Game Design in the Wilderness: Experimentation in Play in CampFu

Lecturer: Nick Fortugno, Rebel Monkey

In 2009, Rebel Monkey launched its first MMO on its new casual multiplayer platform, CampFu. The focus of CampFu is to bring the fun of collaborative play to a casual audience, and to explore a largely untaped direction in online play, casual co-op gameplay.

Striking off in an original gameplay direction such as this can be a daunting task, and the design process can be fraught with uncertainty. This lecture offers a look into how an innovative design process can flourish. How do you find the direction in the first place? What constitutes a proof-of-concept of a radical approach? How do you find the right path of development while experimenting?

Nick Fortugno, CCO of Rebel Monkey, lays out some of the lesson he has learned in the pursuit of experimental game design, both at Rebel Monkey and in his previous work. In particular, Fortugno looks at how the core idea of casual collaborative play that Margaret Wallace and Nick formed then blossomed into the specific games and experience of CampFu.

Intended Audience: game designers interested in other possibilities for MMO spaces, and other kinds of innovation

Prerequisites: Basic experience in the process and theory of game design and development

Format: Lecture

Track: Design

Date/Time: Wednesday, May 13, 2:00 PM

Room: Salon EF