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EVOLVE OR DIEFree 2 play is Free 2 Innovate
Fawzi Mesmar
Principal Game Designer
ABOUT ME
A passionate game designer with over 10 years of experience in the industry, I worked on multiple platforms (PC, Xbox360, XBLA, GBA, Facebook, iOS and Android). Projects I worked on includes My Little pony Friendship is magic, My Littlest Pet shop, Persona 3 Social and many others.
Currently I’m the Principal game designer of Gameloft NZ
RECENT RELEASES
- My Little Pony Friendship is Magic
- Littlest Pet shop
- Wonder Zoo
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A SOCIAL GAME IS A GAME THAT HAS A VERY GENTLE LEARNING CURVE, EASY-TO-UNDERSTAND UI, AND LIVES ON A SOCIAL NETWORK, TAKING ADVANTAGE OF YOUR FRIENDSHIPS IN MEANINGFUL WAYS WITHIN THE GAME.
John Romero – Game Designer
WHAT I HATE ABOUT SOCIAL GAMESDesign Trends that simply shouldn’t be done anymore
AGGRESSIVE MONETIZATION STRATEGIES
- Most freemium games bombard you with in game advertisement as well.
- Most of the times the player doesn’t really know how getting premium currency can positively affect his/her game
- Getting a bargain is the best part of shopping generally speaking
WHAT DO ZYNGA DO IN THEIR GAMES?
- Insert any successful game at the top grossing chart here too
- This goes beyond mechanics into art style.
- Blind imitation without seeing the bigger picture
IDENTICAL LOOKING GAMES
- Confuse the consumers
- Negative feeling to the game genre itself
- Create a generation of non loyal customers
- Degrades product value
FORCES YOU TO ANNOY YOUR FRIENDS
- Game should be fun on itself for you to tell your friends about it
- Turns you into a social beggar
- You shouldn’t be ashamed of playing a social game or paying money for it either.
UPDATE STRATEGIES THAT ALIENATE NEW USERS
- Confuse the consumers
- No room for new comers
- Too much going on to the point that it becomes noise
- Features come and go without proper announcement
NO FAILURE STATE
- Everyone’s a winner
- Not a thought provoking experience
- Challenge as a taboo
SEQUELS
- Sequels in traditional gaming vs social games
- Usually are under performers in comparison with the original
FREE 2 INNOVATEInnovation as a next step for social games
CREATIVITY IS HIDING YOUR SOURCES
Radical is creating something completely new which does not rely on previous information, Most innovations take place in combining, refining and altering already existing concepts
► RADICAL VS. NON-CONVENTIONAL
RADICAL AND NON CONVENTIONAL INNOVATIONS
- They are almost inseparable, since you can’t create something out of nothing without some kind of inspiration.
- The presentation is how your product can come across as innovative
EXAMPLE CITY BUILDERS
- Not exactly a new concept
- Innovation in presentation
- Innovation in UI and UX designs
HOW SIMULATION GAMES OF OLD WERE FAIRLY COMPLEX TO GET INTO
Transport Tycoon 3DS MAX
INTRODUCING ELEMENTS OF ESTABLISHED VIDEO GAMES TO CASUAL GENERATION
Innovation is drawing inspiration of those old genres, games ..etc and coming up with ways to present them to new audiences
► WE HAVE A WEALTH OF HISTORY AND THOUSANDS OF TITLES THAT MASS MARKET DON’T KNOW ABOUT
EXAMPLE: RPG ELEMENTS
They are almost in every single game.
Identified the appeal and psychology behind it and introduced a simplified version of them to social/freemium/casual games
EXAMPLE: ADVENTURE GAMES
Even though they’re considered dead in their home ‘core’ market
Example games:
- The room
- Ghost Trick
EXAMPLE: CARD GAMES
How can something so geeky make so much money?
Example games:
- Rage of the Bahamut
- Persona 3 Social
MAKING SOCIAL GAMES TRULY SOCIAL
The highest since of socialization that you get from games is when what that friend ‘Does’ is apparent and directly affects you.
► ITS NOT JUST ABOUT GIFTS AND INVITES, ITS ABOUT USER ACTION
SOCIAL GAMES SHOULD BE REALLY SOCIAL
- Engagement of friends
- Sense of collaboration of and competition
- Mostly drawn from inspiration of actual life events: popular party games rock the app store
DON’T ABANDON CONVENTIONS ENTIRELY
Always be aware that there’s an existing language that incoming users will be expecting, use that language to communicate your daring new ideas!
► USE IT AS A LAUNCHING PAD OF YOUR NEW IDEAS
EXAMPLE: PUZZLE QUEST
People come into the game expecting to play bejewelled but end up experiencing an RPG
A DEEPER EXPERIENCE
While you’re making a game to the mass market, keep those people that care about your product in mind as well by offering things that they’ll care about.
► IF THERE’S SOMETHING IN YOUR GAME TO BE DISCOVERED, SOMEONE WILL DISCOVER IT
A DEEPER EXPERIENCE
- How adding Voice acting and story elements made a lot of difference to MLP FIM
- Pop culture references and their involvement with players
WHAT’S NEXT?The future of Social gaming
CASUAL GAME DESIGN
Reaching mass audience is something that wasn’t possible before, using the art of game design to evolve the medium and introduce good ideals and positive behaviour.
► TAKING THE MEDIUM TO THE NEXT LEVEL
