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I. Playful Thinking
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I. Playful Thinking
by John Ferrara
Playful Design
Playful Design: Creating Game Experiences in Everyday Interfaces
How to Use This Book
Who Should Read This Book?
What’s in This Book?
Part I: Playful Thinking
Part II: Designing Game Experiences
Part III: Playful Design in User Experience
What Comes with This Book
Frequently Asked Questions
What do you mean when you refer to “video games”?
Are you suggesting that UX designers should become game designers?
Are video games really that important?
Isn’t this just another way to say that we should try to make things more fun to use?
Are you saying that everything people do should be turned into a game?
How can I get involved with the best communities that are doing work in this area?
Foreword
Introduction
Messification
I. Playful Thinking
1. Why We Should Care about Games
An Expanding Role
Why Do Games Matter?
Games Can Solve Real Problems
Overlap between Disciplines Creates Learning Opportunities
Games Are Vastly Popular
Sales Data
Demographic Data
Cultural and Social Change
Games Drive Innovation
Why Us?
One Note of Caution
How Can Games Benefit Us?
By Reenvisioning Conventional Experiences as Games
By Drawing Inspiration from Games
By Just Making Games
Ready, Set, ...
2. Understanding Games
Defining Games
Characteristics of Games in General
Objectives
Environmental Constraints
Formal Constraints
A Very Simple Example
Objective
Environmental Constraints
Formal Constraints
Characteristics of Video Games in Particular
Machine-Based Arbitration
Games in the Real World
The Magic Circle
Living Games
Ebay Is a Game
Tests Are Games
Finding Useful Models
3. The Elements of Player Experience
Motivation
Meaningful Choices
Balance
Usability
Aesthetics
What about Fun?
4. Player Motivations
Common Motivations
Immersion
Autonomy
Competence
Catharsis
Accomplishment
Social Image
Social Interaction
Creativity
[Insert Your Own Motivations Here]
Games Are More Than Just Having Fun
II. Designing Game Experiences
5. Ten Tips for Building a Better Game
1. Games Need to Be Games First
2. Playtest, Playtest, Playtest
3. Games Don’t Have to Be for Kids
4. Action Can Be Boring
5. Fit the Game into the Player’s Lifestyle
6. Create Meaningful Experience
7. Don’t Cheat
8. Skip the Manual
9. Make the Game Make Sense
10. Make It Easy to Try Again
Play to Your Strengths
6. Developing a Game Concept
Your Objective
Common Objectives
To Generate Revenue
To Encourage Action
To Support Learning
To Persuade
Your Players
Classifying Player Groups
Demographics
Motivation
Skill and Comfort with Games
Access to Technology
Time Available for Play
The Conflict
Examples of Game Conflicts
Brainstorming Game Conflicts
Considerations in Developing a Conflict
Interest
Fairness
Complexity
Sustainability
Duration and Lifetime
Time to Complete
Number and Duration of Sittings
Replay Value
End State
Win, Lose, or Tie
Inevitable Loss
Open-Ended Games
Linearity
Single Path
Multiple Paths
Player Interaction
Number of Players
Location
Shared Space
Remote Play
Timing
Synchronous Multiplayer
Asynchronous Multiplayer
Familiarity
Friend-Based Association
Open Association
Stance
Competitive
Cooperative
Neutral
Hybrid
Roles and Power
Symmetrical
Asymmetrical
Genre
Putting It All Together
General Characteristics
Conflict Characteristics
Multiplayer Characteristics
Keeping Your Priorities Straight
7. Creating Game Prototypes
Paper Prototypes
What Works on Paper?
Balance
Rules
Puzzles
Maps
Building a Paper Prototype
Strip the Gameplay Down to Its Core
Don’t Be Too Literal
Minimize Bookkeeping and Computation
Replace Skill with Probability
Make It a Real Game
Iterate
Electronic Prototypes
Building an Electronic Prototype
Prepare Research Questions before Deciding What to Prototype
Start as Small as You Can
Work from Wireframes
Don’t Overdesign
Squeeze as Much Use Out of a Prototype as You Can
Be Ready to Throw It All Away
Prototyping Saves Time and Money (Really!)
8. Playtesting
Classes of Problems
General Guidelines
Recruit Selectively
Emulate the Play Environment to the Best of Your Ability
Sit Back and Stay Quiet
Prepare an Observation Script
Go Long
Stay Flexible
Distinguishing Real Problems from Appropriate Challenges
Are Players Having a Hard Time for the Right Reasons?
Do Players See the Challenge as Engaging or Discouraging?
Is the Level of Challenge Appropriate for the Current Stage of the Game?
