1. COOP FIRST
How non-zero-sum games are re-shaping our digital world

2. What is a game?

3. a system in which players engage in an artificial
conflict, defined by rules, that results in a
quantifiable outcome*
* Source: Rules of Play

4. Zero-Sum
I Win You Lose
We are opponents

5. Head-to-Head Battles War Simulations
Rank-Ordered Competitions Gambling

6. a structured experience with rules,
goals and progress that’s fun to play*
* Source: The Player’s Journey (forthcoming)

7. Non-Zero-Sum
Win-Win
Lose-Lose
We are partners

8. Double-Dutch Pictionary
Karate Charity Walk

9. Why should you care?

10. 3 Disruptive Trends
Reshaping the games industry

11. 1: Ubiquitous Connected Devices
platform disruption

12. Source: Digi-Captial Global Games Investment Review

13. Source: Flurry Analytics

14. 2: Mainstream, all-ages players
Audience disruption

15. 93% of kids 8-
13 play games
online
Source: M2 Research
fastest-growing
Facebook
demographic is
women 55+
Source: Inside Facebook

16. 3: mutual entertainment / UGC
Content disruption

20. Who’s Is Bigger?
Social Comparison drains Happiness
Social Comparison leads to unhappiness

21. Playing Together
Reciprocal Altruism
Social Relationships lead to happiness

22. Different Players like
Different Types
of Social Engagement

23. Who are your players?
How do they like to engage?

24. Bartles Player Types (1996)
Killers Achievers
Socializers
Explorers

25. Points, Badges, Levels,
Leaderboards… appeal primarily to
Achievers
Jane McGonigal
Richard Bartle

26. Social Engagement Actions (2010)
Personal Progress
Explore Compete
Single-Player Multi-Player
Express Collaborate
Social Progress

27. Social Actions Set the Tone

28. What are your DEFINING Social Actions?
Acting
Build Create Win Challenge
Design Purchase
Express
Decorate
Compete
Showoff
Customize Choose Compare Taunt
Content Players
View Collect Comment Like
Rate Greet
Vote Explore Collaborate
Share
Curate Review Help
Give
Interacting

29. Collaboration in Minecraft
Regulars need fresh content/activities/challenges
Building, mining, teamwork & MODs

30. EXPLORE randomly-generated
Regulars need fresh content/activities/challenges
landscapes with each new game

31. COMPETE with the system
Regulars need fresh content/activities/challenges
to survive the night

32. EXPRESS yourself by
Regulars need fresh content/activities/challenges
building structures & mods

33. Regulars need fresh to survive, create, share
COLLABORATE content/activities/challenges
Bigger challenges inspire teamwork

34. Collaboration in Kickstarter
Regulars need fresh content/activities/challenges

35. Regulars need fresh content/activities/challenges
COMPETE with the system
to get your project funded
Funding goals + time constraints drive urgency

36. Regulars need fresh content/activities/challenges
EXPLORE up-and-coming projects
Constant stream of quirky, interesting content

37. EXPRESS + COLLABORATE
Regulars need fresh content/activities/challenges
by backing or running projects

38. Collaboration in Foldit
Regulars need fresh content/activities/challenges
emergent teamwork solves real-world science puzzles

39. Crowd-sourcing Science
Regulars need fresh content/activities/challenges
solving big, tough, real scientific problems

40. The Foldit Cookbook
Regulars need fresh content/activities/challenges
sharing strategies for protein folding

41. Regulars need fresh content/activities/challenges
COMPETE with the system
to solve real scientific problems

42. Regulars need fresh content/activities/challenges
EXPLORE new puzzles & rulesets

43. COLLABORATE with others
Regulars need fresh content/activities/challenges
to solve hard puzzles
“you don’t find many soloists among the top scorers”

44. EXPRESS your knowledge
Regulars need fresh content/activities/challenges
by extending the Foldit Cookbook

45. What are the emerging best
practices for coop game* design?
* game: a structured experience with rules, goals & progress that’s fun to play

46. Coop First: Emerging Best Practices
1) Big meaningful challenges inspire collective action
- people will band together to solve puzzles and fill in the gaps
- people will self-organize around shared goals

49. Coop First: Emerging Best Practices
1) Big meaningful challenges inspire collective action
- people will band together to solve puzzles and fill in the gaps
- people will self-organize around shared goals
2) Players compete with the system, not each other
- use time & resource constraints to drive urgency & focus
- system competition as onboarding (e.g. minecraft)

51. Coop First: Emerging Best Practices
1) Big meaningful challenges inspire collective action
- people will band together to solve puzzles and fill in the gaps
- people will self-organize around shared goals
2) Players compete with the system, not each other
- use time & resource constraints to drive urgency & focus
- system competition as onboarding (e.g. minecraft)
3) Talented enthusiasts can extend the gameworld
- Minecraft gameplay extended via MODS
- Foldit Cookbook extended by expert players
- Kickstarter extended via projects & videos

53. Coop Gaming = Blue Ocean Strategy
Reciprocal Altruism
Blue Ocean Opportunity
What Coop Games will YOU create?