Building MMOG for SNS audiences
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Building an MMO game for social networking audiences requires balancing hardcore and casual gameplay. The developer created a prototype combining simulation, social, and casual elements. After an internal alpha, they redesigned the art style and game loop to appeal to both casual and competitive players. The closed beta launched in June 2012 after crunch development by multiple scrum teams.
Building MMOG for SNS audiences
- 1. Building an MMOG for SNS audiences Quang Dang – GSS July 2012
- 2. Who am I? I‟m from GSS, the studio behind TTK and Pig Farm
- 3. What is this all about? • Why and how we create an entirely new game. • How we went through the development progress. • Lessons learned.
- 4. Introduction
- 5. Introduction • What is “MMO”? – Massively Multiplayer Online • But not only MMORPG… – MMOFPS, MMOACG, MMORTS… • “MMO” = real-time interaction between players. • What about “SNS” games?
- 6. Introduction • What is “SNS” game? – Base on SNS platform, simple, easy to engage, millions of players, viral factor. • Differences between MMO and SNS – Hard-core players vs. first time player. – Higher interaction & community. – ARPPU: MMO is 10x more than SNS. – Paying rate: MMO is 3x more than SNS.
- 7. Introduction • Why we need an “MMOSNS” game? – High ARPU + huge user base = success! – Rapid development. – We cannot catch up other developers without original games.
- 8. Game Concept
- 9. How it all started? • Preliminary analysis at the end of 2010 pointed out: – A new trend: web based games. – Casual games took over all game rooms. – Huge SNS userbase. • What our next game going to be?
- 10. The Ideal Game
- 11. Customers • So we will have a new casual game, but who will be our customers? – Teen & students: from 13 to 24. – Playing time: 2-4 hours per day. – Spend 150k-250k VND per month. • And they‟re interesting on what? – Appearance, outfit. – Bike, vehicle, phones. – Dating, making friends. – Music, entertainment.
- 12. Market Research • Online Survey: – 3 phases: total ~70k samples. – Multiple direction questions, different sets for MMO and SNS users Độ tuổi 3% 5% 12% Dưới 13 tuổi 18% 13 tuổi – 15 tuổi 16 tuổi – 18 25% tuổi 19 tuổi – 22 tuổi 37%
- 13. And the game is … • Code name: X11. • Kick started on April 2011. • New genre: mixed of – Simulation: farm, city. – Social: interaction, help friends. – Casual: multi-player mini games. • Goal: – Alpha version by end of 2011. – ARPPU: comparable to ACG games (>100k VND).
- 14. Original game loop design Earn money • Do job on interior • Collect money Do job Cash Home Cow Collect money Mini games Shop Entertain • Clothing • Mini-game • Pet • Music • Vehicle • Video • Interior Pet Player Coffee Shop Space Vehicle Shop Cinema Social Decorate • Chat • Apparel • Interact • Home • Show down
- 15. Key Selling Points • Cute art style, 3D animation. • „SNS look & feel‟: simple gameplay, virality design. • Real-time interaction. • Character and house decoration. • Room based, contents oriented, easy to expand.
- 16. Development
- 17. Timeline Prototype April June August April June Oct 11 Dec 11 Feb 12 11 11 11 12 12
- 18. Prototype • Technical prototype released at the end of April. • Basic game design for avatar decoration and farming. • 3D team slowly move from TTK to casual style. • 2D team drawing truly „2D‟ concept.
- 19. Timeline Prototype April June August April June Oct 11 Dec 11 Feb 12 11 11 11 12 12 Pre-Production
- 20. Pre-Production • Prototype looks good, but what about the real one? • This is what we got after 2 months.
- 21. Pre-Production • Issues: – Customizable room graphic quality is much lower than the prototype. – Farming with an avatar is not fun enough! 3D is completely different! Work-around solution: forget the farming and economy, just focus on avatar and home decoration first.
- 22. Timeline 1st build with UI Prototype April June August April June Oct 11 Dec 11 Feb 12 11 11 11 12 12 Pre-Production The Sims Social went beta!
- 23. Timeline 1st build with UI Announce at PigFarm Japan press conference Prototype April June August April June Oct 11 Dec 11 Feb 12 11 11 11 12 12 Pre-Production Server Integration
- 24. Sep-Oct 11 • Improved graphics by adding sfx and lightmap for objects. • Simple design for game economy. • Globalization framework. • Cartoon art style redefined. • Game server intergrated.
- 25. Timeline 1st build Public with UI Alpha! Prototype April June August April June Oct 11 Dec 11 Feb 12 11 11 11 12 12 Pre-Production Not really Internal Server Alpha Integration
- 26. Internal Alpha • Issues: – Negative feedbacks on graphics quality. – Server stress tests have not passed Unable to release to public alpha. Major changes in art – Art style: more deformed, detail texture. – Production pipeline: 3d artists now have more room for creativity.
- 27. Timeline 1st build Internal with UI Alpha Prototype April June August April June Oct 11 Dec 11 Feb 12 11 11 11 12 12 Pre-Production The New Server X11 Integration
- 28. X11 Reboot • Art: – New character models. – Re-work on 70% of home decoration and outfit, 90% public scenes. • Tech: – Switched from framework to feature driven development. – Minimal download is top priority. • Design: – Core game loop suiatble for SNS/SLG and PvP users. – Clear monetization points and strategy. • Process: – Multiple Scrum teams for features. – Kanban for production team.
- 29. New Art Style
- 30. New Design Aggressive Casual users Both users • Do jobs • Do public • Chat, interact • Earn money jobs • Make friend • Buy home • PvE, collect • Invite friends décor, outfit. skills. • Complete • Compete by • Fusion collections house values skill, outfit. • Gain levels • Compete by PvP
- 31. The new name
- 32. Timeline 1st build Internal Alpha Closed Beta with UI Prototype April June August April June Oct 11 Dec 11 Feb 12 11 11 11 12 12 Pre-Production The New Server X11 Integration
- 33. Crunch mode for CB • 1 sprint per 2 weeks. • Parallel features development by 4 scrum teams. • Code refactor by framework team. • Daily scrum meeting, weekly overnight camp. • Finally, CB launched on June 20
- 34. The challenge of plugin installation
- 35. Open Beta – July 14
- 36. Lesson learned
- 37. Lesson learned • Purely graphics prototype may cost you a lot of re-work later. • Agile process requires an Agile-supported framework from the beginning. • Dedicated asset management, game balance driven really helps. • Agile spirit (not process) worked well with mixed engineering level team.
- 38. A passion for creation