“We used to give people 10 horseshoes when they start [FrontierVille] – then we did a little test of, ‘Well, what if we gave 15?’ We thought that maybe the would help them get over the hump of building the cabin because we noticed that people who make it to finishing the cabin were more likely to stick and keep coming back. We tried 15 horseshoes and sure enough we had a substantial uptick in early retention – in people getting to the cabin and therefore sticking as players. In that way, essentially, it made the game more fun.” — That’s the lead creator of FrontierVille, Brian Reynolds, telling Industry Gamers why caring about the metrics of how people play their games is a plus, not some anti-fun, accounting-as-game-design misery.
Zynga Protests That Their Games Are Creative, And That Numbers Breed Fun
By
Stephen Totilo
|
🕹️ Level up your inbox
Don’t miss the latest reviews, news and tips. Sign up for our free newsletter.
You May Also Like
Latest news
This 15.6-Inch FHD Portable Monitor at 50% Off Is Almost Gone as Prime Day Comes to an End, Built-in Speaker With Protective Case
One Year In, It’s Still Really Fun To Suck Ass At Elden Ring Nightreign
Live-Service Games Have Proven A Near Impossible Nut For Sony To Crack, But The PS5 Maker Isn’t Giving Up
Sony Is Going All Out And Giving GTA 6 Special Treatment Even First-Party PlayStation Exclusives Don’t Get
Deltarune Chapter 5 Just Threw Players Taking Its Darkest Path A Massive Curveball
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners’ Ending Was Almost More Tragic
Stardew Valley Creator: ‘I Torture Myself Over Every Last Detail’ Of Haunted Chocolatier
PlayStation Is Deleting 551 Movies From Customers’ Accounts, Reminding Us Nothing Digital Is Ever Truly Ours