The document discusses how game designers can increase in-app purchases by leveraging specific emotions. It identifies four key emotions - curiosity, fiero, amusement, and desire - that drive player engagement and purchasing behavior. For each emotion, it provides examples from games like Candy Crush Saga, Tiny Towers, and Jetpack Joyride that illustrate how mechanics can be designed to elicit that emotion and encourage exploration, competition, socialization, or collection, thereby increasing monetization. The overall message is that designing gameplay around these four emotions can boost in-app purchases by engaging players in a fun, meaningful way.
Researching Candy Crush SagaJet Pack Joy RideTiny TowersFarmville
Tostart let me explain what we’ve learned about engagement loops.
Now I watch people play games that's a large part of my business. There are 5 ways emotion affects behavior and cognitionTracking the flow the state revealed many interesting thingsThe wide variety of emotions indicated multiple engagement factors
First.My method was was to categorize the most engaging game moments by the emotion on players faces.I took games most engaging moments and grouped by emotion.
Second. I Identified the game mechanics common to each emotion cluster.
1. Created a map of these player actions and used it as tools to create engagement.2. Studied the interplay of one emotion to the next.3. Most interestingly the interplay give interaction designers tools for creating engagement.
It turns out that the player actions in games engage in 4 ways. They offer challenge, novelty, friendship, and meaning.We call this the Four Keys to FunMost Engaging Moments create emotionBest Selling Games have 3 to 4 keysEmotion came from the choices players madeWith expert help you can design choices to create the emotions of engagement
We don’t have time to go into detail here today,But you can download the white paper and poster on the XEODesign.com or just go to 4K2F.com
If we know the answer we can create new game mechanicsAppearanceFunctionalProgress (Timers)Unlocks (Levels, Missions, Extra Moves)
Unique approach to designing free to play monetizationInstead of AB testingUse what makes games engagingTo make purchasing engaging and enhance the funThe emotions from purchases enhance and expand the free experience4 emotionsPlus tips on how best selling games monitize customersReady?Here we go!
In our researchbest performing F2_ games create 4 emotions to increase player purchases.Each need features that create the emotions that help them enjoy the gameExplore (spend more time in the store)Compete(find those at skill level, show off progress, create aspirational fantasies, upgrade game, make more progress faster, out customize friends, learn new strategy, compare achievements, let me know when friend beats my score, track progress of those I know)Socialize(who’s playing what game, share and gift items with friends, features more fun to play together, embarrassment, schadenfreude, move from game to game with friends via. social media, care about me not just a buy button, more than a store with a buy button and chat, make it easy to get us together to play)Collect(collect, play with inventory, show off to friends, special packaging, show what I have and don’t have, deals on group purchases, those who just like to shop, where shopping collecting and customizing is the game)
CustomizeTell a Story with DescriptionsMystery PacksCreative
Curiosity and humorIt’s fun to tap and read all of the explanations
Change GameplayNew StrategyFairUnfairFill Specific Player NeedCheat!
Earn the right to spend, Frustration to WinFeels better because you earned itBuy opportunity for progressUnlock special moves can buy
Cheat upgrade doubles points.Spend $5 in the game to earn more points than your friends
Functional upgrades
Shopping for currency is a gameHow convert Tower Bucks (rare) to coins (common) money unlocks strategy to make progress in the early game faster.Hording Tower Bux to get more coins is gameplay itself
Share with FriendsBalance FrustrationMix and Mis-MatchNot Serious “why not try?”Promise More Giggles Once in GameAlso Generosity (extra spins)
AmusementWorks well in social media emotion profile matches the cute kitten break from work mindset of people on social mediaCustomize and share with friends.
Social Comparison drives the need for spendingSpend more to make progress against your friends
Social embarrassment drives purchases of “un-whither spray”
CollectableRareSpecialVarietyTangibleClear play to unlock these new things (encourages continued play)
This is the most brilliant innovationSpin Earns coins to spend Earn items in store such as boostAlso has generosityDeath is meaningless, Spin takes the sting out of player death
Tiny Tower Conversion Rate strategyJet Pack Joyride Store TextTell Story with Description Jet Pack Joy RideConversion Rates Tiny Towers
Customize and share with friends.Bee Suits Create Amusement, Tiny Towers
Use the Actions around Purchasing that are Full of Emotion