Chapter 8-9 Mats Wouters

The Game is Made for a Player

 Know your audience  They themselves often don’t know what they want -> Listen Thoroughly

 Project yourself  Put yourself in their place  Memories of being part of the target audience = one of the most valuable tools  Not a part of the audience? -> talk, observe, imagine

 Demographics/ market segments ◦ Age ◦ Gender

 0–3: Infant/Toddler  4–6: Preschooler  7–9: Kids  10–13: Preteen or “Tween”  13–18: Teen  18–24: Young Adult  25–35: Twenties and Thirties  35–50: Thirties and Forties  50+: Fifties and Up

 Games are mainly played by boys -> due to male-oriented aesthetics?  Same mechanics, female-oriented aesthetics -> failed  Boys and girls play differently

Five things males like to see in games: 1. Mastery 2. Competition 3. Destruction 4. Spatial Puzzles 5. Trial and  Five things females like to see in games: 1. Emotion 2. Real World 3. Nurturing 4. Dialog & Verbal Puzzles 5. Learning by Example

In general, what do they like?In general, what do they like? What don’t they like? Why?What don’t they like? Why? What do they expect to see in a game?What do they expect to see in a game? If I were in their place, what would I want to see in a game?If I were in their place, what would I want to see in a game? What would they like or dislike about my game in particular?What would they like or dislike about my game in particular?

 Demographic = player on the outside  Psychographic = player on the inside ◦ Audiences by lifestyle ◦ Audiences by Game Pleasures

 8 primary Game Pleasures: ◦ Sensation ◦ Fantasy ◦ Narrative ◦ Challenge ◦ Fellowship ◦ Discovery ◦ Expression ◦ Submission

 4 Player Types: ◦ Achievers ◦ Explorers ◦ Socializers ◦ Killers

 Other Game Pleasures: ◦ Anticipation ◦ Delight in Another’s Misfortune ◦ Gift Giving ◦ Humor ◦ Possibility ◦ Pride in an Accomplishment ◦ Purification ◦ Surprise ◦ Thrill ◦ Triumph over Adversity ◦ Wonder ◦ …

 What pleasures does your game give to players? Can these be improved?  What pleasures are missing from your experience? Why? Can they be added?

The Experience is in the Player’s Mind

 Game designers create experiences -> takes place in the human brain = very complex  4 principle mental abilities related to gaming: ◦ Modeling ◦ Focus ◦ Imagination ◦ Empathy

 Modeling: ◦ Mind deals with simulated reality, not reality itself ◦ Subconscious ◦ Reality is too complex -> simple model ◦ Games are simple models -> mind can relax -> fun to play

 Focus: ◦ Mind can focus on one thing while ignoring another ◦ Game designers strive for flow = complete focus and engagement without regard for surroundings ◦ Needs for flow:  Clear goals  No distractions  Direct feedback  Continuously challenging

 Does my game have clear goals? If not, how can I fix that?  Are the goals of the player the same goals I intended?  Are there parts of the game that distract players to the point they forget their goal? If so, can these distractions be reduced, or tied into the game goals?  Does my game provide a steady stream of not-too-easy, not-too-hard challenges, taking into account the fact that the player’s skills may be gradually improving?  Are the player’s skills improving at the rate I had hoped? If not, how can I change that?

 Empathy: ◦ = the ability to project ourselves into the palce of others ◦ Can happen automatically ◦ Mental models ◦ Projecting yourself into a game character for problem solving

 Imagination: ◦ Knowing what to show the player, and what to leave up to their imagination ◦ Functions:  Communication  Problem Solving

 On which levels of Maslow’s hierarchy is my game operating?  How can I make my game fulfill more basic needs than it already is?  On the levels my game is currently operating, how can it fulfill those needs even better?

 4th level is most connected to games: games are excellent systems for objective judgment

 What does your game judge about the players?  How does it communicate this judgment?  Do players feel the judgment is fair?  Do they care about the judgment?  Does the judgment make them want to improve?