Virtual Worlds 2007 – Designing Stickier Virtual Worlds Talk

Technical Perspective: Designing Stickier Virtual Worlds Builds
What are the key elements of a truly engaging build that can attract and retain significant avatar traffic, and what level of technical complexity is involved in creating them? This presentation will explore how design and ongoing creative programming can keep digital tumbleweed from blowing across an island, and specifically describe some of the technical challenges and solutions associated with innovative programming. It is intended to help brand managers and developers get a behind-the-scenes sense of the work that goes into a virtual world campaign, along with costs and technical complexity associated with various activities. This presentation is for technically sophisticated brand managers, creative staff with technical experience, and developers. It will require an intermediate understanding of basic principles and technologies underlying virtual worlds. Attendees will gain perspective from the intersection of creative programming and technical logistics, learning: -the technical possibilities and limitations of virtual worlds platforms -how near- and long-term technical advancements will expand the possibilities for creative programming.
– Christian Lassonde, President, Millions of Us Inc.

Wht is sticky?  What makes the experience sticky?  What have we leaberned from previous media

Classic example – ebay
– sticky from auctioneer nand buyer perspective

Now we act synchronusly and face to fave (avatar)

principle #1 – change and make it obvious to user
– people form a theory about whether an experience will change within the first few moments
– as designers we must convey that an experience will change and how a user can participate

principle #2 – percieved popularity
– nodbody goes there nymore, it’s too crowded

What to do? – Events?
– events clearly spike traffic,
– can be costly,
– user ownership and particpationis more effective,
– open ended storytelling most effective

how do you make the users come back afetr the events

storytelling is key and letting them help develop it

user-driven change
– how do you show the user that change has happened.  you have stats, but the user coming in needs to see that otehrs were there if they are not immediately apparent

2.5D isometric worlds
– gaia, zwintopia,

technorati tags:storytelling, second-life, gaia

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