Games People Play Social Media Dimensions of Online Gaming

Social Media Dimensions of Online Gaming

The intersection Gaming is at a crossroads Social media and gaming are intersecting Where social media and gaming meet, or collide: What are the challenges? What are the opportunities?

Gaming is at a crossroads

Social media and gaming are intersecting

Where social media and gaming meet, or collide:

What are the challenges?

What are the opportunities?

Social media is game changing Social media will change the evolutionary process for game marketing and development Social media will create new business models social media/gaming equation New audiences x (collaboration + participation) = synergy

Social media will change the evolutionary process for game marketing and development

Social media will create new business models

social media/gaming equation

New audiences x (collaboration + participation) = synergy

Changing the game plan Social media are changing every aspect of business So social media is going to change the gaming industry It’s going to change What games we play Who plays games What a game is Social media will change how games evolve

Social media are changing every aspect of business

So social media is going to change the gaming industry

It’s going to change

What games we play

Who plays games

What a game is

Social media will change how games evolve

Social media is going to change the playing field Social media will impact all aspects of gaming: That’s players, designers, vendors Social media isn’t just moving the goal posts, it is changing the playing field Social media will change how games are developed, reach the market place and become successful, or not

Social media will impact all aspects of gaming:

That’s players, designers, vendors

Social media isn’t just moving the goal posts, it is changing the playing field

Social media will change how games are developed, reach the market place and become successful, or not

Adapt or die Have you heard of the dodo? Evolution dictates that weakness and inefficiency do not persist in complex environments, such as the Internet When environments change too fast, animals go extinct To survive, animals must adapt

Have you heard of the dodo?

Evolution dictates that weakness and inefficiency do not persist in complex environments, such as the Internet

When environments change too fast, animals go extinct

To survive, animals must adapt

Survival of the fittest The fittest games will survive Easiest to play Easiest to share Best meet our basic needs such as human interaction Crap games do not last long in the market place. The best games persist The best features are copied and passed on to other games

The fittest games will survive

Easiest to play

Easiest to share

Best meet our basic needs such as human interaction

Crap games do not last long in the market place.

The best games persist

The best features are copied and passed on to other games

Selection  Extinction Customers are selecting, like natural selection. Due to natural selection, all the dinosaurs went extinct. The birds are the only relatives of the dinosaurs to survive. With social media selection in the gaming industry is going to be ever more ruthless and faster.

Customers are selecting, like natural selection.

Due to natural selection, all the dinosaurs went extinct.

The birds are the only relatives of the dinosaurs to survive.

With social media selection in the gaming industry is going to be ever more ruthless and faster.

Extinction  Consolidation Selective processes will move away from top down conception, design and execution. Selection will occur at the earliest stages. Control of game conception development and marketing will be bottom up This pressure will lead to consolidation.

Selective processes will move away from top down conception, design and execution.

Selection will occur at the earliest stages.

Control of game conception development and marketing will be bottom up

This pressure will lead to consolidation.

Extinction  Consolidation Birds

Adapting to change The gaming industry must adapt to change Another lesson from evolution is that complex environments provide many niches The gaming industry will exploit niches and thereby diversify There are niches within the industry that don’t exist today, and that we can’t even imagine We’ll see later what some of these might be

The gaming industry must adapt to change

Another lesson from evolution is that complex environments provide many niches

The gaming industry will exploit niches and thereby diversify

There are niches within the industry that don’t exist today, and that we can’t even imagine

We’ll see later what some of these might be

Diversification Biological niches

Social media meets gaming Around 2006 games met social computing Ppopular sites such as MySpace and Wikipedia had reached popular audience The world was introduced to Facebook

Around 2006 games met social computing

Ppopular sites such as MySpace and Wikipedia had reached popular audience

The world was introduced to Facebook

Interest in online games Searches for online games steadily increased over the past several years. Searches for games on Facebook has grown with the explosive growth of the social network.

Searches for online games steadily increased over the past several years.

Searches for games on Facebook has grown with the explosive growth of the social network.

“ online games” “ facebook games”

There are a multitude of games on Facebook.

Mafioso on Facebook Click of a mouse: invite friends Bigger mob = more properties, weapons, money Profile status updates Recreates the village How you match up against others, not a machine Social element takes games to new audiences

Click of a mouse: invite friends Bigger mob = more properties, weapons, money

Profile status updates

Recreates the village

How you match up against others, not a machine

Social element takes games to new audiences

New audiences Howard Dean used web-games to teach democracy and increase interest in campaigns

Howard Dean used web-games to teach democracy and increase interest in campaigns

New audiences US Army’s arcade-style games help with recruitment

US Army’s arcade-style games help with recruitment

New audiences Dept. of Treasury and Ad Council created a game to teach about importance of good credit.

