Amber Studio: How game design is changing your life

1. How Game Design
is
Changing Your Life

2. Who is Amber
A boutique studio offering premium creative and development services,
nurturing ideas worth exploring.
170+ staff in the software services group.
• 30 Deployment
• 22 Creative
• 110+ QA
Services offering:
• Full game development: from Idea to Live
• Live services: regular game updates for Live titles
• Maintenance services: depending on your needs

3. How Big is the Industry
36.3
3.6
24.7
PC
Console
Mobile
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40
2015 WW DIGITAL GAMES
MARKET IN BILLIONS
WW Digital Games Market in Billions

4. How Big is the Industry
27%
73%
GAME SALES VS RO PIB
Mobile Sales Romanian PIB
10%
16%
74%
WORLD POPULATION
Facebook Users Gamers World Population
1.5 billion people play games on a daily basis
Gamers spend 8hrs per week, in average

5. You are what you eat

6. What is good game design

7. Interacting with the world
Working with
tools
28 mil years
Touching
360 mil years
Working with PCs (50 yrs)
.

8. What happens when these guys grow up
590 millions of gamers will become adults soon

9. Game are changing how we learn
29% of gamers are
under 18
74% of mid grade school
teachers use games for
teaching
56% of parents say gaming
has positive effects on
their children
* As stated by a case study posted by Big Fish Games in 2014

10. Games are changing how we do business
“Nintendo expects that its new games for smartphones, built in partnership
with Japanese mobile gaming company DeNA, will help boost sales of its
consoles”
- Satoru Iwata

11. Games are changing retail
Game Design Psychology
+ =

12. Remember Mafia Wars?
Game Design
+ Me >( ) = 150 M$

13. Candy Crush?
Game Design
+ Me >( ) = 3B$+
Slot Machines

14. Tell me More
I really like this Game Design Thinghie.

16. INTRODUCTION
Disclaimer: This is not a class and the product
presented here is still work in progress

17. WHAT IS LINK TWIN
Mobile Logical Puzzle-Game
Solve puzzles and progress to the next level
Simple and minimalistic gameplay

18. HOW LINK TWIN WAS BORN
24h Game-Jam
Top-Down versus Bottom-Up Approach
Build methodologically with design principles

19. DESIGN IN LINK TWIN

20. BEHAVIOR DESIGN
People are lazy
Create habits
Teach bit by bit

21. DESIGN PRINCIPLES IN LINK TWIN
Flexibility in gameplay – several unique solutions for each level
Simple and Intuitive - User Interface and Game Mechanics
Low Input – Simplify flow and minimize repetitive actions

22. DESIGN PRINCIPLES IN LINK TWIN
Tolerance for error – don’t punish, teach
Create clear objectives through readability
Customization - Let the player change his toy – Create levels

23. DESIGN PRINCIPLES IN LINK TWIN
Form follows function – visual communication tied into mechanics
Make trial and error comfortable for the user
Mimicry – Tease and let the player mimic and experiment

24. GAME DESIGN PRINCIPLES IN LINK TWIN
Focal point– never allow the player to guess
Anticipation– take time to inform the player
Announce change – communicate all changes and send feedback

25. GAME DESIGN PRINCIPLES IN LINK TWIN
Pacing– sense of urgency, the rate of events and level of concentration
Spacing– use the space on-screen in relationship with gameplay elements

26. WHAT CREATES ADDICTION IN LINK TWIN?
The brain loves to make predictions
An achievable challenge – clear and visually achievable
Managing Expectations through progression

27. CAN WE REALLY CHANGE THE USER?
Familiarity beats some game design principles
Good design can’t replace bad design, for now
Will game design make a difference?

28. GAMES CHANGING DESIGN
“The public is more familiar with bad design than good
design. It is, in effect, conditioned to prefer bad design,
because that is what it lives with. The new becomes
threatening, the old reassuring.“
Paul Rand

29. JOIN OUR CLOSED BETA
Help us improve Link Twin and join our close beta.

30. TO WRAP THINGS UP
Game Development is one of the fastest growing
industries
Link Twin aims to be an avatar of design wisdom
Making games is cool

31. How Game Design
is
Changing Your Life
Francisc Traian Apostu
Senior Game Designer
Francisc@amberstudio.com
Gabriel Stancu
Head Of Studio
Gabriel@amberstudio.com Scan here for more Link Twin