This document discusses social gaming features provided by Scoreloop and BlackBerry Messenger (BBM). It describes how Scoreloop allows games to discover new players through social networks, engage players through leaderboards, achievements and challenges, and monetize games by analyzing player data. Scoreloop provides features like cross-promotions, localized profiles, push notifications, and social sharing of in-game accomplishments. BBM expands a game's social graph by allowing challenges between any users.

1. Social Gaming with Scoreloop & BBM
Volker Hirsch (@vhirsch)
Director, Global Head of Business Development Games

2. 1. Social Games
2. What is Social?
3. Value Propositions
4. Scoreloop & BBM

4. Metric-driven design

5. Sources & Sinks
$$ $
http://www.revivevending.co.uk/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/vending-machines.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Fountain_by_slonecker.jpg http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/46/Storm_Drain_Dryden.JPG

6. Social?
http://www.revivevending.co.uk/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/vending-machines.jpg

7. Social Games Seem
Not So Social...

8. Coercion is
Evil ...
http://www.theargonath.cc/characters/saruman/pictures/saruman2.jpg

9. Or do you want to be him?
Courtesy of the US Department of Justice

10. What is Social?

11. Social refers to the
interaction of organisms with
other organisms and to their
collective co-existence [...]
Source: Wikipedia

13. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bhgs_crowd.jpg

14. I am
White (good) skier
Male (poor) golfer
Middle-Aged Book lover
Atheist School Governor
Gamer European
Parent Liberal
iPhone user Traveller
BlackBerry user Jazz fan
PlayBook user Entrepreneur
Mobile Geek TEDx Speaker

15. So why are you still here?

16. You need context!
http://flickr.com/photos/nolifebeforecoffee/124659356/

17. Object-Centered Sociality
Jyri Engeström
Founder, Jaiku & Ditto
Prof Dr Karin Knorr-Cetina,
Sociologist
https://svn-create.freedesktop.osuosl.org/public/create/docs/logo/images/light_bulb_off3.jpg

18. Object
Social is interaction in context
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e0/Petanque_players_in_Cannes_(France)_2003.jpg

19. Make sure you’re relevant
http://gapingvoid.com

20. ?
http://www.revivevending.co.uk/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/vending-machines.jpg

22. Quid Pro Quo
The exchange of valuable consideration [...] required for the formation
of a valid contract between individuals. This requirement of mutual
consideration, or the exchange of something of value,
indicates the sincerity of the parties' intent to adhere to the contract
between them.
http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/quid+pro+quo

24. Human Value Drivers:
Sex
Hope
Money
Belonging
Feeling Important
Security
Getting more out of Life

25. Social changes value perception
http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/quid+pro+quo

26. Experience Economy
Orchestrate memorable events for users.That memory
itself becomes the product.
B Joseph Pine II & James H Gilmore, “The Experience Economy” (1999)
http://the4thstage.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/prod-development-ux-team-plan-2008pptx1.jpg

27. Q: What is the essence of your
game?
http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/quid+pro+quo

28. Quid Pro Quo
The exchange of valuable consideration [...] required for the formation
of a valid contract between individuals. This requirement of mutual
consideration, or the exchange of something of value,
indicates the sincerity of the parties' intent to adhere to the contract
between them.
http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/quid+pro+quo

29. Got that?

30. Overview
Scoreloop powers mobile social gaming
across platforms
125m+ registered users

31. For all Games
From big-brand blockbusters to indie hits.
From hard-core to super-casual.
All mechanics, all designs...

