How to make a truly successful video game

I have been a gamer for over 25 years, beginning with the Super Nintendo Entertainment System as my first console. I have seen gaming's best and I have seen it's worst, from pixels to polygons, low res to high res and have even got a very nice reply from the father of all video games himself, Ralph H. Baer, a truly great honor.

When the 21st century came around, that is when I noticed the steady decline of game popularity. What am I talking about? I'm talking about the switch of game companies from dedication and passion to monetary gain. It began with the introduction of the Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii consoles, from which an addon system known to all as downloadable content (DLC) was born. Sure extra stuff is great for games that are lacking it, but it's gotten out of hand and end users wind up paying as much as 4 times the cost of the original game, which is a crying shame if you look at it.

It didn't stop there, however. Smartphones began to take flight around the beginning of the 2010s, introducing the world to the likes of Android & iOS. From there, we saw the creation of the mobile gaming market. Then, in a short amount of time, a notorious pickpocket of a revenue-generating system was brought to the table. Microtransactions. One of the apps known to use this system is Candy Crush. I could not swallow the sheer number of purchases my mother must have made when she started playing that game, for it was one $0.99 purchase after another and I feel this kind of thing robs people blind.

Remember when I said developers exchanged passion and dedication for money? It has become very evident in modern video games. The problem with them is not because of the artwork or the content, but a matter that, to this day, still irks me. It's the fact that games are being released unfinished and full of bugs. It's a huge disappointment when you first receive your game but are unable to play it because of the errors and glitches presented straight out of the box. Whether this is on purpose or developers are forced to release it this way because of time constraints, this kind of laziness should be inexcusable. It's not a bad thing, and some platforms have this as a way to beta test everything, but still, gamers gotta have fun too.

A short but very controversial thing was the introduction of paid mods. A mod, or game modification, is a user-created file aimed to enhance or add to the gameplay and content of certain games. Bethesda, for example, went a little too far with creating a paid mods system and a lot of people hated it.

One of the cherries on top is a system that is hands-down a collective of pure thievery. A feature so unthinkable and absurd, that even governments are calling for their ban. You're asking, "What kind of system could be this hated?"

Two words: Loot boxes

Loot boxes are a content-acquisition feature that has you pay to get random items. However, there is emphasis on random and you're never guaranteed exactly what you wanted. It's basically gambling, but worse.

With all these things said, I wanted to use my years of knowledge and experience to try and express what I think the key ingredients are to make a video game that everyone will love.

Rule #1: Collaborate with the fans

The fans are always right, and it's their opinion that hinges on your success. Your best option in any case is to socialize with them, get their input and even work alongside them as the game is being developed. More help ensures that a game will be as good as it sounds.

Rule #2: Give users the freedom to shape the game to what suits them

People love creative freedom, and to give them the tools that made the game is a serious 1-Up. However, when you go to do this, don't just give them the ability to do certain things, give them access to the entire thing. Let them have the power to create new things like game modes, mechanics, physics, sound, etc. Let them have all the power and see what wonders they can come up with.

Rule #3: Make microtransactions worth the money

People need to have money in their pockets most of the time and giving something like 3 lives for $0.99 is quite miniscule. Instead, give them something like 30 lives for $0.99. People are happier and are more likely to repeat transactions if they get more bang for their buck.

Rule #4: NEVER make loot boxes random

If you're going to add loot boxes, for goodness sake, make sure they do not give players an item they already have. Instead, guarantee them that they will get everything in time and remove the buy button once they have everything. You have no idea how ecstatic they will be.

Rule #5: Make game mods adaptive and open

This might seem new, but I assume that it's because it's never been attempted. People will love it if their game mods are updated with each game patch released. Another important thing is that game mods should be open and accessible to everyone, to ensure that they can be repaired and expanded upon.

Rule #6: Try to use open source software and procedural content generators

Machine learning is one of the most ground-breaking advancements mankind has made. Procedural content software like Houdini makes use of this and can really cut down on the cost of production. Another thing that could save you in monthy/annual fees is the amount of open-source software available to the public.

Rule #7: NEVER give a release date until the game is 90%-95% complete and bug-free

Some people say, don't make promises you can't keep. This is a very good moral to follow in the field of game development. You can't just toy with people and hype up a game that will fail upon launch.

Rule #8: Give them footage of the actual game as it's being developed

Again, never start up a hype train. People need to know exactly what it is they're paying for and this is one of the most important factors to consider. Post work-in-progress media and get feedback from the fans.

Rule #9: Make the End User License Agreement human readable

Nothing is more aggravating to me than companies failure to learn from their mistakes. One perennial issue on this is the fact that EULA's are always so long and complicated that only a lawyer can read them. If you want people to comply, don't fry their brains with technicalities. Make the consumer EULA short and straight to the point, otherwise they'll skip right past it.

Rule #10: Never bite the hand that feeds

The fans are the life blood of every game company. Making them mad will only cause the company to bleed out, and that's the last thing you want. If they create nonprofit fan works, it is best to humble yourselves and let it be, for in this way will they love you a lot more.

These are just a few of the things I think are necessary when making games. Let me know what you think.

~Crossbearer1989