Parents and Gaming

I just read a rather hum-drum article about how parents can keep up with the video games their kids play. The article starts like this:

Call it a generation gap or a digital divide, if you're a parent who is a little clueless about what video games are appropriate for your child, you are not alone.

Who are these parents who don't understand video games? I know I'm an unusual case, but seriously. EVERY SINGLE PARENT I KNOW PLAYS VIDEO GAMES, at least a little. Now, if you're a grandparent, you *might* be off the hook, though at 38 I'm technically old enough to be one of those myself (my kid is 7, so no worries.)

Video games turned to computer games in the 90's. Console games have remained essentially the same for the last decade. Mortal Kombat showed how violent games could be 18 years ago. Doom, the first modern 1st person shooter, appeared 15 years ago. Grand Theft Auto 2 is over 10 years old.

This isn't new people. The graphics are better, the stories are better, and the content is more complex. Not different, just evolved. Some really kick ass. Other suck. Some are appropriate for kids, some not so much. It's been this way for decades now.

How old are these kids we're worrying about? How old are their parents?

What's more likely is people writing articles about the "mysteries of gaming culture" don't get it. Media types understand the media, and little else (I understand gaming, and little else, I admit it.)

Just like the article says "Gaming is now an $18.8 billion part of the entertainment industry. You have to dig your head in the sand pretty deep to be ignorant of an industry as huge as gaming.

-Adam!!!

Little Brother, a novel

Buy it, or read it. I started it this morning and I finished it just now. Damn. Good. Book.

Edit (found this on Facebook)

Website:

http://tor-forge.com/littlebrother http://myspace.com/littlebrotherbook http://instructables.com/member/w1n5t0n/ http://tv.boingboing.net/cory-doctorow/

Company Overview:

Book Description: Marcus, a.k.a “w1n5t0n,” is only seventeen years old, but he figures he already knows how the system works–and how to work the system. Smart, fast, and wise to the ways of the networked world, he has no trouble outwitting his high school’s intrusive but clumsy surveillance systems. But his whole world changes when he and his friends find themselves caught in the aftermath of a major terrorist attack on San Francisco. In the wrong place at the wrong time, Marcus and his crew are apprehended by the Department of Homeland Security and whisked away to a secret prison where they’re mercilessly interrogated for days. When the DHS finally releases them, Marcus discovers that his city has become a police state where every citizen is treated like a potential terrorist. He knows that no one will believe his story, which leaves him only one option: to take down the DHS himself.

-Adam!!!

I am a Kong-o-phile (I hope Nightline isn't reading!)

From Boing Boing...

Nintendo Wall Stickers are so awesome...I can'd evin tippppe




-Adam!!!

I'd Buy That for a Dollar!

Based on what I've read, micropayments are beating out time-based subscriptions when it comes to effectively separating virtual world patrons from their money.

Is this because people prefer to pay via micropayments, even though a site that features them typically costs the user more, overall?

I believe the biggest hurdle in getting a person to pay real money for any sort of online service is that first payment. The smaller the request, the more likely somebody will bite, and once that credit card is on file (and the first transaction proved worthwhile) subsequent transactions come much more easily, with less concern on the part of the customer.

Is the subscription model less effective than micropayments...probably. Why? Because the initial cost for even a month (ourWorld's premium membership costs $6.99/month) is more than the minimum cost for many micropayment sites. What if there was a trial that players could purchase for $1? What if a promise of no additional charges was made, and kept?

Would it be worth the transaction costs of the 'trial' to get that customer's credit card on file? How much more likely would a customer be to subscribe after a successful and valuable $1 transaction? (Hint: A lot.)

Edit: In order for the $1 option to work, upgrading to a full subscription must be hyper-easy. Single click easy. Otherwise, much of the hurdle for subscription remains.

-Adam!!!

Hooking Up

Put teen girls and teen boys together in a virtual world setting and the first thing that happens is they start hooking up. I freely admit I was taken by surprise by the pervasiveness of this culture of virtual boyfriend/girlfriends. In ourWorld, you can enter any room at any time and there will probably be at least one person puttin' the virtual moves on another person (or more.) Some people seem to take this 'dating simulation' very seriously, while others quickly dismiss the 'dating' as nothing more than play-acting.

I'll tell you this much, the fighting over spurned virtual love seems sincere enough.

To what extent should this sort of thing be discouraged, tolerated, or promoted?

The only wrong answer is to merely tolerate the practice (the default response.)

If it's discouraged, you simply say "no dating" and be done with it. At first we were amused when we noticed Dizzywood.com had "no dating" in it's code of conduct. A few weeks later, I see exactly why it's there. I'm sure they're serious about enforcing the rule, too. This is ideal for sites aimed at younger kids. For the most part they aren't interested in dating, and the rule clarifies not only what is allowed, but makes it clear WHO is supposed to be on the site.

What about promoting dating? My concern (and parents, I'm sure) is that the dating sometimes turns into cyber-sex. I think providing dating 'tools' that are in-bounds taste and age-appropriate-wise, you'll minimize your users' desire to go beyond those bounds. If your users are interested in dating, let them date. Let the date system be fun, engaging, one-on-one, and end with a virtual kiss at the door (rather than a chat log that makes me want to wash off the ick with brillo pad.)

Either prevent it or shape it. Half-hearted strategies will provide a sub-optimal result.

Oh, and kids, don't type anything you don't want a fat 38 year old gamer nerd reading. (I wish I could get that message to every teenager in the world.)

-Adam!!!

Belgian Scientists w/ too much time on their hands.

I mean, seriously.

-Adam!!!

A Million Dollar Idea

What if:

A game site sold game downloads for $1 each.

The site also offered game developers a one million dollar prize for the first game that reached one million downloads (in addition to standard compensation, whatever that is.) If a developer can make something that one million people will pay a buck for, they get the money. Of course, the site's still making money off the other games, plus the money after the prize is awarded.

The real issue is figuring out what people will pay, and how much more you can sell with a really low price. It costs nearly the same to ship 1,000,000 copies of an online game as it does 50,000,000. Would 20x more people buy a $1 game as a $20? Popcap thinks the answer is no, but their dev costs are way higher than average.

What about flash/java games? There are plenty that are worth a buck, though perhaps not with all the free stuff out there. There's also a concern that something that costs $1 isn't worth as much as something that costs $20, even if a publisher can make the same amount with both pricing options.

Seth Godin recently touched on a similar issue regarding Ebooks, and I think the same model applies to online gaming.

-Adam!!!

Spore: You Rate Me and I'll Rate You Right Back!

Logged in Spore users are allowed to rate each other's creations, helping to ensure the cooler ones make their way to the top of the popularity mountain. With 600,000 creatures already uploaded in the last two days, I'm not concerned with mine getting noticed. What I am concerned about is the BAD rating one of my favorite creatures received! Any Spore fans reading this, please take a look at my creatures and give them a thumbs up if you like them.

Who would give this little cutie a thumbs down?

If you have creatures you'd like me to check out, just let me know. I promise no thumbs down if you do too!

-Adam!!!

S'more S'pore

Is it the best $10 I've ever spent? Not sure. It's far from the worst. I've got the full Creature Creator now, and it's easily $10 more fun than the trial version. You can see my creatures on my Spore Site. For some reason, only my Basilisk shows up on the Spore site of 400,000+creatures (in two days) and while I'm proud of Basi, my Rust Monster is probably a little cooler.




This little guy is doing his dance...



Awwww...cute!

-Adam!!!

Spoooooooooooooooooooooooooooore!

I've been waiting for this for quite a while. I'm extremely excited about Spore, and the Creature Creator Trial is a great taste of what's to come. I made this creature in about ten minutes. I've made four since downloading the demo a couple of hours ago. It's a lot of fun.


The Creature Creator made it simple to upload videos like to my YouTube account. As you might imagine, there's quite a few there already.

Update: I've added the Spore App in Facebook. I'm looking forward to it working (it really doesn't, yet.)

