Creating an MSO: Viral Emotions and the Keys to Social Play GDC09 100n032609

MSO: Massively Social Online games Viral Emotions and the Keys to Social Play Nicole Lazzaro, President @nicolelazzaro XEODesign, Inc. GDC March 26, 2009 XEODesign Putting Emotion into Play ® ™ Follow me on Twitter: @NicoleLazzaro Twitter: #gdc09

XEODesign The 4 Keys to More Emotion Winner Best Game 2007 Tilt the first iPhone accelerometer game

Massively Social Online Game use fun to drive social distribution

Imagine

MSO’s Drive emotions through FMA Final Score: Emotions that Drive Play PX Potential Score [rescore this for MSO connect, feedback, social token/open] MMO (5) MSO (8)

Actions and States Limited Closed

+ Synchronous

+ Replay

- Deepening Ties

Actions + Actions and States Unlimited Open + Asynchronous - Replay (except email) - Deepening Ties - Messaging Closed + Structure Immersive ++ Feedback - Personalize Messages

+ Messaging Open

+ Structure Casual

Feedback

+ Personalize

Adding Friends Low

- Spread Low

- Social Calculus Low

Friends + Adding Friends + Spread viral + Social Calculus

MSO Design Principles

PX

Emotion from Play

Vision: Gaming Together Bring people together

Games in 2020

Egypt: Mankala

Emotions from social play: People Fun - Rayman

Fish Tank1 Player Choice and Curiosity from Easy Fun

Fish Tank 3 Player Choice and Curiosity from Easy Fun

Fiero Curiosity Relaxation 3. Serious Fun: Creating Value Amusement 4. People Fun: Socialize 1. Hard Fun: Accomplishment 2. Easy Fun: Imagination

The 4 Fun Keys 30 emotions from gameplay Hard Fun Fiero People Fun Amusement Easy Fun Curiosity Serious Fun Relaxation emotion < choice < mechanic > choice > emotion whitepapers: xeodesign.com

choices

goals

challenge

obstacles

strategy

power ups

puzzles

score

levels

monsters

feelings

fiero

frustration

boredom

Hard Fun: Mastery>Fiero Easy Fun: Novelty>Curiosity modified from “Flow” Csikszentmihalyi player choice rewards effort

Hard Fun: Super Monkey Ball Challenge and mastery

Language of Choice Fiero Emotion from Hard Fun: Fiero o/

2. Easy Fun: Imagination Creates Curiosity

choices

iconic situations

explore

experiment

fool around

role play

ambiguity

detail

fantasy

uniqueness

feelings

curiosity

surprise

wonder

awe

choices novelty fills attention

Easy Fun

Tilt: an adventure in 1.5 dimensions

Serious Fun: Brain Baths, Tap Tap Revolution Change how you think, feel, and behave

Serious Fun: Motion X Poker Completion Collection and Matching Mechanics

Competition People Fun

People Fun

Wonder and Connection Ocarina: Easy Fun and People Fun

Keys to Social Play 4 Steps to Create Emotions that Drive MSO Viral Distribution

1. Gameplay

Everyone

* Simple

* Appealing

* Participation

2. Social Features People Fun

* Social Emotions

* Match PX Profile

* Build Trust

3. Tilt Factor Increase # of Players

* Simple

* Mobile

* Frictionless

4. Monetization Free

* Social goods + services

* Enhance gameplay

* MTX 10% pay

PX

1. Gameplay

Everyone

* Simple

* Appealing

* Participation

PX

1.Gameplay

Everyone

Simple and Short Games A B Technology Adoption Curve Number of players Mass Market Diffusion of Innovation , Everett Rogers Crossing the Chasm , Geoffrey Moore Smaller, still tasty fish! Time The Social Web 15% 70% 15% DICE 2007

Simple + Small = Viral Koi Pond

Appealing Fantasy Area Under the Curve Matters number of players A B C D Type of Challenge Wanna play? DICE 2007

Participation is Easy Puzzle Pirates, LostZombies.com

MSO#1: Simple Appealing Participation

Keys to Social Play 4 Steps to Create Emotions that Drive MSO Viral Distribution PX

1. Gameplay

Everyone

* Simple

* Appealing

* Participation

* Social Emotions

* Match PX Profile

* Build Trust

2.Social Features

Social Emotions

More than Chat

ROFL

Shared interests

Express values

Explore identities

Create bonds

Inside jokes

Amusement

The Relationship is the Message social tokens and shared experiences bring us closer

MSO: 3 Laws of Social Play for viral social games (this is what we do know) this is what the play will look like

