power to the players

Putting the Fun in Functional II

Power to the Players

Amy Jo Kim, Ph.D. CEO, ShuffleBrain Inc.

ShuffleBrainSmart games for social networks (details soon to come…)

First, some terminology…

What is Social Media?

player-created content

player-created content

+ social infrastructure

player-created content

+ social infrastructure

+ sharing tools

What is a Game?

Formal Definition

a system in which players engage in an artificial

conflict,

defined by rules, that results in a quantifiable

outcome*

*from Rules of Play by Eric Zimmerman and Katie Salen

Informal Definition

a structured experience with rules and goals

that’s fun

Games tap into our primal response patterns

Games engage us in flow

What are Game Mechanics?

the systems and features that make games fun, compelling and addictive

Game Mechanics for Social Media

1. Collecting

Show me your stuff!

Game Mechanics for Social Media

1. Collecting

2. Points

Social Points are given by other players

Game Mechanics for Social Media

1. Collecting

2. Points

3. Feedback

Feedback accelerates mastery and adds fun

Game Mechanics for Social Media

1. Collecting

2. Points

3. Feedback

4. Exchanges

Exchanges are structured social interactions

basic, primal form of social engagement

comments are implicit

QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

“Add Friend” is explicit

Implicit vs Explicit Exchanges

Game Mechanics for Social Media

1. Collecting

2. Points

3. Feedback

4. Exchanges

5. Customization

Character Customization

Interface Customization

Game Mechanics + Social Media =

the future of networked entertainment???

Power to the Players

key trends in networked entertainment

Key Trends in Networked Entertainment

Social Game Mechanics

Key Trends in Networked Entertainment

Social Game Mechanics

Accessible Tech

Key Trends in Networked Entertainment

Social Game Mechanics

Accessible Tech

Syndication*

* the supply of material for reuse and integration with other material

Case Study: YouTube

Game Mechanics: Collecting

Game Mechanics: Points

Game Mechanics: Feedback

video response to a posted video

video response to a video response

Game Mechanics: Exchanges

Game Mechanics: Customization

Accessible Tech

easy to upload videos using a variety of formats and devices

Syndication

Case Study: Twitter

Game Mechanics: Collecting

Game Mechanics: Points

Differentiate between friends and followers

Game Mechanics: Exchanges

Accessible Tech

Can send and receive messages via SMS, IM, or website

Syndication

Case Study: FaceBook

Game Mechanics: Collecting

Game Mechanics: Points

Game Mechanics: Exchanges

Game Mechanics: Exchanges

Game Mechanics: Customization

Accessible Tech

Internal Syndication*

* the supply of material for reuse and integration with other material

if

game mechanics + social media =

the future of networked entertainment…

if

game mechanics + social media =

the future of networked entertainment…

…how can we prepare?

How to Prepare for the FutureUse game mechanics as appropriate

Start small: co-evolve your game in partnership with your players

Build content-sharing networks Make it easy for players to create, share, rate and discuss content

Leverage standard data formatsBuild around widely accessible formats - XML, SMS, voting, etc.

Design cross-platform services Meet your players where they are; put your data ON THE NETWORK

Prepare for syndication enable Widgets; open your API; encourage third-party clients

Thank You!

amyjo@shufflebrain.com

Amyjokim on TwitterShuffleBrain on FaceBook