-Adam!!!

Who Are You?

When internet chat began, the only ID you had was your conversation partners' names. Nowadays, customizing avatars has gotten to the point where you can recognize other users' avatars based on their appearance, in addition to their always visible name.

What if a virtual world abandoned the default practice of automatically displaying a pre-defined name (made up, anyway), with the option of getting to know a person's name more like in the real world - Introductions and communication (asking!)?

What if YOU chose the names of the virtual people you interact with? What would be the difference? What if you could see the names other people chose for you...?

From a practical standpoint, the current system is probably the most efficient. People with nametags are generally more approachable than people without (Hi, my name is Scott!) but put in the context of a VW game where anonymity is desirable or part of the obstacles that must be overcome, it would be a cool way to set a site apart from everything else.

-XXXX!!!

Putting the amp in Champions

Cryptic, the fine folks who brought us City of Heroes/Villains, is working on the Champions MMORPG. As I've posted before, I can't wait.

Here's an Escapist Magazine interview with long-time Champs creator Mike Long. He seems really optimistic about the project, as am I!

Somebody needs to cut down on the spicy food

-Adam!!!

Wow! Gifts!

Last night, tongue firmly in cheek, I requested additional furniture for my SmallWorlds house, dedicated to The Big Lebowski. I was pleasantly surprised to get an Email today notifying me that I was given two virtual couches and a candle! Yeah!

The Dude is enjoying his new couches and candle

Thanks Joe Ninetytwo, I'll just slip the rent money under the door!

-Adam!!!

World of World of Warcraft

From The Onion, America's Finest News Source!

'Warcraft' Sequel Lets Gamers Play A Character Playing 'Warcraft'

I want World of Blogging, where I can play a blogger, but one that gets hits and comments!

-Adam

Rate Classic Games!

And why not? Choose from my list or add your own. Rate from best to least best (they're all great!)

Rate Classic Arcade Games on Squidoo.

Where does Donkey Kong rate?

If anyone votes, I'll post the results here, in a while.

-Adam!!!

It's the Economy, Stupid!

Economies of some sort or other have become a cornerstone of virtual worlds. It would not be out of place to define vw's by the inclusion of an economy activity of some sort, they are so pervasive.

Are they necessary? Maybe, maybe not. If I were a VC, I'd hesitate to invest in a vw that didn't feature one. A vw's economy usually dovetails nicely into profitability for the site, whether through subscriptions, micro-payments, or retail-tie ins (like Bella Sara and ToppsTown.) The earn-reward effect of money is too powerful, or too obvious, for most vw's to ignore.

A money free economy would be cool. Barter as the only form of transaction would be very entertaining within the correct setting (think desert island or caveman) You want that coconut, well, you better find out what Richard342 wants for it. The lighter? Is he insane?

Rather than the traditional capitalist model, I wonder if a communist model might work. What if everyone got an equal income based on contributions of the site's entire population. Would people contribute? I think they would in the context of an engaging game or game-world tailored to that model. How would people act in such a world?

The Dude's got no money in the Small Worlds beta.

It could be that I just ran out of money building my ourWorld shrine to the Big Lebowski and as it's a beta, there isn't an adequate way to earn more, yet. If anyone with a SmallWorlds account sees this, The Dude's Room could use a couch and some candles. Donations accepted!

It's the Economy...you know.

-Adam

B...B...B...Billion

Virtual Worlds will reach one billion users in 10 years.

OK, I'll buy that, but why?

In most measurable ways, virtual worlds are simply a new wrapper for chat and game rooms that have existed on the web for years? Sure, the new 3d interfaces look more like traditional video games (Sims, World of Warcraft, etc.) but those games aren't anything new, either. What's so new and interesting that somebody would predict a billion people will check them out?

Marketing - Virtual Worlds provide unique marketing opportunities. Smaller (or less aggressive) firms can buy sections or ads in existing independent worlds. They can sponsor games and memberships so users feel like the company is giving them something. More ambitious firms can build their own Virtual Worlds, and aggressively promote them. If going to coke.com means going to CokeWorld.com, that's a lot of people right there. Imagine Budweiser World...

Transformation of the Internet - There's a lot of talk regarding standards for virtual worlds so users can bounce from one to the other much like they bounce from one website to another now. If that happens, VW's will start to take over the role traditional websites have now, and that really would be a virtual world.

Getting It Right - There's a lot of VW's on the right track already. Once best practices are sorted out, the door will be wide open for anyone with a great idea to build a VW based on those practices plus established technology. I expect there to be at least some sort of standardized virtual world design tools before too long. It'll never be easy to build a VW, but if a designer doesn't have to reinvent the many wheels that make up a VW, what's left is manageable.

-Adam

Virtual World Retail - Toppstown

I don't mean virtual retail. I mean heading down to your local store retail. Retail, retail.

Toppstown is the latest VW in my bookmark list. Like Bella Sara, it's centered around trading cards. Despite my history with trading card games, I'm quite ignorant of sports trading cards. I may be learning about them soon. Now, new Topps trading cards come with codes that unlock virtual trading cards in Toppstown.

Not micro payments.
Not subscriptions.

No, purchase items at retail that increase functionality on the site. Conversely, the site directly adds value to the items purchased at retail. In Topps' case, items that they were ALREADY SELLING. Honestly, I think it's friggin' brilliant and I expect we'll be seeing a lot more VW's with revenue streams based on real world products. I mean, if you're going to be selling the product anyway, and you're going to have a website anyway, you might as well have the two working together. This is particularly true of collectible and entertainment products.

My clubhouse is pretty sad. I can play games to buy cooler stuff.

Codes come with packs of regular Topps baseball cards. These codes unlock packs of virtual baseball cards that can be played with and traded on the site. You get a free code when you sign up, so everyone has a few cards. Also, the cards provide updated stats for the players featured on them. How cool is that?

Toppstown looks to be a pretty modest site. Good for them. Keep costs down, make the thing do what it needs to do, and don't sabotage a good thing by breaking the bank. It's got some modest games, a super simple customizable avatar, a simple clubhouse (room decorating activity), and what appears to be a very robust virtual card trading tool. Assuming it works as intended, the trading tool is what makes the site shine for me.

You can always see your avatar, the code entry box, and the big button for the Virtual Binder. The designers made clear choices about what was really important and focused on those things.

I'm lukewarm about baseball, but Toppstown Football launches in July. That's what *I'm* talkin' about!

-Adam

Home-made Arcade Controls

My current hobby project is almost done. I'm sad that I screwed up the finish, which is why there are all those light blotches all over it. Even so, as my first woodworking project pretty much ever, it's totally satisfactory. My next one (and there will be a next one) will be much slicker.

The ultimate goal is to build my own arcade cabinet. I've got handy friends, so I'm sure I can do it, even with my feeble skills.

-Adam!!!

A Comment on Games

Almost all virtual worlds include games. Typically, playing the games is the avatar's 'job' and by doing so players can upgrade their visual representation with fancier looking avatars and fancier looking virtual living spaces. In essence, the players are buying status.

If this mechanic is the centerpiece of your VW's economy, for the love of pete, please make sure the games are fun.

Is it better to have games that use the player's personal avatar and are fully integrated into the world itself if they aren't fun? No.

Best: Fun games, fully integrated in the world.
Okay: Fun games that aren't directly connected to the virtual world.
Disaster: Un-Fun games, integrated or not.

-Adam!!!

Penny Arcade + Bella Sara = $#&*@ Yeah!

Warning - Like most Penny Arcade strips, there's a bad word! (oooh!)


I...I...don't want to.

-Adam!!!

Dramatic Features

As the virtual world landscape goes from Blue Ocean to rough seas, that which differentiates one world from another will become essential. The worlds that will fail will blend in and be lost. Those that flourish will:

Be first to bring a solid next generation virtual world experience to users.
or
Offer a unique experience, dramatically different from the majority of VWs.

