The document explores the concept of massively social online games (MSOs) and their potential to drive emotional engagement and social connections among players. It outlines four keys to enhance gameplay experience: simplicity, social features, the 'tilt' factor, and monetization strategies that are appealing to users. Additionally, it discusses the importance of emotions in gameplay, particularly through various fun types such as hard fun, easy fun, serious fun, and people fun.

1. 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

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

3. Massively Social Online Game use fun to drive social distribution

4. Imagine

5. 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

6. MSO Design Principles

7. PX Emotion from Play

8. Vision: Gaming Together Bring people together Games in 2020 Egypt: Mankala

9. Emotions from social play: People Fun - Rayman

10. Fish Tank1 Player Choice and Curiosity from Easy Fun

11. Fish Tank 3 Player Choice and Curiosity from Easy Fun

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

13. 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

14. 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

15. Hard Fun: Super Monkey Ball Challenge and mastery

16. Language of Choice Fiero Emotion from Hard Fun: Fiero \o/

17. 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

18. Easy Fun

19. Easy Fun

20. Easy Fun

21. Tilt: an adventure in 1.5 dimensions

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

23. Serious Fun: Motion X Poker Completion Collection and Matching Mechanics

24. Competition People Fun

25. People Fun

26. Wonder and Connection Ocarina: Easy Fun and People Fun

28. 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

29. Keys to Social Play 4 Steps to Create Emotions that Drive MSO Viral Distribution 1. Gameplay Everyone * Simple * Appealing * Participation PX

30. 1.Gameplay Everyone

31. 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

32. Simple + Small = Viral Koi Pond

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

34. Participation is Easy Puzzle Pirates, LostZombies.com

36. MSO#1: Simple Appealing Participation

37. Keys to Social Play 4 Steps to Create Emotions that Drive MSO Viral Distribution PX 1. Gameplay Everyone * Simple * Appealing * Participation 2. Social Features People Fun * Social Emotions * Match PX Profile * Build Trust

38. 2.Social Features Social Emotions More than Chat

39. ROFL

40. Shared interests Express values Explore identities Create bonds Inside jokes Amusement The Relationship is the Message social tokens and shared experiences bring us closer

41. 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

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

43. Twitter Features Targets Social Emotions @ RT DM #gdc09

44. 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

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

46. 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?

47. Blight Serious Fun Emotions from Theme: Tilt

48. Blight Serious Fun Emotions from Theme: Tilt

49. Mushroom Soil Backgrounds with Emotions from 3 Keys: Tilt

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

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

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

53. Build Trust Between players and their friends PX Mechanics schadenfreude gratitude reciprocity trust embarrassment

54. 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

55. 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

56. MMO MSO Lazzaro GDC 2008

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

59. Keys to Social Play 4 Steps to Create Emotions that Drive MSO Viral Distribution 3. Tilt Factor Increase # of Players * Simple * Mobile * Frictionless PX 1. Gameplay Everyone * Simple * Appealing * Participation 2. Social Features People Fun * Social Emotions * Match PX Profile * Build Trust

60. 3.Tilt Factor Increase # Players Small simple social games

61. Tilt Factor Microchannels

62. Simple 10 sprites 2 web pages 1 YouTube video 1.5 dimensions No buttons 250,000 visits

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

64. 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

65. Funnel: Photo Tag More Clicks = Fewer Photos

67. MSO#3: Simple Mobile Frictionless

68. Keys to Social Play 4 Steps to Create Emotions that Drive MSO Viral Distribution 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 2. Social Features People Fun * Social Emotions * Match PX Profile * Build Trust

69. 4. Monetization Free to Play

70. Actions: Maple Story social interaction creates value

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

72. Keys to Social Play 4 Steps to Create Emotions that Drive MSO Viral Distribution 3. Tilt Factor Increase # of Players * Simple * Mobile * Frictionless 4. Monetization Free * Social goods + services * Enhance gameplay * MTX 10% pay PX Features to build now 1. Gameplay Everyone * Simple * Appealing * Participation 2. Social Features People Fun * Social Emotions * Match PX Profile * Build Trust

73. Imagine

74. Together

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

76. 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

77. World at night

78. World at night

79. Tag! You’re it! Make your next game M assively S ocial and O nline! Nicole Lazzaro Email: [email_address] Twitter: @NicoleLazzaro White papers and slides: xeodesign.com Slideshare.com/NicoleLazzaro Coming Soon! TiltWorld.com