Developers extend the life of video games in different ways. The plot projects are usually supported using DLC, and multi-user services-services-special seasonal content.
Although the seasons did not appear yesterday, this model acquired the most fame after the success of Fortnite. Now many online projects are working on this system, while many developers are trying to surprise the community, realizing more and more non-standard solutions in their games.
How are the seasons arranged? What they give to gamers? How gaming companies are suitable for their development? And what awaits such projects in the future? Let's figure it out!
- Speaker: Anastasia Gioeva, Head of the Astrum Entertainment Development Department
Seasons prolong the Games Life
Seasonality in games marks the release of new content – modes, maps, weapons and various cosmetics. This leads to the influx of new gamers and the return of those who had already played this project before. Usually one season, the release of which is accompanied by the release of the new military pass and other rehearsal / seasonal activities, lasts several weeks or months. Often, rewards are unique – after the end of the season they cannot be obtained, and it works great to keep the players in the project.
In this, the seasonal model is an ideological heir to daily tasks, however, these mechanics have one important difference – if in the case of the diles the gamer must enter the game every day so as not to miss the treasured reward, then in the case of seasonal activities this fear of loss, which is called FOMO (English. Fear of Missing Out) does not work so hard.
Some games provide a lot of free content, entering into a paid combat pass only those objects that will not affect the gameplay and will not create an imbalance. It is such a system of awards that is implemented in the multiplayer online player Warface: the gamer receives new cards, modes and weapons for free, and awards from the Batle pass in this case can only become a pleasant cosmetic bonus.
Work on the season from the developer
The starting point of the development process – analytics of previous seasons and player requests. Thus, trends in the preferences of gamers can be identified. An equally important point is the lack of a conflict of new ideas and the already established Laura of the project. Ideally, all new content should enhance the player’s immersion in the process.
A huge team is working on the filling of each Warface season-gamemakers, screenwriters, artists, producers, card designers, marketer, programmers and QA specialists. All ideas are originally born in Brainstorm, where each of the participants in the discussion offers his ideas. Naturally, all of them cannot be taken to work – the final choice is made on the basis of analytics and objective command opinion.
Moreover, part of the proposed may simply move to another season. For example, the detailed Warface Road Roadmap is drawn up two seasons in advance, and high -level – for a year in advance. The plan may vary depending on the needs of players and undergo changes in the course of production. And if it turns out that any feature is not ready for the release, then it is simply transferred to other dates according to the road map.
Naturally, not all mechanics taken to work and content get to the players. The final screening occurs on prototyping and internal pleusages – at that moment the Warface team understands that it really works as it was conceived, and what seemed interesting only on paper. And if the implementation does not suit it, then the development of the feature is stopped.
The season should entertain, not become a routine
It is worth remembering that structurally all seasons in a particular project will be similar. Any intra -game events tied to the season – PVE, updated rating matches can diversify the gameplay (for example, after resetting progress from all players), new modes. For example, in every Warface season there are a number of basic events: rating matches, additional ranks in the progression system, military pass and PVE. However, at the same time, developers quite often add situational events that are dedicated to any holiday or important date. These include special game modes for the New Year, the birthday of the project and, for example, Halloween. All this allows you to dilute the gaming routine, without turning progress in a single season in a time-killer.
It would seem that the obvious idea that any filling of the season should first entertain the player and give him new emotions does not always work in practice. It https://kong-gb-casino.co.uk/ is important to consider that the gamer in any case should access the new content. Just for this, the developers make a miscalculate in advance – otherwise units will get to the end. The system of calculating glasses within the season should be, if not transparent, then at least in detail spelled out. Experience for the game on a specific card, an additional factor depending on the player’s account – such a mechanic can be a huge number.
The narrative features of the seasons
The project, which at one time gave a huge impetus of the popularity of the seasonal model of the narrative, still adheres to a unique approach. Yes, we are talking about Fortnite. All seasons in this game are combined into chapters, but each of them is a thematic.
As an example, you can consider the second season of the fifth chapter, which was called "myths and heroes". Equipment of Zeus, Poseidon, Medusa, Artemis, Aida, Aphrodite and Cerberus were added to the game. To get each of these skins, players needed to perform a number of quests in locations such as Mount Olympus, great gates and, for example, the Dark Kingdom. In a word, everything is connected by a single narrative this season, which directly works to immerse gamers in the process. But in addition to the mentioned cosmetics and cards, new objects were added to the game with this update (for example, Zeus zipper), while returning part of the weapons from last season.
Moreover, every season is plotly connected with each other. Yes, we are still talking about the game, which is based on the mechanic of the "Royal Battle". For example, in the first season of the fifth chapter, one of the characters opens the Pandora's box, which is why the same Mount Olympus appeared over the island. And what happens at the end of “myths and heroes” logically leads the player to the next season, which was called “smithereens”.
And after all, the Fortnite team is not limited in seasons. Collaborations with heroes popular in mass culture and whole universes (Star Wars, for example), intra-game concerts (there, for example, The Weeknd), new modes-all this attracts a new audience and helps to hold the existing gaming base.
Creating new content in a seasonal model
Permanent members of the game community allow developers to think about the development plan of the project in detail. Analyzing the popularity of certain items, cards and characters, the team can adapt to the wishes of the players. It is all the more interesting that it is impossible to highlight a certain category of content that would cope with the retention of players better than the rest. A combination of intra-game events, cosmetics, weapons and modes works better than something separately.
At the same time, with the release of each season, gamers receive not only new awards, skins and mechanics, but also correcting old mistakes. It is clear that part of the bugs can be eliminated with fast patches, but this does not always work. And it is also worth remembering the in-game balance, which is periodically updated in most online games.
The future of games-services
Undoubtedly, the seasons have long been left behind the Lutboxes or simple microtransactions. It is obvious that in the near future the range of genres in which this system will be applied will expand even more, but the number of new projects will not grow rapidly.
The whole thing is in the same holding of attention. Gamers who conduct hundreds and thousands of hours in familiar games are unlikely to want to switch to something new (especially if it is a copy of another successful product).
However, this can also become a growth factor – in the end, loud projects appear almost every year. It is obvious that the amenzation of the market is pushing talented teams to search for new gameplay forms instead of simple copying, and in the near future the world can get something truly innovative.