Qualities of
Virtual Goods
Martin Nerurkar & Volker Boenigk
BGF 2010

Martin Nerurkar Volker Boenigk
Twitter
Web
Blog
@MNerurkar
www.martin.nerurkar.de
www.gamearch.com
@PoweredByPixels
www.poweredbypixels.de
blog.poweredbypixels.de
E-Mail Martin.Nerurkar@Gameforge.com Volker.Boenigk@Gameforge.com
System TricksQualities

Overview
System Qualities Tricks

Overview
System Tricks
System Qualities Tricks
Qualities

Overview
1. The basics of our system
System Tricks
System TricksQualities
Qualities

Overview
1. The basics of our system
2. Describing the 6 qualities (+ Examples)
System Tricks
System TricksQualities
Qualities

Overview
1. The basics of our system
2. Describing the 6 qualities (+ Examples)
3. Additional tricks
System Tricks
System TricksQualities
Qualities

System
System TricksQualities

The System
Use-Value
Advantage
Comfort
Aesthetics
Content
System TricksQualities

The System
Duration
Artificial ScarcityUse-Value
Advantage
Comfort
Aesthetics
Content
System Tricks
Availability
Qualities

The System
Advantage
Comfort
Aesthetics
Content
Perceived
Value
Artificial ScarcityUse-Value
Duration
Availability
System TricksQualities

The System
=+ + + + +
System TricksQualities

Qualities
System TricksQualities

The 6 Qualities
• Quality represents value to
the player
– High Quality = desirable
• Quality strength is
dependent on the game
System Tricks
Duration
Advantage
Comfort
Aesthetics
Content
Availability
Qualities

Advantage
System Tricks
Duration
Advantage
Comfort
Aesthetics
Content
Availability
Qualities

Advantage
• Increased performance
– Better equipment
– XP boosts
• The payer has a gameplay advantage over
non-payers (Careful!)
• Exclusive bonuses can feel more unfair
than earnable bonuses
System TricksQualities

Advantage Example
Battleknight Guards
Use Values
• +25% Defense
Scarcity
• Limited duration
System TricksQualities

Advantage
• How big is the performance
increase?
• Is it a direct or indirect gain?
• How competitive is the game?
• Will it break the game?
System TricksQualities

Aesthetics
System Tricks
Duration
Advantage
Comfort
Aesthetics
Content
Availability
Qualities
Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/fdecomite/

Aesthetics
• Audiovisual value
– Hairstyles
– Unique clothes
– “Vanity items”
• Very dependent on the type of game
System TricksQualities

Aesthetics Example
Europe 1400 Avatars
Use Values
• Unique looks
Scarcity
• Permanent
System TricksQualities

Aesthetics
• How visual is the game?
• How desirable is the effect?
• Is the effect customizable?
• Does it represent an affiliation?
System TricksQualities

Comfort
Duration
Advantage
Comfort
Aesthetics
Content
Availability
System TricksQualities
Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/austinevan/

Comfort
• Making life easier for the
player
• Cuts the parts that are
not enjoyable
– Automatization
– Improved interface features
System TricksQualities

Comfort Example
Ikariam City Overview
Use Values
• Easier to keep an
overview over your
cities
Scarcity
• Limited time
System TricksQualities

Comfort
• How annoying is the normal
task?
• Does the feature require less
effort?
• Does it save the player time?
System TricksQualities

Content
Duration
Advantage
Comfort
Aesthetics
Content
Availability
System TricksQualities
Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/depone/

Content
• Adds new playing options
– New areas
– New quests
– New classes
• Allows to extend the experience
System TricksQualities

Content Example
Hypothetical New Class
Use Values
• Perfectly balanced
• Unique premium class
Scarcity
• Permanent
System TricksQualities

Content Example
Metin 2 Dungeons
Use Values
• Exclusive content
• Faster levelling
• Better drop chances
Scarcity
• Limited use
System TricksQualities

Content
• How much time can be spent
with the new content?
• How well created is it?
• How dependant is the game on
content?
System TricksQualities

Duration
Duration
Advantage
Comfort
Aesthetics
Content
Availability
System TricksQualities
Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/robbie73/

Duration
• How long does the good
last or how often can it
be used?
• The higher the duration,
the higher the perceived value
• Permanent goods can be problematic
System TricksQualities

Duration
• How long does the item last?
• Is duration in harmony with
effect and presentation?
System TricksQualities

Availability
Duration
Advantage
Comfort
Aesthetics
Content
Availability
System TricksQualities
Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/villamon/

Availability
• The rarer a good is, the
more valuable it becomes
• Different ways to modify
availability
• Stronger if players can display rare goods
System TricksQualities

Availability
• How hard is the good to get?
• Can the good be collected
and/or displayed?
• Is availability in harmony with
the presentation?
System TricksQualities

The Qualities
=+ + + + +
System TricksQualities

Tricks
System TricksQualities

Rating System
System TricksQualities

Rating System
System TricksQualities

Player Needs Matrix
Laziness
Keep up
Be better
See everything
Have everything
Be unique
To belong
System TricksQualities

Whitespot Analysis
System TricksQualities

Whitespot Analysis
System Tricks
What?
Who?
Qualities
Image: http://www.sxc.hu/profile/yarranz

Wrapup
System TricksQualities

Wrapup
System Tricks
Advantage
Comfort
Aesthetics
Content
Perceived
Value
Artificial ScarcityUse-Value
Duration
Availability
Qualities

Contact Us
Martin Nerurkar Volker Boenigk
Twitter
Web
Blog
@MNerurkar
www.martin.nerurkar.de
www.gamearch.com
@PoweredByPixels
www.poweredbypixels.de
blog.poweredbypixels.de
E-Mail Martin.Nerurkar@Gameforge.com Volker.Boenigk@Gameforge.com
System TricksQualities