How I Made My Game No Fun

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How I made my game no fun

Amazon Appstore, 2015Developer EvangelismDEVELOPER marketing, AMAZON@AmazonAppDev

1

I wanted a presentation onHow to make a fun game

The kind of fun that:Increases game session lengthIncreases number of sessions per day

[iStockPhoto]

I really wanted to do a presentation on what features to add to make your game more fun. It was going to be brilliant!

Fun games are good because we want our players to want to spend more time in our games (longer sessions, more sessions per day). If we can deliver the session-lengthening, use it more kind of fun, It will be good for us as developers as well, because we get more ad impressions and more IAP opportunities.

So not just the Oh thats cute! kind of fun, but the Wow, thats addictive! kind of fun.

[Ken: Dreamstime]

2

We had it all figured out Methodology

Collected top ranked, top downloaded gamesLooked at features they have in commonCreated a baseline game without these features and get feedbackAdded the identified features

We had our methodology figured out.

[iStockPhoto]

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A big list ofThe features fun games have

What are hallmarks of good casual games? Most of these apps are single touch and simply designedo such as Flappy Bird, Tippy Tap or Temple Run, Bushnells age-old theorem (Easy to Learn, Difficult to Master)o Easy to start enjoying (low barrier to entry) The best games on the App Store are those that have made the most of their hardware. Hearthstone uses the touchscreen so the player can place cards; Warhammer Quest uses it for turn-based strategy; Brave Frontier uses a tap or a swipe for different attacks; each game is made with swipe or tap mechanics in mind, and thus seem intuitive for new players. Card games, strategy games, puzzle games and point-and-click games are all genres that are perfect for touchscreen gaming; especially because, in one form or another, each comes under the umbrella of turn-based combat. - simple to understand (eg fruit ninja)- put you straight into the action (eg jetpack joyride)- have controls that are made for mobile (eg streetfighter adaptation)- have some sort of leveling or achievement mechanic (eg tiny tower)- have great sound effects and personality in style (eg top girl)Little delights or surprisesSome hard aspirational stuff (jewel combos in Bejewled)Build a tutorial that doesn't feel like one. This can be achieved by staggering the amount of instructions to simply building a very intuitive game mechanic that speaks for itself.UI that appears simple at its surface, but can be deeper if the user is looking for it. Try to limit the amount of buttons, pop-ups, and iconsA great hook. Fishing with a shotgun, birds used to kill pigs, a 9 to 5er bent on destroying aliensGrowth and ownership. Whether this is traveling from point A to point B, becoming the strongest X in the universe, or simply maintaining a high score, let the concept define the goalContent. With the core mechanics in place make sure to add additional wrinkles every few weeks or even months. Don't be afraid to experiment. It can turn a good mobile game into a great one Tactile controls (e.g. flinging birds in Angry Birds)Enhance feeling of chance of success for players who are behind. (game gravity)- Quick game loops- Fun for five minutes, fun for an hour- Easy to understand in terms of gameplay- Based around commonly understood themes, relationships, and cultural touchstones- Has aspirational characteristics- Light on text and exposition- Progression mechanics to drive long term retention The game has to be easy to learn and understand. Therefore, these games have very few different gameplay mechanics. You tend to do the same action over and over again. This core gameplay mechanic instantly clicks with you because it resonates with something you already know from the real world. Whether it is the logic behind catapults as in Angry Birds, the logic behind rope cutting as in Cut the Rope or the slicing of fruit as in Fruit Ninja, the relationship between what you do, and what plays out on the screen seems intuitive and logical. In these games, you set something in motion with a simple input, and get a huge amount of feedback usually generated by physics. In Fruit Ninja, a simple swipe generates numerous huge, colorful fruit explosions. In Angry Birds, you catapult your bird with a similarly simple swipe, after which buildings collapse, bricks explode, and pigs fall on each other in a chaotic and rather unpredictable mess. look very expressive and cute. Simple storyline Player constantly rewarded Lots of short levels/replayable levels with random elements.

