When I saw the title of this article I got really excited. Being a Game Designer and Producer that has been closely studying and researching the explosive business growth and design potential of social online and casual games, particularly on the Facebook platform, and being in my humble opinion an expert pinball player and gamer in general.
After reading the article, though I appreciate the comparison and agree with some points, I also disagree with others.
The article begins with the premise that “The art of great pinball is not the skill (which tends to put off more people than it attracts) but rather the rewards.” Although this premise has some merit to it, I think the real art in a quality pinball design is that it can be enjoyed by a novice, and can also on a deeper level by an expert. Other great examples of this type of game design achievement can be found in No Limit Texas Hold Em Poker and the CCG Magic the Gathering.
As is said of Hold Em by Mike Sexton, WPT Host “It takes a minute to learn, but a lifetime to master.” It is this type and level of design that I believe will win in the future marketplace of Facebook and other online casual and social games. This is something I intend to incorporate into my own titles.
The recent hits in the Facebook game space have been very simple “games” with very little if any depth. I believe it is possible to design games that capture the audience that plays these titles, but also has enough levels to attract and retain more serious gamers like myself, without turning off the core casual players. One of the most exciting aspects of designing online games is that they can stay in a perpetual Beta phase which allows designers to iterate and design to the desires, preferences and requests of our users. Also with the access now available to detailed analytics to distinguish player activity, we can more effectively design even, without direct communication with the players by simply watching how they engage with the game.
Great pinball machines are actually not designed with the novice in mind, but for the expert player. It just so happens that any novice player can walk up to a machine and have a pleasurable experience because the basic mechanics of using the flippers to keep the ball up are so simple and intuitive. All pinball machines have side chutes and a narrow space in between the flippers for the ball to “drain”. This however is preventable for longer times based on skill, unlike the article suggests.
Expert tactics like physically “nudging” the machine and hitting shots accurately prolong the length of a ball and increase points. These skills are what separate the novice from the expert.
This is also where the comparison the writer makes between pinball and Facebook games breaks apart. It’s also where I see the real opportunity in design for future online and social games lies.
You see the current popular Facebook games do not possess the additional layers of depth which pinball machines have. A button click is a button click and there is very little opportunity for the player to utilize skill to result in higher rewards. Most pinball machines have a very complex rewards system based on timing, accuracy and order of particular shots being hit, that most novice players are completely unaware of while playing. Furthermore these patterns and mechanics are consistent from machine to machine, so once a certain level of mastery is obtained on one machine, it can be carried over to another.
It becomes clearly evident if you ever watch a novice player versus an expert. The expert will undoubtedly play each ball longer, and will achieve much higher scores because of the in depth understanding of the mechanics, and knowledge of which shots to hit. They will also likely be more accurate at making those shots. Also modern pinball machines are designed with flashing lights on the playfield which guide the player as to which shots they should be aiming for, for optimum play. The novice player will simply be unaware of these designed signals, as they will be fully occupied just trying to keep the ball up. In addition following the designed sequence of shots does result in the “formal victories” and “big rewards” the writer explains are not possible in these games.
The most common example of this is in the multiball stage. The multiball stage in pinball is a stage when anywhere from one, up to ( I’ve seen as many as eight balls, in a game like Stern’s 2008 Indiana Jones) are launched onto the playfield and high value “Jackpot” shots are made available. Most novice players will rarely achieve a multiball stage while playing and if they do, it will likely be by sheer luck. While expert players are looking to achieve the multiball, because they know it is the pathway to the highest possible scores. The expert player will also have the ability to at the same time hit the very lucrative “jackpot” shots available in this mode.
The last point Mr. Kelly makes in his article is that “There is no room for an absorbing game like the legend of Zelda at the arcades, the environment of social games restricts their ability to be deep”. This I completely disagree with. I think this assumption discounts the intelligence, ability and focus of players wholesale. I know when I am playing pinball in a loud arcade, it is easy for me to focus on my game, especially when I am actively competing with another opponent and/or having a particularly good ball.
There is nothing that restricts a games ability to be deep, except the designer. One key or “Secret” to what will make the next generation of great social games is not to design games that are only “quick and simple, obvious and unconcerned about grander ideals”, but that are accessible and appealing to the novice but have enough depth to engage and entertain the expert.
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