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分析社交游戏行业巨头Zynga的运营和未来发展之道

发布时间:2011-05-03 11:28:51 Tags:,

类似于任何互动娱乐领域巨擘,Zynga也算是视频游戏公司。当然,如果考虑到该公司主要出于商业目的来设计游戏,对某些人而言它也是邪恶的化身。但真正带有讽刺意味的是,许多人忽视了上述做法无意间成为继家庭控制器发明之后游戏业的最佳事物之一。

玩家对《FarmVille》和《CityVille》之类的游戏有何看法呢?这些游戏让玩家像发呆的傻瓜般点击鼠标,类似进入催眠状态。但作为游戏史上发展最快和流行最广的题材,它们的普及让玩家数超过百万。而且,这些游戏最终满足了游戏旁观者的娱乐诉求,数十年来他们深信每天花20小时摆弄Atari 2600手柄的游戏玩家是逃避社交的怪人。

照顾虚拟作物或塑造在线犯罪家族固然称不上是艺术表现,在许多方面不如今日逐渐发展出具有更多高层次观点、复杂知识、文化意识和修养的巨作。但应该面对如下事实:所有人(游戏邦注:包括他们的内在直觉和诉求。)都认同的正是这种简单得像傻瓜般的事物和吸引人的观点,也正是此逐渐帮助将游戏推向主流意识前列。而我们对此类游戏的关注还刺激了更多设计师开始游戏制作生涯。这些人有着不同的文化背景、国籍和年龄,其分布之广超过历史上任何时期。

zynga

zynga

多亏新时代有事业心的年轻团队十年来的努力,他们正废寝忘食地制作这些发人深省的事物,轻松理解社交场景并为其打造理想的产品,甚至使《Braid》、《Limbo》或《Swords and Sworcery》等现代经典之作黯然失色。或者说,正因为我们涉及此领域,可能在开始与他人边饮边谈论养育虚拟羊羔或管理生机勃勃的农场这种幸福时光中遇见了你未来的丈夫、妻子或《魔兽世界》终生玩伴。

请注意,Zynga显然已因其以金钱为中心的设计方法和可玩性战略广受批评,公司时常将游戏的盈利放在确保玩家获得平衡游戏体验或享受特别新颖功能的做法之上。但玩家无法掩饰的是,游戏界数十亿美元的业务长久以来被作品售价超过其艺术性的某些公司所控制。EA重推《NBA Jam》,微软尽力将体感控制系统塑造成新型高科技游戏标准,任天堂毫无预兆地重现《塞尔达传说:时之笛》,难道你会认为这些行为仅仅是出于无私?借助新技术、趋势和设备来延续创意是令人自豪、由来已久的传统,Atari传统游戏机中有大量Capcom游戏的变种,二者的基本原理并无差异。

撇开充满故事的历史和系列游戏不谈,EA和Take 2等大公司也需要付出代价,他们需要为大量前卫测试(如《镜之边缘》)和漫长的开发周期(如《荒野大镖客》)买单,才能最终做出《生化危机》级的宏伟巨作。看看Rockstar《侠盗猎车手》或Harmonix《吉他英雄》之前作品的软件和图像,有些游戏着实让人不堪忍受。Zynga显然采用与他们不同的做法,从老式的行业经验(游戏邦注:即制作出1款巨作补偿数十个拙作的损失。)中跳出,首先关注的是底线。或许有人认为,尽管牺牲玩家体验的质量是不可原谅的行为,但游戏制作的整体想法和方法确实较为明智。作品提供可预测到的收益和成功,再将其投入制作更好的续作或为原作添砖加瓦让其走得更远。

荒野大镖客:救赎

中伤大公司很容易,比如有人对近期处于悲惨境地的《吉他英雄》发表评论,指责公司似乎一心只追求盈利,为最快获利甚至不惜愚蠢地榨干这个最大最好的系列游戏。看看Zynga近期的说法和做法,公司合理地暗示将把积攒起的资金和经验用于设计更深更有吸引力的游戏,而且作品将与世界上最流行且可进入的在线平台绑定。换句话说,依公司所述,他将致力于开发那些有可能成长的强大游戏,更多技术不同的玩家(游戏邦注:包括传统游戏玩家。)能通过大量途径和设备畅玩,这个玩家数可能超过人们5年前预想的数量。

首席执行官Mark Pincus及其同僚并不愚蠢,他们知道玩家可选择的游戏、平台、设备和其他娱乐选项比以往多。公司也很清楚产品与玩家时间上的冲突逐渐增加,而不仅是金钱。因此现在公司逐渐将资深游戏业人才(游戏邦注:John Schappert和Brian Reynolds等。)吸纳其中并收购有用的工作室,希望能够开创更新、更深层次和更拟真化的社交体验,可以称为“反社交游戏”或“超社交游戏”。这些娱乐活动将仍以社交游戏必须提供的最佳内容为特色,即瞬时满足、多人互动、马上可用、长期持续和休闲化。但在这些眼神迷离的角色和供玩家点击的闪亮物品等简易外表下,它们也有着传统视频游戏长久以来具有的深度、复杂性、大型多人互动和社群参与等特征。

