Games As A Service

Games As A Service

Author: Oscar Clark

Publisher: CRC Press

Published: 2014-02-05

Total Pages: 311

ISBN-13: 1317908872

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The games industry is serious business and the role of a games designer has dramatically changed over just the last few years. Developers now have to rethink everything they know about the creative, technical and business challenges to adapt to the transition to games as a service. Games as a Service: How Free to Play Design Can Make Better Games has been written to help designers overcome many of the fears and misconceptions surrounding freemium and social games. It provides a framework to deliver better games rather than the ‘evil’ or ‘manipulative’ experiences some designers fear with the move away from wasteful Products to sustainable, trustworthy Services. Oscar Clark is a consultant and Evangelist for Everyplay from Applifier. He has been a pioneer in online, mobile and console social games services since 1998 including Wireplay (British Telecom), Hutchison Whampoa (3UK) and PlayStation®Home. He is a regular columnist on PocketGamer.Biz and is an outspoken speaker and moderator at countless games conferences on Games Design, Discovery, and Monetisation. He is also a notorious hat wearer.


Service Games: The Rise and Fall of SEGA

Service Games: The Rise and Fall of SEGA

Author: Sam Pettus

Publisher:

Published: 2013-12-20

Total Pages: 480

ISBN-13: 1311080821

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Starting with its humble beginnings in the 1950's and ending with its swan-song, the Dreamcast, in the early 2000’s, this is the complete history of Sega as a console maker. Before home computers and video game consoles, before the internet and social networking, and before motion controls and smartphones, there was Sega. Destined to fade into obscurity over time, Sega would help revolutionize and change video games, computers and how we interact with them, and the internet as we know it. Riding the cutting edge of technology at every step, only to rise too close to the sun and plummet, Sega would eventually change the face of entertainment, but it’s the story of how it got there that’s all the fun. So take a ride, experience history, and enjoy learning about one of the greatest and most influential companies of all time. Complete with system specifications, feature and marketing descriptions, unusual factoids, almost 300 images, and now enhanced Europe specific details, exclusive interviews, and more make this the definitive history of Sega available. Read and learn about the company that holds a special place in every gamer’s heart. Funded on Kickstarter.


Games As A Service

Games As A Service

Author: Oscar Clark

Publisher: CRC Press

Published: 2014-02-05

Total Pages: 312

ISBN-13: 1317908864

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The games industry is serious business and the role of a games designer has dramatically changed over just the last few years. Developers now have to rethink everything they know about the creative, technical and business challenges to adapt to the transition to games as a service. Games as a Service: How Free to Play Design Can Make Better Games has been written to help designers overcome many of the fears and misconceptions surrounding freemium and social games. It provides a framework to deliver better games rather than the ‘evil’ or ‘manipulative’ experiences some designers fear with the move away from wasteful Products to sustainable, trustworthy Services. Oscar Clark is a consultant and Evangelist for Everyplay from Applifier. He has been a pioneer in online, mobile and console social games services since 1998 including Wireplay (British Telecom), Hutchison Whampoa (3UK) and PlayStation®Home. He is a regular columnist on PocketGamer.Biz and is an outspoken speaker and moderator at countless games conferences on Games Design, Discovery, and Monetisation. He is also a notorious hat wearer.


The Psychology of Video Games

The Psychology of Video Games

Author: Celia Hodent

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2020-10-07

Total Pages: 105

ISBN-13: 1000194760

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What impact can video games have on us as players? How does psychology influence video game creation? Why do some games become cultural phenomena? The Psychology of Video Games introduces the curious reader to the relationship between psychology and video games from the perspective of both game makers and players. Assuming no specialist knowledge, this concise, approachable guide is a starter book for anyone intrigued by what makes video games engaging and what is their psychological impact on gamers. It digests the research exploring the benefits gaming can have on players in relation to education and healthcare, considers the concerns over potential negative impacts such as pathological gaming, and concludes with some ethics considerations. With gaming being one of the most popular forms of entertainment today, The Psychology of Video Games shows the importance of understanding the human brain and its mental processes to foster ethical and inclusive video games.


