Games as Services: Opening words

Olli SotamaaGames as Services Seminar2.3.2010, Helsinki

Today’s Programme13-14.30 Session 1

Olli Sotamaa, Games as services: Opening words

Jaakko Stenros, Understanding player services

Kai Kuikkaniemi, Service-thinking for game developers

15-16.30 Session 2

Saara Toivonen, Player attitudes on online distribution

Tero Karppi, Game by layers: Case Dj Hero

Juho Hamari, Game design as marketing

17-18.30 Panel discussion: The role of services in the current game business

Koopee Hiltunen (Neogames), Ilari Kuittinen (Housemarque), Mikko Honkakorpi (Mahtava Development), Riku Suomela (Nokia), Kai Kuikkaniemi (HIIT), Olli Sotamaa (TAY)

19 > IGDA Finland Gathering (Cuba Bar, Erottajankatu 4)

Project background

• 2-year research project (1.4.2008-31.3.2010) funded by Tekes

• collaboration between the University of Tampere Dept. of Information Studies and Interactive Media (INFIM) and The Helsinki Institute for Information Technology (HIIT)

• supported by Nokia Research Center, Ludocraft, Housemarque, Mahtava Development and Neogames

Why the project?

• Online games market (subscription, digital game download, DLC, virtual commodities, value-added services) expanding

• As a result games are designed, distributed and consumed increasingly as services

• Neogames survey (2007): The Finnish game industry aware of the change towards service-driven paradigm, game studios have no time or resources for larger analysis

Demand for research that examines the consequences to games, game culture and business

Game distribution as a service

Value-added services

From game design to service design?

Selected academic contributions

Articles

• Stenros & Sotamaa, “Commoditization of Helping Players Play: Rise of the Service Paradigm”, DiGRA 2009 Conference Proceedings. Brunel University, London.

• Kultima, Casual Game Design Values. Proceedings of the 13th International MindTrek Conference: Everyday Life in the Ubiquitous Era, 2009. Tampere, Finland. 

• Sotamaa, “Achievement Unlocked: Rethinking Gaming Capital”, Proceedings of The Future and Reality of Gaming Conference, 2009. Vienna, Austria. (forthcoming)

• Karppi, ”Connecting the Dots: Understanding The New Console Experience”, Proceedings of The Future and Reality of Gaming Conference, 2009. Vienna, Austria. (forthcoming)

• Toivonen & Sotamaa, ”Huomioita pelien digitaalisesta jakelusta”, Pelitutkimuksen vuosikirja 2010. (submitted)

• Sotamaa, ”Play, Create, Share? Console gaming, player production and agency”. Fibreculture. (submitted)

• Toivonen & Sotamaa, ”Digital distribution of games: The players’ perspective”, Future Play Conference. Vancouver, May 6-7, 2010. (submitted)

Presentations

• Sotamaa, “Role of Gamers as Content Producers”, Games Convention Online Conference, Leipzig, Germany, Jul 31 - Aug 1, 2009.

• Karppi & Sotamaa, ”Rethinking playing research: Methodological observations from behind the decks”, Games Research Methods Seminar. Tampere, April 8-9, 2010.

Forthcoming developments

• Public final report out in April 2010• Conference presentations and

publications still in review• Tekes funded project titled ”Future

Play” continues the work started in GaS (April 1 – December 31, 2010)

• Open for new collaborations… feel free to contact us!