This MasterClass is about designing games with the player as the beating heart of everything we create.

We will be embarking on a journey of discovery, where we can investigate consumer behaviours at large for a variety of games and transmedia products by questioning what success looks like for the games we know and love.

This MasterClass is design-centred and therefore takes a deep dive into elements of player psychology, UX design basics, gamification and good old-fashioned debate!

Key takeaways include:

• Why are successful games really so successful?
• How important is design thinking in everything we make? And how do we measure that?
• Can you communicate with your player? If so, how do you know if they are listening?

TARGET AUDIENCE: For this MasterClass, we recommend that attendees have a basic understanding of the game development process and lifecycle and game design principles.

This class is for designers, product managers, and producers who want their games to grow and thrive for years after launch. This class will be most useful for those working on games that have not yet launched or are very early in their lifecycle but even those working on live titles are likely to take away something useful. The takeaways from this MasterClass are relevant for all game genres and platforms.

Meet the Mentor

Kelly Vero has been working in the games industry for almost 30 years. From making cups of tea for the QA team to overseeing a studio of more than 80 employees, Kelly has been able to adapt quickly to the needs and pressures that the games industry requires for development on any device.

Throughout her career she has been a strong advocate for player behaviour and the importance of the user experience as a springboard into other worlds and other media properties. Currently Kelly is a passionate developer working mainly at the intersection between luxury fashion and video games across esports and a variety of platforms from Seattle to Shanghai. An avid writer, speaker and broadcaster she is a regular lecturer in game design encouraging game design for everyone. She has just published her seventh novel and hosts a podcast on Korean dramas.

Content breakdown

Part 1: When Good Games Go Bad (60 minutes)

Using simple methodologies, let’s look at the relationships between the player and the game. Why do some games fail to draw the player into their world? And what pitfalls should we look out for when designing our own games?

Part 2: The Drawing Board (60 minutes)

Can understanding player behaviour be as simple as sticking to good practice? Let’s take a deeper dive at what our player behaviour toolkit looks like as a design set for how you can get the most from your players.

Part 3: Game Thinking: Only the Brave (60 minutes)

The implementation of player behaviour happens when we make and test games - how do we reinforce player behaviours towards success criteria? Let’s discover what success looks like.

Teaching Format

Each of the three subtopics listed above will take around an hour, and be broken down into the following format, which will include teaching, group work and a chance to feedback and review work:

Part 1:

• Presentation lecture (20 mins)
• Group activity (20 mins)
• Feedback and review (20 mins)

Part 2:

• Presentation lecture (20 mins)
• Group activity (20 mins)
• Feedback and review (20 mins)

Part 3:

• Presentation lecture (20 mins)
• Group activity (20 mins)
• Feedback and review (20 mins)

Looking for more MasterClasses in game design?

This MasterClass is part of a wider series of deep-dive workshop sessions, covering practical game design topics, brought to you by PocketGamer.biz in collaboration with some of the finest minds in the games industry.

If you’re interested in attending another MasterClass, you can find more information at www.pocketgamer.biz/masterclass

Monday 13 September (10:00 - 13:00)

Lessons with a Growth Hacker: Successfully Scale a Living Game, with Oliver Kern

Monday 13 September (14:00 - 17:00)

Save Your Game From Disaster: Playtesting Secrets From a Former Ubisoft Expert, with Pascal Luban

Wednesday 15 September (10:00 - 13:00)

The Right Balance: Connect Gameplay & Monetisation Effectively, with Glyn Fairweather

Thursday 16 September (14:00 - 17:00)

Game Design: How to Benchmark, Create and Measure Fun, with Javier Barnes

Friday 17 September (10:00 - 13:00)

Building an Audience: Marketing, UA, & Creative Production, with Mobile Game Doctor

Don’t forget, we have some superb multi-booking discount deals...

• 3 for 2: book three MasterClasses for the price of two!
• Corporate discount: bespoke offers available for large groups and/or multiple MasterClass sessions (please email to discuss discounts)

To arrange any of the bespoke packages above, please email katy.reilly@steelmedianetwork.com for more information.

Please note the final ticket price is in £UK, and conference tickets can be subject to UK VAT at a rate of 20%. You will be sent a VAT receipt by email along with confirmation of your booking.

For all other questions, please contact support@pgconnects.com.

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