Casual Games SIG/Conference Calls/November 2007

International Game Developers Association

Table of contents 1 Role Call 1.1 Who's Here 1.2 Who's Not 2 Next Call 3 Initiatives Overview 3.1 Quarterly 3.2 Data Royalty Reporting Standards Initiative 3.3 Webinar/Roundtable Broadcasts 3.4 White Paper 3.5 SIG communication 3.6 Developer / Publisher Acknowledgement 3.7 Advertising Standards 3.8 DRM Standardization 3.9 Business Model Education 3.10 Developer Showcase 3.11 Surveys 3.12 Upcoming Events 3.12.1 Casual Connect Amsterdam 3.12.2 GDC 4 Other Business

[edit] Role Call

[edit] Who's Here

Brian Robbins, James C Smith, Wade Tinney, Cherie Lutz

[edit] Who's Not

Jason Akel, Charles Merrin, Jared Nieuwenhuis, Dave Rohrl, Rex Sikora, Margaret Wallace,

[edit] Next Call

• Special date moved because of Lyon
• Tuesday, December 11th at 2pm ET / 11am PT
• Will use Cherie's conference line
  • Cherie will send this out

[edit] Initiatives Overview

[edit] Quarterly

• Wade
  • Content is up on the wiki
  • As discussed this is an abbreviated version
  • Still need to add the sponsor logos to the bottom of each page
  • Wade will send to the list within the next couple days once the logos are in place
  • Added a link to the wiki
  • Brian needs to update the quarterly redirect on the website
• Have 3 pieces planned for the next issue
  • Need to have the content before EOY
  • Shoot to have a print version to distribute at Amsterdam with leftovers for GDC
  • May be separate print runs
• Need more ideas and help from the rest of the steering committee
  • Wade will email SC list about this
  • Trying to pull together content around the other initiatives

[edit] Data Royalty Reporting Standards Initiative

• Rex?, Cherie second
  • Cherie will ping James G for his status, and copy Rex
  • Group suggests Rex help lead this initiative

--Playfirst found some issues with Adjustments, COGS, prepaid royalties. James will send out an updated schema to active partners.
--Real will be delayed in its deployment of the XLM standard due to a larger, company-wide royalty system overhaul.

--James G. is pulling together a list with the current status of partner conversations.

[edit] Webinar/Roundtable Broadcasts

• Jason lead
  • Developing curriculum - solicited ideas from mailing list, a few responses
  • GoToWebinar selected
  • Consider adding a debate around the developer crediting issue
    • Maybe that's a topic for Casual Games Summit or Casual Connect Amsterdam

[edit] White Paper

• Dave R lead
  • Has ~15 volunteers
  • Sent out proposed Table of Contents to mailing list last night
  • Trying to have that finalized by Nov 15.

[edit] SIG communication

• Cherie lead, Brian second

We need to improve our communications with our members and the IGDA in general. This will take many forms, including mail list, PR, at show elements (t-shirts, ribbons), etc. Messaging will need to be refined for consistency and format. Brian to create schedule/topics for mailing list outreach.

• • Cherie has been looking into a couple things:
    • MS (and PopCap and others) have a developer site
    • Looking at adding a blurb about the SIG and initiatives to that site
    • Once this is written, look to distribute this messaging within other developer sites
  • Can we have tabletops or badges or ribbons at upcoming conferences?
    • In-bag toss-ins or tabletop flyers
  • Can we create a "Casual" ribbon for Amsterdam and GDC?
• Wade & Jared to coordinate communication with Jessica
• How will the announcement for the Quarterly go out?
  • Should post to the IndieGamer forums
    • James C will post to there
  • Wade e-mail casual games mailing list or is this an HTML mail?
  • Wade will e-mail CMP
  • Jason Akel had a list of other places to send? (main IGDA list, GameDaily, etc)

[edit] Developer / Publisher Acknowledgement

• Jared lead

Portals are inconsistent about how they list information about the games they sell. In particular, they frequently list partial or no information about the actual developers and publishers. The ideas is to create a standard for how this information is listed.
UPDATE: "So far I been researching and developing a spreadsheet that tracks how and if each portal gives credit to the developer and/or publisher of a game. And if they do give credit, how do they give it? Logo? Company name? Based on this research, I will start to develop an initial standard with the intention of it being reasonable and theoretically easy to implement. At this point, I would want to share and get feedback from some of the major portals to see if this is doable as is, how they might change it and if they would be willing to adopt it."

