Category: Gaming Assistant

Any gamer, game developer, or game publisher will agree that games are getting more complex, and the gaming experiences even more juicer, but only where the right support is provided. At the same time, the onboarding process takes more and more time. This is a matter that any serious game developer or publisher shouldn’t take lightly. It can’t be an afterthought anymore, because breaking the gaming experience causes frustration, frustration results in lost attention, and ultimately, a gamer who uninstalls your game.

Today, very few games even come with manuals as the game itself teaches the players how to play. However, the big question is, do they do it the right way? What is the next level for game tutorials? TV Tropes has a great article about tutorials so before we get answers to these questions, let’s have a look at the different types.

Common Types of Game Tutorials

Antepiece

For an Antepiece tutorial, a great example is when the game requires you to open a portal at a certain location and go through it. In the portal, you are presented with an ostensibly simple and small task that acts as a channel to the bigger and more difficult real game level. When completing the tutorial, you’ll get subtle hints about how you are expected to deal with the next step of the game.

Auto-Pilot Tutorial

This is a visible tutorial that you can’t touch. It normally plays over and over to give a player important hints on how to play the game before throwing them into the action. The tutorial explains these directions through voice-over or written text.

Forced Tutorial

This is an in-game tutorial that you must read or watch for you to advance to the next level. In most cases, this applies when the developers feel that the challenge awaiting the player is too difficult, so they help to enjoy it.

Timed Hits

These are tutorials that are conveyed through a character that outwardly seems fictional but doesn’t break the fourth wall. In these cases, the character itself tells the player what he or she should do at a specific time.

Justified Tutorial

A justified tutorial is integrated into a game’s setting. The tutorial’s characters accompany the player throughout the game, instructing them on the moves to make. Since the character’s instructions are part of the setting, their audio directions are supported by the game’s Heads Up Display. For instance, when the instructor tells the player to shoot, the Heads Up Display reads “press R1 to fire”.

Signpost Tutorial

This is an in-game tutorial that puts instructions on the signs and the background of a game to show a player how to navigate through certain features. It is less obstructive as compared to the non-player character tutorials.

Training Boss

This is a tutorial that places you in a simulated game environment where you are battling against an unbeatable character. Don’t be surprised if you end it up with a humiliating defeat – you can’t beat the opponent anyway. However, you’ll have tested your new game skills.

Training Dummy

This is where it feels like someone is telling you, “ Hey come and practice your combat moves on me; I won’t fight back!” You can’t lose this practice fight, but again, you can’t win it either. You end it when you had enough.

How to Create A Good Tutorial That Doesn’t Break The Gameplay?

1. Prioritizing Undisrupted Gaming experience in your Game Design

First and foremost, you need to put undisrupted gaming experience in the center of your game design. The best game design is which helps a gamer to understand the rules and instructions of the game easily and enjoy the gameplay as seamlessly as possible. Perhaps there’s this game that you were playing, and along the way, you had to pause the gameplay for minutes as you try to understand what the tutorial was telling you in order to make the necessary move. How was the experience? Not the best, right? Maybe you even lost interest in continuing the game. This happens to many other players as well when they get fed up with disruptive tutorials. Others will try to skip them, only to be stranded later in the game because they lack the necessary support that they’d have otherwise gotten from the very tutorials they’ve just skipped.

As such, as you create your game tutorial, ensure it is supportive to players without being disruptive. Make it simple and optional where possible. Just think about a player who replays your adventure. Would he really want to listen to every hint and tips you have to say?

Also, text is not the best way to deliver a tutorial message. In most cases, text instructions destroy immersion and many players tend to skip them if given a chance. If you have to use texts in your tutorial, the best way is to use them as subtitles in a video-only, video-audio, or audio tutorial. Having done that, your players can opt to listen to or read and listen to the tutorial.

How about players being able to access your game’s help database hand-free using voice commands? Now, this is game experience taken a notch higher. It’s one of the best conveniences you as a game publisher or developer can offer to the gamers. They’ll be ever thankful to you because you’ll have helped them navigate through the game smoothly without them having to remove their fingers from their controls.

