During Spring Break I intend to write another Game Design Theory article; it really just comes from whatever is currently interesting and trending. I may talk about market analysis next or even how to make and read statistics to learn about your audience. If I do this I’ll release my heatmap and try to write some code to get something working with spreadsheet.
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If there is once stance I would change about this guide is I do think monetization is something to definitely design for but not around. Definitely add some way to make income that rewards the users experience.
I do agree with this. I feel like too many games today almost always focus on earning money on the game before anything else. This (to me) just ruins the whole player experience and game development.
Games you create should not be focused primarily on monetization, but rather give the player a great experience and to give you as a developer a “mastering” feel. This is especially why I dislike simulators on Roblox today, almost with no exceptions (to me) they are created for players to spend their money to actually make the players progress. Yes, this works, but for those who cannot afford at the moment, you either lose them completely, or you “capture” them later once they have enough funds to spend in your game. It’s a gamble.
The monetization part on games today should not be removed, that’s not what I’m saying. Monetization is essential for Roblox and developers who are looking to make a living off of Roblox, or just have an alternative income source. Monetizing your game also makes your player committed to the game - at least this is what I feel when spending money on games. You don’t spend money on games you don’t like, right? And once you’ve invested time into the game, you really want to see what the game has to offer quicker (possibly!).
It’s essential to find the balance between making your players advance in the game, paying or playing. Too much of one of them makes the game boring or unappealing to the player. The economy in the game must also be fair (balancing what you can get by buying and what you can earn in the game).
I am not a game expert, but I feel like these points are important to me as a player.
I also wrote this wall of text before watching this video, so it appears I am sharing some of my points with him. If you want to learn from pro, take a look! (Old, but gold)
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I personally try to strike a good balance in the design stage. When planning my game, I come up with the concept and consider if it’s financially feasible before continuing.
If a game is not profitable, it’s very difficult to maintain without alternative means.
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Extra Credits is my favorite channel for this sort of advice, I’ve already pretty much seen every video they have on game design, it’s like the 101 of need to knows. I’ll probably refresh on the monetization though.
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