Dizzywood's Arbor Day Foundation Event

Dizzywood is rapidly becoming the coolest play site for the under 12 crowd. Since it's very much a kids-only site, I'm pleased that I can talk it up so freely without worrying about undercutting our work on our teen-oriented ourWorld.

Three months ago (around arbor day, I think) one of the Forests in Dizzywood was chopped down by a villain. The event centered on an activity allowing the kids to get seeds and fertilizer and grow the trees back.

Yesterday, several months later, they just updated the Forest, fully grown back. The entire thing designed to show that the kids could help improve the world by growing trees. Awesome.

This is the message I received:

Hi Adam,

Here's the latest Dizzywood news to report to you (not exactly earth-shattering, but earth-impacting!):

As you may recall, about three months ago, we started an event in Dizzywood, where players were challenged to replant the trees of Wildwood Glen. (The area had been destroyed by Emperor Withering, Dizzywood's arch-villian, and players were asked to plant a tree to help the cause.)

Thanks to the efforts of Dizzywood citizens, we're thrilled to report that 15,000 virtual trees have been planted in Dizzywood, which will translate into 15,000 real trees to be planted in forests that needs them most through our partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation. (Press release attached, which will go out tomorrow.)

This accomplishment was celebrated with a party in Wildwood Glen today - and the unveiling of a statue to commemorate the hard work.

I've attached a "before the replanting" and "after the replanting" screen shot to give you some idea of the lush new landscape in Wildwood Glen. We hope this activity has shown the players of Dizzywood how each person can make a difference -- and that as a collective group, anything is possible.

And here are the pictures:

Before

After (much better!)

I'm pleased that I planted and nurtured my share of trees as part of this whole thing. It really was fun, and this payoff puts it over the top. Once again, well done Dizzywood!

-Adam!!!

Dungeons and Dragons, a humble suggestion

Only Wizards of the Coast have the resources and the customer base to support a major online initiative for an pen and paper RPG.

Make the D&D website essential, and make the books the key to unlocking it.

Players Handbook

• A character generator that is updated with any and all errata.
  
• A database of characters uploaded by users. Think Spore. Players enter the stats, skills (whatever they call them now), etc. and all characters that meet the criteria come up.
• When errata is issued, players can opt-in to updates. All characters they've got online are automatically updated.
• Using the massive collection of artwork already available, character portraits are available from the entire history of D&D.
  

Dungeons Master's Guide

• When used in conjunctions with the PH, characters may have lists of magic items (assuming items are still in the DMG)
• Map, scenario editor and database Similar database to character editor, allowing players to build and share rooms, lairs, or whole adventures.
• Magic Item editor and database.
  

Monster Manual

• When used in conjunction with the map, scenario editor, monster stats are included as statblocks or whole descriptions.
• Monster editor and database.

Here's the kicker. Don't give it away. Put a code in every book that unlocks that book's content on the site. Players who don't buy Monster Manuals don't get access to the Monster Manual content. Players who don't by Player's Handbooks, don't get the character generator.

Suddenly used books are far less valuable than new books. P2P versions are also compromised.

Releasing a new Monster book? Add some featured content to wet the player's taste, but require the book's code to get all the new monsters in their database. Releasing a Forgotten Realms book with new character content? Do the same thing. Give them a little, but only customers with the codes get all that new content.

Make the D&D website essential, and make the books the key to unlocking it.

-Adam!!!

Scrabu-More!! Wordscraper

That didn't take long. Woo Hoo. Now I can uninstall that crap Scrabble plug-in (after defeating my wife, natch!)

Scrabu-Less

Hasbro/EA's new Scrabble (Beta) Facebook app shuts Scrabulous down.


It happened, my favorite* Facebook app, Scrabulous, is gone. In its place is Hasbro/EA's Scrabble Beta Facebook app. I find it hilarious that the new Scrabble game is currently non-functional and there are over 400 threads (not posts, threads) full of anger and spite against the game giant and its strong-arm tactics. I'd say 1 in 50 has a nice thing to say about the new game.