2. Maintaining a Simplistic Control Design

Secondly, you need to stick with simplistic control design. You cannot hide behind the excuse of “My game has so much to offer; it cannot be simple”. Gamers can be impatient if they feel that they are spending too much time trying to understand your game controls. No matter how rich you feel your game is, your target audience may hold a contrary opinion because you’ve not provided them with an easy channel to explore its richness. As such, it is crucial to ensure that your game’s controls are easy to understand and use.

3. Appropriate Placement & Timing

The third thing you need to keep in mind is to time and place your tutorials well. You just cannot break the game-flow by throwing information on the players when they don’t need them yet. They want to concentrate on the game, and when a disruption occurs, it has to be something to help them proceed as soon as possible. Give them small portions of helpful information just when they need it. With such an interactive tutorial, it’ll be easy for them to relate to the information and act on it because it’s relevant to the prevailing gaming step. Otherwise, if the presentation of the information isn’t properly timed, the chances are high that players will skip it. The tutorial will not have served the intended purpose – unfortunately.

So What Is the Next Big Step for Game Tutorials?

Considering the tips above, there’s great importance for game developers and publishers to leverage on the power of artificial intelligence and virtual assistants to offer interactive tutorials. Virtual assistants are key components of AI-powered gaming, whereby games are so ‘intuitive’ that they are able to respond to every gamer uniquely depending on their gaming behavior.

With the growing popularity of virtual reality gaming, immersion goes to a whole new level. However, without minimizing the information displayed on the heads up display, there is a barrier to this evolution. Switching to a voice-based assistant can be the way to go here. This brings us to Fridai, a leading gaming assistant.

Fridai, has been an integral part of AI-powered gaming and it’s a great tool that helps game developers to implement their onboarding and tutorials without disrupting the gaming experience. It conducts a real-time analysis of a gamer’s behavior during gameplay and provides them with small and appropriate pieces of information just when they need or ask for it.

Better still, the gamers don’t have to engage their hands to request this information. All they need to do is to speak to the gamer assistant, asking it what they want to know. For instance, a Minecraft player who wants to know how to create an enchanting table may ask the gamer assistant, “Hey Fridai, how can I craft an Enchanting table?” It’ll draw the relevant information from Minecraft and present it to them instantly. For those who want help with a bicycle kick on Fifa, asking it, “Hey Fridai, how can I do a bicycle kick?” is enough to get all the info they need and the timing will be perfect.

This way, players do not need to suffer through forced tutorials, popping up screens, and overwhelming information floods. Most importantly, they can immerse themselves in the game a lot more. Oh, and one more thing: How cool it is to pretend to be Iron Man with your own Jarvis?

Since the early 2000s, the gaming industry has gone through a great transformation, especially when it comes to the business model. Lots of game publishers have shifted from one-off game sales to the microtransaction model. Instead of parting with huge chunks of money to acquire a video game, gamers can now download their favorites for free or at significantly reduced prices. Eventually, nothing is truly free, so game publishers try to get them to make in-game purchases for particular virtual products to offer a better experience or in some cases give a competitive edge while helping their businesses remain profitable. Such purchases are referred to as microtransactions.

Gamers’ Point of View

As much as game publishers see microtransactions as a great way of keeping the buy-in prices low or non-existing, thus recruiting more players into a game, a significant section of the general public doesn’t see this as the ultimate solution. “I already bought the game. why would I need to pay more?” A player wonders.

Besides, many gamers see the “Pay to Win” model as an unfair approach that gives an advantage to rich kids. To progress to a certain level of a game, gamers have to grind for very long hours. Alternatively, they can opt to throw in some amount of money into the game by purchasing some in-game items to progress faster (hello Battlefront II). This gives players a disproportionate advantage over their opponents who can’t make the purchases or access the items freely.

On the Other Hand…

It takes millions of dollars and months of hard work for a game developer to come up with a revolutionary video game and release it to the market. The work doesn’t stop there; there are updates to be made on the game regularly or on an occasional basis, servers have to be maintained, bugs need immediate solutions, and cheats need to be kept at bay.

All those maintenance activities require game publishers to dig deeper into their pockets. Can all this be sustained without continuous revenue from a game? Definitely not. As such, the developers have two options to choose from to stay afloat: make substantial one-off game sales or generate sales revenue little by little through microtransactions.

When it comes to one-time-purchase = full-priced games, high acquisition costs are a turn-off to many gamers. A couple of bad reviews from the media and their sales numbers are doomed. Eventually, the publishers find themselves in a situation where they can’t even help their businesses break-even. So, what next? Close up shop? Perhaps there is a game you loved playing, but since it is no longer supported, the servers are shut down, you can’t play it anymore…officially! Now you can guess what might have been the cause.

Therefore, for the publishers to profit off of their games, they have to find a way to bring more players on board and maximize gameplay time. Now, this is why free-to-play games use microtransaction models. With such a model, gamers can try out games for free, even play through them without actually paying a dime. Of course, if they want the cool stuff and a less grindy experience, eventually they are going to have to reach into their pockets.

Since such purchases cost small amounts of money, they are a friendlier option to gamers as compared to full-priced game purchases. The aim of a microtransaction model is to attract as many players as possible in a game and provide them with the resources they need to actively participate in the game for the longest time possible. The longer they stay in the game, the more opportunities they have to basically bond with it, ultimately leading to better chances for made in-game purchases.

Microtransactions have had a very significant impact on the video game industry, with more game developers joining the microtransaction model bandwagon. Publishers are enjoying more profits from microtransactions as compared to what they (used to) get from one-off game sales. For instance, Riot recently revealed that in-game purchases account for nearly the entire revenue it generates from League of Legends. More money flowing into the video game industry creates more stability and allows developers and publishers to plan games for the foreseeable future.

The Balance Point

Microtransactions are very popular these days, no doubt about that. However, this model can do more harm than good when not used wisely. Customers shouldn’t feel like they are being overexploited. At the same time, a game business is expected to generate sufficient revenues for sustainability and profits, both of which are key motivators to a developer or a publisher. This calls for game developers and publishers to find a fine line, where both customers (the gamers) and the business side (the publishers and developers) stay happy. This is how they can hit that sweet spot:

1. Avoiding pay-to-win models

Some publishers push microtransactions extremely heavily, requiring a player to spend lots of real dollars for them to unlock progress in a game. This severe restriction conflicts the gameplay time maximization strategy, which is the cornerstone of profitability in modern-day gaming. Besides, such a pay-to-win model makes the game lose its intended entertainment purpose, leaving it feeling like a gambling thing. This is a turn-off for many gamers.

2. Proper proposition

As a game publisher or developer, you should time your proposition well. Do not disrupt the gaming experience. Randomly popping and irrelevant ads will only leave gamers annoyed and disgusted. Besides, you should ensure that gamers are able to access any help they may need to progress in the game without having to switch to another window or screen. This is where Fridai, the Gamer Assistant comes in the picture.

With the gaming assistant incorporated into your game, gamers don’t have to pause or exit as the voice assistant provides the necessary guides and information. The assistant also helps you to tailor the right commercial ad or sponsored content to keep every gamer engaged, depending on their motivation level. As such, they can simply enjoy the undisrupted gaming experience.

3. Providing every necessary information on time

As mentioned above, you should let your customers spend more time within the game by ensuring that any guidance or product they might need is available for them right within the game’s user interface and on time. Again, this is something that Fridai focuses on. With the gaming assistant, gamers are able to buy skins, credits or even conveniently from your swag store while still playing,soon as they need them!

4. Tailoring your proposition to the gamer

You should tailor your sponsored content to address the specific needs of every gamer who’s interacting with your game. The majority of the gamers who see ads that are personalized to their online behaviors are likely to respond positively to the respective calls to action. Fridai is a great tool for this targeted approach as well. For instance, when a gamer loses a game, through the gaming assistant, you (the publisher) can offer them the right tool from your store to help them succeed the next time. Or you can just simply reward success with rightly timed discounts on gamer specific items.

In a Nuthshell

Microtransactions can be a great source of revenue for publishers and developers, but only when it is used wisely. They should establish the right balance between maximizing in-game purchases and customer satisfaction. Fortunately, with Fridai, it is very easy for game publishers and developers to achieve this balance.

Late 2019 marked the genesis of a disease outbreak that would throw the entire world in confusion a few months later. As the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic continues to wreak havoc across the globe, its crises, no matter how ugly and ruthless they look, they have a positive side. “Positive side? Are you crazy?” you ask. Well, honestly speaking, blessings can exist amid catastrophes. COVID19 calamities present one advantage: they lead to the invention of new solutions to problems prevailing in different spheres of life, especially as a result of coronavirus disease. People and organizations across the globe have joined hands to fight this pandemic and restore the world to normalcy soonest possible.

