Casual social games for serious Social purposes

Valentina Rao

PhD candidate, Utrecht University

Games Convention Online

Leipzig July 10, 2010

QuickTime™ and a decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

Social Games Between Fiction and Reality

Casual Social Games: sorting real from fake

Real

Real

Real

Real

Fictional Real (?)

Fictional

Real (?)

Fictional

Fictional

Facebook psychology in a nutshell (1)

• Two superimposing layers of reality: real and fictional

• Users switch seamlessly from one to the other

• Playful : physical spontaneity, social spontaneity, cognitive spontaneity, manifest joy, humor

(J. N. Lieberman, 1965)

Facebook psychology in a nutshell (2)

Facebook as a “third place”

= separate from home and work; bars, beer gardens, pubs; the main activity is conversation, is easily accessible, acts as a leveler, features regulars, has a low profile, offers a neutral ground, feels like a home away from home, and the mood is playful

(R. Oldenburg, The Great Good Place,

1998)

Facebook psychology in a nutshell (3)

• An ironic, playful environment entails

very different reactions with regards

to trust, credibility, affective

engagement, cognitive dissonance

(“the fox and the grapes”),

forced compliance,

resistance, and critical understanding,

with respect to an everyday environment

(Upcoming)

There’s a revolution going on, in

case you didn’t know

More on Game Revolution

David Helgason

Jesse Snell

Gameification of Everything

The origins of the Game Revolution

Ludification of Culture

JoostRaessensHomo Ludens2.0

4 ways in which your (social) game

can interact with reality • Add game dynamics to real life, “serious” activities (off line and

online)

• Insert real life elements into a game that is already there

• Make somebody achieve something concrete (aka plant a tree while gaining points) by playing the game; the non-game action is deeply embedded in the gameplay

• Use existing games for completely different purposes with respect

to their original goals

Game dynamics for non-game experiences

Game dynamics for non-game experiences/2

Game dynamics for non-game experiences/3

Game dynamics for non-game experiences/4

Real Life elements in a fictional world - fundraising

Real Life elements in a fictional world - advertising

Real Life elements in a fictional world - advertising

Productive gameplay

Productive gameplay

Productive gameplay

Productive gameplay

Keep the game, change the purpose

Keep the game, change the purpose

Conclusions: (social) games tend to expand into Social

• “social” doesn’t distinguish between real and fiction, people are people

• No distinction between real and fiction is no problem, as long as nobody is using that for manipulation (which happens quite often)

• The need for good, “ethical”, choices is much stronger in social games than in any other kind of game, because they are so powerful

• Greater power involves greater responsibility

Conclusions: a humble social game today, a powerful tool tomorrow

• Making a social game gives the opportunity to do something to make the world a better place (as well as making a bit of money)

• Social games are like a lab situation to see how future interaction between real life and fictional elements (the Fun Revolution) is going to affect players and real social relationships

• Let’s look at social games keeping in mind their potential AND the responsibility that they imply

• You also can be part of the revolution

Thank you! and now questions…

Some readings and viewings:

E. Castronova - Exodus to the virtual world: how online fun is changing realityB. Reeves, J. Leighton Read - Total engagementJ. Huizinga - Homo Ludens J. McGonigal - Gaming can make a better world http://www.ted.com/talks/jane_mcgonigal_gaming_can_make_a_better_world.htmlJ. Schell - Beyond Facebook http://www.cmu.edu/homepage/multimedia/schell-dice.shtmlR. Oldenburg,The great good placeBJ Fogg et al. (ed.) The Psychology of Facebook (upcoming) D. E: Wittkower (ed.) Facebook and Philosophy (upcoming)