Common characteristics of casual games:1 [Primary] Simple interface1 One button or click2 Little input, big output (e.g. Fruit Ninja: simple swipe = big explosion)3 Often physics-based (mechanic is inherently familiar and easy to understand)2 [Primary] Quick to engage1 Burstable gameplay (drop in and out of the game at will; no penalty for splitting play over multiple sessions)2 No save required3 [Primary] Replayable1 Lots and lots of levels, or2 One level with random elements3 Levels build in room for player improvement4 Can add constraints (e.g. time limit, handicaps, etc.)4 [Secondary] Colorful, cartoony visual style1 To be likable, characters must emote2 Usually this means big eyes, expressive features, etc. (difficult to do UNLESS cartoony)5 [Secondary] Time factor6 [Secondary] Skills improve with repetition7 [Secondary] Clear reward system (positive reinforcement)8 [Secondary] Self-explanatory rules9 [Secondary] Strategic (i.e. Multiple paths to success, some more correct than others)

Long list of good multiplayer design elements (Dani Bunten Berry, game designer):1 Build in the Norm Effect if at all possible Allow players to see/acknowledge others as they join)2 Zero sum is bad1 I win/you lose = bad, I win/everyone else loses = worse.2 Losers dont enjoy themselves.3 Enable alliances, cooperative play, ranked winners (rather than one winner).3 Pacing needs variety1 Slow periods should follow intense ones.2 Forced time-outs offer opportunities to socialize.4 Strategies need wiggle room Balance game to allow different styles of play (one style should not always win)5 Legends must grow Let players carry their experiences forward via game films or (at the very least) statistics6 Court your newbies1 Humiliation during the learning phase discourages engagement.2 Provide inducements for experienced players to help new ones.7 Allow personalization Allow customizable icons, avatars, etc.8 Keep the features down Game mechanic takes precedence over new unit types and bling9 Include audio/visual subtleties Recognizing patterns is rewarding, especially if they arent overt10 Avoid numbers Most players dont enjoy calculations11 Include spectators Leave room for lurkers12 Facilitate relationships1 Allow players to form clubs, clans, groups, etc.2 Facilitate impromptu meetings online.3 Help strangers mix and help friends find each other.13 Use time limits Design game so it can be played in a fixed time period.14 Include chance1 Random events prevent stagnant, predictable strategies.2 This also provides an excuse for losing and an opportunity to "beat the odds.15 Keep the balance Try to keep distance between winners/losers narrow so outcome is in doubt as long as possible16 Make em stay (not the same as traditional engagement)1 Provide incentives to keep players in game until the end of the game.2 Players shouldnt bail prematurely; consider making their drop out rate public.17 Allow handicapping Common use case: parents playing with kids18 Facilitate special events Consider magical appearances, game tournaments, etc.19 Leave room for ads

Psychology of the appeal of video games (Dr. Andy Przybylski, Univ. of Essex):1 Games allow players to try on characteristics of their ideal self, such as different1 Gender2 Alignment (e.g. hero, villian)3 Profession or pastime (e.g. race car driver, athlete, gangster)4 Societal status (e.g. celebrity, professional, expert)5 Personality (e.g. outgoing, gregarious)2 Appears greatest satisfaction occurs when overlap between actual/ideal self is smallest.

