Games As A Service How Free To Play Design Can Make Better Games – Oscar Clark

However, we can free up those restrictions if we spend grind money (or alternatively real money) on upgrades that aff ect our performance. In some games this might be complicated by other tools such as storage space, which again needs money to improve. What makes this an imbalanced economy is that every upgrade we take requires more resources to resolve and puts a demand on the player to invest in another aspect of the game.

Th e principle can be used in any game. We have a tradition of using XP/equipment/potions in a RPG and combat games that serve this exact purpose of creating a level of friction (and achievement) to the progress of your character. Games such as Clash of Clans have perfected the use of an imbalanced economy to create deeper engagement for players, 12 making it so that each success introduces a new challenge for the player, which continues their desire to play.

Game Th eory Imbalance becomes even more interesting when we throw in other players, especially if we allow the players to exchange goods with each other. Th at process is extremely complex, especially if we try to model precisely the economic implications of trade with supply and demand impacts on price. More complex still if we insist on a ‘”zero-sum gain”— the principle that there is a fi nite supply of goods so if a player takes more than their share other players are left with less.

Th is starts entering the economics world of game theory, rather than games design using “economies” (two very diff erent things). Summing Up Uncertainty All of these concepts deserve much deeper analysis but are presented here to encourage you to think diff erently about the way you look at game design. My objective is to encourage you to consider how these ideas might be applied to almost any game and deliver greater lon- gevity to your title.

Most importantly I believe they can help to create moments that make the game special to each player. In particular I believe that it’s essential to consider how we can use soft variables to give meaning to every play of the game and to open out the opportunity for mistake and error and those crazy moment of genius where every- thing just works. Th at’s why uncertainty is important to me as a player, it makes the gameplay mine, not just what the developer decided I should experience.

70 Blanchard Road, Suite 402, Burlington, MA 01803 and by Focal Press 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN Focal Press is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business © 2014 Taylor & Francis Th e right of Oscar Clark to be identifi ed as the author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or uti- lised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereaft er invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. Notices Knowledge and best practice in this fi eld are constantly changing. As new research and experience broaden our understanding, changes in research methods, professional practices, or medical treatment may become necessary.

Practitioners and researchers must always rely on their own experience and knowledge in evaluating and using any information, methods, compounds, or experiments described herein. In using such information or methods they should be mindful of their own safety and the safety of others, including parties for whom they have a professional responsibility. Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identifi cation and explanation without intent to infringe.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Clark, Oscar. Games as a service : how free to play design can make better games / Oscar Clark. — First edition. pages cm 1. Video games—Authorship. 2. Video games—Design. I. Title. GV1469.34.A97C53 2014 794.8’1536—dc23 2013039832 ISBN: 978-0-415-73250-5 (pbk) ISBN: 978-1-315-84910-2 (ebk) Typeset in Minion Pro by Apex CoVantage, LLC A book like this has too many infl uences to properly thank everyone.

I wouldn’t have started down this road without the support of Si Shen from Papaya Mobile and Jussi Laakkonen from Applifi er. However, games is not just a job for me and my playing buddies Andrew Robertson, Ian Goolding, David Hankins, John Gathercole and Glyn West undoubtedly helped inform my creative approach, despite having nothing to do with the industry. Th en there is the fabulous feedback I got during the process of writing from Eric Seufert, Evelyn Stiller, Brian Tinsman, Jacob Naasz and Berni Good.

However, in the end this book has to be dedicated to my wife and illustrator, Melanie, and in particular our amazing daughter Tizzie who continues to teach me about both games and writing.

This is a short excerpt from the opening of “” by Unknown, quoted for review and introduction purposes. All rights belong to the copyright holders.

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