Friends Messages Actions

Connect It Takes 2

Feedback Draw Circles

Social Tokens symbolic in nature that increases in value with use

stupid shutup dope hotness sloth poke pwn share link frag compare Lazzaro GDC 2008

Do you play “follow the leader” to increase your personal hype quotient? What would encourage idea exchange? Personal Hype Quotient

Twitter Features Targets Social Emotions @ RT DM #gdc09

Match PX Profile Top Facebook Apps

1: Slide Brand 21,410,050 11%

2: Top Friends 2 19,091,190 9%

3: Super Wall 18,918,652 8%

4: Bumper Sticker Footer 10,892,138 11%

5: (Lil) Green Patch 5,671,964 33%

Friendship

Compare

Sending messages

Saving environment

Poker

People Fun Feeling of being closer creates social fabric between people TattleTalz.com Winner Best Game 2008

Friendship ≠ Money why social capital must die

Like oil and water don’t give you $100 to drive me to the airport

More give more have

Reverse interest

“ Money is there for when friendship cannot take care of it.” Jerry Michalski

Yes this is an ad! How does he feel?

Blight Serious Fun Emotions from Theme: Tilt

Mushroom Soil Backgrounds with Emotions from 3 Keys: Tilt

Viral Distribution ties Social Mechanics and Global Play and changes the real world

People Fun: Pet Society Gratitude, Schadenfreude, Naches Rich choices between players Competition Cooperation Gifting Mentorship

People Fun: Photo Tag Amusement Personalize Tease Social Tokens http://apps.facebook.com/supertagphotos/

Build Trust Between players and their friends

PX Mechanics

schadenfreude

gratitude

reciprocity

trust

embarrassment

People Fun Emotions how social bonds form during player experience (PX)

Choices

cooperate

compete

communicate

mentor

lead

perform

spectacle

characters

personalize

Emotions

schadenfreude

envy

love

gratitude

generosity

elevation

inspire

excite

ridicule

embarrass

PX Profile

People Fun Emotions how social bonds form during player experience (PX)

Choices

compete

gifting, helping, forced grouping

transparency, identity, risk, repeat interaction

silliness, dancing*

Emotions

schadenfreude

gratitude

reciprocity

trust

embarrassment

PX Profile *See Jane McGonigal’s GDC slides and Nintendo keynote on DSI camera games

MMO MSO Lazzaro GDC 2008

MSO#2: Social Emotions, Match PX Profile, Build Trust

* Simple

* Mobile

* Frictionless

PX

1. Gameplay

Everyone

* Simple

* Appealing

* Participation

* Social Emotions

* Match PX Profile

* Build Trust

3.Tilt Factor

Increase # Players

Small simple social games

Tilt Factor Microchannels

Simple

10 sprites

2 web pages

1 YouTube video

1.5 dimensions

No buttons

250,000 visits

Mobile Over the Shoulder youtube.com/xeodesign Tilt: an adventure in 1.5 dimensions

Frictionless: TattleTalz Number of steps reduces gameplay, Twitter more viral than FB but less permanent Login 1.Discover 2. Sample 3. Play 4. Invite 5.Convert 6. Retain Invite Accept AddTTL AddTTL Tweet #TTZ x2 Login for more points invites accept actives Your results may vary. ;) free to play pay Facebook 15 Individual invites 6 steps Twitter 2 posts 1 step to play Already tweeting need trust need feedback 15:2 (13%) 1:25 (2,500%) 1:200 (20,000%) player friend 6 stages of adoption for viral games 10% Move to next step

Funnel: Photo Tag More Clicks = Fewer Photos

MSO#3: Simple Mobile Frictionless

* Simple

* Mobile

* Frictionless

* Enhance gameplay

* MTX 10% pay

PX

1. Gameplay

Everyone

* Simple

* Appealing

* Participation

* Social Emotions

* Match PX Profile

* Build Trust

4. Monetization

Free to Play

Actions: Maple Story social interaction creates value

MSO#4: Social Goods and Services, Enhance Gameplay, MTX 10%

* Simple

* Mobile

* Frictionless

* Enhance gameplay

* MTX 10% pay

PX Features to build now

1. Gameplay

Everyone

* Simple

* Appealing

* Participation

* Social Emotions

* Match PX Profile

* Build Trust

Imagine

Together

Fun with all 4 Keys Hard Fun Easy Fun Serious Fun People Fun

The 4 Fun Keys Everyone has fun playing Hard Fun Fiero People Fun Amusement Easy Fun Curiosity Serious Fun Relaxation emotion < choice < mechanic > choice > emotion whitepapers: xeodesign.com

World at night

Tag! You’re it! Make your next game M assively S ocial and O nline!