What In-Game Actions Do Players Take in Response to the Challenge?
How Do Players Reflect on the Challenge after Surmounting It?
Evaluating Motivation: The PENS Model
An Easy Transition
9. Behavioral Tools
A Quick Guide to Behaviorism
Consequences of Behavior
Reinforcement
Punishment
Considerations in the Design of Consequences
Timing
Extinction
Defiance
Trauma
Schedules of Reinforcement
Continuous Reinforcement
Fixed-Ratio Schedules
Variable-Ratio Schedules
Fixed-Interval Schedules
Variable-Interval Schedules
Behaviorism in Video Games
Pac-Man
Left 4 Dead
What about Free Will?
10. Rewards in Games
Common Reward Systems
Praise
Point Systems
Many Actions, One Measure
Variation and Balance
Leaderboards
Currencies
General and Specialized Currencies
Scarcity
Other Important Differences from Point Systems
Leveling
Structuring Gameplay
Levels as a Reinforcement Schedule
Extending Interest
Customization
Levels of Customization
Pricing
Social Rewards
Item Drops
Play Dynamics
Drop Locations and Schedules
Item Types
Collections
Means of Collection
Size and Difficulty
Achievements
Flexibility
Cheap and Easy
Skill Level
Known versus Hidden Objectives
Unlockables
Common Forms
Maximizing the Benefit of Unlockables
Metarewards
Easter Eggs
Cheats
External Rewards
Risks
Games Must Be Intrinsically Rewarding
Combining Game Rewards
III. Playful Design in User Experience
11. Games for Action
Appraising a Game’s Efficiency
Methods
Human Computation
Other Examples
Games with a Purpose
Yahoo! Answers
Best Practices for Design
The Game Experience Must Stand on Its Own
Bolster Quality
Watch Out for Cheats
Reframing
Examples
Foursquare
Epic Win
HiveMind
Best Practices for Design
Make It Easy to Play Along
Create an Alternate Existence
Focus on Varied and Fresh Rewards
Real-Time Reinforcement
Examples
Honda Insight Eco Assist
The Pokéwalker
Nike+
Best Practices for Design
Specialize
Take Advantage of Reinforcement Schedules
Optional Advantages
Examples
CityVille
Zynga Charitable Initiatives
Best Practices for Design
Build Investment in the Experience
Keep Options Optional
Create Disproportionate Rewards...
... but Don’t Allow Cheating
Scheduled Play
Examples
Amazon Gold Box
CityVille Daily Bonus
Best Practices for Design
Validate the Schedule through Testing
Offer Suitable Rewards
Different Is Good
12. Games for Learning
What Makes Games Suited to Learning?
Advantages to Learners
Agency and Mastery
Failure-Based Learning
Learning by Doing
Role Playing
Advantages for Training and Instruction
Built-in Assessment
Scaffolding and Differentiation
Higher-Order Thinking
Strategic Thinking
Systems Thinking
Working with Scarcity
Strategies for Using Games to Support Learning
To Impart Content
Remember That It’s a Game
Specialize
Factor Duration into the Design
To Introduce a New Mind-Set
Require Transformation
Tough Is Good
Usability Is Really Good
To Guide Experiential Learning
Get off the Beaten Path
Create an Adventure
Work with the Space
To Develop Skills
Be Forgiving
Step It Up
Mix It Up
To Foster Collective Intelligence
Force Collective Action
Pool Individual Strengths
Use Mystery
Playing Smarter
13. Games for Persuasion
This Is Not a New Idea
Historical Precedent
Games for Change
Developer Incentives
Procedural Rhetoric
Meaning in Games
Monopoly
The Sims
Persuasive Messages in Games
The Landlord’s Game
Designing Persuasive Games
Define a Core Message
Write It Down
Be Specific
Get Everyone’s Buy-in
Be Patient
Tie the Message to the Winning Strategy
Offer Meaningful Choices
Keep It Real
Enable Self-Directed Discovery
Case Study: Fitter Critters
The Core Message
The Winning Strategy
Meaningful Choices
Rooted in Reality
Discovery
Changing Minds
14. How Games Are Changing
Five Trends
1. Mobility
Touch Screens
GPS
Cameras
Microphones
Accelerometers
Connectivity
2. Social Interaction
Shared Presence
Collaborative Communities
3. Casual Play
Short Learning Curves
Short Engagements
Short Completion Times
High Replay Value
4. Radical Interfaces
Motion Control
Linked Displays
Experimental Interactions
5. Emotional Engagement
Game On
A. Acknowledgments
B. About the Author
Index
Search in book...
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Introduction
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1. Why We Should Care about Games
Part I. Playful Thinking
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