Tag Archive for Penny Arcade

Conventions – PAX East

April 17, 2014 Industry No comments
Japanime Games - Krosmaster Arena at PAX East

Japanime Games – Krosmaster Arena at PAX East

In keeping up-to-date with the gaming industry I’m currently reading all about the Awesomeness of PAX East. PAX East is a Geek convention, held over three days in Boston, MA. PAX is a convention that can satisfy every geek from board and table top games, to video games, to cosplay. PAX (Penny Arcade Expo) is the brain child of Penny Arcade, it has been growing since 2004. 2013 marked the first year PAX expanded its convention beyond the USA, to Australia, in fact. Which naturally excited Aussie fans, who often feel they get the short end of the stick when it comes the gaming industry.

Greenbrier Games at PAX East 2014

Greenbrier Games at PAX East 2014

For those of you who PAX is unfamiliar, is it on opportunity for industry bodies (publishers, producers, developers, marketers, etc) to exhibit wares, release new products, market to a new demographic, and mingle with their audience, and end-product consumers. It is also an opportunity for fans and consumers to immerse themselves in the culture over a few days, meet new friends, and see what is happening in the industry. While exhibitions serve as a major part of the convention it is also a place of learning and sharing, with a full schedule of panels and talks, given by a variety of speakers including developers, artists and prominent people in the gaming media.

Soda Pop Minis @PAX East 2014

Soda Pop Minis @PAX East 2014

There are some great things happening in table top gaming. The Escapist Magazine covered most of the Tabletop exhibitors (link). It is really good to hear that indie developers are getting as much attention as some of the bigger guns in the board gaming industry (like Iello and Mayfair Games). The slew of successful Kickstarter campaigns have obviously helped in boosting the variety of products entering the market. These kickstarted companies included Soda Pop Minatures (Publisher of Super Dungeon Explore), Japanime Games (well known for Krosmaster Arena), and Cool Mini or Not (famous for the Zombicide Series). While other indie developers seek to develop without the assistance of Kickstarter, with a wide variety of themes and games (link).

PAX 2014 Cosplayer: A hulking Space Marine from Warhammer 40K (click for source).

There were lots of video games, and video game announcements at PAX, naturally as a main stay of the convention. The one for which I found myself most excited is Blizzard‘s announcement of a Story Mode for Hearthstone – Curse of Naxxramas, coming in US Fall 2014. Blizzard had only just recently released an iPad version of Hearthstone for Canadian and Australia (&NZ) iPad users, which I imagine brought back more than a few players to the game. Hearthstone is a free-to-play electronic card game designed by Blizzard Entertainment based off the popular World of Warcraft story line. This online only card game features one on one battles against different live players in real time. Each player choosing a different class to play, which has inherently different play styles (Mage, Warrior, Shaman, Priest, etc), so there is something to suit everyone.

To encourage diversity in a somewhat controversial more PAX introduced the Roll for Diversity Hub and Lounge. News is still coming out about how this helped or hindered PAX. One brave trans person shared their experience in a new blog about diversity issues in the gaming industry. As I write this their is a ragging conversation happening on Reddit. I’m sure more experiences will be shared over the next week or so as the glow and high of the convention dies down.

Rewards. Means I get a trophy right?

July 20, 2013 Game Design, Game Mechanics, Theory No comments

Rewards are a natural part of games and gamification. They appear to create the motivation to engage in a given behaviour. This is true pf many things. Most (if not all) games systems have a reward involved from board games, to digital games, and even other things that have been “gamified”.

Rewards can be either intrinsic or extrinsic. Intrinsic rewards in games are where the player engages in the action for the simple enjoyment or pleasure of the task. Extrinsic rewards are those that would grant a reward that does not have application to the immediate task, eg grinding away in World of Warcraft (WoW) for that one amazing sword you must have. Both types of rewards have their values.

In Extra Credits Season 6 Episode Intrinsic or Extrinsic they discuss the ideas of both motivations. The narrator notes that all games should be made wholly with intrinsic rewards, were playing the game would be its own reward. While this is a great idea I find that this would not really appeal to me. Whilst I am not the first person to shoot my hand up to grind out a day for an awesome shield or some other similar reward, I see and feel the appeal. The narrator does come to note that building wholly intrinsically motivating games is unlikely.

Val Teixeira (2013) hits the nail on the head, different people are have different motivations. Some people are motivated by extrinsic rewards, while others are a motivated by the intrinsic nature of games. Which brings to mind the Bartle player types, perhaps the style of player influences motivation? What is more interesting perhaps is to what extent each gamer is motivated to engage with the game where only extrinsic rewards are presented.

Back to gamification, one of the most common methods of this is the application of badges, trophys or other such rewards to non-game processes. These are always extrinsic rewards. So, why for so many people do they stay engaged when clearly there is no intrinsic motivator? An answer I’d like to know. Recently Steam released a new method of extrinsic rewards, cards. It motivates gamers to play certain games in order to attain digital cards. Cards are not, by default, available for all games. It will be interesting to see the development of Steam cards over time. Not just of the community but the patterns of play. Will frequent gamers abandon the games they have put hours into, just to start playing new games that offer them opportunities to get the cards?

 

Further Reading

Games and motivation

Reward Systems

Bartle Player Types

 

Resources

Penny Arcade (2013) ‘Episode 01 – Intrinsic or Extrinsic’ Extra Credits, Season 6. Accessed 18/07/2013.

Val Teixeira (2013) ‘Rewarding players’ Boardgamegeek.com. Accessed 18/07/2013. http://boardgamegeek.com/blogpost/21342/rewarding-players

Valve (2013) http://store.steampowered.com/news/10946/