Dept. of Treasury and Ad Council created a game to teach about importance of good credit.

New audiences Kids use Sim City to design their ideal city for the Future City contest.

Kids use Sim City to design their ideal city for the Future City contest.

New audiences Elf Island, with Second Life-like functionality, empowers kids to benefit environmental causes

Elf Island, with Second Life-like functionality, empowers kids to benefit environmental causes

New applications = new audiences These games are being used in new ways They break out of the mold of game as entertainment They introduce new audiences to games These games lack a strong social component Bringing a social element will allow gaming to break out of bottlenecks to growth

These games are being used in new ways

They break out of the mold of game as entertainment

They introduce new audiences to games

These games lack a strong social component

Bringing a social element will allow gaming to break out of bottlenecks to growth

Bottlenecks to growth Limited business models Pay to play Hardware and software sales Gaming as entertainment Gamers as nerds or dropouts Implementing social media models Institutional inertia Low value or misleading content (spam)

Limited business models

Pay to play

Hardware and software sales

Gaming as entertainment

Gamers as nerds or dropouts

Implementing social media models

Institutional inertia

Low value or misleading content (spam)

Game changers User-created games Kongregate, Facebook User-created content Spore Bottom-up control Portable profiles Hardware obsolescence Distributed computing Mashups

User-created games

Kongregate, Facebook

User-created content

Spore

Bottom-up control

Portable profiles

Hardware obsolescence

Distributed computing

Mashups

Distributed computing Onlive is gaming on demand High-end equipment not needed for optimal gaming experience Multi-user platform with social gaming Promises “massive spectating” with “ instant community on an epic scale”

Onlive is gaming on demand

High-end equipment not needed for optimal gaming experience

Multi-user platform with social gaming

Promises “massive

spectating” with

“ instant community on

an epic scale”

What’s coming? Augmented reality games will emerge into the real world through geocaching, such as Gowalla. Ubiquitous computing = everything is a gaming platform Mashups Second Life + Google Maps + GPS Walk or drive, find and identify friends via augmented reality systems Look inside the shop before deciding to go in. Far-fetched? They’re already doing this in Japan.

Augmented reality games will emerge into the real world through geocaching, such as Gowalla.

Ubiquitous computing = everything is a gaming platform

Mashups

Second Life + Google Maps + GPS

Walk or drive, find and identify friends via augmented reality systems

Look inside the shop before deciding to go in.

Far-fetched?

They’re already doing this in Japan.

Chipuya Town Chipuya Town is a virtual world accessible on a cell phone. Users create custom avatar, for a version of Tokyo's Shibuya shopping district. Companies pay $4,000 a month for ads on in-world billboards. Players socialize with other avatars and earn “Grooves” They recruit friends, go on treasure hunts, and attend sponsored events.

Chipuya Town is a virtual world accessible on a cell phone.

Users create custom avatar, for a version of Tokyo's Shibuya shopping district.

Companies pay $4,000 a month for ads on in-world billboards.

Players socialize with other avatars and earn “Grooves”

They recruit friends, go on treasure hunts, and attend sponsored events.

New business models (gaming niches) Create microgames Crowdsourcing development and marketing Games for everyday life Work (e.g., employment screening) Play (improve your game) Shop (optimal instore experiences) Drive (safer and faster) Dine (finding a restaurant) Health (learn healthful lifestyles) Think (mind-mapping)

Create microgames

Crowdsourcing development and marketing

Games for everyday life

Work (e.g., employment screening)

Play (improve your game)

Shop (optimal instore experiences)

Drive (safer and faster)

Dine (finding a restaurant)

Health (learn healthful lifestyles)

Think (mind-mapping)

Welcome to… The Gaming Economy Gaming is the new communication.

Gaming as communication Tough challenges create exciting opportunities Where gaming and social media intersect, a gaming economy is emerging Gaming can be the currency of this economy Combined with social media gaming will be the new paradigm for communication

Tough challenges create exciting opportunities

Where gaming and social media intersect, a gaming economy is emerging

Gaming can be the currency of this economy

Combined with social media gaming will be the new paradigm for communication

Contact [email_address] 919 573 6307 Twitter: @rharris LinkedIn : rogerharris

[email_address]

919 573 6307

Twitter: @rharris

LinkedIn : rogerharris