Portfolio  Project  6  

 

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User  Generated  Content  (UGC)  

User  Generated  Contents  is  another  huge  tool  used  by  developers  to  add  more  value  their  games.  It’s  a  lot  different  from  Downloadable  contents  (DLC)  because  it’s  provided  in  a  different  way  and  its  affects  consumers  differently.  It  also  provides  a  different  gaming  experience  as  oppose  to  DLC.  

User  generated  contents  are  less  common  and  hardly  added  in  games  but  are  as  equally  valuable  as  DLC.  In  fact  games  with  user  generated  contents  often  considerably  gain  a  lot  replay  and  lifetime  value  because  they  allow  players  to  make  their  own  content  which  in  turn  has  other  knock  on  affect  that  makes  the  game  so  valuable.  

User  Generated  Contents  (UGC)  and  Downloadable  Contents  (DLC)  are  not  the  same  thing  and  do  not  function  the  same  way.  Games  with  UGC  allow  players  to  create  their  own  contents  within  that  particular  game.  It  can  be  to  build  or  customise  a  character,  create  a  new  level  or  map  and  so  on.  DLC  are  mainly  provided  in  a  way  that  you  play  addition  contents  of  a  game  that  is  normally  acquired  through  downloads.  Whereas  User  Generated  contents  (UGC)  are  tools  placed  within  a  game  that  allows  you  create  your  own  contents.  These  tools  can  be  level  editors,  map  editors  and  customisable  items,  customisable  characters,  customisable  emblems  or  avatars,  gameplay  mods  and  so  on  that  are  built  within  a  game  usually  gained  upon  the  release  of  that  game.    

User  Generated  Contents  (UGC)  are  not  provided  as  much  as  Downloadable  Content  (DLC)  because  they  are  not  typically  created  for  every  game  genre.  You  would  mostly  find  a  DLC  for  any  type  of  game  but  UGC  are  mostly  found  on  certain  type  of  games.  One  of  the  main  reason  is  because  UGC  are  not  suitable  or  adequate  to  have  in  most  games,  they  are  less  frequent  in  the  vast  library  of  games  we  have  today  because  they  are  just  not  suitable  for  certain  types  of  games.  The  games  that  mostly  have  User  generated  contents  are  usually  casual,  family,  puzzle,  strategic  and  plat-­‐former  games.    

 

Portfolio  Project  6  

 

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A  typical  example  is  Minecraft,  which  is  a  casual  game  where  you  mainly  have  to  dig  (mine)  and  build  (craft)  a  large  world  out  of  different  kinds  of  3D  blocks.  This  is  one  of  the  most  popular  and  most  successful  game  that  has  UGC.  Its  success  was  purely  based  on  the  content  creation  and  creativity  of  players.  One  of  the  main  reason  why  it  became  such  a  success  was  down  to  the  fact  that  it  allowed  players  to  building  things  in  a  large  scale.  This  allowed  players  to  create  extraordinary  amount  of  contents.  One  of  Minecraft  users  actually  spent  two  year  building  a  city  comprised  of  over  4.5  million  blocks.  This  just  shows  how  valuable  UGC  can  be  and  because  it  allows  you  make  things  using  your  own  imagination,  games  that  include  them  usually  end  up  becoming  so  valuable  and  vastly  praised.  As  of  now  over  70  million  people  have  played  Minecraft  and  the  game  itself  has  sold  over  4  million  copies  worldwide.  This  just  underlines  how  successful  a  game  can  be  with  the  implementation  of  User  Generated  Contents  (UGC).    

