Gaming

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Gamings Future via Online Worlds
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Jeffrey Steefel

• Executive Producer, Turbine Inc.
• The Lord of the Rings Online
• THERE.COM
• VP, Programming Member Services
• SONY ONLINE ENTERTAINMENT
• VP, Programming Production (LA Studio)
• 7th LEVEL
• VP, Production

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Why Worlds Need Games
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Sense of Place Focuses Creativity
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Sense of Purpose Motivation
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Community Expression/Identity
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Where Worlds Collide
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Connected Social Entertainment

• Online Games Immersive, mostly directed
  experiences with limited opportunity for user
  to build and create. Theme Park
• Virtual Worlds More open environments with
  heavy focus on builders, that lack unified
  thematic structure. Sandbox
• Social Networks Easy use, lightweight online
  destinations for users to create/share virtual
  identities and communities. Affinity-based Club

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Diverse Roads to Community
Common to All
Social Persistence
Creative Expression
Identity
Social Network
Virtual World
Persistent Online Game
Structure (gameplay)
Accessible
Freedom
Sense of Place
Ease of Use
Creative
Sense of Purpose
Runs Anywhere
UGC
Platform Agnostic
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access
inspiration
experience
Identity
Expression
Any location
Purpose
Any platform
Place
Persistence
Easy use
Simple UI
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Delicate Balance
Fun!
F
activity
FREEDOM
STRUCTURE
access inspiration - experience
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Opening Persistent Experiences

• Online interactive world experiences rely on
  robust and active communities
• Critical mass of users drives the greatest
  success threshold of viability
• Current MMO games target narrowly defined market
  segments in terms of mainstream media adoption
• Mainly centered _at_ one set of core activities
• Need to create environment to contain
  diverse needs, styles and interest levels

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Moving Forward

• Build on MMO strengths
• Immersive sense of place
• Unifying world themes
• Compelling advancement spirals
• Extend reach to broader audience
• Multi-platform access
• More mainstream client requirements
• Immediate interactivity and feedback
• Significantly improved user tools
• More accessible pricing models

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Important Considerations

• Native web featuresweb aware worlds
• Remove hardware/connectivity barriers
• Mobile lifestyle integration
• Seamless in/out world interactivity
• Value proposition is a spectrum

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Looking Forward

• Turn game inside out
• Expose in-game social networks
• Share rich data and realtime tools
• Integrate character/player personas online
• Social Network tools in/out of world
• Mobile access tools
• Expand in-game social interactivity
• Music System
• Housing
• User Configurable Experiences

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Display Only
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Official Content w/User Editing
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Social Network
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Interactive Tools
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In-World Social Experiences
Outfit System
Music System
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The Future

• Compelling virtual worlds that inspire
  creativity, exploration and community
• Flexible thematic content (environment, story)
  that creates focus for users creativity
• Opportunities to share goals and motivation with
  like-minded users
• Easy-to-use tools inspiration for users to have
  relevant impact on their world and communities
• Opportunities for users to sustain social
  persistence across all connected media

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Questions?
?
jsteefel_at_turbine.com