Digital Game Theory and Design - Research Paper Example

 Digital Game Theory and Design A research by Econsultancy one of the leading e-commerce and digital marketing researchers in America shows that over 19% of American population plays social online games. Online gaming has registered a rapid growth in United States due to development of social networking technologies. The emerging marketing shows that social gamers are neither stereotypical as hardcore console gamers nor are they typical. The study reveals that the number of women playing online social games is relatively higher than men by 2 percent. 30 percent of the interviewed gamers admitted that they play daily while about 27 percent disclosed that they play many times in a week. The report also revealed that an increase in the number of gamers who buy virtual currency and virtual goods. 22 percent of gamers have bought virtual goods while about 20 percent have made payments to play a game. Men buying virtual goods and services registered to be more than women. Many companies are seeking to expand their platform in the market that is about one billion dollars in net worth. The viability and efficiency to buy and use virtual goods earns companies huge profits. The games can be played on social sites like Facebook. If a gamer buys a product on the social sites the game earns big profits. Advancement of mobile technology has also allowed gamers to play games on their mobile phones. When a gamer purchases and downloads a game the profits are shared between the social site and the gaming company. Previous versions of most digital games did not offer much graphical experience to the gamers. Most of them were text based. Most of the companies are now competing on a graphical format. Good graphics makes the game appear real and the gamers enjoy. Competition in the market is concentrated on the graphical appeal of the games. Integrating latest technology is another factor to consider. New technologies and change in social networking infrastructure demands that the companies keep updating their games. Gamers have made a habit to play with their friends or interact with fellow gamers online. Other games are also ranked as "standalone" and do not need communication with friends to play. Many companies are now focusing on creating platforms that enable games to be played on social networks. The games allow more than one user to play at a time. The interaction in social gaming is magnificent thus the increase in the number of users. The gaming industry is exporting its technologies and products to mainstream businesses. Games are being made to fit education, defense, medicine, government and city planning applications. The rapid growth of gaming technologies and the societal acceptance associated with them have resulted to the displacement of computer software suites and hardware. The native business experimentation, social recognition, game software power and other related forces affect digital gaming. Looking at history of gaming, new computer technologies in the 1960s led to the first console and arcade games. When “Pong” by Nolan Bushnell was introduced in the market, it became popular than pinball arcades. Development of “Pong” Bushnell Company led to the transition of digital electronic games from electrical-physical games. Pong was ten developed to become a console device. The console could be connected to a television set and the game played. Other companies like Nintendo, Sony, and Magnavox started creating games that could be played at the comfort of one’s home. This marked the humble beginning of games like Tetris, Pac-man and Video Pinball. These were followed by games with improved graphic designs. Such games included. Wolfstein 3D, World of Warcraft, Super Mario Brothers among other games got developed later. These games created an interactive environment and a virtual world that appeared real. The invention of the internet inspired the need to create a platform that would enable online users to play with friends and strangers online. The concept of internet shared play was thus created. The first social gaming could only integrate two up to sixteen players only. With the growth and demand by multiple users, game companies initiated a multiplayer online gaming platform. This allows thousands of gamers to participate in shared game with other users across the globe. The gamers can form teams to pursue missions. One can monitor the progress of his or her team by login online. Ultima Online, World of Warcraft and Everquest are among the games where gamers are able to develop teams and work on structures parallel to the real world. This interaction has defined financial and social values. Digital games play an important part in the economy. Revenue earned from the gaming industry is estimated to be 10 billion US dollars, surpassing 8 billion dollars earned by Hollywood. Computer software and hardware industries are also influenced by the growth made by digital gaming. Graphical User Interfaces, Raster scan monitors, three dimensional-graphics, trackballs, collaborative computing and joysticks are developments that have been made since the invention of digital computer games. The influence digital games have stem from emotional connection and technology applied. Many games today like Need for Speed, FIFA Football, Call of Duty, and others consider new software technologies to win many customers. These are games that have transitioned from game console, and now enjoy the vast customers on online game platform. The technologies that are taking the market by storm include artificial intelligence, accessible graphical user interface, persistence, and networking. The most identifiable part of online social games is their three dimensional feature (3D). The graphics make the players enjoy the game. Vendors compete for to attract customers using the 3D engines. 