User Experiences of Game Idea Generation Games Annakaisa Kultima, Johannes Niemelä, Janne Paavilainen & Hannamari Saarenpää

Who? What? Where? University of Tampere , Finland Laboratory of Hypermedia, Game Research Lab GameSpace project (1.8.2006 – 30.9.2008) Study of design and evaluation methods for casual multiplayer mobile games Frans Mäyrä, Janne Paavilainen, Annakaisa Kultima, Johannes Niemelä, Jussi Kuittinen & Hannamari Saarenpää Finnish Innovation and Technology Funding Agency Industry partners: Nokia, Veikkaus (Finnish National Lottery), TeliaSonera, Sumea/Digital Chocolate, Sulake Annakaisa Kultima @ Meaningful Play 2008, October 9-11, Michigan State University

University of Tampere , Finland

Laboratory of Hypermedia, Game Research Lab

GameSpace project (1.8.2006 – 30.9.2008)

Study of design and evaluation methods for casual multiplayer mobile games

Frans Mäyrä, Janne Paavilainen, Annakaisa Kultima, Johannes Niemelä, Jussi Kuittinen & Hannamari Saarenpää

Finnish Innovation and Technology Funding Agency

Industry partners: Nokia, Veikkaus (Finnish National Lottery), TeliaSonera, Sumea/Digital Chocolate, Sulake

In this presentation... Idea generation Purposeful creation of new ideas Developing idea generation tools for creative work Creativity techniques, brainstorming techniques, idea generation techniques Complimentary for natural ideation processes Domain specific idea generation Game ideas Supporting the specific features of games or even certain types of games Game-based idea generation Annakaisa Kultima @ Meaningful Play 2008, October 9-11, Michigan State University

Idea generation

Purposeful creation of new ideas

Developing idea generation tools for creative work

Creativity techniques, brainstorming techniques, idea generation techniques

Complimentary for natural ideation processes

Domain specific idea generation

Game ideas

Supporting the specific features of games or even certain types of games

Game-based idea generation

Our workshop experiences Annakaisa Kultima @ Meaningful Play 2008, October 9-11, Michigan State University

Our workshop experiences Three 1-2 day expert workshops in 2006-2007 Discussion on casual multiplayer mobile games Methods for early phase of game production Support for specific domain of idea generation Over 20 participants from 5 different companies 15+ experimental techniques and tools 200+ new game ideas Annakaisa Kultima @ Meaningful Play 2008, October 9-11, Michigan State University

Three 1-2 day expert workshops in 2006-2007

Discussion on casual multiplayer mobile games

Methods for early phase of game production

Support for specific domain of idea generation

Over 20 participants from 5 different companies

15+ experimental techniques and tools

200+ new game ideas

Some example ideas… Bluetooth Planets Each player acts as alien king with one homeworld. Players’ task is to colonize other planets. Other planets are scanned via bluetooth and each bluetooth beacon represents a planet with different attributes. Player sends a reconnaissance spybot to study the planet. The spybots can be designed with various features depending on what kind of information the player needs to know. Players can also invade other players’ planets. Shave my Baby! Find your baby, oh no, she has a beard, quick race to the barbershop to shave my baby! Attend to the multiplayer race pushing your pram through the streets to get to the barbershop first, since he can only shave one baby per day. (Hairy baby shaves are bad for business.) Obstacles: the criminal wants to steal the baby (why? Don’t ask). Co-operate with others to gain collective advantage, bribe or negotiate to get secret knowledge (shortcuts to route). One Winner – lots of losers. Annakaisa Kultima @ Meaningful Play 2008, October 9-11, Michigan State University

Bluetooth Planets

Each player acts as alien king with one homeworld. Players’ task is to colonize other planets. Other planets are scanned via bluetooth and each bluetooth beacon represents a planet with different attributes. Player sends a reconnaissance spybot to study the planet. The spybots can be designed with various features depending on what kind of information the player needs to know. Players can also invade other players’ planets.

Shave my Baby!

Find your baby, oh no, she has a beard, quick race to the barbershop to shave my baby! Attend to the multiplayer race pushing your pram through the streets to get to the barbershop first, since he can only shave one baby per day. (Hairy baby shaves are bad for business.) Obstacles: the criminal wants to steal the baby (why? Don’t ask). Co-operate with others to gain collective advantage, bribe or negotiate to get secret knowledge (shortcuts to route). One Winner – lots of losers.

