An Analysis of "Fun" for Casual and Social Games | Roberto DILLON
6In this talk we will analyze successful casual and social games to gain valuable insights on their inner workings and understand how and why different types of players find them engaging and fun.
For doing so, the lecture will start by justifying the need of a pragmatic approach to game analysis and design and an overview of the well known MDA model will be provided. Its definition of "Aesthetics" will be discussed and further expanded into a new a psychologically grounded model, the 6-11 Framework, able to easily relate game dynamics to a specific set of players' emotional states and responses.
The framework will be introduced and explained in detail: in particular, its objectives and uses will be illustrated, starting from the selection of 6 basic emotions (FEAR, ANGER, PRIDE, SADNESS, JOY, EXCITEMENT) and 11 instincts (SURVIVAL, SELF-IDENTIFICATION, COLLECTING, GREED, AGGRESSIVENESS, COMPETITION, REVENGE, PROTECTION/CARE, CURIOSITY, COLOR APPRECIATION, COMMUNICATION) as defined in psychology and which seem to be at the core of the emotional experience of most, if not all, video games regardless of platform, genre and budget. Once the theoretical framework is in place, different case studies will be discussed to explain how it can be applied in practice to gain insights on successful games across the casual and social spaces.
Lastly, these games will also be discussed in terms of different player typologies, referring to Dr. Richard Bartle's original taxonomy model, to understand if and how players who are entertained by a different set of activities can still find suitable sources of enjoyment within the same game.
Delivered at Casual Connect Asia, May 2012.