Another  great  UGC  game  is  LittleBigPlanet  3,  which  is  a  casual  plat-­‐former  game  exclusive  to  PlayStation.  The  popularity  of  the  game  is  also  down  to  the  content  creator  included  in  the  game,  which  allows  players  to  make  their  own  levels  and  share  with  others  of  the  LittleBigPlanet  community.  The  content  creator  is  what  made  the  series  so  valuable.  The  first  LittleBigPlanet  game  was  such  a  success  that  it  reached  an  astonishing  6  million  user  generated  games,  which  meant  that  for  over  4.5  million  users  that  played  the  game,  over  6  million  contents  were  created.  This  just  shows  how  a  game  like  LittleBigPlanet  with  a  content  creator  can  gain  so  much  just  by  having  UGC  tools  that  exploits  the  creativity  of  players.  The  ability  to  create  your  own  Levels,  designs  them,  and  customise  your  characters,  which  can  then  be  shared  around  the  community  is  the  main  advantage  that  made  the  game  so  special.  This  not  only  extends  the  replay  value  of  a  game,  but  it  also  gives  players  a  creative  outlet  to  make  levels  and  share  them  around  the  community.  

LittleBigPlanet  3  

Minecraft  

Portfolio  Project  6  

 

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LittleBigPlanet  and  Minecraft  are  just  two  example  of  the  few  UGC  games  that  have  proven  that  user  generated  content  can  have  such  an  impact  if  a  game  was  to  have  one.  Although  the  concept  hasn’t  been  adopted  in  many  games  it’s  still  an  astonishing  tool  to  have  because  it’s  intensively  creative.  It  allows  players  to  gain  another  level  of  enjoyment,  which  adds  to  their  gaming  experience.      To  go  in  more  details,  Trails  Fusion  is  another  great  example  of  how  UGC  is  used  in  a  game.  Trials  fusion  was  released  for  in  2014  and  featured  a  “Create”  mode  that  has  a  track  editor  called  “Track  Central”.  This  is  the  Content  creator  where  players  can  create  their  own  tracks  and  rides.  It  features  many  tools,  objects,  and  other  variations  for  player  to  create  tracks,  customise  characters,  bikes,  and  other  items.  The  game  also  offers  the  option  of  uploading  and  sharing  your  creations  with  others  within  the  Trials  Fusion  online  community.  

                           

Trials  Fusion  

Portfolio  Project  6  

 

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The  following  just  underlines  the  main  elements  of  User  Generated  Content  (UGC):    

- User  Generated  Contents  are  not  the  same  as  downloadable  contents    - They  are  any  kind  of  content  that  a  user  creates  in  a  particular  game  - They  are  in-­‐game  features  rather  than  downloadable  contents  (DLC).    - They  differ  from  Downloadable  Content  (DLC)  because  DLC  

are  contents  that  add  to  a  game,  which  cannot  be  edited  to  the  extent  of  UGC.  

- UGC  allow  players  to  edit  and  create  things  out  of  their  own  will  and  imagination,  these  contents  usually  depend  on  the  type  of  game  and  the  tools  provided.  I.e.  a  racing  game  can  have  UGC  tools  that  allow  you  to  create  a  track  or  vehicles  were  as  an  action  adventure  game  may  allow  you  to  customise  weapon  and  characters  or  even  create  levels.  

- UGC  are  often  accompanied  with  an  upload  to  community  or  share  option  whereby  the  user  created  content  can  be  shared  and  played  by  other  players.  This  is  an  online  outlet  that  allows  contents  to  be  shared  with  other  people.  This  allows  players  to  play  other  people  contents.  

- Most  games  that  feature  UGC  mostly  have  a  “Creation  Centre”  or  “Editor”  mode  where  you  can  access  the  UGC  tools  and  features.  It  can  be  a  “Level  Editor”  like  in  LittleBigPlanet3  or  “Map  Editor”  like  in  Far  Cry  games,  or  a  “Track  Editor”  like  in  Trials  Fusion.  

- These  contents  remarkably  extend  the  lifetime  of  a  game  whereby  players  can  continuously  create  content  out  of  their  own  will  and  creative  to  play  them,  this  in-­‐turn  keeps  them  playing  for  much  longer.  