Our workshop experiences New tools were welcomed and game specific methods found potential Importance of stimuli Structure of the technique relevant Tools and techniques difficult to compare Importance of user experience Annakaisa Kultima @ Meaningful Play 2008, October 9-11, Michigan State University

New tools were welcomed and game specific methods found potential

Importance of stimuli

Structure of the technique relevant

Tools and techniques difficult to compare

Importance of user experience

How and what to study? Ideas Comparing techniques and tools based on the ideas produced What exactly they are supporting? User experiences Real idea needs: how to support them? Realities of the use: what kind of tools suite to the context? Annakaisa Kultima @ Meaningful Play 2008, October 9-11, Michigan State University

Ideas

Comparing techniques and tools based on the ideas produced

What exactly they are supporting?

User experiences

Real idea needs: how to support them?

Realities of the use: what kind of tools suite to the context?

Pilot Study of GameSpace Tools Setting 3 months trial period Product-like package 7 user groups 6 different techniques & tools (3 games) Data collection Pre-interviews feedback cards, online survey interviews after the use period Annakaisa Kultima @ Meaningful Play 2008, October 9-11, Michigan State University

Setting

3 months trial period

Product-like package

7 user groups

6 different techniques & tools (3 games)

Data collection

Pre-interviews

feedback cards,

online survey

interviews after the use period

VNA (Verbs, Nouns & Adjectives) Fast and easy method for rapid idea generation Simple and fast method for creating casual game ideas Three decks of cards filled with verbs, nouns and adjectives Players take turns to reveal one card on their turn Collaborative, shared idea Word set based on soft analysis of 40 casual games Annakaisa Kultima @ Meaningful Play 2008, October 9-11, Michigan State University

Fast and easy method for rapid idea generation

Simple and fast method for creating casual game ideas

Three decks of cards filled with verbs, nouns and adjectives

Players take turns to reveal one card on their turn

Collaborative, shared idea

Word set based on soft analysis of 40 casual games

GameSeekers Associative technique for producing casual game ideas with social features Free cards: pictures, patterns “ Casual games” cards: genres, selected social aspects Idea game cards: actions Simplify, rethink, remove Structure inspired by UNO, MindMap Annakaisa Kultima @ Meaningful Play 2008, October 9-11, Michigan State University

Associative technique for producing casual game ideas with social features

Free cards: pictures, patterns

“ Casual games” cards: genres, selected social aspects

Idea game cards: actions

Simplify, rethink, remove

Structure inspired by

UNO, MindMap

GameBoard Game for creating mobile game ideas in a structural manner Includes co-op and solo versions Players create ideas but also compete in a meta-game Features game board, set of different cards and score tokens Game idea is based on structure of the game (mechanics, theme, UI, challenge, content etc…) Suggesting interesting mobile game features Annakaisa Kultima @ Meaningful Play 2008, October 9-11, Michigan State University

Game for creating mobile game ideas in a structural manner

Includes co-op and solo versions

Players create ideas but also compete in a meta-game

Features game board, set of different cards and score tokens

Game idea is based on structure of the game (mechanics, theme, UI, challenge, content etc…)

Suggesting interesting mobile game features

Other tools MorF Computer aided Morphological Forced Connections for Game Ideas USB-key to run the program and archive the ideas PieceBox Game related toys as an inspiration and mediation for game ideas Mecano Using everyday objects as an inspiration for game mechanics innovation Annakaisa Kultima @ Meaningful Play 2008, October 9-11, Michigan State University

MorF

Computer aided Morphological Forced Connections for Game Ideas

USB-key to run the program and archive the ideas

PieceBox

Game related toys as an inspiration and mediation for game ideas

Mecano

Using everyday objects as an inspiration for game mechanics innovation

Experiences with the tools? Set was successfully utilised 2-5 times during the 3 month period by 4 companies Almost all of the participants would continue the use All of the participants would recommend the tools to others Inspiring and applicable ideas were born already within the short testing period (direct utility) Games as most popular approaches Annakaisa Kultima @ Meaningful Play 2008, October 9-11, Michigan State University

Set was successfully utilised 2-5 times during the 3 month period by 4 companies

Almost all of the participants would continue the use

All of the participants would recommend the tools to others

Inspiring and applicable ideas were born already within the short testing period (direct utility)

Games as most popular approaches

Experiences with VNA Most popular tool in the set Favourite of over the half of the users Easy, fast & most efficient Fun & enjoyable sessions Assembly of the words successful Annakaisa Kultima @ Meaningful Play 2008, October 9-11, Michigan State University