While being first is great (Google, Amazon, etc.) there's only room for one at the top of that mountain. Being unique is the key if you don't want to take the longshot bet of being the top dog. To know what's unique, I want to list what (currently) makes most virtual worlds the same.

• Avatars - 3d or 2d
• Focuses on Kids (13 and unders) or Teens (everybody else.)
  
• Game-like navigation. Sites that call themselves virtual worlds but don't allow avatars to move around in some semi natural manner are (to me) fancy chat/game rooms.
• Chat
  
• Currency (in some form)
  
• Customizable Living Spaces
  
• Stores - Outfitting avatars and/or living spaces
  
• Gaming
• In-World - Using Avatars in the VW setting.
• Out-World - Game launches outside of the VW setting and may not even be related to the VW.

Many virtual worlds will have a feature or two in addition to this list, and few don't include all of these features. While the current generation of VWs seem to be sticking pretty close to this list, I think the next generation of VWs will require something that adds something unique and dramatic in order to succeed.

-Adam!!!

Forget 90% Failure - How about we ALL succeed?

Not everyone has a vision of doom and gloom. Ralph Koster of Ralph Koster's Website seems to think there's room for everyone, though his premise seems to require traditional gaming platforms being pushed into the background.

I think there will be a ton of attrition, but those that survive will establish a template for success that will last until the next generation of online gaming replaces Virtual Worlds as we now know them. I estimate that'll be about two years from now.

-Adam

What Virtual World do you Live In?

I know it's way to early in this process to ask, and I doubt enough people are reading for a decent response (or any at all) but if you have an opinion, I'm crazy interested.

I'd like as many of these questions answered as possible:

What Virtual World/s you are a fan of.
How much time have you spent in it, how recently?
Why do you like it/them?
Are you a paid subscriber? Why or why not.
What you'd like to see from a Virtual World that you haven't seen yet.

Just post your reply right here. Thanks!

-Adam

Virtual Economies - Big Risks, Bigger Rewards

While brainstorming today, we started talking about things ourWorld members perhaps could trade. Also, independent of this conversation one our members asked if they could gift their extra items to a friend (sadly, no, not yet.) The nail in the blog post coffin came with this article stating that Webkinz now allows a form of trading.

It seems so obvious, yet there are many, many pitfalls. "Gold Farmers", scammers, phishing, and general working of the system, are all valid concerns and the reason most young virtual worlds don't allow any sort of trading.

As far as I'm concerned, the community aspect of a virtual world is the interaction between it's inhabitants. For worlds where the inhabitants are primarily earners and consumers (i.e. almost all of them) the ability to treat belongings as real belongings and trade will be essential to success. For everyone else, there's always the 90% prediction.

-Adam

Virtual World Categories (least sexy title to date!)

The term "Virtual World" is already too broad a category to handle. Second Life, Club Penguin, World of Warcraft, and MUDs all fit the category, but are very different from one another. How are they different?

Age - Kids, Teens, Adults. That's a pretty easy distinction to make. Due to the concerns about safety for kids online, the distinction between what's for adults vs kids (defined by US COPPA regs as 13 and under) is vivid. Sites either cater to this demographic or they do not. Many sites like Zwinky and Maplestory simply don't allow kids at all. Others, like Club Penquin, assume all users are under 13 and conduct themselves appropriately (a genius move, IMHO.) The line between whats for teens and adults is still very blurry, and may never be clear, not counting that which is strictly for adults.

Web vs Download - Do you have to download something special to play the game, or will it run in your browser? Browser games tend to be free and designed for quick and easy play. Games requiring a download are risking being ignored, as users are dubious of downloads and they require an extra level of patience. Available technology tends to define this category, but user expectation is a critical component in deciding what will work for which option.

Game vs Social Network - Most Virtual Worlds are both, so it's a question of emphasis. How fulfilling is the solo experience? How do users spend their time? WoW is a game. Facebook is a social network (though not really a VW.)

Navigation - How players move around in a virtual world in many ways defines the world. Club Penquin, ourWorld, and Dizzywood feature worlds created by the publisher that function as an online version of the real world. Avatars moving around is a focus of the experience. Some sites, like Faketown, feature avatars but the navigation is more like standard web navigation though the avatars can move around in some portions of the site. The fundamental experience of a virtual world is determined by the navigation choices made by the developers. If it doesn't feel like a world, it's not a virtual world, it's just a website (or game.)

There's more, but that's enough for now. If I don't understand this stuff, I can't succeed at it.

-Adam!!!

Jack in the Wha?

How far off topic can I go? Let's find out. My wife had the munchies and went to Jack in the Box for a snack (closest fast food to our house) and came back with a the Sampler Trio. They also threw in some sauce...



14 packets of sauce. Four-friggin'-teen.

-Adam

Am I really 90% doomed to fail?

90% of Corporate Virtual World Efforts Fail in 18 Months

Assuming this is true, and from what I've seen, I wouldn't doubt it. The question for those of us in the Virtual Worlds business is what will it take to be that 10% that succeeds.

Be Remarkable - The worlds that survive will be unique in some way, or the best in some way. (It's easier to be unique than best.) Dinosaur Junction is so much like Club Penguin, it's ridiculous. Not unique. Not best. I'll take 9:1 for them to fail.

It's the Community, Stupid - Yep. Fancy graphics and great games are available everywhere. What really drives an online world is the people who inhabit it. It's got to be easy and fun to hook up with real live people.

It's got to WORK - Most of the virtual worlds I've visited are still in deep, deep, beta. Whirled and Urbaniacs both have serious problems with user interface and general functionality. As other worlds from heavy hitters like Disney come on line, the rest of us have better be ready with stuff that's ready to compete. Like, now.

-Adam

Nintendo says 'Casual' Doesn't Exist

Nintendo Europe's senior marketing director Laurent Fischer says so.

I wasn't going to bring this up until I ran across this amazing response on the Escapist Forum:

By Jon Rose

Let me make the distinction clear for the hangers-on who jumped straight from the short bus into my hobby:

Hardcore - people who keep buying games out of some idiotic habit despite needless complications with hardware, absurd prices, disappointing "AAA" wankfests and/or thoroughly corrupt review industry who seem to have an extreme aversion toward actually fulfilling their function

Casual - everyone else

So, "casual" is at best a useless synonym. "Not retarded" works well enough that we really don't need to coin a new term.

Nail+Head=Hit

-Adam!!!

Why is Club Penguin safe for your kids?

Club Penguin is the king penguin of online virtual worlds. Bought by Disney for $350 Million, developers watched, mouths agape, as somebody else's amazing idea paid off big time...with simple little penguins and some flash games.

Of course, there is far more to it than that. In addition to being a lot of fun, Club Penguin is one of the safest sites on the internet. With around 100 people monitoring the site and providing customer service, no other site has the resources to assure parents that their kids have EXACTLY the experience they want and expect. What to all those people do? Well, for one they find naughty words.

-Adam

World of Warcraft is opening doors for other MMO's?

So says somebody in the industry.

It's kind of interesting to think that the WoW's leftovers are of greater value to publishers than the entire MMO market when Blizzard launched the gaming behemoth.

*If* a publisher can keep their costs down to survive in the long tail of the MMO audience there's more opportunity for niche MMO gaming than ever before. I'm not convinced the economics work, as the games are crazy expensive to develop. Of course, like everything in the tech sphere, dev costs will continue to go down.

Hmmmm...

-Adam

Game Guts - Inside Virtual World Gaming

There's no getting around it, I'm in the virtual worlds business now. It's my job, it's what I do in my spare time (besides playing Wii, building robots, and HL2 for the umpteenth time), and it's what I think about as I'm dozing off to sleep at night.

