MultIPLAYER

MultI-PLAYERBarkan TOPRAK1OverviewDifference between single player games and other pursuitsSingle player games: Illusion of another player or designerReality concept in a multiplayer gameBattling, cooperating or simply socializingIt has a much greater importance than any single-player game can ever manageExamples from well-known gamesSingle-player: Solitaire has extreme minority of available choicesMulti-player: Chess, Monopoly

2MotivationsMulti-player games satisfies What Players Want

Replacing AI opponents provides much deeper and more unpredictable behavior

Opponents will learn as they play: as players improve, so too do their opponents Desire to be challenged is met!

Many people play multi-player games just to socialize 3Starcraft 2 Tournement

4Motivations Multi-player feature of a game can change players perceived importance of playing the game

Brag and shame feelings

Alternate realities5motivationsMuch more dynamic experience than interacting with a computer alone

All wants that multi-player games satisfy: challenge, social experience, potential for bragging rights, emotional payoff, deeply interactive experience

It is important for designers to keep this list in mind 6motivationsAllowing the use of mechanics may not work in single-player games

Some titles are ideally suited to being single player, others are can only work on multi-player experiences7The formsSingle System Multi-PlayerPong, Mario Bros., sport games, fighting gamesSame portion of the game world, both visibleCan be problematicSplit-screenNew technology: same screen but different displaysAdvantages: much fun from interaction8The formsOnline Multi-PlayerPlayers invisible to each other

Quake, Counter-Strike, Battlefield, Call of Duty, Ultima Online, WoW

Extremely social experience

Provides chat and voip

9Design considerationsSignificantly different challenges in their designPause momentsLet players know how much time they will playHope is important: Mario Kart exampleCustomizationMulti-player game designers have much less dictatorial control over players experiences10Design considerationsChanging AI to real players may not be enoughTake cue from multi-player non-computer gamesCooperating creates a unique experience that cannot be replicated in a single-player gameProtect newbies, they are vulnerable & valuable for long-term successSingle player trainingLevel limitation 11Call of duty end-game scoreboard

12Design considerationsPeople play to socializeSome games allow players to chat or talk with each other but some dontCommunication typesPlaying games with people that we already know VS people that we just metEvery feature or mechanic you add to our multi-player game should be examined to determine how it impacts the players social experienceThough not every feature needs to be a social one.13Development issuesDevelopment teams must decide: multi-player, single-player or bothPlay-testing and user feedbackYou never can anticipate what players will attempt to doClosed & open beta: sometimes not enoughPatchesListening to communityMonitor behaviors: Used most and used least14ConclusionThe future of multi-player gaming looks bright

Single-player games will probably continue to be more popular because the players can start and stop whenever they want

Multi-player games provide unique experiences15ThanksThank you for listening, any questions?

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