to We want our online spaces to hit critical mass. Constant hit critical mass. Constant human contact and patter.human contact and patter.

Desolation is our enemy.Desolation is our enemy.

But We Don’t Get ItBut We Don’t Get It““[The game] consists of a large 3,800 [The game] consists of a large 3,800

square kilometers of land. square kilometers of land. Considering the size of the land Considering the size of the land they have built in a portal system they have built in a portal system for faster travel from one area of for faster travel from one area of the map to another.”the map to another.”

““A medieval world of 15 000-square-mile of land A medieval world of 15 000-square-mile of land (not including seas) [with a] strong emphasis (not including seas) [with a] strong emphasis on immersion thanks to a horizon view up to on immersion thanks to a horizon view up to a distance of 30 miles away.”a distance of 30 miles away.”

- Preview for an upcoming MMO

- FAQ for a different upcoming MMO

Neither Do The FansNeither Do The Fans

Zone 1

Zone 2

Zone 3

Zone 4

Zone 5

Everquest ZoneWorld Model

AB

D

EC

Radial Chat in a Continuous World

AB

D

EC

Radial Chat in a Continuous World

A

AB

D

EC

Radial Chat in a Continuous World

Zones in a Continual World

Zone A

Zone C

Zone B

Zone D

Zone E

Zone F

Zone H

Zone G

Zone I

Cozy Worlds and InstancingCozy Worlds and Instancing

Patter is crucial to maintaining Patter is crucial to maintaining interest in an online space. interest in an online space. Need for patter means that Need for patter means that instancing can be overdone.instancing can be overdone.

If your instancing solution If your instancing solution still ensures there is patter still ensures there is patter and the world feels cozy, and the world feels cozy, instancing will work fine.instancing will work fine.

Best at high levels (when Best at high levels (when guild chat offers patter) or guild chat offers patter) or large raid situations.large raid situations.

Instancing isn’t necessarily Instancing isn’t necessarily bad, but misused, it can bad, but misused, it can destroy your cozy world.destroy your cozy world.

ConclusionsConclusions

Maverick designers can Maverick designers can sometimes often the sometimes often the greatest inspiration.greatest inspiration.

Use metrics to guide design, Use metrics to guide design, not just fix problems.not just fix problems.

Build cozy worlds. Build cozy worlds.

There are design inspirations There are design inspirations everywhere – MMO everywhere – MMO designers should look first designers should look first to social spaces.to social spaces.

Embrace the notion that the Embrace the notion that the interesting part of your interesting part of your virtual world is the people virtual world is the people playing it. playing it.

Reward your most valued Reward your most valued players. players.

Understand the value of Understand the value of quick expellation of quick expellation of cheaters. cheaters.

Think about your player’s flow Think about your player’s flow through your game space. through your game space.

Consider automated events. Consider automated events.

Questions?Questions?