This shift in my life has ground this blog to a halt, as I'm just not thinking and reading about hobby gaming (cardboard games) nearly enough to comment about them. Rather than kill GG, I've decided to simply shift to the entertainment type that dominates my current life. Virtual Worlds. I'll still pepper this blog with misc. stuff, including the occasional shot at Hasbro (I can't help it.) Since starting work at Flowplay I've had an opportunity to experience the following virtual world/gaming sites, and I have opinions on all of them:

ourWorld - My employer, so don't look for objective commentary here. =-)
dizzywood - Fantastic 3d site aimed for younger kids. My favorite kids site.
Club Penquin - Disney paid huge bank for this, which is why virtual worlds are suddenly the rage. It does a lot of things right!
Whirled - Gaming site that focuses on user generated content. Buggy as hell, but very interesting. More suited to teens and adults.
Urbaniacs - Hip-Hop Superhero themed site. Great concept. Flawed execution. YMMV.
Dinosaur Junction - Club Penguin rip-off, with educational spin. Not bad, just painfully unoriginal.
Faketown - Venerable 2d site with a lot of user generated content. From what I saw, not for kids!
Neopets - Another tenured site. Neopets has a lot to offer, but is far from perfect.
Gaia Online - I have to admit I haven't looked at this one too closely, though there are a couple of big fans in the office here.
Bella Sara - My old gig. Horse themed world aimed squarely at pre-teen girls. I have no idea what they're doing now, but I wish them well (I own stock.)

That's most of the major ones I've checked out. There's also client based virtual worlds like 2nd life (which I've played with, but not recently) and online multiplayer games like MapleStory. I sort of put those types of games in a different category, though it's all one big virtual world family.

I will say this. As far as I'm concerned, everything I've written for this site regarding games, gaming, and game marketing applies to virtual worlds. The product has a different format, but games are games and people are people. To succeed, a virtual world needs to bring something special to the table, and it has to appeal to a specific audience above all others.

Cheers,

-Adam!!!

Decipher wants to reinvent the CCG

It looks like somebody has been reading my blog (or the same books I do!)

Decipher, who brought us the original Star Wars and Star Trek CCGs is back, and it looks like they're on the right track.

The game: Fight Klub

The idea: Everything is centered up online networking, including sales, keeping the focus on the relationship between the publisher and the fan. If the game is good, it might be the future of hobby gaming (sorry distributors and retailers!)

I...love...it. This is the sort of thing I've been hoping to see for years. A publisher is TRYING again. Good luck, Decipher.

Yes, I joined. Yes, I plan on buying this game (it's $30...how bad could it be?)
I hope you do too, if for no other reason but to see something different happen.

-Adam!!!

Welcome to ourWorld

What's the point of having a blog if you can't shill for your new employer? This is the start of my second week here at Flowplay and they've (we've) launched a cool new gaming site called ourWorld

My title is Customer Experience Manager, so I'll be in charge making sure every little thing you see, do, and experience on the site is either perfect, or has being made perfect on the 'to-do' list. If it's not perfect, I'm also the person who'll be making it right.

Unlike other game aggregate sites, where there's simply a list of games, ourWorld is a beautiful, avatar based, WORLD, and games are the featured attractions. It's very much like an online theme park.

It's brand new, there's tons of content still in the pipe, and you get a lot of play out the free membership. Check it out! My avatar's name is Wylde, and if you ask, I'll be your friend.

Oh, if you have suggestions about the site, or find something that isn't perfect (and I'm sure you will), don't be shy about letting me know.

Hint: Level up by spinning the prize wheel.

Thanks!

-Adam

Two of my Favorite Things

From Kotaku

Gingerbread: Tapping the Casual Cake Market


I don't know if this makes me want to snack, or game. Aw heck, who needs to choose!

-Adam

Facebook Experiment

Since I just spammed all my Facebook friends, I figure I might as well commit all the way and post here too. The point of Facebook is to bring people together, after all. I decided I'd use its event organization tool to spread the word about Western Allied Robotics' next tournament, Seattle Bot Battles 6.




I just checked, and there are no gaming tournaments listed in the Seattle area AT ALL. Is this a mistake? I think it might be. It seems like people who belong to gaming fan groups would be interested in finding gaming events in there area. Given how easy it is to set up an event (SBB6 took me less than an hour) and invite a lot of people who are probably interested, it seems like a no-brainer.

Am I missing something?

-Adam

1000 True Gamer Fans

This article asserts that if you have a 1000 fans, spending $100 per year on whatever it is you do, you should be able to make a comfortable living, provided you keep your costs down. It's talking about an internet business, so yes, it makes perfect sense.

Could this be a viable strategy for a one-person-band game publisher? With a little custom built strategy, I think so.

-Adam

More Sad News

Arthur C. Clarke dies at 90

I think it's safe to say he was my favorite author. I don't read a great deal of fiction, so when I do I want it to be great. Clarke's work was.

-Adam

Good News, Everyone!

Or perhaps not.

From GamingReport.com

Joyce Greenholdt Reports: Wizards of the Coast Inc., subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc. and leader in trading-card games, role-playing games, and shared-world fantasy fiction, today announced Greg Leeds as the new President of Wizards of the Coast.

Leeds is moving to Renton, Wash., following seven years at Hasbro where he headed up International

Marketing and helped to develop Hasbro’s global brand management methodology. Prior to that he led Hasbro’s Boys group and had extensive experience in marketing, operations, and sales at both Samsonite and Procter & Gamble.

“Wizards is a fantastic game company with great opportunities to expand and enhance player communities around the world,” said Leeds. “I feel privileged to join the team and carry-on our culture of captivating gamers everywhere they want to play.”

After a distinguished 12-year career at Wizards of the Coast, Loren Greenwood is stepping down as President and CEO and leaving the company effective March 21.

I remember Loren's first day. I said "Great, just what this company needs, another VP." Of course, he overheard me. He gave the impression he thought it was funny (I *was* sort of kidding). Based on that awkward first impression, my opinion of Loren was always positive. I haven't agreed with everything WotC's done over the last half dozen years, but as far as I know, Loren's a stand up guy that will be missed.

There's always reason to be concerned when an industry veteran leaves WotC and is replaced by someone from Hasbro corporate. I know nothing of Greg Leeds, but the success rate of non-game industry people selling games to gamers is distressing. If he's not on point with what these products are and why they appeal to the people they appeal to, WotC's probably going to have a new president in about 18 months.

My advice to Greg would be this: You are now the most important person in the hobby game industry. For the first few months, go to as many game conventions as you can. Meet the fans. Play games with them. Play OTHER company's games with them. LISTEN to them. Gamers are similar to any other fan, passionate, opinionated, smart. One convention won't do. You need to go to all of them. Different fans have the same core desires, but different priorities. You only get this after talking with a few thousand of them. This isn't like luggage, household goods, or even normal toys because unlike those products, everyone doesn't use and understand them. Odds are you don't use or understand them. Everyone knows and understands toys, Samsonite bags, and P&G products. You kneed to understand D&D just as well as you understand those things. Unfortunately, unless you're already a gamer (my money's that you're not), that'll require some homework and a few field trips. Just to be clear, the usual executive tactic of sitting down and playing each game once doesn't do the trick. Would you understand golf and golf fans after playing one round?

If you don't think you need to understand hobby games and their fans, enjoy your 18 months.

Regardless, GOOD LUCK!

-Adam

Star Wars, Daddy-O

Thanks to Wil Wheaton for bringing this to my attention!




A double helping of awesome sauce.

-Adam

Things you can do when you aren't working

For the last two days I've been redesigning our robotic combat club's website.

www.westernalliedrobotics.com

I have to say, I'm pretty happy with the results. The headers turned out great, and the design-y stuff looks just like I want it to. I rebuilt the site using Adobe Dreamweaver (I can't code, sorry) and I couldn't be happier with how the program works. Pretty much everyting that was bedeviling me the first couple of days I've managed to figure out. Eventually I'll need to read up on the advanced stuff, but for what I need to do right now, I'm managing just fine.

The goal is a site that:

• Provides current members with rules and event updates
• Provides robotic combat fans a cool place to find out about local events, see pictures and videos.
• Provide new builders with resources so they can get started with ease.
  