The gaming industry has not been left behind in this war, with gaming assistants playing one role or another in the fight. A gaming assistant automates the tasks that would otherwise need your input and effort in your gaming life. Take a screenshot of your game screen. Get information on how to make the best shot or even buy skins. All these tasks and many more don’t require you to press any button if a powerful game assistant such as Fridai is integrated into your gaming life. Powered by artificial intelligence (AI), the assistant can help the world fight COVID19 and other pandemics that might be coming in the future.

How can it assist?

Doubting if there’s any way in which a gamer assistant can potentially help fight COVID19? Well, it can in the following three ways:

1. Contributing decentralized computing power for research purposes

Lots of research is underway as scientists look for an effective and safe treatment or vaccine for the coronavirus. Researchers need more and more CPU and GPU cycles to help them carry out research to understand and describe the protein arrangement inside the virus cells. This process is known as protein folding. With the knowledge, biology experts will be in a better position to develop a treatment for the disease. Gaming PCs are among the highest-performing computers, which are much needed in such critical scientific studies. These Computers can contribute faster to the cause as compared to ordinary PCs.

A gamer assistant can use the idle CPU and GPU cycles from thousands of users’ computers worldwide to create a protein folding and computational drug design simulation. Unfortunately, this intervention is not possible with virtual assistants such as Alexa and Google Assistant because of their hardware limitations. But since Fridai lives in your PC, it can be counted on in this noble contribution without any disappointments. It can submit about 5% to 15% of the computers’ power to the coronavirus research laboratories to help researchers perform the calculations needed in the development of the COVID 19 treatment.

2. Providing psychological support

From job losses and restricted human interactions to dealing with the disease itself, there are many factors that increase people’s vulnerability to mental health issues during these troubling times. As such, mental health support and monitoring are of great importance to help people cope with the impacts of the pandemic. Fortunately, a gamer assistant can play a significant role in the protection of psychological wellbeing of its users through cognitive behavior therapy.

For instance, considering Fridai is powered by artificial intelligence, it is capable of doing many tasks that require human intelligence. It can recognize and respond to your voice and make the right decisions. With this ability, the game assistant can offer you cognitive behavioral therapy during this distressing time. This psychotherapeutic treatment involves talking to a person to help them recognize and change thought patterns that can negatively affect their behavior and emotions. It offers great mental relief to people suffering from anxiety or depression.

Inspired by the cognitive behavior therapy framework, a gaming assistant such as Fridai can ask you how you are feeling and about your personal experiences during the outbreak. Based on your answers, the game assistant will use its artificial intelligence to determine and recommend to you the tools that can help you keep your mental health in good shape. You want someone to tell you that everything shall be okay soon and remind you how strong you are? Well, just say, “Fridai tell me everything shall be okay soon” or “Fridai, tell me that I’m a strong person”. Your AI companion is by your side to reassure you to feel better and more optimistic.

3. Supporting social distancing and minimizing physical contact

Social distancing is among the key measures that people are advised to observe to slow down the spread of the novel coronavirus. Everybody is urged to maintain at least a one-meter physical distance from the next person, especially in public spaces. Besides, people are encouraged to minimize physical contact with their touch devices as much as they can. A gamer assistant can help in this as well as it enables reduced touching of gaming devices by supporting voice commands.

Through the assistant, you can get nearly everything you need in gaming life without having to come into contact with touch interfaces. Whether you want to update your Steam status, share multimedia files, take a screenshot, get help with something, start a game or take notes, all you need is to talk to the obedient and intuitive virtual assistant, and it will get things done immediately without your manual input. As Fridai gets more and more features, gamers need to touch less and less stuff in their homes.

When it comes to social distancing, an AI-powered game assistant such as Fridai can help you to remain calm and comfortable even as you minimize close interactions with your buddies, colleagues and (some of) your family members. Besides providing cognitive behavior therapy, it can also give you various recommendations depending on your gaming behavior to spice up your gaming experiences. Therefore, you can have great fun in the comfort of your home.

There is an enormous potential for a gaming assistant to help the world fight COVID19 pandemic, thanks to artificial intelligence. It’s big time gamers and game publishers join the fight by embracing this revolutionary gaming technology.