Three Invisible Needs Satisfied by Video Games (Dr. Scott Rigby, Univ. of Rochester):1 Competence The desire to seek out control or feel mastery over a situation (e.g. defeating a challenging boss)2 Autonomy The desire to feel independent and have control over our actions (e.g. broad/free choices of open worlds)3 Relatedness The desire to matter to others, to contribute to society (e.g. quests, cooperative play with others)

Classic game hooks" (from video-game-addiction.org, yikes)1 The High Score2 Beating the Game This desire is fed as players level up or find the next hidden clue3 Role-playing Players form an emotional attachment to their game character4 Discovery The thrill of exploration is compelling5 Relationships Online community engenders a powerful sense of belonging

Three types of fun (Gretchen Rubin, author of The Happiness Project):1 Challenging fun Requires mastery; most rewarding/demanding2 Accommodating fun Requires coordination/preparation3 Relaxing fun Requires almost nothing; passive by design, effortless (but also least rewarding)

Types of fun in video games (from homunkul.us):1 Relaxing/Easy Fun Accessibility (casual gamers)1 Simple, intuitive controls2 Wealth of feedback, including unconditional player encouragement3 Simple, non-threatening problem-solving scenarios4 Few UI elements5 Minimal learning curve, with few complicated or confusing gameplay mechanics6 Reliance on cultural/innate knowledge (e.g. Bombs are bad, so avoid them)2 Challenging Fun Potential for Mastery (core gamers)1 Learned control systems/keystrokes2 Feedback primarily utilized as a way of enhancing gameplay experience, rather than a means of encouraging the player3 Daunting problem-solving scenarios4 Numerous UI elements that allow for tracking various game data5 Considerable learning curve, usually including gameplay elements that benefit from practice6 Tends to rely on game culture / established conventions in games3 Social Fun Community-building Capabilities1 Multiplayer support2 Potential for competitive play3 In jokes, game culture references4 Social media integration4 Escapism Narrative / Immersion1 Well-written storylines/dialogue2 Wish fulfillment allows player to experience idealized world3 Cohesive game world4 Avatar customization5 Quality art direction/character design

Hidden Psychology of Gaming (Casual Connect Panel, Seattle 2011):1 Easy Fun Draws player in, keeps them playing for sheer enjoyment2 Hard Fun Challenges player to keep the game interesting3 People Fun Positive social interaction may come to be associated with the gameplay itself

We collected our data

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Video loop of game here

Rock Paper Scissors TagMulti-player Fire TV and Fire TV Stick game

And we wrote a reference game that we could test, iterate on, add features to, and test again.

on of the things we didnt like in our reference game was that one of our colleagues is really good at the game; none of us could beat him.

(tell a bit more about the game development)

[Ken: Paul Cutsinger wrote this game for us to use]5

Is Rock Paper Scissors TagFUN?

FUN GRADEBOOK

Rock Paper Scissors TagFun WinnerFun - Loser

B+C

We had our methodology figured out.

[Notebook background from Dreamstime]

6

Put the Sumo slide here.This game could be more funNever Leave a Player hopeless

A player must always feel that they have a reasonable chance to reach an objective or to win.

Talk about hope! Nobody wants to be the little guy here. If you believe you have no chance of winning, you probably wont play. There are techniques for dealing with this. In racing games, for example, the guy in back is actually assisted in keeping up with the pack. That particular practice is called Game Gravity.

[iStockPhoto]7

Fix disparity withGame Gravity

Help players that are behind be better, faster, stronger than before.

[Amazon Fire TV image]So we decided to fix that with Game Gravity.

Also called rubber-banding, and used a lot for racing games, Game Gravity typically boost those behind or eases their challenge to help them keep up.

So we applied Game Gravity to our game. How did we do that?

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Game Gravitygo Faster!

If you are behind, you go faster.

Pretty easy, really. We just made the player who was behind faster in proportion to the number of points he was behind. Simple right? You bet! And guess what?

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FUN GRADEBOOKWith Game Gravity


CC+

Pretty easy, really. We just made the player who was behind faster in proportion to the number of points he was behind. Simple right? You bet! And guess what?

10

Screen shot or video of a player getting bigger when beating an opponent

To improve feedback:You get bigger and Slower

Bigger is slowerPlayers might get thatThat might seem fair

where the player in the lead would get bigger and slower after each win.

And still, it didnt work.

So much for my presentation on how to make a fun game

We implemented a feature from the best practices list, so what could have gone wrong?Im convinced our premise was wrong; there is no magic set of features that will make a game fun.

