游戏邦在:
杂志专栏:
gamerboom.com订阅到鲜果订阅到抓虾google reader订阅到有道订阅到QQ邮箱订阅到帮看

设计师可利用游戏成就驱动玩家行为

发布时间:2011-07-19 10:28:26 Tags:,,

作者:Michael Fergusson

我们曾经讨论过社交游戏中的微交易(游戏邦注:即虚拟商品买卖)。我们探索了理解如果通过游戏机制营造虚拟商品需求的重要性。我们也说过,虚拟商品在玩家心目中有一定的价值,它们是有意义且与游戏背景相关的物品,推动玩家在游戏中展开行动。既然我们已经谈到了用户行动这个话题,我想接下来就应该说说如何利用游戏设计来驱动游戏中的某些行为,比如完成成就。理解这方面内容很重要,因为它与游戏中的用户行动息息相关,可能会影响到游戏的成败。

branded-virtual-goods-bvg-social-games(from theplaymob.com)

branded-virtual-goods-bvg-social-games(from theplaymob.com)

高成就者,强迫循环

游戏中有核心强迫机制,也就是玩家要实现某些目标就必须做某些事情。通常,玩家是在利益(游戏邦注:使故事得以发展或可以购买之前被限制的虚拟商品)的驱动下去实现某些成就。但并非所有情况都是如此。成就成了玩家可以与他人交流的事物。它的作用是提供证据,在玩家社交邂逅中证明他们在游戏中的行为。当成就逐渐增加(游戏邦注:玩家的每次行为都可以获得些许奖励),玩家也就不断受驱动在游戏中展开行动。因而,游戏中贸易以及对“战略”的讨论不仅提升了玩家的参与度,同样的行动还能够给游戏带来盈利。这种循环就称为强迫循环,它推动玩家不断投入时间玩游戏,不断实现某些成就,因而游戏中的微交易也就不断重复发生。

对游戏设计的启示

对运营人员和游戏设计师而言,理解这项游戏机制对理解微交易系统很有帮助。当玩家完成某些风险相对较低的事情或在游戏中有所投入(游戏邦注:包括时间和金钱)时,为他们提供些许成就奖励,让玩家对这种循环上瘾,这样他们才会重复做这些事情。而且,决定在游戏中出售何种商品对游戏设计师而言是件很难决定的事情,强迫循环可以让你更好地理解购买驱动机制。游戏设计师和运营人员找出“人们喜欢做什么事情?”这个问题的答案要简单得多。比如,玩家可以参与调查、下载应用或购买更多的游戏内置货币来节省时间和快速升级。这种游戏机制能够发挥其作用,因为所有游戏最终都屈从于强迫循环。

游戏邦注:本文发稿于2010年3月22日,所涉时间、事件和数据均以此为准。(本文为游戏邦/gamerboom.com编译,如需转载请联系:游戏邦

Achievements, Social Games and Virtual Goods

Michael Fergusson

In our last post, we started a discussion about understanding micro-transactions (the sale of virtual goods) in social games. We explored the importance of understanding how game mechanics could be used to create demand for virtual goods. We argued that virtual goods establish value in a player’s mind, they are meaningful and context-relevant objects that motivate a player to action. So since we’re on the topic of user actions, we thought we’d next discuss how game design can be used to motivate certain behaviours in games, like seeking achievements. As you’ll see, understanding this is important because it relates to user actions in games…which may influence the success of a game.

High Achievers, Compulsion Loops

Games have core compulsions or “things that a player must do” in order to achieve something. Usually, a player will be motivated to achieve something to yield rewards (story advancement or being able to access limited virtual goods). But that’s not all. Achievements offer a way for players to communicate with one another about their accomplishments. It serves an evidential function, since it gives players a way of verifying their in-game acts during social encounters. When achievements are dosed out incrementally (players get little rewards every time they do something), they’re continually motivated to act. Therefore they not only engage more with a game–they barter, exchange and discuss “strategy,” but the same actions can also be used to monetize a game. This cycle is called the compulsion loop: it will drive a player to continue playing, continually seeking achievements and therefore completing repeated micro-transactions in a game.

What are the Implications for Game Design?

For businesses and game designers, understanding this game mechanic is beneficial to understand micro-transactions: award the player with granular achievements when they do something fairly low-risk or for small amounts of investment (time or money) and get them hooked into the loop, so they can do it repeatedly. Also, since it is difficult for game designers to determine accurately “what will sell” in a game, a compulsion loop is a much better way to approach understanding purchase motivation. (It’s easier for game designers and businesses to try to determine “what people love to do”.) For example, it could be filling out a survey, downloading an application or buying more in-game currency to save time and level up faster. This game mechanic works, because ultimately, all games resolve themselves down to the compulsion loop. (Source: Ayogo Games)


上一篇:

下一篇: