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Will Harbin称创造性比数据分析更重要

发布时间:2012-06-14 14:24:59 Tags:,,

作者:Simon Priest

Kixeye首席执行官Will Harbin并不赞同开发者在游戏设计过程中让数据牵着鼻子走的说法。他表示,Kixey只会将一切数据用于“加强游戏体验。”

Harbin认为,创造性和激情总是比数据更重要。虽然数据能够帮助我们从整体社区中区分出一些小群组,但是如果一个团队缺少了“激情”,所有的一切努力也终将白费。

battle_pirates_kixeye(from techdiem.com)

battle_pirates_kixeye(from techdiem.com)

所以Kixeye并不能理解像Zynga这样的社交巨头的做法,正如Harbin所言,这些公司都“太过依赖于数据和用户研究”而严重忽视了设计的重要性。

“数据并不是我们的方向标,”Harbin解释道。“我的意思是,它只是面向游戏玩家而反馈的指示。”

“我们之所以使用数据只是为了加强游戏体验。例如当你发现很多人在用户论坛上抱怨游戏推出的新功能能时,你便可以通过数据去观察这些用户在这些功能上花费了多少时间,并想办法提高他们的留存率。”

Harbin在接受GamesIndustry.biz的访问中说道:“这是一种非常有帮助的体验,能够帮助你从整体的用户基础中分割出较小的群组。而如果你只是听取一些基本的用户反馈,你便可能做出错误的设计决策——即只因为部分玩家反对你的决策而进行修改。”

“所以我们不能只是围绕着数据进行游戏设计。”

“我们必须围绕着数据完善游戏,就像我在昨天面向团队成员的演讲中所说的,我们并不依赖于A/B测试和数据,反而更加相信我们自己的直觉。因为比起微观数据分析,设计直觉更能帮助我们在更大规模的领域上取得成功。”

“但是当你面对两个或多个选择时,数据则能够帮助你更好地做出决定。而关于游戏设计你却不能完全依赖数据。”

“数据可以是一种补助也可以是一种工具,但是如果你缺乏创造性,缺乏思考或不够有激情,你便不可能创造出一款真正优秀的游戏。”

如果开发者在设计过程中过分依赖于数据反馈,他们的创造性便会被扼杀。最终导致他们只能创造出一些山寨游戏,而丧失了大量的硬核玩家。

Harbin声明:“我认为这些开发者只是过度依赖于数据和用户研究。”

“说实话,他们不够重视游戏设计和创造性。一直以来Playdom都被认为是Zynga的翻版,他们总是在尝试着创造一些不同的内容以摆脱这一说法。之后他们发布了一款大获成功的游戏《Gardens Of Time》,而后来Zynga又开始仿效他们的这种尝试了。所以我并不认为这是一种富有创造性的游戏设计方法。”

“寻物解密游戏的出现已经有段时间了。但是对于硬核玩家来说这类型游戏却不具有多少吸引力,它们只在社交游戏领域取得了稍许的成功——并且我认为这些游戏都过分依赖于数据和用户研究。它们并不像我们这样拥有一个专门致力于用户研究的团队,着眼于创造出最吸引人的用户体验。”

游戏邦注:原文发表于2012年2月1日,所涉事件和数据均以当时为准。(本文为游戏邦/gamerboom.com编译,拒绝任何不保留版权的转载,如需转载请联系:游戏邦

Kixeye: Creativity should lead over data, “can be an aid” but nothing more

by Simon Priest

Will Harbin of Kixeye has hit out against those who would let pure data crunching lead a developer by the nose in game design. Data for Kixeye is used only to “enhance the gaming experience.”

Creativity and passion must come before data, he argues. Data can help “separate the vocal minority” from the overall community. If a team lacks ‘passion’ then you’re going to make rubbish.

Naturally then the social giant Zynga and the like don’t impress Kixeye, as Harbin says they “rely too much on data and user studies.” They’re all lacking in design.

“Data does not inform our road map,” Harbin revealed. “I mean, it’s only us as gamers that informs our road-map.”

“What we do with data is we try to enhance the gaming experience. So for example when you have a lot of people who, let’s say, complain in user forums about a new feature that you’ve launched, well the data might be saying that these guys are spending hours on this feature and it’s causing them to come back to the game at an increased rate.”

“That’s a helpful experience that allows you to separate the vocal minority from the overall user base. If you just listen to the basic user feedback you might be making a severe error in game design decision by modifying something just because a few people are being vocal about slaying your decision,” he continued in an interview with GamesIndustry.biz.

“So we definitely do not design our games around data.”

“We try to make improvements around data, and actually I had to give this speech to my team yesterday about being a little bit less reliant of A/B tests and data and trusting our intuition and instinct, since it seems to be more effective at moving the needle at a larger scale than doing a lot of micro data analysis.”

“But it’s very helpful when you come to a decision where you have two or more options, it’s good to allow data to influence some decisions. But you can’t do game design through data exclusively.”

“It can be an aid, it can be a tool, but if you’re not creative, if you’re not a thoughtful gamer or you’re not super passionate about the space then you’re not going to make a good game.”

Creativity is choked at social game developers because of their over reliance on data feedback during the design phases. It causes a cycle of copy-cat titles which turn off core gamers.

“No, I think those guys rely too much on data and user studies,” declared Will Harbin.

“I think they’re lacking in the game design and creativity department to be honest. Playdom is essentially just a Zynga rip off. They’ve tried to do some other things and now Gardens Of Time is relatively successful and Zynga’s copied that, but I wouldn’t say that’s a super creative approach to gaming.”

“The hidden object thing has been around for a while. It’s not that interesting to a core gamer. Bottom line, they haven’t done anything that I think would appeal to a core gamer, they’ve obviously found a little bit of success in the social gaming quadrant, but I think they rely much more heavily on data, user studies, etc. I don’t think they have a team like ours that really thinks about the users and wants to make a compelling user experience.”

Are social developers nothing but shameless copy cats? Check out the full interview between Will Harbin and GamesIndusty.biz, where they discuss Kixeye’s War Commander.(source:strategyinformer)


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