predictably irrational game design
QuelTos
Join Date: 2003-05-14 Member: 16313Members, Constellation
Join Date: 2003-05-14 Member: 16313Members, Constellation
This blog post (including comments) caught my attention and it tells us why there shouldn't be too many playerstats in NS2 (which we of course already knew, but it's interesting anyway) ;)
I also find the part about cheating particularly interesting.
<a href="http://altdevblogaday.com/2011/07/06/predictably-irrational-game-design/" target="_blank">http://altdevblogaday.com/2011/07/06/predi...al-game-design/</a>
I also find the part about cheating particularly interesting.
<a href="http://altdevblogaday.com/2011/07/06/predictably-irrational-game-design/" target="_blank">http://altdevblogaday.com/2011/07/06/predi...al-game-design/</a>
Comments
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Snap, there it is right there. This doesn’t mean, by the way, that you have to give away your product for free. For example, let’s take the concepts we’ve discussed, and apply them to selling your game. Consider what would happen if you ran a deal on your website like this:
Your Game: 10$
Your Game + Another Game : 30$
Your Game + Another Game + Hand Drawn Map: 30$
Do you see what I’ve done here? For a second, remove the third option. 10 dollars for one game, or 30 dollars for two games. Given a choice like that, most people would choose to spend 10 dollars for one game. They will calculate the potential for loss and judge that 30 dollars is too great a risk. Now, what happens when you reintroduce the third option. Holy ######, free map?! Not only have I made use of the power of zero, but I have also made use of the power of relativity. A rational person would see what you are doing here, but people are not rational. We are suckers for zero. It is an effective means of making you a good bit of dough, and not nearly enough people understand this. Plus, people get a free map! Who the hell doesn’t like maps.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
UWE did something like this in the initial sale (e.g. $20 for NS2 or $35 for NS2+Black Armor).
UWE did something like this in the initial sale (e.g. $20 for NS2 or $35 for NS2+Black Armor).<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
you did it for the black armor didn't you. say it.
An after school program that provided parents a place for their kids to go while they worked after school ran into an issue where kids were staying beyond the allotted time; and so they instituted a fee for parents that violated this allotment... and what they found was parents were willing to pay the fee because they thought well if I can just a pay a fee and my kid gets to stay then whats the harm! So the school just kept increasing the fee and eventually it got to the point where the parents were not willing to pay the fee anymore. There was no incentive for them to keep doing so because the burden of the fee became to great.
We see the same thing here... people are willing to pay for something when they feel like they are getting a deal on something or the amount given is less than return value. I think we see this all the time in free-to-play games. I would not say what is happening here is not rational but rather the means of good economics. The people are willing to pay the 30 bucks + the map because the value might be greater than the 30 bucks. This article also does not talk about things beyond the value of money. It does not go into physiological factors or emotional factors as to why someone would be willing to pay more. So I find the article to be rather incomplete in its analysis.
I totally did. Just goes to show that it works :)
(Disclaimer - Long post ahead. Now I know lots of you know about TF2 but for those of you who do not know much about TF2, here's this long post):
Why Valve is evil (AKA why Valve is making $$$)
1. Limited edition items that are limited. Examples:
*Exclusive items in stores for a "limited time" [Costs real life money]
*Preorder this game and you get a limited edition item for TF2! Wait so said item can still be obtained from the item drop system?
Never fear, it comes with a green text colored "Genuine" that shows other players that you own a better version of an item that they own.
*Another example is of course the Crates. Crates randomly to players. But wait, it can only be opened by buying a key that costs $2.5!
2. Actually you know what items in general.
Most players already have the weapons and/or items for all classes (even if they introduce new weapons, most players can obtain them within a month by just the item drop system or some trading).
However players don't care for weapons that does what it does. They care for weapons with colored text (blue for vintage, orange for strange, etc). Again these are just cosmetic things only.
How can players obtain more of these "rare" items? Well what way is to buy from the TF2 store (they can't buy those rare items directly but they can buy things like "Keys" or other things and trade other players for those items).
Lots of players like to trade and typically (for example) one key ($2.5) is worth a ordinary hat. Two, three, or four keys are worth a hat that may have colored text (like blue for vintage, purple for unusual [which is worth a lot], etc).
Finally one more evil thing Valve has done. Valve accepts community contributions. What do you get for making things for Valve? The rare "I made this" tag (plus green text) on the item that you made!
That means Valve does not even have to bother making models for new weapons when they get them for free.
So overall Valve is making lots of money. Valve continues to update TF2. <b>Everyone wins (well except those who missed out on limited edition stuff >.>).</b>
<b>So strategy for NS2 - Hats and limited edition items that offer no gameplay advantage what so ever. Instant $$$.</b>
Not to quibble with your analysis but unless you make money and give it to charity, you by your own definition are evil. ;)
That means Valve does not even have to bother making models for new weapons when they get them for free.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Don't forget that anyone who gets their item officially accepted gets a portion of sales from the item store, and anyone who has made an official map can receive donations from players through "stamp" purchases. (the players get a one-time hat for buying any stamp, then the loading screen for each map features the top 10 or so donators in a leaderboard - we're talking thousands of donations JUST in those top few players on every single map)
That being said, you're absolutely right that Valve has got something good going for themselves. How else would they have made the move to make a $20 game free :)
let's not get ahead of ourselves. they still need to begin the production of episode 3 first.
I brought the ns2 + black armour to support UWE, not because I wanted the armour. Actually I rarely play marines unless the teams are uneven and there is no other servers available so the black armour provides nothing for me. Nonetheless I wanted to pay extra to support :) I even got fury to pay extra to support the team (not that it took much, as he much like myself is a huge supporter of ns and what UWE has achieved)
I would pay like 50$ for it -errr- I mean --- -uh- I would buy it only to support UWE ;-)
And for a gorge plushy too.
Once the game is finished UWE will have a lot of oppoortunities to make some more money - without hats.
But if UWE allows people to get the Black Armour again I think someone is going to get a Black Eye.
I'm always amazed at people who complain at this. They're pretty much admitting that they stopped playing because they are butthurt that they did not get the same hats "everyone else" got. If you just play and ignore the hats, the game is still as fun as ever, and free to boot.
On the other hand, though, I understand the opinion that NS2 should not be about collectibles. If nothing else, the visual style in this game would not fit it nearly as well as the relatively cartoony TF2.
Pink skulk skin. So everyone will fear the pink skulks.
But if UWE allows people to get the Black Armour again I think someone is going to get a Black Eye.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Ahem,
<!--c1--><div class='codetop'>CODE</div><div class='codemain'><!--ec1-->Server.GetIsDlcAuthorized = function( client, DlcProductId )
return true;
end<!--c2--></div><!--ec2-->
Paste that anywhere in the Lua-script as server-operator: everybody gets black armor.
except the ones you are playing with are either looking for crates, trades or talking about hats.
makes it harder to cap a point when you see that the medic is running off to some crate =P
I don't mind the hats in tf2 though, I don't play it, I don't want to play it, and if it gives valve cash to spend on other good games I'm all for it.
because they were guaranteed to release a (decent) map pack post release.
then they had to go stop being fun :-)