I CAN HAZ GAME BALANCE?
by Jon Frisby · 02/19/2008 (7:10 pm) · 3 comments
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
{GDC 2008}
Natick, MA - The +7 Balance Engine, which has been quietly building anticipation in the gaming industry, has been chosen by MrJoy, Inc. for their new tower defense game Hordes of Orcs. Using the only automated approach to game balance in the industry, Hordes of Orcs will finally provide the proof-of-concept that many in the industry have been waiting for.
The only currently available method of game balancing ("nerfing," as it is derisively named) wastes valuable developer hours and angers gamers, but it has been an unfortunate reality since the inception of massively multiplayer games. "With thousands of players participating at any given time, it is inevitable that the gamers will find optimal strategies to beat the game, eventually outsmarting the designers. This, in turn, leads to player boredom and frustration. Our system is designed to do away with nerfing and increase player enjoyment, while freeing up game designers to focus on creative game design instead of time-consuming manual balancing," says Nathaniel Bogan, R&D Director and Co-founder. "I am excited to have MrJoy as a customer and the game Hordes of Orcs as our first proving ground for this revolutionary and efficient new technology."
Jon Frisby, Founder of MrJoy, couldn't agree more. "I knew balance was important in Hordes of Orcs.
I expected we would spend about 25% of our total development time fine-tuning balance parameters and that we still wouldn't get it completely right. When we discovered the +7 Balance Engine, all that changed. Now we can spend more time making great games confident that Hordes of Orcs will continue to be fun and challenging for our players."
The +7 Balance Engine is positioned to fundamentally change the way games are created. As the first system to ever successfully automate the balancing process, it will eliminate "nerfing" by measuring players' choices and making recommendations for trivial pre-emptive changes on a more frequent basis. Once game developers gain confidence in the recommendations, they can fully automate the process - just "set it and forget it" for a permanent solution to what used to be a necessary evil in the gaming industry.
About MrJoy, Inc.
MrJoy ( www.mrjoy.com) creates fun and captivating games for casual gamers of all ages. Available on multiple platforms, including PC, Mac, and mobile devices, MrJoy games can also be played directly inside popular web browsers. MrJoy is based in California's sunny Silicon Valley.
About +7 Systems
The +7 Balance Engine's patent-pending process fulfills the promise of Dynamic Balance Control, allowing game designers to focus on vision, content, and playability, rather than spending time on labor-intensive balance adjustments. Read more about the ground-breaking benefits of the +7 Balance Engine and +7 Systems online at http://www.plus7systems.com.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
contactpr@plus7systems.com
{GDC 2008}
Natick, MA - The +7 Balance Engine, which has been quietly building anticipation in the gaming industry, has been chosen by MrJoy, Inc. for their new tower defense game Hordes of Orcs. Using the only automated approach to game balance in the industry, Hordes of Orcs will finally provide the proof-of-concept that many in the industry have been waiting for.
The only currently available method of game balancing ("nerfing," as it is derisively named) wastes valuable developer hours and angers gamers, but it has been an unfortunate reality since the inception of massively multiplayer games. "With thousands of players participating at any given time, it is inevitable that the gamers will find optimal strategies to beat the game, eventually outsmarting the designers. This, in turn, leads to player boredom and frustration. Our system is designed to do away with nerfing and increase player enjoyment, while freeing up game designers to focus on creative game design instead of time-consuming manual balancing," says Nathaniel Bogan, R&D Director and Co-founder. "I am excited to have MrJoy as a customer and the game Hordes of Orcs as our first proving ground for this revolutionary and efficient new technology."
Jon Frisby, Founder of MrJoy, couldn't agree more. "I knew balance was important in Hordes of Orcs.
I expected we would spend about 25% of our total development time fine-tuning balance parameters and that we still wouldn't get it completely right. When we discovered the +7 Balance Engine, all that changed. Now we can spend more time making great games confident that Hordes of Orcs will continue to be fun and challenging for our players."
The +7 Balance Engine is positioned to fundamentally change the way games are created. As the first system to ever successfully automate the balancing process, it will eliminate "nerfing" by measuring players' choices and making recommendations for trivial pre-emptive changes on a more frequent basis. Once game developers gain confidence in the recommendations, they can fully automate the process - just "set it and forget it" for a permanent solution to what used to be a necessary evil in the gaming industry.
About MrJoy, Inc.
MrJoy ( www.mrjoy.com) creates fun and captivating games for casual gamers of all ages. Available on multiple platforms, including PC, Mac, and mobile devices, MrJoy games can also be played directly inside popular web browsers. MrJoy is based in California's sunny Silicon Valley.
About +7 Systems
The +7 Balance Engine's patent-pending process fulfills the promise of Dynamic Balance Control, allowing game designers to focus on vision, content, and playability, rather than spending time on labor-intensive balance adjustments. Read more about the ground-breaking benefits of the +7 Balance Engine and +7 Systems online at http://www.plus7systems.com.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
contactpr@plus7systems.com
#2
02/19/2008 (8:28 pm)
I remember hearing about this some time ago. Keep us posted on your experience with +7 and the results you get.
#3
Their royalty structure is not unreasonable or unusually high by any standards; keep in mind that Unreal 2 Engine *currently* carries a 3% royalty requirement (and they don't say what it is for Unreal 3 Engine!). Granted that's a bit of an apples-to-oranges comparison, but the bottom line is that if you are in a position where game balance is critical to the success and vitality of your game, then the cost structure for the +7 Balance Engine winds up being very cheap for the value it provides.
If you're interested in whether or not it would apply to your game, I encourage you to contact them and inquire. They will be very straight-forward in helping you determine whether or not their system is a good fit for your needs and circumstances.
02/19/2008 (8:42 pm)
@Joe: It can't work for *every* game, but there are a great many classes of game where it is applicable. It was designed with MMORPGs in mind, but applying it to a simplified RTS like Hordes of Orcs proved to be very straightforward.Their royalty structure is not unreasonable or unusually high by any standards; keep in mind that Unreal 2 Engine *currently* carries a 3% royalty requirement (and they don't say what it is for Unreal 3 Engine!). Granted that's a bit of an apples-to-oranges comparison, but the bottom line is that if you are in a position where game balance is critical to the success and vitality of your game, then the cost structure for the +7 Balance Engine winds up being very cheap for the value it provides.
If you're interested in whether or not it would apply to your game, I encourage you to contact them and inquire. They will be very straight-forward in helping you determine whether or not their system is a good fit for your needs and circumstances.
Torque Owner Joe Rossi
Indri Games
I wish you well though, this sounds almost too good to be true. Would be cool to hear any specifics you can divulge.