   

LittleBigPlanet  3  

Portfolio  Project  6  

 

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- The  benefits  of  User  Generated  Contents  (UGC)  are  that:      

Ø They  allow  players  to  gain  a  lot  in  a  game  by  getting  more  involved  and  using  their  creativity  to  make  extra  contents  for  a  game.  Ø It  makes  games  more  interesting  and  more  enjoyable  because  you’re  making  better  or  otherwise  exceptional  content  that  the  

developers  couldn’t  have  thought  of.    Ø It  provided  an  alternative  of  play  or  a  better  gaming  

experience,  the  ability  to  create  and  share  your  own  content  brings  a  hall  new  dimension  of  playing  which  in-­‐turn  boost  players  gaming  experience.  

Ø It  provided  an  extra  style  of  play  whereby  players  create  their  own  content  that  can  lead  to  a  completely  new  style  of  play  and  a  new  game  as  oppose  to  the  original  game.  Mario  maker  is  a  perfect  example  of  how  a  game  with  UGC  makes  a  game  more  interesting  than  it  was  without.  The  new  Mario  maker  is  a  new  version  of  the  Super  Mario  Bros  games,  which  has  a  level  editor  that  allows  you  create  your  own  levels.    

Ø This  also  shows  that  UGC  can  take  a  game  that  you  might  have  played  for  a  few  hours  and  extend  it  to  something  you  can  enjoy  for  years  to  come.  

Ø It  can  substantially  increase  the  sales  and  value  of  a  game  due  to  vast  amount  of  contents  created  and  shared  by  users.            

 

Mario  Maker  

Portfolio  Project  6  

 

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- The  main  drawbacks  of  UGC  are  that:    

Ø From  a  developers  point  of  view,  it  allows  player  to  make  more  interesting  things  than  what  they  can  offer,  which  gives  players  more  credibility  as  oppose  to  the  developer,  even  though  they  made  the  game.  

Ø The  tools  allowed  or  provided  are  often  limited  or  not  great  enough  to  exploit  the  creativity  of  players.  

Ø There’s  also  a  lack  of  moderation  and  control,  whereby  it  allows  players  to  do  what  ever  they  like  and  this  often  leads  to  player  creating  offensive  or  undesirable  contents.  

Ø The  UGC  tools  in  certain  games  don’t  often  provide  enough  space  for  player  to  create  contents  that  they  want  or  on  a  large  scale.    

 - Although  this  might  not  be  a  drawback,  User  Generated  Contents  

generally  differ  depending  on  the  games  or  genre.    

Ø Racing  games  with  UGC  would  usually  have  a  content  creator  that  allows  players  to  customise  their  vehicle,  their  character  or  to  create  routes  or  racing  tracks.  

Ø Fighting  games  with  UGC  would  typically  have  a  level  editor  that  allows  players  to  create  their  level  or  the  game  might  have  a  character  customisation  that  allows  players  customise  or  create  their  own  character,  as  well  as  letting  you  make  you  character  have  different  abilities  and  attributes.  These  are  often  found  in  WWE  2k  Games  and  Fight  Night  boxing  games    

Ø Action  or  Adventure  games  with  UGC  mostly  have  level  editors  or  map  editors  that  allow  you  create  contents  on  a  larger  scale  like  in  Far  Cry  games  or  Minecraft.  In  addition,  most  action,  adventure  and  role  playing  games  often  include  UGC  tools  that  allows  players  to  create  little  things  like  emblems,  or  customise  characters  and  avatars  as  well  as  customising  items  such  as  weapons  or  armours.  

WWE  2K15  

Portfolio  Project  6  

 

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To  conclude,  user  generated  contents  allow  users  to  create  and  manipulate  games  in  their  own  way,  it  opens  up  an  endless  world  of  possibilities,  which  is  why  UGC  undoubtedly  makes  games  better  and  more  interesting.  Although  there  aren’t  many  games  out  there  supporting  UGC,  there  are  still  few  games  that  would  remarkably  benefit  from  the  concept.    

