Mathematical Analysis of Game Mechanics | Nick BERRY
64An increasingly larger number of games are being developed using the freemium payment model. These games use in-app currency to unlock features in the game, and this currency can either be earned or purchased with hard currency.
A well balanced game controls the sources and sinks of in-app currency helping keep the game stable. If, however, a game is release that is too 'loose', the resultant devaluation of the currency could cause rampant inflation, eliminating the need for external currency and damaging profitability.
Game modeling is essential to balance the mechanics of a game (and to make it fun to play).
This presentation will walk through a selection of mathematical techniques that can be used to model games to understand how often players win, and how long average games take.
The presentation will feature walk-through examples of the application of these techniques on half a dozen classic card and board games.
Delivered at Casual Connect Europe, February 2012