No Scrabulous.
No Scrabble.

I imagine in a day or so we'll see what the real reaction to Scrabble will be. The reaction to a playable Scrabble game. I suspect the hard-core Scrabble and Scrabulous fans will play, though some reluctantly. Angry casual players (like me*) will abandon Scrabble in all its versions altogether, and new players will gravitate to it at a similar rate to the original Scrabulous.

* Yes, Scrabulous was my favorite Facebook app and still not particularly dear to me. Facebook apps don't do much for me, at least so far. The Spore app is my new favorite Facebook app.

Edit: Scrabble Beta is up and running now. My first word...tong.

-Adam!!!

WoW spelled backwards is...oh, never mind

Warhammer Online Creative Director says World of Warcraft "has had a corrupting effect" on game development.

I couldn't agree more. I saw it at Wizards of the Coast, I saw it at Hidden City Games. I haven't seen too much of it at my current gig, as not too many of my current com padres play.

Wizards appears to have drunk the cool-aid with their newest edition of D&D. 4th edition of D&D is designed to play more like an MMO. Maybe in the table top format, that's an improvement, but it sounds more like marketing/executive creative thinking than game designer creative thinking. I can't say for sure, as I haven't played 4th edition D&D.

All the developers and designers at Hidden City Games were neck-deep in WoW, and it seemed to me, who doesn't play, every single design choice for the Bella Sara website (yes, horses for girls was influenced by WoW) was compared to how it was done in either WOW or XBox Live. I don't mind telling you it became tiresome.

To quote Paul Barnett from the article a started this post with:

"You can't be the Beatles. If you try and be the Beatles, you'll end up as the Monkees,"

-Adam!!!

Virtual World vs MMO = Casual vs Hard Core?

It may be that the real difference between what we consider a Virtual World and what we consider a Massively Multiplayer Game is the sort of players that play the games, and how those players are catered to by the publishers.

I recently read an article (sorry, I no longer have the link) that made the assertion that so-called hardcore gamers are far more apt to purchase subscriptions than so-called casual gamers. Casual gamers, it said, preferred to pay using the micro-transaction type models.

While there are certainly examples of hard-core games offering micro-transaction content as well as casual games offering subscriptions, from a demographic standpoint, the division is obvious. Most Virtual Worlds are moving, at least in part, to the micro-transaction model. In just the last year, it's becoming generally accepted, despite the drawbacks, that the micro-transaction model is the strongest choice for a successful Virtual Worlds. World of Warcraft, and most hard-core MMO-type games, have settled on the subscription system as the way to go.

Hard-Core -> MMO -> Subscription Payments
Casual -> Virtual World -> Micro-transactions

No so much a rule, but a guideline.

-Adam!!!

All too Real for Faketown

Faketown files for bankruptcy

A shame really, as I have a fondness for sites that feature a lot of user generated content. Faketown was like a 2d Habbo Hotel with a lot of options for customization. I can't say I'm surprised, as I expect a bit of a virtual world shake-up in the next 12 months or so. Barring some unexpected uptick in the market (people staying home rather than driving around, for example) there won't be room for all of these worlds, even on a medium as infinite as the internet. It's still a zero-sum competition for people willing to provide those magical credit card digits. Let the best worlds win.

Faketown's 2d World

Worlds that feature user generated content must find ways to put the best stuff front and center. It must also have ample designed content to get people into the swing of things before they're ready to take off on their own. I'm not sure Faketown ever managed that, but I didn't spend enough time on the site to judge fairly. I did think it was neat, but, like many players, I prefer the more advanced 3d experiences available elsewhere.

-Adam!!!

Platformations

The Scrabulous/Scrabble thing really got me thinking about platforms and how they relate to intellectual property (IP). Scrabulous did Scrabble a huge service by providing the game on a new platform. It's unclear whether or not there would be a Scrabble on Facebook unless Scrabulous proved there is a demand for it.