Take  F1  Race  Stars  example,  it  could  have  undoutbably  had  user  generated  content  features  that  allowed  players  to  create  their  own  tracks  and  karts.  The  game  was  first  released  in  2012  and  was  based  on  the  2012  Formula  One  Season.  It  is  made  with  the  similar  kart-­‐racing  style  of  games  like  LittleBigPlanet  Karting  or  ModNation  Racers.  It  is  designed  with  circuits  that  resembles  real  F1  racing  circuits  but  it  including  kart  racing  features  like  loops  jumping,  pick  up  items,  speed  boost,  short  cuts  and  speedy  runways  including  many  different  weaponries  used  to  damage  other  drivers  like  in  Sonic  &  Sega  All-­‐Stars  Racing.  The  game  has  an  outstanding  resemblance  with  LittleBigPlanet  karting,  as  they  are  both  kart-­‐racing  games.  As  part  of  the  LittleBigPlanet  series,  LittleBigPlanet  Karting  has  a  user  generated  content  features  that  was  fully  adopted  from  ModNation  Racers,  both  developed  by  United  Front  Games.  The  User  Generated  Content  (UGC)  used  in  both  ModNation  Racers  and  LittleBigPlanet  karting  could  have  also  been  added  in  F1  Race  Stars.  These  games  have  a  profound  similarity  whereby  they  adopt  the  same  system,  features  and  style,  from  small  characters,  fast  kart  vehicles,  speedy  tracks,  jumping  platforms,  pick-­‐ups  and  many  sort  of  weaponries.  However  if  F1  Race  Stars  had  embrace  that  motto  of  “play,  create  and  share”  like  LittleBigPlanet  Karting  it  would  have  been  a  much  better  game  and  much  more  valued  than  what  it  is  now.  In  addition,  LittleBigPlanet  Karting  is  a  much  and  has  a  better  reputation  than  F1  Race  Stars  mainly  due  to  the  fact  that  it  embraced  that  creative  outlet  (UGC)  from  LittleBigPlanet  series,  which  made  the  game  more  interesting,  unique  and  enjoyable  to  play.  It  had  more  acclaims  than  F1  Race  Stars  because  the  UGC  features  included  in  the  game  made  it  much  more  creative  and  interesting  than  it  is  without  UGC.  This  allowed  it  to  have  a  bigger  impact  among  the  community  and  it  shows  how  much  of  an  impact  LittleBigPlanet  Karting  has  as  oppose  to  F1  Race  Stars  that  hasn’t  got  UGC.  The  similar  sort  of  UGC  used  in  LittleBigPlanet  Karting  could  have  easily  been  included  in  F1  Race  Stars  and  when  you  play  F1  Race  Stars,  you  can  easily  imagine  it  with  UGC  when  you  think  of  LittleBigPlanet  Karting  or  ModNation  Racers.  This  would  have  made  the  game  more  successful  and  interesting.

F1  Race  Stars  

Portfolio  Project  6  

 

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The  User  Generated  Content  (UGC)  tools  used  in  LittleBigPlanet  Karting  and  ModNation  Racers  basically  allowed  players  to  build  racetrack  environments.  These  made  both  games  more  enjoyable  to  play  and  if  F1  Race  Stars  had  adopted  these  tools,  it  would  have  also  made  the  game  more  interesting  because  it  would  have  given  players  a  better  reason  why  they  should  play  the  game.  

ModNation  Racers  has  a  (Creation  Station)  UGC  feature  that  includes  a  “Track  Studio”,  a  “Mod  Studio”,  and  a  “Kart  Studio”  which  allows  you  to  create  racing  environments  with  background  themes,  editable  terrain,  adjustable  road  paving’s  as  well  as  a  steamrollers  thing  to  make  tracks.  Similarly,  LittleBigPlanet  Karting  has  a  UGC  feature  called  “Track  Creation”  which  has  editing  tools  found  in  LittleBigPlanet  games  and  ModNation  Racers,  that  allows  you  to  build  your  own  tracks,  design  unique  power-­‐ups  and  customise  your  characters  and  karts.            

If  F1  Race  Stars  had  these  UGC  tools  to  create  tracks  and  customise  characters  or  vehicle,  the  game  would  have  been  more  interesting  and  desirable  to  play.  Players  would  have  had  the  possibility  create  an  endless  amount  of  UGC  games,  which  would  have  made  the  game  so  valuable  and  popular.    

ModNation  Racers  LittleBigPlanet  Karting