The site manages the first one fine, the second one sort of (no videos yet) and doesn't really help new builders at all. There's work to be done.

-Adam

The World Isn't Funny. This is.

(Even if it is just a Zero Punctuation Rip-Off)

How to Behave on an Internet Forum

-Adam!!!

Gary Gygax - RIP

Reported by CNN

I never met Gary, though I believe he made several trips to the Wizards of the Coast offices while I was working there. If I did pass him in the halls or attended a function he was at, I am unaware of it. I sort of wish I had made more of an effort to shake his hand back when I would have had the chance to.

I've said before that everything great about gaming sprouts from revolutionary ideas. Dungeons & Dragons is a great example of that. While D&D is over 30 years old, the spirit that created it remains the future of our hobby. A hobby that defines so many of us in so many profound ways. It's our work, our play, our imaginations given form. Gary Gygax was a pivotal figure in bringing all of that to all of us. Thanks.

Gary's heaven is a heaven I look forward to.

-Adam

Tribes - Another Take

It's no big secret that I'm a democrat. I find the presidential race both facinating and exciting. All of the candidates were surprisingly strong, capable, and interesting. The final two democrats, particularly so.

But that's not what you hear on talk radio.

Instead of hearing "I like person X for reason Y", we hear versions of "I hate person X for reason Y". For a while it was disheartening to me. Don't these people know the two leading candidates are two sides of the same coin?

Than it hit me, these are the same sorts of hyperbole filled discussions I read on gaming message boards. Console Wars. Board gamers "hate" Collectible and Video Games. Console Gamers "hate" World of Warcraft. World of Warcraft players hate sunlight...(kidding!)

People are emotionally invested in the choices they make, and the more emotion they invest, the more difficult it is for them to accept opposing viewpoints. Criticism of their choices equates to criticism of them, and that can cause folks to lash out in response. This most often manifests in the anonymous worlds of radio and the internet, thankfully. I've haven't heard about fist fights at the political caucuses and game conventions tend to be peaceful affairs.

Bring it home Adam!

If you're releasing a new game that going to go head to head with an existing game with an existing fan base, be aware that you're not just competing with that game, you are indirectly attacking the choices made by the fans of that game. They will resist, even if your game is better, because quitting their game is like admitting they made a mistake playing it the first place. That's one of the reasons it's so much easier to launch a new game in a genre dominated by one product when that product is in decline (WoW replacing Everquest). When fans are making the decision to quit on their own, being the fresh, new thing is exactly what they want and where you want to be. The rest of the time, you're better off finding new customers who are looking for entirely new experiences.

-Adam

Great Minds Rip Each Other Off

(Kidding!)

Don't you hate it when you have a great idea. An epiphany, really, and then you find somebody else not only had the same idea, but has already made it happen?

The basic premise of RPG Superstar exactly what I have been thinking about for the last week, though in my fantasy world (as opposed to Piazo's actual real world) the competition was with an assortment of tabletop game types (card games, board games, miniatures-type game, etc.)

RPG Superstar

Perhaps it's time to shoot Paizo an e-mail?

-Adam

Trading Card Games aren't really addicting

Starbucks shut down for 3 hours yesterday. I sort of knew it was going to happen, but didn't really pay any attention because, like most people, I don't buy much coffee in the afternoon. Of course, every form of media picked up on the story and Starbucks received a massive amount of publicity. I would be amazed if, when it all gets added up, they lost a meaningful number of sales.

What if Wizards of the Coast decided not to publish a Magic expansion for a cycle? They've kept the same schedule for years: Big expansion in the fall, small expansions in the Spring and Summer. What if one spring they chose to not release anything. Spring is, traditionally, the softest season for game sales.

Would anticipation build, like a popular movie or video game sequel? Would people freak out? Would people just shrug their shoulders and note "they release too many expansions, anyway"?

For the record, I'm voting against the Freak Out option. Also for the record, that's what you're shooting for with your game.

-Adam

Define "Casual"

Casual games have the reputation of being the current 'in' trend in video gaming. With the Wii, success of Popcap and other online puzzle makers, and kids sites, it's easy to see how the market is growing. The barriers to entry on this type of gaming activities have never been lower. The games are available, easy to play, free or extremely inexpensive. One other defining characteristic is that established hobby-type video game players resent this trend.

I think they have a valid gripe. Talented game designers are being tapped to create these games to the exclusion of other, more traditional 'hobby' type games. It's an easy choice for publishers to make, as their profit margins have the potential to be great.

I was going to predict what this meant for the industry, but honestly I'm not sure. I guess I'll just leave it as an observation.

Does this mean anything to the future of the hard-core video game player and/or publisher?

-Adam

Red Mario

Much thanks to (the recovering) Wil Wheaton for bringing this to my attention.

The People's Mario

I don't remember communism being so stylish.

-Adam

Battlebots - ESPN

It's been a pretty exciting day for me. In addition to a job interview at an amazing company, my favorite show (ever?) may be returning to TV.


If you know me, you know I'm a combat robot enthusiast and fan. This is way cool.

I may not be building a heavyweight, like what would compete at Battlebots, but TV exposure is likely to be a huge boon for our local robotic combat club, WAR and I am all over that.

I've already contacted Battlebots and asked what our club can do to help support their new event. IMHO, combining the power of TV exposure with the infrastructure of the existing hobby clubs is the key to a level of success the sport/hobby hasn't yet enjoyed.

Fingers crossed & Weeeee!

-Adam

Go with the Flow

In my week-long search to remain an industry insider, I've already had a couple of job interviews. I try to remain calm at these things, but when the outcomes of these meetings are determining the future security of my family, well, nerves do set in. Hopefully I represented myself well.

The first was on Monday with Wizkids, which was cool. I like their products and I love how they have opened up the gaming market with new genres. In fact, that they've done it twice is remarkable. Pre-painted plastic miniatures, first. More recently with the die-cut plasti-card games. In my opinion, innovation like that is how you succeed. Being a part of a company that shares my vision on the path to success is extremely appealing.

Today's interview was with Flowplay. They're an online gaming service and I have to say I was mightily impressed. I'm really hoping they were half as impressed with me as I was with them.
Derrick, if you read this, I loved your hat. With our without me, I think they have a great shot at success. Of course, with me, their chances improve by at least 10%. =-)

It'll be a week (at least) before I hear from either of them. Wish me luck!

-Adam!!!

Free Content Model Examples

This time from Wired How-to Wiki

* '''CPM ads''' ("cost per thousand views"; banner ads online and regular ads in print, TV and radio)
* '''CPC ads''' ("cost per click"; think Google ads)
* '''CPT ads''' ("cost per transaction"; you pay only if the customer brought to you from a media sites becomes a paying customer. Here's [http://seekingalpha.com/article/12247-ebay-s-ad-network-ready-to-launch-ebay-goog an example].)
* '''Lead generation''' (you pay for qualified names of potential customers)
* '''Autoresponder Memberships''' (people pay for email; [http://FreeBusinessModel.com watch this free video])
* '''Subscription revenues'''
* '''Affiliate revenues''' (e.g., Amazon Associates, [http://imsimple.com/cb Products + Clickbank])
* '''Rental of subscriber lists'''
* '''Sale of information''' (selling data about users--aggregate/statistical or individual--to third parties)
* '''Licensing of brand''' (people pay to use a media brand as implied endorsement)
* '''Licensing of content''' (syndication)
* '''Getting the users to create something of value for free and applying any of the above to monetize it'''. (Like Digg or our own Reddit)
* '''Upgraded service/content''' (ed: aka "freemium")
* '''Alternate output''' (pdf; print/print-on-demand; customized Shared Book style; etc.)
* '''Custom services/feeds'''
* '''Live events'''
* '''"Souvenirs"/"Merchandise"'''
* '''Co-branded spinoff'''
* '''Cost Per Install''' (popular with top Facebook apps who can help others get installs)
* '''E-commerce''' (selling stuff directly on your website)
* '''Sponsorships''' (ads of some sort that are sold based on time, not on the number of impressions)
* '''Listings''' (paying a time based amount to list something like a job or real estate on your website)
* '''Paid Inclusion''' (a form of CPC advertising where an advertiser pays to be included in a search result)
* '''Streaming Audio Advertising''' (like radio advertising delivered in the audio stream after a certain amount of audio content has been delivered)
* '''Streaming Video Advertising''' (like streaming audio but in video)
* '''API Fees''' (charging third parties to access your API)

Honestly, I dislike most of the listed 'solutions'. I want a site where game designers can contribute to the site and profit directly from their contributions. A free model may not be appropriate. Some amount of free content will be essential, however.