Most popular tool in the set

Favourite of over the half of the users

Easy, fast & most efficient

Fun & enjoyable sessions

Assembly of the words successful

Experiences with GameSeekers Not loved, nor hated Compared to VNA : More difficult to approach than VNA More complicated rules Slower, slightly inefficient Ideas often times too scattered and expanded Still could be seen as inspiring new ideas or giving ideas to on-going productions Special interest to some of the cards Still among the three most popular tools Annakaisa Kultima @ Meaningful Play 2008, October 9-11, Michigan State University

Not loved, nor hated

Compared to VNA :

More difficult to approach than VNA

More complicated rules

Slower, slightly inefficient

Ideas often times too scattered and expanded

Still could be seen as inspiring new ideas or giving ideas to on-going productions

Special interest to some of the cards

Still among the three most popular tools

Experiences with GameBoard Second most favourite tool in the GameSpace set Most frequently least preferred Structured form as an upside Enjoyable sessions Gameplay balance issues Point system was found unnecessary and often times discarded Annakaisa Kultima @ Meaningful Play 2008, October 9-11, Michigan State University

Second most favourite tool in the GameSpace set

Most frequently least preferred

Structured form as an upside

Enjoyable sessions

Gameplay balance issues

Point system was found unnecessary and often times discarded

Conclusions Despite the critique, overall experiences were positive Sessions were fun, inspiring and useful Games were most popular idea generation tools VNA most popular (easy, fast & efficient) Annakaisa Kultima @ Meaningful Play 2008, October 9-11, Michigan State University

Despite the critique, overall experiences were positive

Sessions were fun, inspiring and useful

Games were most popular idea generation tools

VNA most popular (easy, fast & efficient)

Discussion General remarks Relatively short testing period Small sample, certain types of game companies Game designers love games Problems with GameSeekers & GameBoard can be solved Reversed engineering Various tools and games should be designed Different approaches instead of one perfect approach Annakaisa Kultima @ Meaningful Play 2008, October 9-11, Michigan State University

General remarks

Relatively short testing period

Small sample, certain types of game companies

Game designers love games

Problems with GameSeekers & GameBoard can be solved

Reversed engineering

Various tools and games should be designed

Different approaches instead of one perfect approach

Games for Creativity Playful atmosphere Games provide better metaphor for creativity Structure & stimuli Rules keeps you focused & force equality between participators Game world provides stimuli to start with & surprise to challenge yourself with Creativity techniques, idea generation techniques Thinking tools, forcing out of the box, creative problem solving Design games Idea mediation and communication participatory design (collaborative design) Serious games Games for production Annakaisa Kultima @ Meaningful Play 2008, October 9-11, Michigan State University

Playful atmosphere

Games provide better metaphor for creativity

Structure & stimuli

Rules keeps you focused & force equality between participators

Game world provides stimuli to start with & surprise to challenge yourself with

Creativity techniques, idea generation techniques

Thinking tools, forcing out of the box, creative problem solving

Design games

Idea mediation and communication

participatory design (collaborative design)

Serious games

Games for production

What kind of a game? Thoughts based on our experiences Collaborative Support for free association Provided stimuli for easy flowing process Structure for supporting certain idea needs and focusing the session Forced combinations for surprising ideas No special need for point system or other external rewards, ideas themselves are enough rewarding Annakaisa Kultima @ Meaningful Play 2008, October 9-11, Michigan State University

Thoughts based on our experiences

Collaborative

Support for free association

Provided stimuli for easy flowing process

Structure for supporting certain idea needs and focusing the session

Forced combinations for surprising ideas

No special need for point system or other external rewards, ideas themselves are enough rewarding

Future work Broadening the perspective: Various stages of the iterative process of game design Game ideas evolve and inspire new ideas all through the process Generating, refining, organizing, managing and evaluating game ideas Especially: Special needs of game ideas for idea management systems Game idea documentation and description language Restriction based idea generation vs. blue sky ideas E.g. ideas for existing IP Development of different idea generation games Annakaisa Kultima @ Meaningful Play 2008, October 9-11, Michigan State University

Broadening the perspective:

Various stages of the iterative process of game design

Game ideas evolve and inspire new ideas all through the process

Generating, refining, organizing, managing and evaluating game ideas

Especially:

Special needs of game ideas for idea management systems

Game idea documentation and description language

Restriction based idea generation vs. blue sky ideas

E.g. ideas for existing IP

Development of different idea generation games

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