32. Approach
Discover Engage Monetize
Increase installed Increase user Increase
base activity revenues
Analyze
Optimize game
mechanics and
revenues

33. Discover
Social Network Publishing
Friend Finding
• Unified posting of stories (high scores, unlocked
• One-touch scanning of address book, and social achievements, player challenges) to integrated
networks social networks
• Integrated with Facebook and Twitter • Augmented messaging with pictures and links
• Friends-only views for leader-boards • Story modification process from default to
• Friend invitations (with rewards like coins) publisher to player
• Friending via leader-boards or after a Player • Automated story posting based on game-specific
Challenge events (eg. achievements)
• Server-to-server communication allows for story
posting in native game dialogs
Localization
• Designed for localization to speak to
users natively
• Localize key aspects from in-game
Cross-Promotions / Friend functionality to email campaigns and
Recommendations push notifications
• Cross-promotions as friend
recommendations
• Various message streams for
recommendations from news feed to
activity lists
• Message streams can be fed by
customizable server messages or
news

34. Engage (1)
Leaderboards
Online Profiles
• Global leaderboards contain each players’ best
• User profiles storing all Scoreloop related scores
information from scores to coin balance to friends,
• Geo-aware scores with player location recognition
games played and avatars
• Custom ‘Smart Lists’ to filter the global
• Skill comparison based on game-independent leaderboard (eg. 24h, country, user demographics)
algorithms to automatically render a winning
• Optional game-specific information in addition to
probability and identify other players with like skills
scores
• No user data required to sign up. Requirements
• Live score comparisons to show progress
(like email) are optional.
compared to others while playing the game
• Support for
• levels and modes
• major/minor scores
• ascending/descending scores
Achievements
• Custom achievements with custom unlocking
mechanisms
• Unlocking achievements can be linked with
virtual goods and currencies
• Achievements comparisons are publishable
stories on social networks

35. Engage (2)
Push Notifications (iPhone only) & Player Challenges
Custom Emails • Asynchronous between any user
• Automated notifications for (wherever users are shown) or
challenge events asynchronously with skill matching
• App Icon badge to alert of awaiting algorithm
direct challenges • Challenge history to track success
• Ghost challenges shows contestant’s
progress in same game instance
• Direct messages turn challenges into
a type of communication
Location Awareness
• Scores, challenges, etc. can be
associated with explicit GPS data
(from OS) or implicit IP resolved
location data.
• Location data can be used to
access specific downloadable
content from the server. Eg.
background images, themes or
complete game levels can all
depend on where the user is
located.

36. Monetize
Virtual Goods/Services & Downloadable Virtual Currencies
Content
• Purchasable through platform dependent
• Virtual goods are hosted through payment options
Scoreloop’s servers • Internal accounts system tracks all sources and
• Virtual goods are versioned. SDK capable sinks as transactions
of downloading new versions upon • Unlimited number of currencies
version checks. • Dual currency: Custom credit events in
• “Feels-like-local”: SDK takes care of gameplay (eg achievements) and/or monetary
connection problems and provides access • Can be associated to virtual goods
to data as if it was local • Custom currency scope (one game, multiple
• Caching mechanisms to store data locally games, all publisher, global)
• Virtual goods/services can be purchased • Currency exchange between games as cross
with virtual currency or through direct promotion tool
payments
Competitive Currencies
• Currencies can be associated with challenges
to let users earn currencies by playing against
Piracy Prevention
their friends and other users
• Use server checks to • Winner of Player Challenges takes the
prevent illegal use of currency placed on the Challenge less a rake
the game to fight inflation

37. Attachable Features
Feature A + Feature B = Feature C
e.g. Virtual Good + User = Gifting
Virtual
Currency
+ Challenges = Skill gaming
Challenges + Virtual
Goods
= Themed challenges
Achievements + Virtual
Currencies
= Activity driven currency
Scores + Game State = Tag team gaming
Invitation + Virtual
Currencies
= Invitation rewards
etc …

38. BBM
55m active users. Powerful social graph.
Drives usage and uptake by 15x on average.
Social discovery, asynchronous multi-
player, chat with your friends.
API to integrate into games.

39. Thank you!
+44 7795 970 191
@vhirsch
vhirsch@rim.com
http://vhirsch.com