Many online games feature virtual avatars, a simple yet effective way to make the player feel immersed in their environment. This is evident from the countless makeover games, virtual worlds, and MMOs available on the Internet today. This is a design feature that many indie game developers can learn from and make an integral part of their game.
Big companies like Nintendo have embraced virtual avatars with the creation of Nintendo Wii Miis. Others are realizing the importance of having a virtual 3D representation of themselves with Sony creating the Home service and it is rumored that Microsoft will soon replace its static 2D Xbox Live profiles with fully 3D animated avatars as well. Other companies, like IMVU, have focused entirely on having virtual avatars with thousands of options to change their appearance. It stands to reason that if many large companies with millions of dollars budgeted for advertising and research are leaning into the trend, your small game development company should too.
What exactly is the appeal of having virtual avatars? This is an abstract topic as it varies from user to user. For some it’s pure escapism, for others it’s unlimited freedom to experiment with styles, looks and colors that they would never otherwise try in the real world. Virtual avatars appeal to our ego on a fundamental level and for some people it becomes an extension of themselves as people. A varying degree of seriousness is usually taken, as some people go out of their way to make their avatar look “cool” or “sexy”, while others intentionally make their avatar look as wacky and silly as possible.
When planning the development of a game title, regardless of whether it’s an action game or a puzzle game, I think it’s important to take advantage of the fact that the gaming public has a huge appetite for having a customizable avatar. For example, if you were developing a small racing game, you would want to take a two-pronged approach. First of all, you need to allow the person to create their virtual identity with a name tag and simple customization options, hair color, clothing color, etc. If you had the time to invest, it would be beneficial to create more accessories and variations. Second, it would give the 바카라사이트 player the option to customize the car as deeply as they did the avatar character. With this bit more development work, you have just increased the chances that your player will feel like they have invested something in your game, which is almost the opposite of what many casual game developers do. Casual games do not have to mean a limited investment for the user.
The key elements to make any virtual avatar game successful would include a wide variety of clothing, hairstyle, accessory and color options. It is also extremely important to the player that other people see their avatar through the game if multiplayer is supported or through a user profile page. The introduction of rare avatar items is also an extremely important item. Many MMORPGs deal with this exclusively, as the quest to obtain items depends on playing more and more. GAIA Online, for example, displays its users’ avatars on its message boards and gives them the option to change their appearance with various clothing items, but also displays public wish lists in the hope that strangers will buy items for them.