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FUN GRADEBOOKWith Game Gravity v2


DC

where the player in the lead would get bigger and slower after each win.

And still, it didnt work.

So much for my presentation on how to make a fun game

We implemented a feature from the best practices list, so what could have gone wrong?Im convinced our premise was wrong; there is no magic set of features that will make a game fun.

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We implemented features andwe made our game no fun!We followed the best practices.It was empirically successful.But people didnt want to play our game anymore.

So we implemented this feature that would make the game more funand we made our game no-fun.

Not what we were expecting.

So we tried some different permutations like this one

[iStockPhoto]

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I wanted a presentation onHow to make a fun game

So much for my presentation on making a fun game.Time for a title change.

[iStockPhoto]

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We got the right results, soWhy didnt that work?

I mean, the feature worked, the delta between players narrowed significantly, games were closer, Empirically, this was a success.We implemented a really fun feature from really fun games.

Why didnt this work?15

Maybe ImAsking the wrong questionWhy do I like to play games?

I think our premise was wrong. I mean, I dont look at a game ad think Oh Wow! It has Game Gravity and soft and hard currency items! Ill play this game!

I play them because I get absorbed, and forget to eat and dont go to bed on time.

16

Maybe features arent fun. Maybe Its how features make players feel Instead of a list of features to implement how about implementing conditions for fun feelings.

So maybe if we focused on creating conditions for losing yourself, Create loops that encourage you to forget to sleepGames that make you forget youre hungry.

Thats kind of the way these players feel:

[Reinforce: Execute features perfectly: But the game was still no fun]

[iStockPhoto]

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Video of Warren Miller Flow Interviews

You want that switch flipped in your players.

Ken: Excerpts from YouTube clips18

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi defines FlowThemental stateof operation in which a person performing an activity is fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and enjoyment in the process of the activity.

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi called this Flow.

He defined it as Themental stateof operation in which a person performing an activity is fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and enjoyment in the process of the activity.

And he talked about flow in the context of the psychology of Optimum Performance.

Okay! I think were going in the right direction now. And Flow is something I know quite a bit about.

[Ken: from Amazon.com]

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A Flow state has aReal effect on the BrainIn a state of Flow, the brain:

Tighten focusNorepinephrine and DopamineBlock painEndorphins Prompts lateral thinkingAnandamide Happiness and well-beingSerotonin Kolter, Steven: Harvard Business Review, Brozoski TJ: Cognitive deficit caused by regional depletion of dopamine in prefrontal cortex of rhesus monkey, University of Connecticut professor John Salamone

neurobiologists have mapped the chemical impact of flow on the brain.

Steven Kolter in an article for the Harvard Business Review, discussed studies of the brain chemistry associated with Flow

In flow, the brain releases norepinephrine, dopamine, endorphins, anandamide, and serotonin. All five affect performance. Norepinephrine and dopamine tighten focus, helping us shut out the persistent distractions of our multi-tasked lives.Endorphins block pain, letting us ignore hunger, postpone sleep and ignore that ache in our backs. Anandamide prompts lateral thinking which greatly assists problem solving. And serotonin, which is associated with feelings of happiness and well-being.

(Dopamine often associated with pleasure, actually impacts motivation and focus according to research by University of Connecticut professor John Salamone. The improved focus often leads to feelings of pleasure.)

But can conditions for Flow really be designed into a game? Does it work in that way?...

[iStockPhoto]

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??That super-engaged stateYou know it when you feel itHyper-focusedYou were solving tough problemsLost track of timeForgot to eat or sleep

You guys have probably felt this.

Think back to a time when you were truly engaged in an activity. When you were hyper-focused, and maybe you lost track of time and forgot to eat. Or maybe something a few seconds long seemed to take minutes.