-Adam

Urge to Kill...Fading

The Comedy Central site says there will be new episodes starting tomorrow.

Breath. I...can...make...it... Breath.

-Adam

OUTRAGE!

Warning: Not game related.

What the hell!?!?!? The Daily Show is STILL in reruns? Last week was a holiday, and Stewart had to get ready for the Oscards, sure. I was distressed, but I handled it.

The writers strike ends and they go back to work for TWO DAYS? TWO FREAKING DAYS?

I'm dying here. I had hoped a blog rant would help. It hasn't.

I NEEDS ME SOME NEW DAILY SHOW AND COLBERT REPORT!!!!

-Adam

I want to make money by giving my games away.

Chris Anderson, author of The Long Tail, is working on a new book about the economy of "free". His views on how business works totally jibe with what I want to do, but I can't wait until 2009 to find out what he says.

I want to:

• Build a website with PDF downloads of complete, ready to play, card games.
• Give the games away for free*
• Invite other game designers, including designers of out of print games, to do the same.
• ?
• Profit

Ideas, anyone?

* My current plan is to charge for the downloads, but if there's a model that allows me to support the site, and myself, without charging, that's the way to go for sure.

This is the article, about the article, which will be in the next (current?) issue of Wired.

-Adam

Scorched Earth

Collectable-type games have emerged as one of the most profitable genres in tabletop gaming. Probably THE most profitable. Unfortunately for game publishers, it seems to be getting harder and harder to succeed with this model every year. Now, it was always hard, but lately nothing seems to have legs. Remember the World of Warcraft TCG? I'm told it was huge. It's probably still a good seller, but huge? No. I thought the new Pokemon Collectible Minis game would be a big hit with the younger players. It wasn't (discounted at my local games store.) It may be that Pokemon has finally worn out its welcome, but I really think there's something else at work.

1) Established brands (Magic, Clix, ect.) still dominate. There's simply no room for any other brand to get significant traction.
2) Slow economy. Other forms of entertainment, particularly electronic, provide more entertainment for less money.
3) Scorched Earth. Greedy rarity schemes and failure to successfully promote secondary markets have created an industry with a reputation for ripping its customers off, one $4 pack at a time. This mindset, more than anything (IMHO) is preventing quality collectible games from reaching the fan-gamer. These games are now being dismissed by gamers out of hand.

Whether or not a collectible game can overcome this stigma is hard to say. My guess is that it won't, because I don't know of any publisher whose willing to sacrifice short term sales to create a stronger product overall. I've never worked for one who would.

Rares sell packs, they say. To much crap in the pack kills games, I say.

-Adam!!!

A true American Hero

Wizards of the Coast artist, Todd Lockwood brings us a masterpiece...


Stephen Colbert, american hero, legend, dare we say it...demigod?

Much thanks to Laughingsquid.com and Nick Douglas for posting this.


-Adam

I want to be Will Wright when I grow up.

Will Wright talk at GDC

It's about a 1/2 hour, and all awesome.

-Adam

Finally an MMORPG to be excited about!

Champions MMORPG

Sure, I played D&D back in the 80's, but Champions was MY GAME. It's the last game I played regularly, and I while I could sell my D&D books and not shed a tear, I couldn't stand to lose my beloved Champions books.

I...can't...wait.

-Adam

Zero Punctuation iz da bom!

If you haven't seen Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw's Zero Punctuation video game reviews, you're missing out. They've become a weekly feature on the Escapist Magazine website and a highlight of my week. New episodes are posted each Wednesday and while the quality of each one is the subject of massive amounts of debate, the fact that they garner such debate is clear evidence of success.

Note: The reviews are wonderfully crass and Yahtzee is not the least bit afraid of using words like F***.

If indeed I still have regular readers (which I sort of doubt) you've probably noticed how I've started talking more and more about video games. Well, I have. There, I said it.

-Adam!!!

Life's Little (and Big) Detours

,As of yesterday I no longer work for Hidden City Games. I was laid off in a round of down-sizing that included not just me, but several people including some others who've been working at HCG since the Clout days.

While I'm sad about leaving the best job I've ever had, I'm optimistic I'll be able to get either another game developer job or get my own gaming business off the ground. Both are long-shots, but I've got a little time to explore both options. As these things go, the timing isn't terrible.

I'd also like to publicly thank my dear friends Jesper Myrfors and Paul Peterson who actively worked to keep me on. I know that if it were their decision, I'd still be there, and that means a lot to me.

If any of my Seattle area friends read this blog and need my services, I'm free to do whatever you need done. After working on pink horses for little girls (not a bad thing!), I'm basically ready for anything. Even so, the more robots and zombies, the better.

My HCG e-mail address still works, but I can't say for how long. To reach me, your best bet is conusa <> comcast <> net

-Adam

I can't think of a better way to remember my friend!

Written my other friend, Mike Selinker, on Paizo Publishing's Blog

If you like, you can buy the game there, as well.

-Adam
Paul Randles' Final Game: Key Largo
Tuesday, February 12, 2008

In February 2003, Pirate's Cove designer Paul Randles died of cancer. That
story didn't have a happy ending. This one does.

A year earlier, Paul drafted a deep-sea diving board game he called Treasure
Hunt. Players would salvage treasure from shipwrecks off the Florida coast.
The game had pop-up boats, and little cardboard shipwrecks with treasure
disks. Paul wanted a European publisher to publish it, but it wasn't good
enough yet. A solid 6 on the scale of 1 to 10, he said. It better at least
be a 9 before it hit the street.

Then he got sick. I didn't know how to help. My wife did. Evon suggested I
ask Paul for Treasure Hunt. I'd develop the game with him, and then find a
publisher to put it out. For the last months of his life, we worked on the
game together.

I gave him a 21-Nerf-gun salute at his funeral, and told the legions of game
industry folk there that I was shopping Treasure Hunt. It was a pretty good
game by this point. Maybe an 8.

At an Ohio convention, I met Bruno Faidutti, the French designer of
Citadels. He knew of Paul and wanted to help. Within a month he had
restructured the game he was now calling Treasure Island into a great game.
A 9 for sure. Gone were the pop-up boats and the cardboard shipwrecks,
replaced now by full-size boats and card decks of sunken treasure. Now we
could find someone to publish it.

Every publisher wanted to see the game, because Paul had a lot of friends. A
major American board game company wanted to convert it to a dungeon-crawl
game. I thanked them and declined. (Side story: Based on this, I did design
that dungeon game, with my co-designer James Ernest of Cheapass Games. That
game, Dungeonville, came out from two more publishers, Z-Man Games and
Pegasus Spiele. So Paul's game has a son, and he's bilingual.)

Then Tilsit Editions of France made an offer, which Bruno, Paul's widow
Katty, and I accepted. Editor Nicolas Anton proposed adding people you could
meet on the island, the last thing the game needed to become a 10 out of 10.
Tilsit renamed it Key Largo, gave it a fancy cover and a modular board, and
released it in 2005 in German, Italian, and French. Which was great, except
I don't speak any of those languages very well.

But I do speak English, and I do know Lisa Stevens, the CEO of Paizo
Publishing. Lisa was looking to start a new line of board games, which
eventually I helped forge into Titanic Games, the publisher of the color
version of Kill Doctor Lucky and Stonehenge: An Anthology Board Game.
Titanic needed a third game, so I looked at the name of the company and
said, "How about one about sinking ships?"

