What Makes A Great Social Game
As the popularity of Social Networking sites has increased, the number of games that are being developed are skyrocketing as well. Much like anything that comes in such an abundance, there are only a handful of gems in the bunch that not only “get it”, but also do it well. There several factors that makes for a great game for the user, as well as factors that make for a profitable experience for the publisher.
The first factor for a great player experience is that a game must be simple. This follows many of the hallmarks of a casual game, in that, the player who is playing may not necessarily consider themselves a game player. Any type of complex game mechanics, controls, or asset management can alienate the non game player. Games like FarmVille and Mafia Wars are based on a simple decision and click system, which feature a low barrier to entry for non game players.
A second factor for a great player experience is that the length of the game should be tightly constricted. Since the game lives within the usage of social media, the game can’t overwhelm the constraints that it lives within. Experiences should be held to a fraction of the user’s average activity across the social community, meaning that if a user only spends 5 to 10 minutes per visit, a game should only last a minute or two. Games like Metro Game’s Plock, or Popcap’s Bejeweled Blitz, give the player literally only a minute to play, while games that are simple check-in and click based can be played within seconds.
The third factor for the player is that the game needs to effectively utilize a player’s social network. While some games utilize a simple leaderboard to compare all of your friends, this just scratches the surface of what can be done. In games where a randomization seed can be used so that players experience an identical game (like that seen in skill based challenges), friend based challenges can be issued, enhancing the social aspects of the game. Alongside leaderboards, increased statistic tracking with the ability to compare not only top performance, but also detailed historic achievements allows the player to see how they stack up with their friends at a deeper level.
However, utilizing the social network is more than just comparing scores and stats. It also includes helping out other players that are in the player’s network. This can be done voluntarily, where the player chooses to engage in the assistance of a friend, conversely a player can use the size of their network to assist them. Along side of the assistance, the action of gifting items to other players, allowing friends to either be introduced to the game, share the wealth, or just pass along items.
The fourth and possibly most overlooked factor for making a great player experience is keeping the game fresh. This means that once a game is up, it needs periodic updating in order to keep the actions in the game from being repetitive. Doing this allows players to have a continued experience with the title, allowing not only for extended enjoyment, but also more opportunities to involve their social network.
For the Publisher, the biggest factor to make a great game is the ability to monetize on it. Currently the Free to Play (F2P) methodology where a player can opt to purchase items to enhance their experience (or gift to others to do the same) has been proving to be very profitable for companies like Zynga, where one report shows that they turned in nearly $50 Million (US) in 2008. Other methods of monetizing include advertising, and also as a marketplace for related non-game items, like MP3 sales in Music Challenge from Metro Games.
