Game Basics: Virality

K-FACTOR The Viral coefficient

measuring the amount of players recruited by

each acquired-user

ORGANIC Traffic originating from viral growth is usually quality traffic. Stays

longer.

FREE TRAFFIC Viral growth represents

the only non-paid traffic a game can earn

VIRALITY Represents the factor of digital “word to mouth”.

Represents the growth of a game/community through unpaid channels such as marketing or PR

INCENTIVE Reward per invitation.

Reward per accepted initiation. Reward per bulk of recruits.

INVITATION Select Friends.

Customize Message. Send Invitation.

INVITATION Inviting friends serves as the basic virality

engine. Players invite their friends to join the game and gain an instant reward

VANITY These gifts offer ‘eye candy’ virtual items

for friends

PRE REQUISITES These gifts offer friends items required to unlock jobs, quests or options

PLAY MORE Such gifts enable friends to extend their play time

(energy, game time..)

GIFTING Gifting is a powerful mean of spinning players to motivate one another, by enabling them to

send small ‘virtual bribes’ to one another

ASSISTING Players can assist one another in defeating challenges or plain

nurturing

REWARDS Assistance is usually

accompanied by virtual rewards, coins and

points

REPUTATION Reputation is a parallel

progression system rewarding players for social activity ONLY

ASSISTING Assisting is a game mechanism enabling players

to virtually help one another in order to gain rewards and reputation

AGGRESSION Aggression includes insistent actions conducted

towards another player; snatching an item, attacking or similar means

REWARD/LOSS An aggressive action usually has a

victorious and a defeated side, each gaining relevant rewards

ASYNCHRONOUS Most aggressions happen

asynchronously; while one of the player is

offline

BRAGGING Bragging is a self-expression behavior pattern,

during which players publish a game accomplishment to their personal wall

BADGES A badge is a visual

icon representing an in-game

accomplishment

TITLE A title is a textual label

showing a specific designation or

accomplishment

TROPHIES A trophy is a badge that

moves from hand to hand, according to the

current winner

COOPERATING Cooperation between 2 or more players, trying

to achieve a common goal within the game

REQUESTING Players ask for specific item or assistance by publishing a wall feed

CALL FOR ARMS A wall request sent by a

player, asking friends and strangers to join an effort

(limited by time)

CO-QUESTING A challenge taken by a

group of players playing together in real time or

in asynchronous manner

TASK The recruited players

enable the recruiter to access a specific task

or quest

UNLOCK Layers are recruited in

masses, in order to unlock content or levels

ROLE The recruited friend is

assigned to a given “slot”, offering game benefits to

both players

HIRING Hiring is an advanced cooperation technique,

enabling players to recruit their friends for specific in-game tasks or roles

SEQUENCE The challenger sends a challenge request to a specific friend or set

of friends

OUTCOME Challenge is launched. Results are published.

Winner gains prize.

RECIPIENTS Recipients choose if to take the challenge or

reject it

CHALLENGING A Challenge is an asynchronous (or real-time) confrontation between +2 players, struggling

over a single reward

PIER-2-PIER In this technique, two players can trade with

one another for a single item each trade

BIDDING A game offering an

auction house can enable real time bidding for

virtual goods

TRADING Trading is an advanced game-mechanics, enabling

players to trade goods and currency with one another

HIERARCHY A guild has a strict

hierarchy, accompanies by real responsibility and

veto rights

INSIGNIA A Guild has its own

emblem or symbol to distinguish it from other

guilds

RULES Each Guild defines its behavioral patterns, codes and rules of

engagement

GUILDS A Guild is an organization/group of players with

common goals and agenda within the game world