The Flash Gaming Summit is a conference that specializes in games made using Flash. If you hadn’t noticed, almost every game on AddictingGames is made using Flash – so this conference is a big deal. This year marks the 2nd gathering for the Flash Gaming Summit. The attendance has doubled since 2009; FGS had more than 600 pre-registrations. Where else can you see Brad Borne (Fancy Pants) and Dan McNeely (Armor Games) at the same table?
Rabble Rabble Rabble!
What have we learned so far: get ready for Virtual Goods. Jameson Hsu of MochiMedia gave the keynote presentation to kick off the event. If you can fill a lecture hall at 8:30 in the morning with game developers, you’ve got a popular topic. Many of the day’s presentations are focused on Virtual Goods. Representatives from Zynga, Playdom, Crowdstar and Playfish each spoke about the key features of a successful social game. What they all agreed on was this: you can’t make a game and later, add social features. A social game has to be social from the start. Ditto for selling virtual goods.
If you’re a game designer, and want one important lesson about virtual goods, it is this: know WHEN to offer your goods. Don’t try to sell Silver Werewolf Bullets during the introduction; wait until the player has lost six lives in a row in Werewolf Alley, and *then* offer your user an easy out.
Another very interesting presentation was given by Mat and Jon Annal, from Nitrome. We learned that “nitrome” doesn’t mean anything. The Annals were inspired by old Japanese game company names: Namco, Capcom, Konami. They didn’t know what the word meant, but they knew what kinds of games they made. So Nitrome sounded like a cool name, and they stuck with it. The big news from Nitrome is that they are working on a release for the iPhone, called “Super Feed Me.” You play as a venus fly trap, using your jaws to capture delicious insects, and to heave your potted bottom through amazing platforms. As usual, the Nitrome art is so beautiful, it makes your teeth hurt.
Then, more talk about money: “The Next Generation of Monetization of Flash Games.” As you may have heard, making games isn’t easy, and it’s never free. The developers need to eat, and the folks who distribute games like to sleep in warm beds too. But there is good news for all of us here – the developers are listening. A game that plays like soft cheese will never convert. A game’s store system that makes no sense, or sells items I don’t need in this game, is doomed. The developers and providers really need the input of players to create games that we all want to play.
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