Playful Design · Creating Game Experiences in Everyday Interfaces by Ferrara, John -- Read -- Imperial Library of Trantor

Index

Playful Design: Creating Game Experiences in Everyday Interfaces How to Use This Book

Who Should Read This Book? What’s in This Book?

Part I: Playful Thinking Part II: Designing Game Experiences Part III: Playful Design in User Experience

What Comes with This Book

Frequently Asked Questions

What do you mean when you refer to “video games”? Are you suggesting that UX designers should become game designers? Are video games really that important? Isn’t this just another way to say that we should try to make things more fun to use? Are you saying that everything people do should be turned into a game? How can I get involved with the best communities that are doing work in this area?

Foreword Introduction

Messification

I. Playful Thinking

1. Why We Should Care about Games

An Expanding Role Why Do Games Matter?

Games Can Solve Real Problems Overlap between Disciplines Creates Learning Opportunities Games Are Vastly Popular

Sales Data Demographic Data Cultural and Social Change

Games Drive Innovation

Why Us?

One Note of Caution

How Can Games Benefit Us?

By Reenvisioning Conventional Experiences as Games By Drawing Inspiration from Games By Just Making Games

Ready, Set, ...

2. Understanding Games

Defining Games

Characteristics of Games in General

Objectives Environmental Constraints Formal Constraints

A Very Simple Example

Objective Environmental Constraints Formal Constraints

Characteristics of Video Games in Particular

Machine-Based Arbitration

Games in the Real World

The Magic Circle Living Games

Ebay Is a Game Tests Are Games

Finding Useful Models

3. The Elements of Player Experience

Motivation Meaningful Choices Balance Usability Aesthetics What about Fun?

4. Player Motivations

Common Motivations

Immersion Autonomy Competence Catharsis Accomplishment Social Image Social Interaction Creativity [Insert Your Own Motivations Here]

Games Are More Than Just Having Fun

II. Designing Game Experiences

5. Ten Tips for Building a Better Game

1. Games Need to Be Games First 2. Playtest, Playtest, Playtest 3. Games Don’t Have to Be for Kids 4. Action Can Be Boring 5. Fit the Game into the Player’s Lifestyle 6. Create Meaningful Experience 7. Don’t Cheat 8. Skip the Manual 9. Make the Game Make Sense 10. Make It Easy to Try Again Play to Your Strengths

6. Developing a Game Concept

Your Objective

Common Objectives

To Generate Revenue To Encourage Action To Support Learning To Persuade

Your Players

Classifying Player Groups

Demographics Motivation Skill and Comfort with Games Access to Technology Time Available for Play

The Conflict

Examples of Game Conflicts Brainstorming Game Conflicts Considerations in Developing a Conflict

Interest Fairness Complexity Sustainability

Duration and Lifetime

Time to Complete Number and Duration of Sittings Replay Value

End State

Win, Lose, or Tie Inevitable Loss Open-Ended Games

Linearity

Single Path Multiple Paths

Player Interaction

Number of Players Location

Shared Space Remote Play

Timing

Synchronous Multiplayer Asynchronous Multiplayer

Familiarity

Friend-Based Association Open Association

Stance

Competitive Cooperative Neutral Hybrid

Roles and Power

Symmetrical Asymmetrical

Genre Putting It All Together

General Characteristics Conflict Characteristics Multiplayer Characteristics

Keeping Your Priorities Straight

7. Creating Game Prototypes

Paper Prototypes

What Works on Paper?

Balance Rules Puzzles Maps

Building a Paper Prototype

Strip the Gameplay Down to Its Core Don’t Be Too Literal Minimize Bookkeeping and Computation Replace Skill with Probability Make It a Real Game Iterate

Electronic Prototypes

Building an Electronic Prototype

Prepare Research Questions before Deciding What to Prototype Start as Small as You Can Work from Wireframes Don’t Overdesign Squeeze as Much Use Out of a Prototype as You Can Be Ready to Throw It All Away

Prototyping Saves Time and Money (Really!)

8. Playtesting

Classes of Problems General Guidelines

Recruit Selectively Emulate the Play Environment to the Best of Your Ability Sit Back and Stay Quiet Prepare an Observation Script Go Long Stay Flexible

Distinguishing Real Problems from Appropriate Challenges

Are Players Having a Hard Time for the Right Reasons? Do Players See the Challenge as Engaging or Discouraging? Is the Level of Challenge Appropriate for the Current Stage of the Game? What In-Game Actions Do Players Take in Response to the Challenge? How Do Players Reflect on the Challenge after Surmounting It?