[iStockPhoto]

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??Flow isthe kind of fun you want your players to haveFlow can drive:Longer sessionsMore sessions per dayDeeper engagement in the gameBetter reviewsLonger engagement with the app

Flow is a great state for our players to be in.

Flow can drive all the characteristics we want:

Longer sessionsMore sessions per dayDeeper engagement in the gameBetter reviewsLonger engagement with the app

Flow also drives very real effects on the brain

[iStockPhoto]

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Jenova Chen (MA: USC Interactive Media)Jenova Chen wrote the game Flow to test these principals.http://www.jenovachen.com/flowingames

Flow:Best Downloadable Game at the 2008 Game Developer Choice AwardsDownloaded 100,000 times in the first weekReleased on PS3, PlayStation Portable, and PlayStation Vita

Jenova Chen, who wrote a game specifically designed to prove flow works in gaming. Howd it do? It did alright.

My favorite Flow quote come from Chen:

Flow explains why people prefer certain games more than other games and how they become addicted to these games. If a game meets all the key conditions of Flow, any content could become rewarding, any premise might become engaging.

As long as the conditions are met and the challenge is balanced against skill and difficulty, players can experience flow in the first few moments of playing a game or hundreds of hours later, as an expert. (Chen, 2007, p. 9)

So how do we create the conditions for flow in Rock Paper Scissors?With the help of sports psychologists! .

[Ken: From Jenova Chen Flow website. See reference next page]23

FUN GRADEBOOKWith Game Gravity v2


DC

So how am I going to add flow to this game?

Fortunately, Csikszentmihalyi has a list of conditions required to attain a state of Flow.

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??What Conditions Facilitate Flow?Clear GoalsFew DistractionsImmediate FeedbackBalance perceived difficulty vs. perceived skill

Flow

MC created a listof conditions for flow.Chen and others have

Here is the list of conditions necessary to facilitate flow:

Clear goals: If you dont know what youre supposed to do or what the rules are, youre not going to be in Flow.Immediate Feedback: Flow is the ability to absorb and process feedback subconsciously, and turn that into subconscious actions. Without the stream of feedback, youre operating in the dark.Balance Perceived Difficulty and Perceived Skill: You need a real, substantive challenge to keep interested and engaged, but if you dont have a chance to win (like RPS), you wont want to play.

[iStockPhoto]

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Clear GoalsObjectivesImpact1

Objectives:Dont know what youre supposed to do, hard to stay if flow!For games like Crossy Road or Flappy Bird, the objectives are pretty simple and speak for themselves, but any more complicated and I need help.I appreciate games like Halo or Skyrim, where they have an Objective pointer on screen so I dont have to pop in and out of a menu or map all the time to figure out where to go.

Impact:If you feel that what you do in the game doesnt make a big difference in the outcome, youre never going to get into a state of Flow. It doesnt need to be complicated control, just the right control. The timing of your taps in Flappy Bird for example.

The worst is when random things just happen to you and you have no idea why, or if there was something they could have done to prevent this. (imagine random meteor strikes that kill your character while you battle bosses, or just wander around exploring.)[iStockPhoto]

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Few DistractionsGame ControlsRulesIrrelevant info2

Game Controls can be a big distraction if you dont understand how they work. [Madden example]If you dont understand what the rules are, or if they seem random, thats frustrating to the point of being totally distracting. [Monkeys]

[iStockPhoto]

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Monkey Video

Clear RulesArbitrary or capricious rules make a game no funDr. Sarah Brosnan, HumanimaFoundation, humanimafoundation.org

Everyone values fair play.

Even monkeys get this.

When we sense that were being cheated or taken advantage of, were not in a condition for Flow.

Ken:(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QijfsvQO-54)http://www.youtube.com/yt/copyright/fair-use.html#yt-copyright-four-factors

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Monkey Video

Clear RulesArbitrary or capricious rules make a game no fun

Everyone values fair play.

Even monkeys get this.

