游戏邦注：本文作者为Will Luton，他是备受赞誉小型工作室Mobile Pie的创意总监，之前曾于Sega Europe任职，参与制作《Space Siege》和《Incredible Hulk》，原文发表于2011年5月30日，涉及数据以当时为准。

Will Luton from gamesbrief.com

之前Nicholas曾发文抨击Facebook游戏《N.O.V.A. ELITE》，不满其最低规格，控制页面布局和吵杂配乐。他认为这款社交游戏一无是处。关于此观点，我不敢苟同，应其之邀，特撰此文。

我发表此文并非因为我认为《N.O.V.A.》是款好游戏，虽然我本身是它的忠实粉丝，而是因为Nicholas认为Gameloft将危险的“传统观念”应用投放至发展迅速、潜力无限的Facebook平台是愚昧之举。

且听我细细道来：《N.O.V.A.》是款第一人称射击（FPS）社交游戏。社交网络擅长提供非技术、休闲和持久的游戏体验（游戏邦注：如《FarmVille》）。连Zynga都不是凭借制作带有标准规格和高科技音效的FPS游戏而涨至100亿美元身价，因此有人认为，其他公司更不可能依靠硬核游戏在Facebook发迹。

我之前曾读过类似内容：当我还身处盒装游戏作品领域时，我曾谈及在农场种植蔬菜的游戏。我还因此受到嘲笑。他们认为，“游戏应该带给玩家刺激感受。”这就是当时的传统观点。（我并不是说我能够成为马克·平卡斯）。

这个普遍观点也延续到社交和免费游戏当中：成功作品都是遵照一定机制和风格模式，偏离这点将会丧失玩家，出现资金困难。

Facebook是游戏领域的拐点，早前的游戏领域认为假设是极其危险的。我认为《N.O.V.A.》或其他FPS游戏都是很棒的作品。这是已成分裂局面的游戏市场中的一次突破，将会促使大量硬核游戏推广平台分崩离析。

联系并非就是因果关系

认为最低配置要求阻碍游戏普及性，因而导致失去成功机会的观点是个站不住脚的假设因果关系。

3D浏览器的FPS游戏要求特定硬件配置。有人认为倡导这些规格将会吓跑那些外行玩家。但如果营销人员具备足够能力，也同样能够成功推广游戏。

《N.O.V.A.》并非服务《FarmVille》玩家，它瞄准的是硬核玩家或崇尚规格的硬核玩家，因为创建作品和修复硬件设备本身就是生活方式的一部分。例如，《孤岛危机》系列以较高最低规格出售，每个续作都是设备制作公司的参考标准。设置Facebook游戏规格（游戏邦注：即便是像《N.O.V.A.》规格那样保守）意味着这和硬核玩家青睐的非技术游戏有显著不同。我认为这连同控制方式都是《N.O.V.A.》标新立异的举措。

他认为背景音乐在办公环境（这是很多社交游戏的体验场所）显得过于吵杂。我同意很多用户都是在办公场所中体验社交游戏，也同意《N.O.V.A.》音乐并不符合这种情境的说法。

但我不同意的是成功社交游戏都要契合办公环境。

N.O.V.A. ELITE from slidetoplay.com

《N.O.V.A.》是款技术性游戏，游戏需要完全融入和高度集中。玩家大多腾出充足时间，在家体验这款游戏，而非利用日常零碎时间开展体验活动。游戏中的强制循环核心机制并不倡导玩家利用短暂空闲时间频繁体验游戏，而《FarmVille》则不鼓励硬核玩家式的5小时不间断体验。

所有娱乐行业消费者向来都选择价格合理、阻碍性低及用户体验水平高的平台。众所周知，这通常都会涉及社交网络中游戏的价格和质量，我认为《N.O.V.A.》是一大突破，其转向硬核体验。

那么，Facebook能否击败Steam？我认为可能性很高，但不会一蹴而就。尽管Facebook硬核游戏存在众多优势，其仍然面临些许阻碍因素（游戏邦注：从消费者认知到Unity安装基础和WebGL不成熟）。但这些因素都会慢慢消失，平台将会逐步发展成熟。

当然，这个领域难以熟视无睹的问题还是营收。有待揭晓的是，硬核游戏未来是否能够获得Facebook用户的青睐，进而变得切实可行。《N.O.V.A.》拥有3万左右的DAU（日活跃用户），对比之下这不过是个细分市场。但是FPS游戏（游戏邦注：大多基于竞技场）的强制循环核心机制还是相当有粘性的，能够带来长久留存率及较长游戏体验时间。游戏广告印象高，适合植入产品，且其自身发展也十分迅速。

即便没有《N.O.V.A.》，也定会有其他作品另辟蹊径，打破常规。（本文为游戏邦/gamerboom.com编译，如需转载请联系：游戏邦）

How Facebook Will Kill Steam

by Will Luton

Will Luton is the creative director at the award-winning boutique studio Mobile Pie and previously worked at Sega Europe on titles including Space Siege and the Incredible Hulk.

