2. Would you like to earn college credit
by playing video games?
There’s a class for that.
Video Games &
There has never been a
Communicationclass will teach you
Fall 2012 This
better time to be a how to write effectively
gamer than right now.
Tuesday/Thursday about interactive
In 2011, the games 5:30-7:20 multimedia and digital
industry made $74 games by exploring how
billion in revenue, and games interpret and
more people were 019:120:SCC communicate ideas
playing games than Kyle Moody about our world.
ever before. Learn how to communicate
about digital games by learning
how games communicate.
We’re playing games to learn.
Are you in?
3. Today’s Lecture & Possible WTLs
• Whatare videogames? Why are they
successful?
• Games & social media & lifestyles
• What is the socialhistory of games?
• Why dotext = You should note me as I am of great
Black videogames work with social media?
importance to an upcoming test and your life
Blue text = I am not test-worthy, but I contextualize
information and make great WTL questions/party
conversation!
4. Why Study Videogames?
• In 2000, there were 150- • Growth of games on
250 million gamers mobile devices and
• Today, 1.2 billion people social networks (SNS)
could be considered – Mobile games = 15% of
gamers market share
– 100 million people play
• 2011 gaming revenue games on SNS
– $74 billion
– Angry Birds, Cut the
Rope, Fruit Ninja, Words
with
Friends, Farmville, Mafia
Wars, and more
5. What are videogames?
• An electronic or computerized game played by
manipulating images on a video display or
television screen.
– Manipulating = controlling = participating =
socializing with the medium/game (Forbes online
blog post)
• Key media terms (Bogost&Montford, 2009)
– Interface – how one uses/plays/controls the game
– Platform – what one uses to play the game
6. Early Gaming History (1958-1989)
Arcade and Console Era
• 1958 – 1975 • Console – computer
– first videogames made machine for playing
– How to monetize games? videogames only
• 1977 – 1989 – Emergence of – Separate games for
general gaming platforms consoles for purchase
– Arcades – social areas with – Atari 2600 – Pitfall
large cabinet games – Nintendo Entertainment
• Games operated by paying System (NES) – Mario
coins/tokens for each play
– Sega Genesis – Sonic
• Bars, malls, theaters
7. Mobile Gaming
• Games one can play outside of the home
console or arcade
– Could travel without heavy, expensive equipment
• 1989 – Nintendo Game Boy with Tetris
– Beginning of mobile gaming
– Creates bigger, more diverse audience
• Older gamers
• Female gamers
– Game Boy sells 118 million units
8. Age of Internet Gaming
(1990-2000)
• 1990 – home market – Distributed via shareware
grows with new – Creation of shared culture
consoles • Idea of “deathmatch”
– PC gaming continues • 1997 – Goldeneye 007
growingwith tech (N64)
• 1993 – Doom (PC) – Popular home multiplayer
– First popular local game
area network (LAN) – Long-term value in shared
game playing; culture creation
9. Age of Internet Gaming
(1990-2000)
• MMORPG – Term coined by
– Massively Ultimacreator
Multiplayer Online Richard Garriot
Role-Playing Game • 1999 – Everquest
• 1997 – Ultima – Brought fantasy
Online MMORPGs into
mainstream –
– First “premiere”
“Evercrack”
MMORPG
10. True Social Gaming
(2000-Present)
First Internet Gaming • 2001 – Halo on
Consoles Xbox
• 2000 – Sony – Co-operative (“co-
PlayStation 2 op”) play
– First console with DVD- – Easy online/LAN
playback and Internet setup for multiplayer
capabilities – Brings technological
– Sells 150 million units advances home
11. Forming Online Communities
• 2003 – Second Life • 2004 – World of
– Not a traditional Warcraft (WoW)
MMORPG – Biggest MMORPG of
– No gaming all
“objectives” – Requires user
– Creation of in-game subscription
economy – By 2011, 12 million
– $119 million from in- subscribers
game goods (2010) • Formation of “guilds”
and “parties”
12. Changes in Interfaces and
Audiences
• 2004 – Nintendo DS • 2006 – Nintendo Wii
– First successful mobile – Opens game market to
gaming console with “casual” users
wireless internet • In particular, elder and
• Use of stylus to control very young gamers
apps/games, like a computer – Ease of use of interface
mouse
• Motion-calibration
• More social, novel, and easy
– Anyone can play, &
– Approaching sales of 150 everyone does
million units
13. 2007 – iPhone is released
• Not a dedicated gaming platform
•A practical device that people use
•Games created for preexistingmarket of users
•No need for dedicated gaming consoles or multiple devices
•Creates new markets for female gamers as well
2007 – THE BIRTH OF
MODERN SOCIAL GAMING
14. Why do videogames work well
with social media?
4 reasons
• Accessibility – make it • Large Gaming Network
easy – Users have a previously
– Websites established network of
– Mobile apps friends with whom they
can easily engage and
– No need for another device
play
– Network can grow and
expand
• Little cost involved
15. Why do videogames work well
with social media?
