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Session Name:

The 4 Most Important Emotions for Social Games

Overview:

Social bonding drives Social Gaming more than spamming a friend feed. Ignored by usability testing, neuroscience proves that emotion drives decision making, performance, and social interaction. XEODesign's continuing Four Keys to Fun research identifies four social emotions required to create Massively Social Online games (MSOs) played by billions. These four emotions are the secret sauce to social games and create enjoyment, coordinate actions, drive viral distribution, increase monetization, and encourage player retention.

Come see how Facebook and iPhone games increase player engagement with Amici (friendliness), Amiero (social bonding) and others. This session dissects the secret mechanics behind Mafia Wars (Zynga) and Farmville (Zynga) and new social mechanics from Tilt our experimental iPhone game. Whether it is hiring a friend as a janitor in Restaurant City (PlayFish) or icing one in Mobsters (Playdom), social emotions drive hours of play. After all, who doesn't enjoy feeling closer to friends?

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  • GDC 2010
  • Nicole Lazzaro
  • XEODesign
  • free content
  • Game Design
  • Design
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