This puts fan-developers in a tight spot. If they want to introduce a beloved game to a new platform, they have to deal with the corporate command-and-control legal machines that still dominate our info-wants-to-be-free world. Hasbro has made their position clear. They don't want anyone having fun with their property unless they are directly involved. At least that's a position. In most other cases you just have to guess whether the 'rightful owner' cares whether or not you release a game on a new platform, be it Facebook, the I Phone, or whatever cutting edge thing is coming down the virtual pike. If you're lucky, unhappy IP owners will just tell you to stop. If you're unlucky, they might sue.

The creation of great ideas has never been the hard part. See: inspiration vs perspiration. The hard part is turning those ideas into something of value to the world. The law should go further to protect people (and companies) who create that value, rather than protecting those who have great ideas but are unable or unwilling to share them in ways that provide the most value to the public.

There are a lot of pitfalls in my suggestion, but nothing we couldn't sort out with some work. Just an idea that alone will bring little value to the world.

-Adam!!!

Who plays What and When?

A report from Casual Connect, regarding the demographics of gamers.

It's far more complex than even I suspected, and I suspected it was pretty complex!

-Adam

SUE is only worth 3 points

It looks like it has finally happened, Hasbro is suing the facebook app, Scrabulous.

Last year they 'requested' scrabulous be taken down, it wasn't, and now Hasbro and EA have released an 'official' Scrabble facebook app. I haven't had a chance to play the new app but it's off to a rough start.

Scrabulous gets a 4.2 out of 5 star rating. EA/Hasbro's Scrabble Beta gets 1.7 out of 5. This isn't about what's best for Scrabble players. This is about Hasbro maintaining complete control of a decades old game.

Scrabulous (I'm losing)

Scrabble Beta (Can't get anyone to play)

While I will remain critical of Hasbro's "sue anyone who makes something cool with thier games" strategy, I do realize they are acting within their rights. I just think it's a mistake that hurts them, their fans, and the properties they claim to be protecting.

If you're interested in what I had to say about this back in January, it's right here.

-Adam!!!

Ich bin ein Habbo-ite!

I was asked today to check out Habbo's economy, how they charge, and what they charge for. I see no reason not to share my findings with all (both?) of you! I just signed up today, so this is very much a first impression of Habbo's economy. I know there's more to it than this, but this is what I could dig up in a couple of hours.

SnowStorm, one of several games I can't try out in Habbo

Habbo is a stingy virtual world. Pretty much everything costs coins (also called credits), and coins aren't cheap!

Follow this link to see all the ways Habbo will take your money. It's pretty impressive, actually. Coin Purchase Page: http://www.habbo.com//credits?&hotelclient=1

• 300 Habbo Coins (50.00 USD)
• 200 Habbo Coins (34.00 USD)
• 150 Habbo Coins (27.00 USD)
  
• 100 Habbo Coins (18.00 USD)
• 50 Habbo Coins (9.50 USD)
• 25 Habbo Coins (5.00 USD)

Items range in cost from 1 (for a rubber duck) to things in the 20's.

Collectibles - Habbo releases (weekly, I think) an item that will only be available that week. The current item is a gondola (Italian canal boat) for 25 coins. They claim the original collectible, released back in 2005, was sold for 4950coins (About $800), though I'm not sure how they came to that number. In any case, collectibles seem to be a 'stock market' sort of thing in Habbo (plus they're pretty neat!)

Trophies - Trophies are an interesting item in that you can write something permanent on them when they are purchased. The idea is you reward yourself or other players with them.

Pets - At 20c pets are a little pricey, and they come in three flavors: cats, dogs, lizards

Games - You need tickets to play all but the lamest of the Habbo multiplayer games. Tickets are 2 for 1 coin, or 20 for 6 coins. When entering the game room, there was an ad for The Dark Knight (I've seen it, lay off!) I don't know what you get if you win the games, but I expect there's prizes.

Habbo Club - It's hard to tell, but it looks like it's 20 coins per month. You get:

• Access to special items - there's a Habbo Club tab in the store.
  
