playing is a core human desire - how social games change the entertainment industry

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Playing  is  a  core  human  desire    -­‐How  social  games  change  the  entertainment  industry-­‐  

Jens  Begeman  (Founder  &  CEO)  

wooga  –  world  of  gaming  

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Key  stats  

5  games  on  Facebook,  34  million  acAve  users  

2nd  biggest  social  game  developer  worldwide  

Only  5%  of  users  from  adverAsing  

70%  of  users  are  female  (age  20-­‐60)  

About  wooga  

Founded  January  2009  

Funding  of  $32m  (Balderton  Capital,  Holtzbrinck  Ventures,  Highland  Capital  Partners  &  Tenaya  Capital)  

InternaAonal  team  of  100  from  over  20  countries  in  Berlin  

Jens  Begemann  -­‐Founder  &  CEO-­‐  

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Vision:        

„Games  for  everyone“  

Agenda  

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I.  Playing  is  a  core  human  desire  

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Typical  cliché  gamers  

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We  start  playing  as  kids  

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And  conAnue  playing  our  whole  life  

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But  computer  games  are  quite  male  

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and  young  (or  do  you  believe  this  is  real?)  

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They  don’t  play  computer  games  

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She  doesn’t  play  tradiAonal  games  

Flow  Concept  

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Difficulty

Time/  Skill  

Too  hard  

Too  easy  

Flow  =  „opKmal  human  experience“  

Source: Murphy, C.

How  to  achieve  flow  (in  a  game)?  

13  Source: Murphy, C.

Clear  tasks  1  

Immediate  Feedback  2  

Balanced,  aRainable  goal  3  

ConcentraKon  on  the  game  4  

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To  achieve  flow  is  a  challenge  for  all  computer  games  

Some  of  the  best  selling  games  of  past  years  

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PC  

Console  

§  Starcrab:  11  m  shipped  §  Half-­‐Life:  9.3  m  shipped  §  World  of  Warcrab:  12  m  subscribers  

§  Grand  Theb  Auto  IV:  36.2  m §  Call  of  Duty  Black  Ops:  23.2  m  §  Halo  3  (Xbox):  11.3  m  

Source: http://www.vgchartz.com

Flow  Concept  

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Difficulty

Time/  Skill  

Too  hard  

Too  easy  

Source: Murphy, C.

E.g.  Halo  controller  layout  is  not  for  beginners  

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Flow  Concept  

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Flow  Concept  Difficulty

Time/  Skill  

Too  hard  

Too  easy  

Source: Murphy, C.

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Agenda  

I.  Playing  is  a  core  human  desire  

II.  EvoluAon  of  computer  games  

Pong  

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Atari  2600  –  Space  Invaders  

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Home  computers  

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PlaystaAon  1  –  GTA  

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PlaystaAon  2  –  GTA3  

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PlaystaAon  3  –  GTA  IV  

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Massive  MulAplayer  –  World  of  Warcrab  

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Why  isn‘t  she  playing?  

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Wants  to  play  with  friends  §  Playing  rather  alone  §  Playing  with  strangers  

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Entry  barriers  §  Investment  of  ca.  300  € §  IniAal  set-­‐up  and  installaAon  

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Does  not  have  the  Kme  §  Learn  modern  games:  50  h  §  +10  h  per  week  

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Playing  everywhere?  §  Usually  bound  to  home  

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Agenda  

I.  Playing  is  a  core  human  desire  

II.  EvoluAon  of  computer  games  

III.  Social  Games  

1.  Social  –  Playing  with  friends  

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Social  games  connect  real  friends  on  social  networks  

2.  No  entry  barriers  

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No  installaKon  necessary    

&  

Free  to  play  

3.  Quick  –  „I  only  have  a  10  min  break“  

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Appointment  Gaming  

3  min   4  hours  

23  hours   70  hours  

3  min  to  understand  the  game  

Short  core  game  loop  

4.  Place  –  ConAnue  playing  anywhere,  anyAme  

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It  seems  easy  to  create  a  successful  social  game  

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5m  MAU  

But  only  25  really  big  games  currently  on  Facebook  

Source: Appdata.com, Top Games by MAU, Aug 14 2011

How  to  achieve  flow  (in  a  game)?  

36  Source: Murphy, C.

Clear  tasks  1  

Immediate  Feedback  2  

Balanced,  aRainable  goal  3  

ConcentraKon  on  the  game  4  

Clear  tasks   Immediate  feedback  

Balanced,  aRainable  goal   ConcentraKon    

Achieving  flow  in  Monster  World  1   2  

3   4  

Flow  Concept  

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Difficulty

Time/  Skill  

Too  hard  

Too  easy  

Source: Murphy, C.

Future:  more  in-­‐depth  gameplay  

?  