Evaluating Motivation: The PENS Model An Easy Transition

9. Behavioral Tools

A Quick Guide to Behaviorism

Consequences of Behavior

Reinforcement Punishment

Considerations in the Design of Consequences

Timing Extinction Defiance Trauma

Schedules of Reinforcement

Continuous Reinforcement Fixed-Ratio Schedules Variable-Ratio Schedules Fixed-Interval Schedules Variable-Interval Schedules

Behaviorism in Video Games

Pac-Man Left 4 Dead

What about Free Will?

10. Rewards in Games

Common Reward Systems

Praise Point Systems

Many Actions, One Measure Variation and Balance Leaderboards

Currencies

General and Specialized Currencies Scarcity Other Important Differences from Point Systems

Leveling

Structuring Gameplay Levels as a Reinforcement Schedule Extending Interest

Customization

Levels of Customization Pricing Social Rewards

Item Drops

Play Dynamics Drop Locations and Schedules Item Types

Collections

Means of Collection Size and Difficulty

Achievements

Flexibility Cheap and Easy Skill Level Known versus Hidden Objectives

Unlockables

Common Forms Maximizing the Benefit of Unlockables

Metarewards

Easter Eggs Cheats

External Rewards

Risks Games Must Be Intrinsically Rewarding

Combining Game Rewards

III. Playful Design in User Experience

11. Games for Action

Appraising a Game’s Efficiency Methods

Human Computation Other Examples

Games with a Purpose Yahoo! Answers

Best Practices for Design

The Game Experience Must Stand on Its Own Bolster Quality Watch Out for Cheats

Reframing

Examples

Foursquare Epic Win HiveMind

Best Practices for Design

Make It Easy to Play Along Create an Alternate Existence Focus on Varied and Fresh Rewards

Real-Time Reinforcement

Examples

Honda Insight Eco Assist The Pokéwalker Nike+

Best Practices for Design

Specialize Take Advantage of Reinforcement Schedules

Optional Advantages

Examples

CityVille Zynga Charitable Initiatives

Best Practices for Design

Build Investment in the Experience Keep Options Optional Create Disproportionate Rewards... ... but Don’t Allow Cheating

Scheduled Play

Examples

Amazon Gold Box CityVille Daily Bonus

Best Practices for Design

Validate the Schedule through Testing Offer Suitable Rewards

Different Is Good

12. Games for Learning

What Makes Games Suited to Learning?

Advantages to Learners

Agency and Mastery Failure-Based Learning Learning by Doing Role Playing

Advantages for Training and Instruction

Built-in Assessment Scaffolding and Differentiation Higher-Order Thinking Strategic Thinking Systems Thinking Working with Scarcity

Strategies for Using Games to Support Learning

To Impart Content

Remember That It’s a Game Specialize Factor Duration into the Design

To Introduce a New Mind-Set

Require Transformation Tough Is Good Usability Is Really Good

To Guide Experiential Learning

Get off the Beaten Path Create an Adventure Work with the Space

To Develop Skills

Be Forgiving Step It Up Mix It Up

To Foster Collective Intelligence

Force Collective Action Pool Individual Strengths Use Mystery

Playing Smarter

13. Games for Persuasion

This Is Not a New Idea

Historical Precedent Games for Change Developer Incentives

Procedural Rhetoric

Meaning in Games

Monopoly The Sims

Persuasive Messages in Games

The Landlord’s Game

Designing Persuasive Games

Define a Core Message

Write It Down Be Specific Get Everyone’s Buy-in Be Patient

Tie the Message to the Winning Strategy Offer Meaningful Choices Keep It Real Enable Self-Directed Discovery

Case Study: Fitter Critters

The Core Message The Winning Strategy Meaningful Choices Rooted in Reality Discovery

Changing Minds

14. How Games Are Changing

Five Trends

1. Mobility

Touch Screens GPS Cameras Microphones Accelerometers Connectivity

2. Social Interaction

Shared Presence Collaborative Communities

3. Casual Play

Short Learning Curves Short Engagements Short Completion Times High Replay Value

4. Radical Interfaces

Motion Control Linked Displays Experimental Interactions

5. Emotional Engagement

Game On

A. Acknowledgments B. About the Author Index

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