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Trip Hawkins称社交游戏是互动娱乐行业的未来

发布时间:2011-03-29 14:07:31 Tags:,,,

无需赘述,相信多数游戏玩家都知道“Trip” Hawkins这个响亮的名字。然而从事30年的PC和视频游戏工作之后,这名A创始人、3DO掌机之父却创立了社交游戏公司Digital Chocolate,由此改写了他的游戏生涯。

Digital Chocolate原先是一家手机游戏开发公司,现在转向了Facebook等平台的社交游戏业务,并取得了一系列巨大的成就。该公司推出的《Millionaire City》、《MMA Pro Fighter》和《NanoStar Castles》等游戏在不到一年的时间中,已聚集了2000万以上的月活跃用户。Hawkins在最近媒体采访中表示他认为社交游戏、虚拟商品将成为互动娱乐行业的未来,以下是游戏邦编译的相关访谈内容:

Trip-Hawkins

Trip-Hawkins

为何社交游戏领域会呈现爆炸式的发展?

今天的人们面临过多的娱乐选择,这让他们觉得无所适从。所以大家就通过支持用户与现实好友“签到”的社交媒介寻找新的乐趣。除此之外,他们还转向了手机设备、网页和Facebook等更为简单、便捷的平台以实现这一目的。

社交游戏会成为PC游戏的未来吗?

不,它们是PC游戏现在的发展状态。亚洲有许多用户在玩PC平台的MMO游戏,而影响力最大的西方游戏就是《魔兽世界》。另外还有大量的用户同时在玩网页和Facebook游戏,这些游戏都能提供社交体验。

你认为这个产值已达数十亿美元的市场还会继续扩大吗?

它的规模还会更大。今天的各种平台和游戏都比以往更便宜更好用,年轻用户几乎是从小玩游戏长大,我认为这个世界最终会变成一个游戏社会。

是否曾预料到游戏行业会朝这个方向发展?

是的,这十多年来,我一直很关注社交体验和虚拟商品的概念。我从小就玩Strat-O-Matic体育类桌面游戏,还玩过《龙与地下城》,它们算是首次引进虚拟商品的游戏。我的使命就是让更多人玩游戏,但很显然这类游戏太复杂了,只有更简单的游戏才能在大众市场中立足。

在我早期的职业生涯中,我开发社交或休闲游戏的努力不是失败就是受到批评(比如《M.U.L.E.》、《Twisted》和《Army Men》就是这种典型),因为我的行动太超前了。EA Sports的品牌很成功,新社交游戏《Millionaire City》也同样如此。

这类游戏与传统游戏有何不同?

它们主要通过网页渠道和社交环境进行传播,可同时为新玩家和传统玩家提供游戏体验。许多愿意为Facebook或iPhone游戏付费的用户,原先也曾为掌机游戏买单。但现在他们多数已经成人了,所以没有太多时间玩游戏,或者说他们已和朋友天各一方。除了掌机设备以外,他们现在还拥有智能手机和Facebook帐号。

你曾说过传统游戏运营模式已经“破产”,社交游戏如何解决这一问题?

社交游戏将传统的一手交钱一手交货、用户买到高价游戏又后悔的销售模式,转变成了免费体验、付费买虚拟商品的模式。它将游戏视为一种服务,最重要的是,这类新游戏可以提供社交价值和极大的便利性。

有人说“PC游戏已经死亡”,他们的看法是否有失偏颇?

应该说PC平台比以往更有活力,它的核心元素已经延伸到平板电脑、电视屏幕平台,甚至涉及到虚拟领域。真正处于险境的是那些在实体店销售,或者得下载安装,而常让用户忘记保存在哪个文件夹的PC游戏。(本文为游戏邦/gamerboom.com编译,转载请注明来源:游戏邦)

Trip Hawkins: Theres an App for That Game

William M. “Trip” Hawkins III — founder of Electronic Arts and father of the 3DO console — needs no introduction to serious gamers. But three decades after writing the blueprint for the PC and video game business, his latest creation — social games start-up Digital Chocolate — is rewriting the rules again.

Originally a developer of games for mobile phones, the company has shifted its focus to Facebook and other social networks to tremendous success. It’s garnered more than 20 million monthly users within a year with hits like Millionaire City , MMA Pro Fighter and NanoStar Castles . Here, Hawkins explains why he believes social gaming and virtual goods are the future of interactive entertainment.

Scott Steinberg: Why are social games exploding in popularity?

Trip Hawkins: People today are oversaturated with amusement options and feel too “checked out.” They’re seeking social media that provides new ways to “check in” with real people. They’re also shifting to platforms that are simpler and more convenient, like mobile devices, the Web and Facebook.

S.S.: Are they the future of PC gaming?

T.H.: No, they’re the present. Asia is mostly playing MMO games on PCs. The biggest Western game is World of Warcraft. Then we have huge audiences playing both Web and Facebook games. They’re all social experiences.

S.S.: How big do you see the multibillion-dollar field getting?

T.H.: Bigger — much bigger. Today’s platforms and games are cheaper and easier to use, and younger audiences are all growing up playing, so gradually the entire world is turning into an audience for games.

S.S.: Could you ever have imagined gaming going in this direction?

T.H.: Yes. For decades, I’ve cared a great deal about both social play and the concept of virtual goods. I grew up playing Strat-O-Matic sports board games and Dungeons & Dragons, which were the first forms of virtual goods. My life mission was to get more people to play, but it was clear that those titles were too complicated and that a mass market would only be reached with simpler games.

Earlier in my career, my efforts to make social or casual games often failed or were criticized because I was too far ahead of the market. Examples would include M.U.L.E., Twisted and Army Men. The EA Sports brand was a big success, however, as is new social game Millionaire City.

S.S: How do these titles differ from traditional offerings?

T.H.: Via Web distribution, convenience and social context, and by addressing both new gamers and traditional players alike. Many of the big spenders on virtual goods for Facebook or the iPhone used to spend that money on console games. But maybe they’re adults now and don’t have as much time, or their friends are located out of town, and they have a smartphone and a Facebook account in addition to a console.

S.S: You’ve said the old gaming business model was “broken.” In what way do social games fix it?

T.H.: They shift away from the prohibitive up-front costs and risks of high-priced packaged goods and go to the free-to-play model, where everyone can play and pay whatever they like. It’s software as a service. But most importantly, the new games offer social value and tremendous convenience.

S.S.: When people say, “PC gaming is dead,” what are they missing?

T.H.: The PC is more alive than ever, and its core elements are expanding into new formats, including tablets, TV screens and even through such ideas as virtualization. What are in jeopardy are PC games that you buy at a store or have to download, install and remember where you filed them.(source:consumerelectronicsnet)


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