When we sense that were being cheated or taken advantage of, were not in a condition for Flow.29

Few DistractionsGame ControlsRulesIrrelevant info2

Game Controls can be a big distraction if you dont understand how they work. [Madden example]If you dont understand what the rules are, or if they seem random, thats frustrating to the point of being totally distracting. [Monkeys]

---

If the developer floods the screen with information not immediately relevant to the task at hand, it takes attention away from what Im trying to do and pulls me out of flow. Same thing for sounds. It it doesnt support the task or goal at hand, please wait until Im done before you surface that info.

If youre game, do a Google or Bing search for Distracting UI!...

[iStockPhoto]

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A Few Too Many DistractionsInterruptions and Overload Break FlowPick new image

Its kind of fun to see what folks out there have tagged as distracting UI![Ken: google search result page]31

Goal-ReferencedActionableTimely

Immediate Feedback3

Goal-ReferencedActionableTimely

Advice is not Feedback! Advice is: Wear the goggles to see invisible bad-guys. Move all your threes before combining fours. You may wish to give advice if a player is stuck, but thats not feedback.

Feedback is information about how we are doing in our efforts to reach a goal. I hit a tennis ball with the goal of keeping it in the court, telling me you looked great! is nice, but NOT goal-referenced!Good feedback is seeing where it landsin or out, in relation to the line.

If you take the line away and just say in or out, thats not very actionable. If its out, you dont know if if was long or wide, and you dont know how far out it was. That feeback is not actionable.

I fire magic arrows at a demon with the goal of reducing his health to 0, and my arrows do or dont do damage. Imagine if I cant see the effectiveness of my arrows until after the demon dies or I do. Not Timely.[Call of duty]

Feedback is letting the player see the effect part of cause and effect.

Timely feedback is critical to flow, as it helps us adjust (often subconsciously) to our task at hand.

[iStockPhoto]

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Balance perceived difficulty and perceived skills

Challenges have to be realyet perceived as achievable4

We need to give our players challenges.

intense and ecstatic Flow experiences are commonly reported among individuals who are absorbed in demanding tasks that have critical implications. Arthur Maar, formerly of Bell Labs.

So theyve got to be real challenges with real consequences in order to facilitate Flow, but they need to be balanced against the players perception of their skill to achieve the goal.

Some games (Ill go back to CoD), have a boot camp. 30 seconds, you can do this in Hard!

[iStockPhoto]

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Create a Flow GradebookCLEAR GOALSObjectivesImpact

FEW DISTRACTIONSGame ControlsRulesIrrelevant info

IMMEDIATE FEEDBACKGoal-ReferencedActionableTimely

PERCEIVED DIFFICULTYMeasure and Adjust

We know our features work, but Im not sure how well they work for the players. How can I make my game support Flow?I need to get my Flow grade.34

How to make a fun game

NOFUN AGAIN

So much for my presentation on making a fun game.Time for a title change.[iStockPhoto]

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How did Rock Paper Scissors Tag do?CLEAR GOALSObjectivesImpact




We know our features work, but Im not sure how well they work for the players. How can I make my game support Flow?I need to get my Flow grade.36

CLEAR GOALSObjectivesImpact




B-

Objectives:

If you dont know what you need to do, how can you possibly be in Flow?For RPS, well, everyone knows how to play, right? Okay, maybe we could explain how the RPS Tag part works, and that you can change your hand between RPS subject to the cool-down timer. 37





B-D

Impact:

If your actions dont make a difference in the outcome, why bother?We were doing okay on this until we added Game Gravity.When really big, the player ahead might as well not even try to move, they go so slowly.38





B-D

C

Game Controls:

The Joystick part was super intuitive! The button you press to switch between RPS was not.

If you have a one tap game like Crossy Frog or Flappy Bird, you probably can get away with little or no guidance, but I dont think we can.39





B-D

CF

Rules:

Everybody understands RPS right? Yeah, but our players didnt get why the other player got so much faster.40





B-D

CFA

Irrelevant info

We do really well here. No interruptions at all. No ads, no hints, no requests for chats, just game.