3D is not only applied in the gaming industry, medical imaging, simulator training, computer aided design and architecture also apply the 3D technology. This is mainly due to the outlook that three dimension (3D) engine present. Another feature that most game developers consider is the creation of graphic user interface (GUI) that gamers understand and can easily access. A good graphical user interface allows social gamers to play without reading the game manuals. Familiarization is a necessary part of online gaming. Game developers create a mode that allows gamers to familiarize themselves with the controls. Gamers are asked to perform some tasks so that they get acquainted with the game. With time, the gamer learns all the tactics and can engage other online players. It is necessary for the gamer to acquaint himself with all the tactics before playing with other gamers online. In play mode, characters shoot, jump, run, fall, and can perform other functions too. These actions are controlled by physical models. Physical models in online gaming can estimate how human beings and other real objects can perform the said functions. The accuracy and efficiency of physical models in online social games determine how real the game can be. A recent advancement in the area has been the addition of physics engines. The physics engines display digital objects to have volume, mass, joints, and stiffness. These objects are able to operate as objects in the real world. When interfacing and movement occur, an interaction between the objects’ physical properties thus generating images that appear as real as the world we inhabit. Games with interfaces that allow only one player are usually very boring. The human gamer must relate with interesting characters to make the game real and enjoyable. This has necessitated digital game developers to employ artificial intelligence in their designs. Characters are thus able to perform functions that a person controlled character in the game can perform. This creates a realistic encounter to social gamers. Artificial Intelligence techniques developed in business and academic laboratories get adopted for use in online social games. The internet allows connection of players around the globe. A gamer in the United States can play with another player in Spain or somewhere in Southern Africa. This implies that a social gamer is not limited to playing with artificial opponents but can engage with other real gamers. This creates a competitive platform where gamers compete against each other. Gamers are ranked in terms of score achievement, hours of play and level of difficulty. A gamer can easily locate others who have similar skills. This enables the players to gauge their skills and improve their gaming tactics. The virtual gaming world creates a man-hunting-man scenario where the best survive in the game and earn "virtual respect" from other players. Online gaming leads to the creation of shared communities and sub-groups known as clans. Gamers share their experiences with community members. Other tips and cheats in the game can also be learned from involving oneself in community forums. The networking virtual world gives players an experience that is more than a game. Relationships and alternate communities are built from the interactions in the virtual world. Before 1997, online games established small vignettes where gamers came together in a fortress castle, or dungeon and teamed up to battle each other. However, one a character exited the environment then all the development got erased from computer servers. The memory of the game was then refreshed to create a space for the next team that would engage itself. Ultima Online changed that experience in 1997. Developers started envisioning a world that is persistent. In the new environment, the game was created to be a story that progresses every day. The progress of players got saved and this enabled gamers to take on their missions from the last encounter. Ultima Online became successful in this area and other game developers like The Sims Online, Everquest, Asheron’s call, and others followed suit. The game worlds can now support multiple players and continues to evolve in that sector. This has allowed gamers to create persistent identities. Long term customers and gamers desire a platform that is not mundane. The development of six core software technology has made inspired computer hardware producers to come up with powerful devices. The game industry has become a fundamental driving force is the advancement of commercial computers. The need of computers from virtual gaming world exceeds that of military and business applications. The gaming community demand improvements in graphics chips, network connections, memory, sound generation, and server computers. Technology advancement in the mentioned parts is significant in the performance and setting prices in the market that is growing rapidly. Social gaming is influenced by four major factors that lead to its growth not forgetting media and population attention. These factors are social, personal, technology and financial. The last two decades have witnessed the advancement in computer hardware. The virtual gaming industry has taken advantage of the situation by developing software that can run on the improved hardware components. The software development cycle in the gaming industry is fast coupled with low product price. Profits dependent on the number of customers who purchase virtual products or the gamers who play online. The demand for new games is constant. Developers strive to create new games and new versions of the existing games. The development time averages between 18 to 24 months. Such dynamics in the business call for strategies that develop new ideas in the market. Experimenting new ideas is an important part in deployment times and cost reduction. Errors must also be eliminated during development of products to guarantee customer desired products. Rapid mistakes reduce accumulative costs as the project matures. This consequently decreases cost impacts when the mistake is found. Game companies have discovered benefits of developing products rapidly. They promote their breakthrough products earlier even before the development stage. Gamers play an important part in creation of new products. There is a society of lead users that demands the development of new products or improvements. They can take it upon themselves to come up with new products that meet their demands. The virtual gaming industry has lead users who act as products sources, create competition and give alternatives. Many developers include the lead users in the internal innovation process. The objective of the companies is to tap the energy and creativity of such innovators. User innovation community in the digital game world creates