Icarus Studios News

What Makes a Good Gift?

Let's just assume, for the sake of this blog post, that my team and I have come up with a great core concept for an MMO that appeals to many different player types; after its initial release, it gets awesome press reviews. And the gamers, they do come to investigate the world; and lo, they see that it is good.

What then?

How do we make sure these people keep on playing? And playing? And playing some more, when they should be working, but they sometimes call in sick, just to keep playing? And then, they make references to the game all the time when they’re not playing, so that it’s constantly on their mind? Until it almost feels like an addiction—not the kind that gets them arrested, but, instead, merely strengthens their critical thinking skills and typing speed?

Rewards.

That’s right; it’s that simple. A good virtual world has good virtual (and sometimes real-life, but that’s a story for another time) rewards. And these online Scooby Snacks can come in many different forms, which I will now talk about, since I brought it up.

• Cash: Whatever serves for money in the game (be it talents of gold, gems, dollars, or little shiny pieces of foil that once were wrapped around gumⁱ), giving a player money is a very effective reward—on the proviso, naturally, that there are then cool shops where the player can go and spend their giant wadded ball of foil wrappers. But this one is so obvious, I feel like talking about it any more would just be trite, so, let’s move on.
  
  
• Power/Rank: A caste system is not just for feudal times any more. Some players are the conquering types; they’re after power and rank. Obviously, you never want a player to become omnipotentⁱⁱ. But leveling up is just a classic way of rewarding a player for a job well done. With each level attained, new skills; equipment; and pretty, eye-catching, or intimidating adornments that make an avatar look unique should probably come attached. The higher the level, the greater ability the player has to “complete”; difficult quests. Plus, status symbols are some of the best inventions in a virtual reality, as they help players feel a greater sense of ownership and connection to their characters. This is great because it promotes self-esteem but does not actually require buying a real-world Ferrari (or a customized suit of armor with snazzy golden greaves).
  
  
• Love: Everyone wants to be famous and adored. If possible, we’d all be rock stars. Players who get through the grind and really commit to the MMO should, almost literally, gain the emotional equivalent of a great big hug and their name in giant bright lights. Now, this could be as simple as having crowds of fawning NPCs cheer after you rescue the princess. Or, you could, say, save a puppy from a stream of molten lava, and afterward, the little critter licks your avatar’s hand. Or, because some people don’t go in for the touchy feely stuff, you can always reward good gamers with a place on an international Leader Boardⁱⁱⁱ. Good deeds should be rewarded with gratitude and/or notoriety. Or, if being a villain is more popular among your target demographic, then, maybe consider letting them blow up a planet with your fully armed and operational battle station’s ray-gun, and win the allegiance of millions of free-born people who are now eager to be your minions so as to escape your obliterating wrath. Whatever the situation presented to the player, the payoff needs to come in the form of sincere hero-worship... and maybe a nice token of esteem, otherwise known as:
  
  
• Toys: Toys are awesome^iv. I’m talking about any in-world object that can be interacted with or any inventory item that doesn’t cost the player cash. Some players want a triumph, and so they go after Power rewards. Some players want to undertake the journey of the hero (or anti-hero), so they enjoy the Love rewards. But, for players who aren’t extremely competitive but are naturally curious (or have ADD), getting a new weapon or bouncy ball or awesome amphibious vehicle mount is reason enough to log in again and again.
  
  
• Real Estate: Whether it’s giving players private in-world spaces with UGC or unlocking new areas for a select few to explore, the boys of Glengarry Glen Ross had the right recipe for success: location, location, location. Rewarding a player with exclusive locations that provide unique, elite experiences is the best hook for those players who love to roam and discover. If you can’t win over virtual friends and influence gamers with an empire or a treasury, then you have to dangle the carrot of new content. And that means new locations. And that means that Level Artists will always be gainfully employed. The trick (for Game Designers, that is) is to come up with places that are not rip-offs of other virtual worlds’ places (or, at least, not obviously so).

So, these are my top five picks for in-game rewards, which can be mixed and matched ad infinitum.

(Continued in Part 2)

-Kara Stambach, Virtual Worlds Team 

ⁱ This is what I earn as “salary” in my day job, just FYI.

ⁱⁱ 1.) Because, as the Game Designer, that’s your job—and, 2.) Because you don’t want them to frustrate other players or try to permanently change the world experience. That’s not to say that the MUDs of olden days were wrong in promoting admins like this, they just didn’t have so many investors wondering why half the dev staff wasn’t on the payroll.

ⁱⁱⁱ Making emotional rewards work a bit like this: Think of a Hallmark card—preferably one with a fluffy mammal on the front and an inspiring inscription written by a nun or famous poet on the inside. Now, toss the card into the magical blender of your mind (if blocked, watch an episode of Carebears), and come up with a scenario in game-play that will invoke the same feelings. Feed some starving street urchins. Cure a town of a horrible plague. Save the cheerleader, save the world. You get my drift.

^iv Not THOSE kind of toys! What kind of Game Designer do you take me for?!