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Vision:        

„Games  for  everyone“  

2,00  

2,50  

3,00  

1   2   3   4   5   6  

Hours  spend  on  leisure/day  in  US    

40  

0,00  

0,25  

0,50  

0,75  

1,00  

2005   2006   2007   2008   2009   2010  

Social  Gaming  enables  widespread  

use  of  games  

TV  

Socializing  

Other  leisure  

Reading   Computer  

Sports  Relaxing  

Casual    websites  23%  

Social    networks  

16%  

Mobile    devices  12%  

MMO    games  12%  

Console    games  19%  

PC/Mac    boxed  9%  

PC/Mac  download  

9%  

Time  spent  on  games  in  hours/day  in  the  US  

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215,000,000 hours per day

Games  for  everyone  

51%  

Source: Newzoo 2011

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5  

10  

15  

20  

25  

2009   2010   2011   2012  

Social  networks  

Casual  websites  

Mobile  devices  

MMO  games  

Console  games  

PC/Mac  boxed  

PC/Mac  download  

2.5  

1.8  

8.0  

2.6  

2.8  

1.8  

2.1  

Money  spent  on  games  in  bn  $  in  the  US  

42  Source: Newzoo 2011

2011  esKmate:  $  21.6bn  

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I.  Playing  is  a  core  human  desire  

II.  EvoluAon  of  computer  games  

III.  Social  Games  

IV. MoneAzaAon  

Agenda  

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How  do  we  make  money  in  Monster  World?  

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DecoraKons   Expansions   Instant  Build  

Materials   Coins   Magic  Wands   Fuel  

Customize  avatar  

Coins  Materials  

Expansions  Customize  avatar   DecoraKon  Items  2.3%   2.8%  

10.5%  9.6%  

0.3%  

Instant  Build  6.3%  

   Magic  Wands  

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33%  

   Magic  „woogoo“  (limited  resource)  

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35%  

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I.  Playing  is  a  core  human  desire  

II.  EvoluAon  of  computer  games  

III.  Social  Games  

IV. MoneAzaAon  

V.  Development  of  social  interacAons  

Agenda  

Give  and  take:  Acts  of  friendship  reinforce  relaAonships  

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Pay  friends  a  visit  and  help  

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CompeAAon:  Challenges  encourage  players  

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„StammAsch“  

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Using  the  game  as  a  cause  to  communicate  

Social  games  are  parallel  play  

54  Source: Aki Järvinen (Digital Chocolate)

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This  is  fine  

Asynchronous  play  

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§  Short  game  sessions  

§  Playing  with  Friends  more  important  than  playing  synchronously  

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MMOG

Source: Aki Järvinen (Digital Chocolate)

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MMOG MPPG

Source: Aki Järvinen (Digital Chocolate)

Massive Parallel Play Games

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Intensifying  social  interacKons  

Helping  represented  by  friend  ghost  

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Real-­‐Ame  presence:  Bringing  friends  together  

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Possible  synchronous  game  features  

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Will  chat  be  standard?  

Mobile  =  More  frequent  interacAons  

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I.  Playing  is  a  core  human  desire  

II.  EvoluAon  of  computer  games  

III.  Social  Games  

IV. MoneAzaAon  

V.  Development  of  social  interacAons  

Agenda  

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I.  Playing  is  a  core  human  desire  

II.  EvoluAon  of  computer  games  

III.  Social  Games  

IV. MoneAzaAon  

V.  Development  of  social  interacAons  

VI. One  more  thing  

Agenda  

Flow  Concept  

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Difficulty

Time/  Skill  

Too  hard  

Too  easy  

Next  level  Social  Games  

Source: Murphy, C.

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New  game    

launching  now  

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Demo  Video  

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Henric  Suuronen  -­‐Head  of  Studio-­‐  

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Killer  Game  Loops  in  Social  Games  

 3:20pm  Rheinsaal  (1st  floor)  

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Join  the    wooga  team  

wooga.com/jobs  

76  wooga.com/jobs  

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I.  Playing  is  a  core  human  desire  

II.  EvoluAon  of  computer  games  

III.  Social  Games  

IV. MoneAzaAon  

V.  Development  of  social  interacAons  

VI. Magic  Land  

Agenda  

II.  EvoluKon  of  games  I.  Core  human  desire   III.  Social  games  

VI.  Magic  Land  V.  Social  interacKons  IV.  MoneKzaKon  

Flow  

Broad  audience  

Why  isn‘t  she  playing?  

Social   Easy  

Quick   Not  bound  

Consumables  for  progress   Massive  Parallel  Play  Games  

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Thank  you!    

Jens  Begemann  Founder  &  CEO  wooga  

 TwiRer:  @begemann  

 wooga.com/jobs  GDC  booth:  #159