• Gamasutra picked gaming credits as an article that Russ Carrol wrote for the current Game Developer (last page).
  • This should help create more awareness!

[edit] Advertising Standards

• Charles

In-game and HTML advertising is becoming more important to casual games. There are currently a number of standards / initiatives underway, including CAST, Google, and real. It is important to try to guide them all towards as much standardization as possible. And in the short run, to facilitate communication to the group about what is happening.
--Adoption by IAB is going slower than expected due to politics. IT is not dead - just moving slower than expected.
--Talked with Google to get them thinking about standards as well.

[edit] DRM Standardization

• Rex lead, James C. Smith second

-- Come up with a standard way for games and DRM to talk to each other. Advantages include:
-- Allow for content limited trials instead of time limited trials. On PopCap.com we’ve found over a series of tests that giving users unlimited play, but cutting them off at a certain level until they buy the game, results in the highest conversion rate. But this can’t happen until the game can ask the DRM in a standard way “should I stop yet?”
-- Allow games to do things like show trailers when they are cut off instead of simply shutting down. Again, in our own trials, showing an attractive in-game “trailer” had a higher conversion rate.
-- Prevent “one hour hopping” where savvy users hop around from site to site getting another free hour from each.
-- Better anti-piracy protection. Wrappers have some inherent problems, but a clean API between the game and the DRM may be more reliable.

• • Rex & James need to setup a call to specifically discuss this
  • Possibly start by framing the issues and sending out to the casual games mailing list to see what conversation ensues
    • Could provide solutions, efficiencies, response, etc.

Other initiatives that were discussed but not assigned an owner:

[edit] Business Model Education

• No current owner

It is important for the entire industry to understand what models are being used, and what they mean to the developers. For example, what are the implications of clients, subscription models, advertising, etc. IT was agreed that this probably wasn't a separate initiative, but will be woven into many of the other initiatives, such as the webinars, quarterly, and white paper.

[edit] Developer Showcase

• No current owner

This would be an independent destination (probably a website) where all developers can have a profile and information about their games. It will likely be most valuable for smaller, independent developers. The initial goal is to determine what format the showcase will take, then to determine how to implement it.

[edit] Surveys

• No current owner

Survey SIG members to see what they want from the SIG and from the SC. Survey actual end users to gather information to help everyone in the SIG. Unlike Real, MSFT, and other larger companies, the smaller developers don't have the means or the reach to do this for themselves.

Action Items:
--Charles: Pull together a survey monkey survey for list to comment on.

[edit] Upcoming Events

[edit] Casual Connect Amsterdam

Please bring up which other initiatives would be a good fit for CGA Amsterdam in February. I (Jared) will then pass that along to Jessica and get the ball rolling on it. We may want to invite Jessica to sit in on one of calls as well at some point. She is willing to really support us, the IGDA and our initiatives.

Who is attending

Brian R, Cherie, Wade might, James probably will not

Might be held in other locations next year?

• SHould have a printed quarterly
• Try to have a session discussing the initiatives?
• Ribbon to show IGDA Casual SIG members
• Wade to start conversation about what other options exist
  • Cherie & Brian can help to pick this up if we can move forward
• Jason Akel How much budget do we have to do a cocktail party?
  • Have this immediately after the show closes
  • Helps keep the event short
  • Probably want to have a co-sponsor?

[edit] GDC

• Can we get Casual ribbons printed
• Try to coordinate with Jessica about a party at GDC too
• Leverage the IGDA booth to distribute print materials and group gatherings
• Jason Talk to Jason Della Rocca about group gathering for this year?
• Need to build a schedule of casual related events for GDC
• Brian & Wade will be hosting Casual Games Roundtables. Any others?

[edit] Other Business

• HTML emails

--Reminder that we have this format to send notices, distribute materials (quarterly), run surveys, etc.

• Need better conference call attendance