uWink Inc. (UWKI): Nolan Bushnell’s Rules for Social...

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Friday, 08/25/2006 6:38:53 PM

Friday, August 25, 2006 6:38:53 PM

Nolan Bushnell’s Rules for Social Games
June 10th, 2006
uWink is creating a new genre of video games – what we call Social Games. They differ dramatically from today’s video games and have different constructs and rules that need to be followed to create them.
Bottom line: It is death of the complex controller, as uWink puts the power back in people’s hands!

Nolan’s Rules for Social Games:

The game must increase or stimulate conversation not stifle it.
The games must cross gender and age. Can Grandpa and his 8 year old daughter play and have fun? If not, then it isn’t a social game.
The rules of the game need to be immediately perceived.
Games must “fail soft” The worst player in the room must not be made to feel stupid. (Losers have a score of 89 — winners have a score of 99.)
The game controller must be as easy to use as a fork.
The intensity of the game can not override the social atmosphere – NO GAME ZOMBIES.
In longer games there must be breaks for food, drink ordering or non game activities.
Games must be “classy” or funny. Not coarse or vulgar.
Construct the game so that something in the game can be learned, so that next time their score improves.

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