How about it indeed, she said. And so, in February 2008, five years to the
month after Paul's passing, Titanic Games will be releasing the full-color
English version of Key Largo, with all-new art and all-new components
delivered by graphic designer James Davis. The English edition has a large
one-piece board, nice wooden boats, fifteen delightful divers, and beautiful
cards with art from Ben Huen and Andrew Hou. Everyone we've shown it to says
it's a work of art. I like those people.

The game has undergone a lot of facelifts since Paul's fun little prototype,
but there's something unmistakably Paul-ish in the final version. That's why
the money in the game bears the inscription "E Paulibus Unum," which I can
pretend means "In Paul We Trust."

I can't play Key Largo with Paul, but now I can play it with you.

Mike Selinker

Endless Ocean again? - This time a real review.

,Wildcard’s Score Card - Endless Ocean

Overview

Endless Ocean is a leisurely paced exploration game for the Wii. While there are certainly tasks offered up for the player to complete, most of my sessions have been spent simply swimming around, looking for new fish, seascapes, and hidden treasures.

Strong Points

The seascape and creature design is fabulous. It’s very easy to let yourself be immersed in the game, focusing on its beauty and serenity. As been pointed out in every review, both positive and negative, the game is extremely tranquil and relaxing. What’s more exciting to me is how different Endless Ocean is from standard game fair. Somebody took a big risk with this, but the Wii’s casual audience and Nintendo’s commitment to providing unique casual gaming experiences created a perfect situation for a game like this to flourish. On a previous gen system, titles like this would be released and whither into obscurity, but on the Wii it has surfaced as a potential hit…or at least cult hit. I purchased it specifically because I wanted to support these sorts of games. I’ve spent the last four nights playing nothing else because the game is so darned good.

Weak Points

While the graphics are gorgeous, they are limited by the Wii’s power, and occasionally something will look awkward or move poorly. Because the game focuses totally on the experience issues like these that would be nothing on a standard action-type game are distracting in this one. The above water graphics are relatively crude, but also irrelevant. Your human partner in the game, a biologist character, has some personal issues in the storyline which I found annoying. In a game that is essentially stress-free, having an in-game character with personal problems was distracting to me. You have to ‘talk’ to her to find out what’s next in the story-line missions, but after a short while, I really didn’t want to. While I wasn’t talking to her, the plot-line (unessential as it is) stalled and I found myself getting bored with the game. Once I realized what I needed to do next, the enjoyment level jumped back up again.

Audience

Anyone who has complained that video games are in a rut, recycling the same ideas over and over again, should check out Endless Ocean. That said, it isn’t for everyone. It’s obviously a casual game, so people who only like high-octane action/strategy-fests will find little to stimulate them. For those of us who enjoy more sedate experiences, Endless Ocean delivers exactly what it promises. In other words, if you think you’ll like it, I think you’ll love it.

Wrap Up

Endless Ocean is a bargain title at only $30. I’m hoping it’s a hit so more EO titles, with enhanced graphics and even larger areas to explore are released, and more games like EO are created. This game, rendered with the power of an Xbox360 or a PS3 would be unbelievable. Even on the Wii, it’s wonderful and remarkable. What shortcomings the game does have are largely unrelated to the core activity – exploring an amazing undersea world. While they lower the scores on mainstream game media reviews, they have very little impact on the overall game experience.

Grade: A

Game Submission Guidelines

Most game designers would like to design their game, show it to a publisher, and let the money start rolling in. Everyone knows it doesn't really work like that (except for me, one time) but it's still how we all wish it would work.

I think the future of game publishing, from a designer's point of view, is in self publishing. It's a lot harder than the 'fire and forget' system of getting an established publisher to make your game, but your chances for success are vastly, VASTLY, improved.

If you ignore those odds and want to submit a game anyway I suggest the following:

• Make sure your prototype is ready to play*. If I can't play it, I can't evaluate it properly.
  
• Make it look nice. Art isn't required, but clip art is easy, free and will add a lot to the presentation.
  
• Don't go crazy with art. Art directors will always want to redo everything anyway.
• Do go crazy with rules. Clear as crystal. Keep typos to a minimum. This isn't a resume', so a lone spelling error shouldn't disqualify you. That said, if it's too hard to read or we can't figure it out, we're not interested.
• Don't worry about marketing, pricing, or presentation. Like art directors, marketing and sales directors have there own ideas about those sorts of things.
  

* Prototypes need not be full games. Just enough to experience the core mechanics. If it's a card game, include enough cards that a few turns can be played. I use printer-ready buisiness cards to print my card-game prototypes. It's worked really well (until my printer pooped out on me!)

In all honesty, it doesn't hurt to try and get feedback from companies on your games, even if you know they aren't going to publish it. The more comments from people outside your circle of friends, the better your game will be. If you can, take it to conventions and try it out there (easier said than done, I know.)

Hobby game designers have this notion that their ideas are special and that if too many people see it, the idea will be stolen. For the most part, that's rubbish. The more people that see your ideas the more valuable feedback you're likely to get. Also, everyone thinks their ideas are better than yours, so stealing ideas isn't on most people's to-do list. The best way to prove them wrong is to turn your idea into a reality. That's where the value is.

-Adam!!!

Endless Ocean - If it's fun, I guess it's a game.

It's rare that I purchase a game for my Wii on impulse, yet when I simultaneously read about Endless Ocean on Kotaku's new release post and Penny Arcade's Blog I decided I like the look of it and I wanted it.

Endless Ocean is a scuba diving simulation. Good God, it is sooooooo relaxing.

Conflict - None
Danger - None
Difficulty - Easy
Pace - Slooooooooooow
Graphics - Purty

What do you do in the game? You swim. You look for things. "Missions" consist of people asking (nicely, with no obligations) you to help them find specific things. No hurry, just if you feel like it.

In my first few hours of play I:

* Saw and swam with a whale
* Helped a dolphin stuck in a lagoon, it became my friend.
* Found a lost medal and part of an old compass on the sea floor.
* Swam with hammerheads.
* Saw sharks, not the hammerheads, spawn (I guess, they mostly just sat there.)
* Helped two tourists find a particular fish they liked.
* Populated an aquarium tank with fish I'd discovered.
* Petted three kinds of penguins.
* Stayed up nearly an hour later than normal because I didn't want to stop playing.

My current unfinished 'task' is to take a picture of a particular fish...a blue something. No problem, they're pretty common.

Does that sound boring to you? Some people find it boring. Heck, after a couple more hours I might find it boring. For now, however, I find it memorizing and I've spent all day at work just waiting to get back home to it.

One last feature, it's only $30.

-Adam!!!

Spectromancer Beta

For all you PC users out there (sorry, no mac version) Hidden City Games has just released its latest computer game offering for beta testing.

Check out -

www.spectromancer.com

Enjoy!

-Adam

Hasbro is at it again...Cease and Desist!

Hasbro is threatening to shut down one of my favorite online activities, Scrabulous from Facebook.

I believe this is Hasbro shooting themselves in the virtual foot, once again. The idea, it seems, is to use legal pressure to remove Scrabulous from the picture so their online version/s of Scrabble don't have the competition.

There's no point in arguing whether or not they can do this. Of course they can. I will continue to argue that they SHOULDN'T. I believe:

* Scrabulous increases the number of Scrabble players in the world, and Hasbro directly benefits from this.
* Hasbro's 'official' Scrabble game should be good enough to make people switch, if is a zero-sum situation. If it's not good enough, it'll fail with or without Scrabulous in the picture.
* Evergreen games like Scrabble, Monopoly, Yahtzee, ect. are going to be more and more difficult to 'own' as more and more fans want to play online. In place of an official version, these home-grown efforts (both for profit and not) are going to keep popping up.
* I play Scrabulous because it's a Facebook app. If Hasbro's isn't and I really doubt it would be, then I'll simply find another free game to play on Facebook and never think about Scrabble again (which I hadn't for years before I started playing Scrabulous.)

