[casual_games] Social is the New Casual: Eight Things Casual Game Developers Should Know about Social Games

[James C. Smith]

The Winter
<http://www.igda.org/casual/quarterly/3_2/igda_casual_game_quarterly_3_2.pdf

>  2008 issue of the Casual Games Quarterly has a fantastic article by Wade

Tinney titled Social is the New Casual: Eight Things Casual Game Developers
Should Know about Social Games. 

 

 

I wanted to mention the article here to give people a place to respond to
and discuss the points Wade makes and maybe even ask him some fallow up
questions.

 

Here are some highlight of the article

 

Wade Tinney, Large Animal Games

 

In mid-2007, my team got excited about

social network games and decided to dive

headlong into this nascent space. We've

spent the last 12 months transforming from

a developer of casual downloadable games

into a publisher and developer of social

games. The point of this article is to share

some of the key things that we learned over

the course of that transformation. It is directed

at developers and publishers from

the casual games world who may be considering

a similar transition.

 

...

 

1) Some of your knowledge and experience will apply.

Not surprisingly, game design fundamentals

are no less critical in social games as

they are in casual games. Everything that

casual game designers know about the psychology

of goals and rewards, feedback

structures, interactive systems, and even

narrative can be brought to bear...

 

 

2) The platforms are constantly evolving.

Your games will need to tightly integrate

with each network's technology platform in

order to utilize data from the social graph...

 

 

3) Social games require a service mentality.

Despite their digital distribution, casual

downloadable games essentially follow a

packaged goods model...

 

4) Listen to your players

...social network gamers can be extraordinarily vocal.

You'll also want to watch your players

by tracking metrics about how the social

features of your game are being used...

 

5) The business models are different.

Currently, advertising and sponsorships

are the low-hanging fruit in this space...

 

6) Your game is not the main attraction.

Most people who use social networks do so

in order to stay connected to their friends.

They are not sitting down to spend large

blocks of time with your game...

 

7) Social games require focus and commitment.

... Don't expect to just drop the

flash version of your game into Facebook

and expect players to flock to it...

 

 

8) But don't focus TOO much.

Part of a full commitment to this space is

taking a broad view of social networks.

Facebook is not the only game in town. The

social networking world moves quickly...

 

 

Those are some highlight but please read the full article on page 2 of the
Winter
<http://www.igda.org/casual/quarterly/3_2/igda_casual_game_quarterly_3_2.pdf

>  2008 issue of the Casual Games Quarterly


 

And feel free to reply to this message to discuss it here.

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