• Social Connections • Lifestyles and Gaming
– Users have streamlined, – Gaming news blogs
routinized and habits/way – Gaming dating sites
to share information about – YouTube – millions of
their gaming activities with game videos
friends through supported
platforms – Gaming is reactive to
social and tech forces
– If you’re playing on a
smartphone, you – Online communities are
canshareon a smartphone created
• Just like arcades
16. Why do videogames work well
with social media?
Bonus Round! media is a
– Social
• Fun! Rewards
interaction! participatory
concept
– If you’re not
engaged, and if – Games reward
you’re not having player involvement
fun, then is it a – Trophies
game? – Achievements
17. Mobile Platforms
• Facebook • Multiple Platforms
– If everybody uses – Angry Birds
Facebook, why not make – Available on
games for Facebook iOS, Android, PSN, Xbo
users? x Live
– Zynga – Cheap, easy to
• Creator of Farmville, Words buy, available on
with Friends, and many other multiple devices
ones
• Accounted for 12% of FB – People can easily find it
revenue in 2011 – Fewer dedicated
• Expanding into own site consoles
18. The Future of Mobile & Social
Gaming?
• Going to get bigger • More female gamers
– By 2015, mobile games = – More older women play
20% of market games on social media
– February 2011, consumers than other types
spent $600 million on – These gamers also
mobile/social games enjoy greater variety and
– 26 million play social narrative
games via mobile – Female home console
audiences grew by 4%
19. The Future of Mobile & Social
Gaming?
• Free-to-play/demo of • Microtransactions
content – Small transactions to
– Users can play games for make gameplay
free… progression easier
• …to a certain point – Farmville
• Example: WoW is free to – Everquest (2012)
Level 20; after that, You Pay!
– Team Fortress 2
– Games must engage user
sooner – So games are free…
• But progress is hard
– The FTP model relies on… unless you buy virtual
items from developers
20. Social Media Affects Game
Development
• Feedback
– Users can provide feedback to
developers much sooner
• E-mail
• Online reviews of products
• Blogging
• Open beta testing
– Can see how many people are talking
about your game in social media
21. Social Media Affects Game
Development
• Double Fine Productions
– Headed by Tim Schafer
– Make adventure games – not
popular
– Went to Kickstarter for funding new
IP (Double Fine Adventure)
• Kickstarter = micro-donations SNS
• It also funded Robocop statue in Detroit
22. Social Media Affects Game Development
• Double Fine Productions
– Needed to raise $400,000 for new game within one
month
– Hit goal in eight hours
• According to Kickstarter,fans broke 24-hour records
– Highest number of backers (16,000)
– Most money raised (over $1,000,000)
• Most donors gave $15 (over 50% of backers)
– Closed donations with $3 million & 78,000 gamers
donating funds
23. How are Videogames
Changed by Social Media?
• More people now • Industry is moving
enjoy videogames towards free-to-
than before play and
– Newer gamers & microtransaction
newer gender/age models
demographics
• Gamers and users
• Shrinking need for can directly affect
dedicated consoles game development
Notas do Editor
Required readingsDmitri Williams, “A Brief Social History of Game Play” (PDF saved on ICON) (Word document found at http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CFYQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdmitriwilliams.com%2FWilliamsSocHist.doc&ei=WdNzT6nbMIHAtwei-7SMBg&usg=AFQjCNHGgbSpfOgA7u5Bo4qa_bKceVLiNw )"Game Change! What Social and Mobile Taught the Traditional Games Industry." - Found at http://www.industrygamers.com/news/game-change-what-social-and-mobile-taught-the-traditional-games-business/ "A Woman's World: How Social Media Has Changed Gaming." - Found at http://memeburn.com/2012/01/a-womans-world-how-social-media-has-changed-gaming/ "History of Gaming: The Social Evolution of Gaming" (Infographic). - Found at http://www.infographicsposters.com/gaming-infographics/history-of-social-gaming I also think that this is a helpful, short blog post that I would recommend all students read. I think four readings is ideal, but this Forbes blog post really is a good entry point into larger philosophical issues of gaming. Plus, hey, it's easy to read! "Games Were Social Media Before It Was Cool." - Found at http://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2012/03/17/games-were-social-media-before-it-was-cool/
This slide can also be discarded for our purposes.
1958 – first videogame madeTennis for Two1972 – first home game consoleMagnavox Odyssey1975 – first hit game PongArcade games = Arcade games often have very short levels, simple and intuitive control schemes, and rapidly increasing difficulty. This is due to the environment of the Arcade, where the player is essentially renting the game for as long as their in-game avatar can stay alive (or until they run out of tokens).1977 – first hit home consoleAtari 2600 - 1978 – 1983Huge growthLarge arcade and home marketsRevenues in 1983$3.2 billion1983 – 1985 – industry crashOversaturation of marketLow-quality titles1985 revenues - ~$100 million1986 – Nintendo Entertainment System (NES)Super Mario Bros.Home gaming saved (62 million sold)
Other games are now being funded via Kickstarter, most notably Wasteland 2, the inspiration for popular PC and console series Fallout.