We have limits on the amount of information we can process. The more inputs we get, the more divided our attention becomes, particularly when multiple inputs compete for our attention. ---Displays and sounds should support completion of the task or goal at hand. Delivering new information when the player needs to be most focused will break Flow. Introducing a new combat move while a player is in the middle of clearing a big room full of zombies is not the right time. Wait until after the room is cleared, or the level completed.

In a casual game, when you are furiously trying to find word matches before time runs out, now is the wrong time to tell them they have a new chat request or a new skin for their game board.

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B-D

CFA

A

Feedback:

Advice is not Feedback! Advice is: Wear the goggles to see invisible bad-guys. Move all your threes before combining fours. You may wish to give advice if a player is stuck, but thats not feedback.

Feedback is information about how we are doing in our efforts to reach a goal. I hit a tennis ball with the goal of keeping it in the court, and I see where it landsin or out. Imagine tennis without the lineI fire magic arrows at a demon with the goal of reducing his health to 0, and my arrows do or dont do damage. Imagine if I cant see the effectiveness of my arrows.

I give a presentation with the intent of delivering relevant, valuable and interesting material, and see that some of the audience is doing eMail, or not.

Feedback is letting the player see the effect part of cause and effect.

Timely feedback is critical to flow, as it helps us adjust (often subconsciously) to our task at hand.

Goal Referenced:In RPS, we do a good job of this. Almost all feedback is directly related to beating your opponent. Only the score is irrelevant to your winning this specific contest.

42





B-D

CFA

AA

Actionable:

In RPS, we do a good job of this. You absolutely know when your cool-down timer is done. You know what RPS you opponent is using.You know where everyone is.

Grant Wiggins ASCD specialist in learning feedback has identified characteristics of good feedback, and Ive tweaked the list to be relevant to game designers:Goal-Referenced. Easy to understand.Actionable, Timely Imagine having to wait until you die to find out how much damage youre doing to an orc. Postponing feedback can increase difficulty (crossword errors not revealed until end of game), Ongoing The feedback should continue until the task is complete, and it should be consistent for each task attempted.

43





B-D

CFA

AAA

Timely:

You get the feedback as it happens.

Just imagine a game in which your character takes damage and you dont know it until your character dies.(Call of Duty grenade story.)44





B-D

CFA

AAA

B

Balanced difficulty:

We do adjust speed difference between players when we measure a difference in score, but we dont measure if were adjusting enough or too much.

45

Now we have aFlow GradebookWe can start fixing things that break Flow CLEAR GOALSObjectivesImpact




B-D

CFA

AAA

B

Here is the list of conditions necessary to facilitate flow:

Clear goals: If you dont know what youre supposed to do or what the rules are, youre not going to be in Flow.Immediate Feedback: Flow is the ability to absorb and process feedback subconsciously, and turn that into subconscious actions. Without the stream of feedback, youre operating in the dark.Balance Perceived Difficulty and Perceived Skill: You need a real, substantive challenge to keep interested and engaged, but if you dont have a chance to win (like RPS), you wont want to play.

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Some things will be Easy to FixOn first-launch documentation should fix these.

No real-time programmatic adjustment required.





B-D

CFA

AAA

B

Some things will be easy to fix. For most of these highlighted items, on first-launch documentation will fix these.

47





B-D

CFA

AAA

BSome things will beHarder to FixImpact:Set minimum speed

Balanced Difficulty:Adjust dynamicallyBased on player feels


48

How do you measure that?

So much for my presentation on making a fun game.Time for a title change.

[iStockPhoto]

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Indicative behaviors areWhat will I measureWhen Flow is out of balance, players will:Abandon rateScore DeltaNew gamesAdditional sessions





B-D

CFA

AAA

B


50

Video loop of game here

What can I change?