Data Analytics Applications in Gaming and Entertainment

Data Analytics Applications in Gaming and Entertainment

Author: Günter Wallner

Publisher: CRC Press

Published: 2019-07-11

Total Pages: 216

ISBN-13: 1000008703

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The last decade has witnessed the rise of big data in game development as the increasing proliferation of Internet-enabled gaming devices has made it easier than ever before to collect large amounts of player-related data. At the same time, the emergence of new business models and the diversification of the player base have exposed a broader potential audience, which attaches great importance to being able to tailor game experiences to a wide range of preferences and skill levels. This, in turn, has led to a growing interest in data mining techniques, as they offer new opportunities for deriving actionable insights to inform game design, to ensure customer satisfaction, to maximize revenues, and to drive technical innovation. By now, data mining and analytics have become vital components of game development. The amount of work being done in this area nowadays makes this an ideal time to put together a book on this subject. Data Analytics Applications in Gaming and Entertainment seeks to provide a cross section of current data analytics applications in game production. It is intended as a companion for practitioners, academic researchers, and students seeking knowledge on the latest practices in game data mining. The chapters have been chosen in such a way as to cover a wide range of topics and to provide readers with a glimpse at the variety of applications of data mining in gaming. A total of 25 authors from industry and academia have contributed 12 chapters covering topics such as player profiling, approaches for analyzing player communities and their social structures, matchmaking, churn prediction and customer lifetime value estimation, communication of analytical results, and visual approaches to game analytics. This book’s perspectives and concepts will spark heightened interest in game analytics and foment innovative ideas that will advance the exciting field of online gaming and entertainment.


One Up

One Up

Author: Joost van Dreunen

Publisher: Columbia University Press

Published: 2020-10-06

Total Pages: 317

ISBN-13: 0231552211

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What explains the massive worldwide success of video games such as Fortnite, Minecraft, and Pokémon Go? Game companies and their popularity are poorly understood and often ignored from the standpoint of traditional business strategy. Yet this industry generates billions in revenue by thinking creatively about digital distribution, free-to-play content, and phenomena like e-sports and live streaming. What lessons can we draw from its major successes and failures about the future of entertainment? One Up offers a pioneering empirical analysis of innovation and strategy in the video game industry to explain how it has evolved from a fringe activity to become a mainstream form of entertainment. Joost van Dreunen, a widely recognized industry expert with over twenty years of experience, analyzes how game makers, publishers, and platform holders have tackled strategic challenges to make the video game industry what it is today. Using more than three decades of rigorously compiled industry data, he demonstrates that video game companies flourish when they bring the same level of creativity to business strategy that they bring to game design. Filled with case studies of companies such as Activision Blizzard, Apple, Electronic Arts, Epic Games, Microsoft, Nexon, Sony, Take-Two Interactive, Tencent, and Valve, this book forces us to rethink common misconceptions around the emergence of digital and mobile gaming. One Up is required reading for investors, creatives, managers, and anyone looking to learn about the major drivers of change and growth in contemporary entertainment.


Game Economy Design

Game Economy Design

Author: Charlie Czerkawski

Publisher: CRC Press

Published: 2024-10-16

Total Pages: 192

ISBN-13: 1040132871

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This book provides a comprehensive overview of game economy design. It begins with a high-level overview, then utilises subsequent chapters to break this down into finer details, showing methods to approach the various problems and challenges involved in creating an intricate game economy and meta game experience. The content of the book extends to associated and related fields such as monetisation and live operations. The book contains step-by-step processes with best practices and examples, with content written from an empirical standpoint. The reader will gain insights into the components that form a game economy, how these components are utilised to shape a meta-game experience, and how monetization is integrated into this. The content will consider the work economy designers undertake during development through to post-launch live operations. The book will appeal to all game design professionals and students of game design that wish to gain a deeper understanding of how to develop game economies.


