Games for Social Networks: The Design and Business of Networked Play
By Aki Järvinen
Millions of people are logging into online social networks on a daily basis to catch up with their friends, to share photos, to organize events – and, to play games. Games for Social Networks: The Design and Business of Networked Play focuses on the popular phenomenon of games in Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, etc.
The book explores game, interaction, and service design practices that can be applied into developing games for social networks. Drawing from studies of social networking, case studies of popular games, and design methodologies, the author creates a user-centered design framework that facilitates creative innovation and experimentation with games and social media. The framework is supported by detailed descriptions of the various steps of taking a game from idea to product in the context of social networks. A set of exercises helps readers in applying the concepts and methods into practical projects.
Interviews with developers, entrepreneurs, and researchers working with social games add to the book’s accessible and versatile offering. Games for Social Networks: The Design and Business of Networked Play is recommended reading for anyone interested in designing, developing, or studying social games.
Author Bio
Aki Järvinen, Ph.D., is a ten-year veteran of game, interaction, and service design, both in practice and theory. He has worked in the development of online and mobile games, with a solid background in academic research. Currently Järvinen works as a game design and user experience consultant through his company, and teaches game design and social media at the IT University of Copenhagen, Denmark. He is involved in a number of social gaming projects.
More information:
http://www.mygamestudies.com
http://www.linkedin.com/akijarvinen
http://acta.uta.fi/english/teos.phtml?11046