Change

Speed differentialWhen to implement speed changeHow slow is slowCool-down time

Now I know what I want to measure, What levers do I have? What can I change to try and impact my proxies?51

How I willImplement

Since Im unsure about the magnitude of change required, I will set up A|B Tests.

[iStockPhoto]

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A|B Testing

For more info: developer.amazon.com/ab-testing

[Amazon Dev Portal]53

For every point delta over 2, make the difference in speed accumulate by y.

y: Game Gravity Variables:1% | 3% | 5%


Implementation

54


ImplementationFor every point of delta over x, make the difference in speed accumulate by y.

x: Trigger Variables: 1 | 2 | 3y: Game Gravity Variables:1% | 3% | 5%

55


ImplementationFor every point of delta over x, make the difference in speed accumulate by y, but make minimum speed z.

x: Trigger Variables: 1 | 2 | 3y: Game Gravity Variables: 1% | 3% | 5%z: Minimum speed: 40%| 50% |60%

56


ImplementationFor every point of delta over x, make the difference in speed accumulate by y, but make minimum speed z, and reduce losing player cool-down timer by n:

x: Trigger Variables: 1 | 2 | 3y: Game Gravity Variables: 1% | 3% | 5%z: Minimum speed: 40%| 50% |60%n: Cool-down Variables: 0% | 3% | 5%

57


ImplementationFor every point of delta over x, make the difference in speed accumulate by y, but make minimum speed z, and reduce losing player cool-off timer by n:

x: Trigger Variables: 1 | 2 | 3y: Game Gravity Variables: 1% | 3% | 5%z: Minimum speed: 40%| 50% |60%n: Cool-down Variables: 0% | 3% | 5%Measure impact on my proxies:Abandon RateScore DeltaNew GamesAdditional Sessions

58


ImplementationFor every point of delta over x, make the difference in speed accumulate by y, but make minimum speed z, and reduce losing player cool-off timer by n:

x: Trigger Variables: 1 | 2 | 3y: Game Gravity Variables: 1% | 3% | 5%z: Minimum speed: 40%| 50% |60%n: Cool-down Variables: 0% | 3% | 5%Measure impact on my proxies:Abandon RateScore DeltaNew GamesAdditional Sessions

Commit Values that Work Best

59

NEW and IMPROVED! Now with FLOW!CLEAR GOALSObjectivesImpact



BALANCED DIFFICULTYMeasure and Adjust

AA

AAA

AAA

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Rock Paper Scissors Tag v2.0Fully instrumented and adaptive to sustain a Flow conducive environment

FUN GRADEBOOKWith Support for Flow


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A great presentation onHow to make a fun game

I really wanted to do a presentation on what features to add to make your game more fun. It was going to be brilliant!

Fun games are good because we want our players to want to spend more time in our games (longer sessions, more sessions per day). If we can deliver the session-lengthening, use it more kind of fun, It will be good for us as developers as well, because we get more ad impressions and more IAP opportunities.

So not just the Oh thats cute! kind of fun, but the Wow, thats addictive! kind of fun.

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Thank You!Services Referenced:A|B Testing: developer.amazon.com/ab-testingAnalytics: aws.amazon.com/mobileanalytics

Learn More:Learn about IAP from the best: http://bit.ly/Top50IAP @AmazonAppDev

Developer.amazon.com/blogDeveloper.amazon.com/welcomeDeveloper.amazon.com/events

As Amazon, we have a pretty unique view of the industry. We have Game Studios, an Appstore, AWS infrastructure used for games, several different pieces of hardware and services like appstream that enable more, and now, Twitch, a game streaming service.With that, perspective, were always looking for ways to help game developers excel. Were happy to share what weve learned.

Jesse:Tighten up Whole beginning to be cut out. (kill shooting slide, use some dev thing instead), Win over Audience with self deprecation. Madden story is good. It shows how I learn about game weaknesses.

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How I Made My Game No Fun

Technology

Transcript of How I Made My Game No Fun