每天都有大量新游戏进入Facebook,经跟踪发现大部分很容易被玩家遗弃。这些游戏无需玩家付出任何东西,只要花时间来玩即可,正因为此很容易让玩家有承诺恐惧症。公司不仅要提供玩家积极寻求并愿意花上时间的高质量游戏体验,还需要设计强调价值和舒适度的游戏,在此基础上社群便可以很容易组建起来,让玩家有理由沉浸其中而不是逃避去别处玩《愤怒的小鸟》。

Zynga’s Mark Pincus

Zynga’s Mark Pincus

从《亚瑟王国》的硬核偏好到《Ravenwood Fair》的PC/控制器式扩展包以及《Heaven’s Diner》对基于地点和照片的挑战,社交游戏显然正在发展。Zynga意识到必须保持并在高质量、顶级游戏体验和新技术上投入精力以保持发展,尤其是因为他们的自有用户成熟后游戏品味变得更为挑剔。事实上,这最终将把公司铸就成类似于其他软件开发商、漫画发行商或好莱坞工作室的娱乐和知识产权公司。

游戏业最传奇的开发者不断转向社交领域,原因不仅在于6位数的薪水和较短的开发时间。Loot Drop的Brenda Brathwaite在她的GDC演讲中高调指出,随着社交游戏流行度不断激增,甚至在那些不认为自己是游戏玩家的群体中也甚为普及,游戏业的基本原则即将发生改变。像Zynga之类的公司处于改革的最前沿,引领着这个游戏设计和开发的全新和别样(或许是更好)的时代。这种变革的好处在于,随着竞争的不断增加,如果游戏粉丝或潜在玩家对传统游戏感到不满意,可以选择其他游戏。那些大公司别无选择,不得不开始注意这片领域。

对Zynga之类的公司而言,盈利仍旧将是公司首先考虑的事情。源源不断流进银行账户的资金也能够让组织获得成长和生存所需的人才和技术,包括公司自己谋划未来的举动,比如近期雇佣游戏业能手来利用其技术和实际经验的行动。Zynga是将自己视为给玩家带来普通体验的软件或服务供应者,成为最普通公司的一分子,还是更倾向于通过探索新商业模式和技术招揽人才,定期做出无以名状的超级游戏呢?游戏邦觉得应该注意到,纵观今日游戏行业,即便是社交巨头也无法长期位居游戏业之首。(本文为游戏邦/gamerboo.com编译,转载请注明来源:游戏邦)

Is Zynga Now A Video Game Company?

Certainly. Zynga’s as much a video game company as any of the interactive entertainment field’s brightest lights. Of course, given the firm’s primarily business-focused approach to design, it’s also the devil incarnate to some. But the real irony that many people miss is that the outfit may inadvertently be one of the best things to happen to gaming since the invention of the home console.

Say what you will about titles like FarmVille and CityVille. Those games are designed to keep players hypnotically clicking away like slack-jawed idiots. Among the industry’s fastest-growing and mostly wildly popular titles of all-time, they’re also helping make true believers out of millions. And, for that matter, these games are finally communicating the pastime’s appeal to generations of clueless bystanders who’ve spent decades convinced that gamers are still socially awkward dweebs who spend 20 hours a day twiddling away on Atari-2600-era joysticks.

OK, so tending virtual crops or building an online crime family isn’t exactly the height of artistic expression, and in many ways a marked step back from today’s growingly more high-concept, intellectually sophisticated, culturally aware and literate blockbusters. But face it: It’s these simple, idiot-proof and engaging concepts that make sense to all, as well as their inherent intuitiveness and appeal, that are increasingly helping to push gaming to the forefront of mainstream awareness. And, while we’re at it, inspiring more designers – including individuals from a more diverse group of cultural backgrounds, nationalities and ages than previously seen at any point in history – to take up the craft of game creation than ever.

Thank them 10 years from now when a new generation of enterprising young teams working out of their basements and fuelled by Ramen are pumping out incredibly deep and thought-provoking, yet simple to pick up and play offerings ideal for social settings that make even modern-day classics such as Braid, Limbo or Swords and Sworcery look like prehistoric carvings crudely scribbled into cave walls. Or, while we’re at it, you meet your future husband/wife/World of Warcraft life partner when someone starts talking raising simulated sheep or managing animated homesteads over drinks at happy hour.

Mind you, Zynga has obviously come under immense criticism for its cash-centric design methods and gameplay strategies, which often put making money before ensuring that players have a keenly-balanced gaming experience, or can enjoy particularly new and novel features. But much as players like to romanticizse it, gaming’s a multibillion-dollar business that’s long been dominated by firms that prize accounting over artistic integrity – what, you think EA brought back NBA Jam, Microsoft aims to make idiot-proof motion controls the new high-tech gaming standard and Nintendo’s suddenly resurrecting The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time out of purely altruistic motives? Putting the exploitation of new technologies, trends and devices above the chance to push the boundaries of creativity is a proud, time-honored tradition: From classic-era Atari’s multitude of home Pong variants to Capcom’s endless [Insert Meme Here] vs. [Which of Our Franchises is Currently Selling Best] crossovers, it’s the same fundamental principle.