Back on 13 May, Nicholas wrote a post slamming the Facebook game N.O.V.A. ELITE (Minimum specifications on a Facebook game? Are NOVA mad?) for having a minimum specification, control layout sheet and loud music. All cardinal sins, he argued, of a social game. I disagreed with the post and Nicholas kindly invited me to write this response.

Now, I’m not writing because I think N.O.V.A. is a great example of a game experience –  although I did rather enjoy playing it – but because dismissing Gameloft as mad uses the application of dangerous ‘conventional wisdom’ to a delivery platform which is fast evolving and not fully understood.

Let me expand on that: N.O.V.A. is a core FPS game on a social network. Social networks have been great at delivering non-skill, casual, persistent world games a la Farmville. Zynga haven’t reached a $10bn market valuation by making FPSs with spec tables and pumping techno, ergo, some argue, nobody will.

I’ve seen this before: When I worked in boxed product games, I talked about a game where you grew vegetables on a farm. I was laughed at. “Games are supposed to make you feel cool” they said. That was the ‘conventional wisdom’ at the time. (I’m not suggesting I could have been Mark Pincus had anybody listened – I’ve talked a lot nonsense about games and a broken clock is right twice a day.)

This common thinking carries over to social and freemium games: Successes follow a pattern in their mechanics and style, deviating from these will lead to poor player uptake and financial unviability.

Facebook is a platform right in the middle of an inflection point in gaming, where assumption have proven dangerous. I believe N.O.V.A., or an FPS of its kind, could be a black swan. A mold-breaker in an already disruptive environment, which will lead to the downfall of huge core game distribution platforms.

Correlation does not imply causation

The argument that minimum specs thwart accessibility and thus the opportunity of the game, is a great example of an assumed causation without proof.

A 3D browser FPS is going to require some requisite hardware competence. It’s argued that putting up these specs could frighten off the uninitiated. However, if the marketeers are competent, it’s unlikely they’ll have made it through the marketing funnel.

N.O.V.A. isn’t for FarmVille players, it’s for core gamers and core gamers embrace specs, as building and tinkering with hardware is part of the lifestyle. For example, the Crysis series has party been sold on high minimum specification, each iteration becoming a benchmark for hobbyist machine builders. Placing specs on a Facebook game, even if they are as modest as N.O.V.A.’s, signals a strong differentiation from non-skill experiences core gamers disassociate with. I believe this, along with the control scheme, is N.O.V.A. placing itself as an antithesis.

Also hypothesised is that the music is too blaring for an office environment, where most social games are played. I agree that most social games are often played in offices. I also agree that the music in N.O.V.A. isn’t conducive to that.

What I don’t agree with is that successful social network games have to be office-friendly.

N.O.V.A. is a skill game and requires complete absorption and concentration. It is to be played at home, with time set aside, rather than played in short sessions augmenting in to player’s routines. The fundamental core compulsion loop doesn’t encourage short, frequent play sessions, as FarmVille’s doesn’t encourage marathon five hour sessions core gamers enjoy.

Consumers across all entertainment industries have a history of opting for the platform which is the best balance of price, friction and end experience. We know that this is almost always social networks on price and friction in games and I would argue that N.O.V.A. is a shift towards a comparable core experience.

So can Facebook kill Steam? I think it’s highly likely, but not overnight. Despite the advantage for core games on Facebook there are many barriers, from consumer perception to Unity’s install base and WebGL infancy. Yet these will slowly fall away and the platform will mature.

Of course, the elephant in the room is money. What remains to be seen is can core games gather enough attention on the platform in the near term to make them viable. With a DAU of around 30,000, N.O.V.A. is certainly looking comparatively niche. However, the core compulsion loops of arena-based FPSs are known to be the most sticky, offering comparative long-term retainment, with much higher overall in-game engagement time. Perfect for high ad impressions, product placement and quick growth.

Even if N.O.V.A. doesn’t crack it, someone else will step up in time.（Source：gamesbrief）