-Adam!!!

Positive Reinforcement

I'm a big fan of the PS2 games Katamari Damacy and I [heart] Katamari. It occurs to me, particularly in the sequel, the game is filled with characters egging you on and challenging you to do well. Other games, such the Pokemon RPG games, also have lot of characters that reinforce the notion that what you're doing is worthwhile. I think more games, particularly American games, could stand to have a bit more of that. When I'm spending hours at a time collecting arbitrarily large quantities of gems, or sparkles, or whatever, the more NPCs that come over and tell me how great I am for doing all this work, the better.

-Adam!!!

MMO, the Next Generation

World of Warcraft - Huge. Why? It's just Everquest, but better. Well, it is (was) the next generation of MMO. There was a gap between EQ and EQ2 and WoW jumped in there right when EQ aged and lost traction and EQ2 hadn't caught on (for a variety of reasons.)

There will be a time when WoW no longer holds up. Will WoW2 replace it, or will a new game by a new developer fill the gap? My guess is that Blizzard and every other developer who wants to release an MMO is working to identify that gap, and hit it with the best product they can. Blizzard's goal is to make that gap as short as possible, reducing competition's chance to wedge themselves in there. They've got a huge advantage...just like Sony and Everquest did.

I'm curious to see what supplants WoW. I'm glad I don't work for a company who's trying to shoot that gap (besides Blizzard, at least.)

Other sure fire hits: New Coke, Playstation 3, Everquest 2, and Godfather part III.

Most people are only going to pay $15 per month for one game. The best game. "Best", however, is defined by a lot of factors, many external to the game itself.



-Adam!!!

How much would you pay for this game?

If you follow any of the popular news-feeds you know that Radiohead just released a new album and they're selling it for whatever their fans want to pay, including nothing. It seems most people are shelling about between $5 and $9 (based on a poll, I think) and that sounds about right. I'm not a Radiohead fan so if I get it, I'll be doing it the freeloader way. Why is that a good deal for Radiohead? Well, there's no way I'd pay for music I'm not sure I'd like, and if I do like it, who knows what I might pay for in the future?

I love the idea of download-able games. Games you can print and play on an inkjet printer. The logistics have stymied me for about a year now, but I keep my eyes open for technology that'll make printing on demand or printing at home an affordable and attractive alternative to traditional game manufacturing and distribution.

What if you could download PDFs of out of print card games (both traditional and collectible). How much would you pay? What if you owned the rights to some of these games? How much would it take to make them available in this manner?

-Adam!!!

It's a Bird, It's a Plane!

Super-Fans

Most games have them. All successful games do. The Super-Fan. The 1%ers. The folks that are REALLY, REALLY into it.

Super-Fans build fan sites, some so elaborate they rival (or best) the publisher's site.
Super-Fans participate in on-line forum discussions, chats, and blogs. If the publisher doesn't host such things, the super-fans start their own.
Super-Fans buy EVERYTHING, and often more so their friends (or local deserving kids) can have your game too.
Super-Fans volunteer at conventions and run local events. (If you help them, sometimes even if you don't.)
If your Super-Fan owns a store, it's probably a top seller of your game. (With Clout, the stores where the managers/owners loved the game sold piles of chips. Unfortunately, there weren't near enough of those stores!)

At the Tangled Web, Clout tournaments were huge. The manager was a super-fan.

The key to getting the most out of Super-Fans is to understand why they are Super Fans (beyond you're game being awesome, I mean.) Like most people, they like being a part of something, and you're lucky enough that they chose you're game community to be a part of. What do they want in return?

Stuff? Sure, but not really.
Appreciation? Yes.
Recognition? Absolutely!
The inside scoop? Hells Yes.
Super-Fans want you to know who they are and they want to be a part of what you're doing.

Everything you can do to make being a super-fan an easier thing to be, will pay dividends. They'll have an awesome time, you'll sell a lot of games. In the game industry it means having communities tools in place. It means having customer service and/or organized play people that communicate two-way. Super-fans put forth extra effort. It's your job to recognize that. Shouting at them through boilerplate, press releases, and ads is NOT communicating. That sort of thing is for the customers, maybe the regular fans, NOT the Super-Fans.

Are Super-Fans worth it? Of course. Even if you're really into the games you're making, they're more into it. With TCG's, the average Super-Fan knows more about the games than the average employee at the company publishing the game (a fact many Super-Fans I've met don't like, but hey, it's their passion vs. our job!)

Also, Super-Fans are awesome to hang around with at conventions!


-Adam!!!

Boxes, Little Boxes

Before I spout about Super-Fans (the most important 1% of your customer base) I think I'll digress a bit.

Adam, how can you put all these people in broad categories? Well, of course, I can't. This isn't about individuals. Ideally, you should make decisions about your games that meet the needs of each individual customer, individually. If Allen from Wichita needs large type, and you could get it for him, you'd sell a game to Allen. Barney wants a cheap game and doesn't care about color or fancy graphics. Teresa not only wants high quality art, but she's an artist and wants a way to include her art in the game. Sadly, that's just not possible (yet.) You can't please everyone. Also, you can't choose who's going to like your game. That's their choice. What can you do? You can choose who YOU WANT to please, and you can make decisions based on that. If you don't choose, you're leaving it all up to luck. I don't recommend that. (Making a game for people who are just like you is a choice, and it can be a fine one, if you're cool enough. =-)

It's not just acquisition and retention. That's too simple. It's essential, but not adequate. That doesn't cover fans, and fans are the most important element to the success of a game. You can't just target fans, either, because they people don't start as fans. If you go up to a stranger on the street and say "join my fan club, you'll get special content nobody else can get." your success rate will be dismal. If you ask a customer who's just made their first purchase that same question, you'll find a slightly more receptive audience. If you ask somebody who buys everything you make, the response will overwhelmingly positive. Ask the right people the right questions. Give the right people the right benefits. That's all I'm saying.

-Adam!!!

Fanatics, gotta love 'em!

Fans

It's likely that fans are your most important customers. Unlike normal customers, who may like your products and may purchase again, fans DO like your products and WILL purchase again (assuming you have other products to purchase.) This is great news, but they still need care. Special care, at that.

Fans understand you and your products. They assume you understand them in return. This may or may not be the case, depending on whether or not you stumbled across something they like (luck) or sought them out (strategy.) If you lucked into a successful product that gathered an unexpected fan-base, you better listen extra close to what they say. The chance of that luck holding out is slim. If you've gathered your fan-base with successful strategy, chances are you're more in the ball-park, but you still better listen to what they say. Listen, and act where you can based on Fan input.

Fans, unlike normal customers, have an emotional investment (as well as financial) in your product and/or company. Your success reflects well upon their choices, so they want to see you succeed. They also want more of whatever it is you do, because they like it. It's all good.

If you don't succeed, some fans will turn on you (regular customers don't care enough to), which is part of the emotional aspect of fandom. Working for Wizards, we canceled a lot of products, and it was always rough. When Clout ended, I was totally surprised at the positive reaction from our fans. They were upset, of course, but unlike Wizards fans, Clout fans knew we didn't have choice about whether to keep kicking the Clout horse or letting it go. It's not mindless emotion, gamers are smart people. Treat people right and it you'll be surprised how it comes back to you (often in unexpected ways!)

As I've written before (Viral, Hardcore, or Vanish), if you've sold any games at all, you've always got fans. When you're struggling, all of your customers are fans. They're often the first to arrive (early adopters) and the last to leave. If you have enough fans, you're bound to succeed, even if your game is never a huge hit.

Because fans are so important, and such a powerful part of your customer-base, I think it's essential to communicate to normal customers how they can become fans. Reward them for fan-like behavior. Make being a fan significantly cooler than being just a customer. I don't know how, exactly, it's YOUR game. =-)

Next: Super-Fans

-Adam!!!