software, new game levels, and new artwork that can be integrated into their popular games. Game developers encourage this trend in the industry as it enables modifications and the new generation of digital games to be created. The strength of the network users can also spur development and success of a product. Customers are able to build networks, promote and discuss a product. Such users also suggest modifications to the product. Blizzard Entertainment has been able to create some games for its social users. Diablo II and Starcraft are products that got developed because of networked social players' contributions. The lead user innovation involves three aspects. The lead users may possess sufficient incentive to make innovation. Some may have the incentive and voluntarily explain their innovations and the means of achieving the same. Another aspect is where user led diffusions creates competition for available products. The social power of digital gaming cannot go unmentioned. The cooperative, collegial and competitive relationship among the users sustains the digital gaming industry. The social gaming design has enabled social gathering points hosting counter cultures within the community. The social culture presented by the games is made possible by the internet connected world. Everquest and World of Warcraft have attracted a global reputation. Players are likely to come from different countries or states. The time-zones affect how players relate. This is so because players balance their time of play and other social responsibilities. Open source products have also been created to support the social groups. The supplementary tools include game asset managers, team tracking tools, trading sites and blogs. Source Forge is a collaboration and dominant repository site involving open source software coordination, distribution and development. The company reveals that 25 percent of the openly developed and deposited applications are computer games and associated tools. This is evidence that gamers invest their intelligence, emotions and time in game software development despite the fact that they receive no financial benefits. Computer game developers use their relationships with the gamers to overcome their rivals. "The strengths of the relationships in the network make the venture of enduring and their enthusiasm for the experience attracts additional players and third party game developers. This personal attractions is one measure of the social network associated with particular game titles" It is believed that, with time, the digital game technologies will be able to split into specialized applications. The current explosions in game technology and computers have enabled investment in many countries. Internet plays a huge role in this distribution and marketing process. The adoption of the right technology is imperative in the development of digital gaming. Modern digital games have evolved from creating social games that have a storyline with broad challenges. This is interesting than early games that focused on the basics. The advancement of games has been in depth. The internet prevalent era has enabled networking and socializing. The internet has created opportunities for gaming across vast distances and local area networks. This has set the stage for massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG). Social tools involve in-game friends, multiplayer with objectives, cooperative campaign play, raiding, and multiplayer death match. The internet allows the players to connect at any time to accomplish their missions.Online gaming is also a good way to make new friends. Gamers can chat with each other and compete with players from other countries. There are online games found on MSN, Yahoo and Google search engines. POGO.com is one of the popular online game sites. One does not need to download the game. Gamers look for gaming sites that have a wide range of games, easy to play and with great graphic features. The Future of Social Network Gaming Developers are considering the possibilities of improving the gaming social gaming world. With the economy hurting most people, developers must come with viable solutions. Delving into the social world has been one of these solutions. Developers spend more time and resources on graphics. Is there more they can achieve other than graphics? That is a subject that is the pipeline for most of the developers. There is a need to create other features that will attract gamers. It is necessary to integrate the console and social gaming. If social network users can get a bonus playing Xbox Live or PlayStation Network then the casual gamers can become hardcore gamers in the long run. Converting casual gamers into hardcore gamers may seem impossibility. Who thought of comic books like Harry Porter and Twilight making it to the mainstream movie industry? Nothing is impossible and that is a line that developers can pursue. The Asian Market also seems to be a potential for business. Facebook is not allowed in China and other Asian countries. The Chinese have their social network and can only accept games that use their social networks. Developers should consider partnering with the Chinese social network providers. This will be a milestone in penetrating the Chinese and other Asian markets. Most social games are on Facebook. With the growing popularity of Twitter, a number of developers are considering taking advantage of the situation. Play140 is one of the companies that have given developing games that can be played on Twitter. Other developers can also follow suit. The need for motion sensor controls is another aspect for consideration in social gaming. Nintendo gained popularity majorly because the users enjoyed using the Wii controller. If casual gamers love motion sensor control, and are the majority of social gaming, then there is a need for develops to motion sensor controls integrated with social gaming will earn the business a lot of money. Conclusion Social gaming is encouraging growth in the industry. The global market has registered revenue of 100 billion dollars from social gaming. Advertisers view social gaming as a new way of advertising products. Most companies advertise their products on social gaming sites. However, there is also need to check the social gaming industry. 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