• Free furniture item each month
• Special room layouts (non club members get boxes only)
• Jump to the front of queue lines when waiting for rooms to load.
  

Oddly enough, I couldn't find were to join the club, but it seems like a big deal.

They have a 'coin subscription' listed on their payment page, but they are no longer offering it. I'm curious as to why they stopped. Another interesting thing about their payment structure, they only allow three 'purchase attempts' per eight day period, at least with normal credit cards.

-Adam

Tee Em Eye

Too Much Information

It's a constant battle communicating with online players. There's information they need, information they want, information they don't know they need, and information they think they don't want. Simple!

Most Virtual Worlds are complicated. The more things there are to do, the more features you offer, the more places there are for players to get tripped up. No matter how simple you make each thing, a whole lot of things results in a complex system.

Most people want to figure things out for themselves. If they need help, they'll ask for it when they need it. This has a few repercussions:

• Features that players can't figure out for themselves are inherently problematic. It's tempting to only release simplistic features.
  
• People need the right help at the right time. They're not paying attention before they try to play. They've forgotten after they've given up. That's a narrow window.
• Engineers, designers, and programmers like to suggest demos, tutorials, and FAQs (oh, they love those FAQs). While not terrible solutions, they aren't particularly effective, either.

What a player sees when he or she skims an FAQ

For complex features, you need the thing to either ramp up complexity gradually, have a robust help system, give live tours/demos, or accept that not everyone's going to be interested enough to survive the learning curve. Is it worth it?

Yes. In fact, hell yes!

Once a player has mastered any sort of learning curve, they are more than just casually engaged. They become special. They become elite. Time is an investment, and when that investment pays off to a player, everybody wins. That's a big deal, and worth working for.

-Adam!!!

Grrrrrl Power!

This isn't a surprise to anyone who's close to internet gaming, but just in case you're late to the party...

More Girls Get Into Gaming

Spend 10 minutes in ourWorld and you'll notice many, many, many girls. Whether they're gaming or socializing, that's hard to say, but they're online and MIGHTY! Go Girls!

Edit: A pretty common girl/boy ratio in ourWorld's Cake Mania Room (note: the guy is me)



-Adam

What's the diff?

What is the difference between MMO's (Massively Multiplayer Online games) and Virtual Worlds?

Generally speaking, MMO's use client side software more extensively, but many, many VW's do as well, including Second Life, the granddaddy VW.

MMO's usually have a single, overriding game element. Virtual Worlds usually revolve around a number of smaller scale flash-type games. Is that really a difference? I'm not even sure that's a valid characterization of the MMOs vs. VWs.

I really think the primary difference is one of focus. MMO's are primarily about the game, with the social aspects an important, but secondary aspect. VW's are meant to emulate the social aspects of the real work in a convenient virtual setting as their primary function. They include a game or games to facilitate the social aspects and provide something for less social players to do.

That's pretty slim. Perhaps the real answer is there is no big difference, other than that which the publishers choose to market and the fans choose to perceive. World of Warcraft is a Virtual World, but more than that it's also a MMORPG. There are RPG games in 2nd Life, but more than that, it's a Virtual World.

What do you think?

-Adam

Kids Want Wine Coolers, Too!

The problem with the 'mainstream' media's coverage of video games is that they don't understand them. Never did. Possibly never will.

I love this quote from Take Two CEO Ben Feder in a recent interview discussing the gaming press' coverage of GTAIV:

"I think we've moved the debate from 'Okay, it's not a game, it's interactive entertainment,' and it's not for kids. It's not for kids.

Okay. The CEO of the company has made it clear it's not for kids. The gaming media's figured it out. Now, when will joe-sixpack-media outlet catch on? The game=kids product model has been broken. Shattered. It's long dead. Just because kids WANT something, doesn't mean it's made for them.

Note: Have you tried Smirnoff Ice Grape? Oh my sweet heavens, that is some yummy boozy stuff! I'm sure the average 12 year old would love it as much or more than God of War 2. It must be for kids! (No, no, it is not.)

-Adam!!!

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