Research Anthology on Strategies for Using Social Media as a Service and Tool in Business

Research Anthology on Strategies for Using Social Media as a Service and Tool in Business

Author: Management Association, Information Resources

Publisher: IGI Global

Published: 2021-05-28

Total Pages: 1865

ISBN-13: 179989021X

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Social media has become an integral part of society as social networking has become a main form of communication and human interaction. To stay relevant, businesses have adopted social media tactics to interact with consumers, conduct business, and remain competitive. Social technologies have reached a vital point in the business world, being essential in strategic decision-making processes, building relationships with consumers, marketing and branding efforts, and other important areas. While social media continues to gain importance in modern society, it is essential to determine how it functions in contemporary business. The Research Anthology on Strategies for Using Social Media as a Service and Tool in Business provides updated information on how businesses are strategically using social media and explores the role of social media in keeping businesses competitive in the global economy. The chapters will discuss how social tools work, what services businesses are utilizing, both the benefits and challenges to how social media is changing the modern business atmosphere, and more. This book is essential for researchers, instructors, social media managers, business managers, students, executives, practitioners, industry professionals, social media analysts, and all audiences interested in how social media is being used in modern businesses as both a service and integral tool.


The Pyramid of Game Design

The Pyramid of Game Design

Author: Nicholas Lovell

Publisher: CRC Press

Published: 2018-12-07

Total Pages: 303

ISBN-13: 0429815662

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Game design is changing. The emergence of service games on PC, mobile and console has created new expectations amongst consumers and requires new techniques from game makers. In The Pyramid of Game Design, Nicholas Lovell identifies and explains the frameworks and techniques you need to deliver fun, profitable games. Using examples of games ranging from modern free-to-play titles to the earliest arcade games, via PC strategy and traditional boxed titles, Lovell shows how game development has evolved, and provides game makers with the tools to evolve with it. Harness the Base, Retention and Superfan Layers to create a powerful Core Loop. Design the player Session to keep players playing while being respectful of their time. Accept that there are few fixed rules: just trade-offs with consequences. Adopt Agile and Lean techniques to "learn what you need you learn" quickly Use analytics, paired with design skills and player feedback, to improve the fun, engagement and profitability of your games. Adapt your marketing techniques to the reality of the service game era Consider the ethics of game design in a rapidly changing world. Lovell shows how service games require all the skills of product game development, and more. He provides a toolset for game makers of all varieties to create fun, profitable games. Filled with practical advice, memorable anecdotes and a wealth of game knowledge, the Pyramid of Game Design is a must-read for all game developers.


Running a Successful Live Service Game

Running a Successful Live Service Game

Author: Sergei Vasiuk

Publisher: CRC Press

Published: 2024-12-03

Total Pages: 246

ISBN-13: 1040222609

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This book unveils the secrets of extraordinarily successful games and hands you a smarter way to create exceptional engagement and convert it into revenue. It teaches you detailed LiveOps techniques that show you how to keep your game appealing through engaging events, personalized experiences, and smart monetization. You’ll discover the "3 LAPs of Operations" framework—a dynamic, question-driven process that you can implement to systematically boost retention and achieve your game's financial goals. The book delves into the intricate business of live service games, explaining how to enhance your operational efficiency with precise toolset implementations and analytics. While some studio leaders merely talk about "riding the trend", this approach is far too passive. Embrace the shift towards people-driven game development, where your players evolve from mere consumers into active co-creators. This transformation allows you to construct your own trend, known as People's LiveOps, where you engage your most devoted fans and offer them opportunities to earn a living through their creations. Essential for professionals in live service games, this book is also invaluable for aspiring talents and seasoned experts aiming to enter or excel in the gaming industry.