Synopses & Reviews
Game On: Energize Your Business with Social Media Games consists of two major parts: first, an explanation of what makes games fun, along with a range of business cases drawn from actual games as well as non-game industries. Business cases will include an analysis of what works and what doesn't, screen shots with call-outs highlighting key concepts, diagrams of user interaction, and interviews/quotes with key industry figures (drawn from the author's extensive media and entertainment network; view Jon's LinkedIn connections)
The second part of the book will drill down into the process of game design, focusing on the design, analysis and creation of games and game-like elements that would enable the reader to either create an online social game, or enhance non-game products and applications by using game technology.
A feature of the book will be that it utilizes some of the techniques it advocates such as maps, badges, community and self-exploration to better understand and enjoy the subject matter. For example, one of the first chapters will feature a quiz that readers can take which will help them assess the type of gamer they are; this will demonstrate a key idea regarding personas (a way of describing the customers of a business) while simultaneously demonstrating the way in which quizzes can be made fun. This information will then suggest a personal step-by-step guide for how to approach the book, and a guide to their further exploration within online communities.
Synopsis
A never-before published look at the many possibilities of social game developmentAs one of the few entrepreneurs in the world with expertise building both social media and games, author Jon Radoff brings a one-of-a-kind perspective to this unique book. He shows that games are more than a profitable form of entertainment?the techniques of social games can be used to enhance the quality of online applications, social media and a wide range of other consumer and business experiences. With this book, you?ll explore how social games can be put to work for any business and examine why they work at all. The first part of explains what makes games fun, while the second part reviews the process and details of game design.
- Looks at how games are the basis for many everyday functions and explains how techniques of social games can be used by businesses as money-making tools
- Drills down the process of game design while focusing on the design, analysis, and creation of games
- Features screen shots, diagrams and explanations to illuminate key concepts, accessible to anyone regardless of game playing or design experience
- Reviews what works and what doesn?t using a range of real-world scenarios as examples
- Author Jon Radoff has a unique blend of experiences creating games, Internet-based social media, and Web technology.
Game On is not playing around. Discover how social media games make money?and how you can enhance your business using games.
Synopsis
This may be the most revolutionary book you read this year
We all played games as children. Today, millions of us lose ourselves in massively multiplayer games like World of Warcraft, strategy games like League of Legends, and social media games like FarmVille. Games satisfy our need to interact, compete, and exercise our imagination. And they're fun.
What if your business offered those rewards to your customers?
Consider looking at your businesswhatever it isas if it were a game. Open this book, turn your imagination loose, and discover how fun can generate energy that boosts your bottom line.
Are you?
A marketer who wants to find and keep customers?
A product designer who wants to create a memorable customer experience?
A website designer who wants to keep visitors coming back?
An executive who wants to make customers happy and boost profits?
A game designer who wants to create a better social game?
This book is for you!
About the Author
Jon Radoff is an entrepreneur who focuses on entertainment and social communities. He created one of the original commercial games on the Internet, Legends of Future Past, and founded a content management system that foreshadowed modern blog and wiki technology. His newest startup, Disruptor Beam, is a social game publisher.
Table of Contents
Foreword.
Introduction.
I Understanding Social Games.
1 How to Play This Book.
2 Games Have Changed the Business Playfield.
3 Developing Social Media Games.
4 Customers as Players.
5 Fungineering.
6 Turning Work into Fun.
II Designing Social Games.
7 Anatomy of a Social Game.
8 Understanding Social Game Business Models.
9 Using Storytelling to Understand Your Design Objectives.
10 Creating Compelling Game Systems.
11 Designing Game Interfaces.
12 Designing for Virtual Goods.
13 Coda.
III Glossary, Resources, and More.
A Glossary.
B Resource Guide.
C Book References.
Index.