Storied history and franchises aside, corporate giants like Electronic Arts and Take 2 aren’t powered by sunshine and magical rainbows, and have to pay for the dozens of avant garde experiments (Mirror’s Edge) and aeons-long development cycles (Red Dead Redemption) that eventually lead to BioShock-level brilliance somehow. Check Rockstar’s softography prior to Grand Theft Auto, or Harmonix’s before Guitar Hero – you’ll see plenty of foul balls before they ever starting belting out home runs. The difference with Zynga is simply that it’s not content to play by the old industry rule of thumb- one hit pays for every 10 flops – and instead focuses on the bottom line first. One might argue that, while sacrificing the quality of a player’s experience is inexcusable, the overall concept is actually a much saner approach to game making, offering predictable revenues and successes than can be funneled into making better sequels, spin-offs or fueling the launch of original, more innovative outings down the road.

It’s easy to vilify corporate giants, especially in the wake of Guitar Hero‘s recent relegation to the benches, given their seemingly single-minded pursuit of cash and knuckleheaded willingness to grind even the biggest and best franchises into the ground in order to turn a quick buck. But if you look at what Zynga is saying and doing as of late, it’s making the right insinuations, intimating that it will put all the cash and talent it’s amassing to work building deeper, more engaging titles that just happen to be tied to the world’s most popular and readily accessible online platforms. In other words, it’s allegedly cranking away on what will hopefully be some pretty kick-ass games that more players of all skill levels – including traditional game players – can access from a greater range of touchpoints and devices than one could’ve dreamed even just five years ago.

CEO Mark Pincus and co are no fools: They know that players have more options in terms of titles, platforms, devices and entertainment options than ever. The company is also well aware that’s it’s increasingly fighting for a share of your time, not just your wallet. So now it’s growingly hiring away experienced game industry talent-–John Schappert, Brian Reynolds, etc.-–and buying up useful studios in hopes of rolling out a newer, deeper and more immersive wave of social experiences-–call them anti- or hyper-social games if you will. These amusements will still feature the best of what social games have to offer: Instant gratification, multiplayer interaction, immediate accessibility, long-term persistency and casual approachability. But beneath the simple veneer of doe-eyed characters and shiny objects to click on, they’ll have all the depth, complexity, massively multiplayer interplay, community engagement and lasting rewards of traditional video game titles.

To stay relevant going forward and keep up with the flood of new games invading Facebook daily – most of which are easy to abandon, because they don’t cost you anything and take minutes to enjoy, making them ideal for the commitment-phobic – the firm not only has to deliver higher-quality gaming experiences that players actively want to seek out and spend time with. It also has to build games that emphasise value and convenience, and around which communities can easily be formed, giving you a reason to keep tuning in instead of scampering off to play Angry Birds at the gym.

From Kingdoms of Camelot‘s hardcore leanings to Ravenwood Fair‘s PC/console-style expansions and Heaven’s Diner‘s location- and photo-based challenges, social games are clearly evolving. Zynga realises it has to keep up, and invest in high-quality, top-tier gaming experiences as much as new technologies to maintain pace, especially as its own audience of players matures and their gaming tastes become more sophisticated. In effect, this will eventually make the firm an entertainment and intellectual property (IP) company as much as any software maker, comic book publisher or Hollywood studio.

There’s a reason gaming’s most legendary developers continue to defect to the social space, and it’s not six-figure paychecks and lightning-quick development turnaround times alone. As Loot Drop’s Brenda Brathwaite so elegantly pointed out in her GDC rant, the industry is on the verge of a fundamental sea change as social gaming continues to explode in popularity-–even amongst those who wouldn’t consider themselves gamers-–and companies like Zynga are standing on the front lines of what promises to be both revelation and revolution, ushering in an entirely new and different (possibly better) era of game design and development. The good news is, given the growing level of competition, fan expectation and sheer alternatives players can readily turn to if disgruntled or disenchanted, these firms-–the few and the proud-–have no choice but to storm the proverbial beach.

For companies like Zynga, cash will always remain king, as keeping waves of money flowing into the bank gives the outfit incredible wherewithal to acquire the talent and technologies it needs to grow and survive, not to mention chart its own future, which-–based on recent moves-–obviously involves leveraging the skill and practical real-world experience of games industry veterans. Were Zynga simply to view itself as a software or service provider offering a vanilla experience that plays to the least-common denominator, or content to stand around collecting a paycheck by simply exploiting new business models and technologies and/or regularly churning out nondescript and sub-par branded titles, well… Let’s just say that, given the state of today’s gaming industry, even the mighty social giant wouldn’t stay on top of the game for long. (Source: Kotaku)


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