Microsoft Game Stack

Role & Duration

Creative Technologist | BaM

Information Architecture, Interaction, Prototyping & testing

Dec 2018 - Mar 2019

Overview

Game Stack allows developers to use Microsoft products and services to address their game development needs. In 2019 Microsoft launched their new brand Microsoft Game Stack at GDC, the Game Developer Conference.

With over 29,000 industry professionals in attendance, GDC is the world’s largest and longest-running event serving professionals dedicated to the art and science of making games.

Microsoft approached us to create a fun way to draw attention to their booth and create brand recognition. We created a card game to hand out as conference attendees visited their booth.

Challenge

Game developers are very intelligent consumers that want authenticity from a brand. As conference attendees they see hundreds of booths vying for their attention and businesses. How can we standout from the crowd, make a memorable impact, and create a positive brand recognition that is portrayed in an authentic manner?

Project Details

“I want to hand out a board game for game developers”

The client was passionate about board games and had always wanted to make a game. When given the chance to design a booth experience for Microsoft's new Game Stack brand he knew he wanted to have a memorable handout for the conference attendees. With our history of creating games experiences for clients we were contracted to help him put it together.

During out Discover Process I conducted research to better understand the industry and my users. We discussed goals for the game.

Goals

Positive response from conference goers
Distribute half of the copies with the ability to hand out more at other developer conferences
Brand recognition

Metrics

Track social media for mentions of the brand and the game
Have at least half of the copies handed out over the course of the conference

My Role

Discover

Competitive Analysis
Audience Discovery
User Scenarios

Concepting

Wireframes
Design

Prototyping

User Testing & Iteration
Presentation

The Approach

Using game development companies and employees as our primary users we were to create an interactive experience. Our users would be in a busy conference hall visiting multiple booths and conferences throughout the 5 day conference. Our experience would be passed out at the booth and would need to inform and enforce brand recognition after the attendee had left.

Low - Fidelity cards

Card Design

Discovery

Our research began with several rounds of various card games, noting game mechanics we liked from each. We storyboarded multiple types of games on a white board and wrote a presentation for our top 5 to the client. Each concept had unique game play and storyline prepared for the client to aid in their investment decision.

We built a betrayal card game that set players as opposing game studios. As players attempted to be the first to build their studio, and send games through the creation process and creating a winning game catalog their opponents used various tactics to delay them.

Box Design

Game Stack Branding

The Challenges

Game Developers - an industry of skeptics

We began with industry research for game development companies and their employees. The developer community is very knowledgeable about company marketing strategies and any feigned effort that felt like we were trying to be one of the cool kids would be met with cynicism. The developer community can quickly gather on social platforms and ruin a marketing plan.

Solution

We knew our game needed to be genuine and come from a place of fun. The advertising in the box needed to be carefully integrated and placed around the fun of the game. We focused our efforts on creating a positive experience while also poking fun at the industry.

Conference Attendees on the move

Attendees are bombarded with sights and sounds throughout big conferences. With such a large conference there would be many other booths that would pull conference attendees away and keep them on the move. We knew we had little time to capture their attention.

Solution

As a way to give more time with our brand we reserved a space outside of the main hall where we set up a lounge with tables. Attendees looking for a place to sit, relax, grab a drink and a snack and take up a game with other attendees.

Attention to the Brand

While we wanted to get the game into as many hands as possible the real goal was to supply attendees with information about the Microsoft Game Stack and create brand recognition.

Solution

The game was designed to match the branding of Game Stack, making the brand recognizable and giving attendees a reminder when they got back from the conference. To keep attendees at the booth and to learn about Game Stack features attendees were awarded special "game breaking" cards while visiting with workers from each area of the booth.

The Work

Reference Card Design

Prtotype Testing

Card Copy

prototype

Results

GDC is a 5 day conference with over 29,000 attendees as of 2019. At the end of the conference Microsoft had distributed every copy of the game. Response from the conference attendees was overwhelmingly positive in person and on social media, and our client was thrilled with the results.

We were very proud of our game. We made the game and had it ready to ship in a matter of weeks. We couldn't have accomplished that without the team around us who provided us with art, copy and professional printing.

As members of a small group of game enthusiasts and developers, my co-author and I spend our free time making games and discussing the stories and events surrounding the gaming industry. This unique user insight was a valuable asset that allowed us to prepare user journey's.

The thing we most wish we could have done differently was a faster play style. The game was fun, but we would like to have made the play time quicker. Some of the cards we had in our deck we felt could be played at any time instead of on a player turn.

Once everything had settled down I sat down with my co-author and we discussed our reactions in a podcast.

We also had the opportunity to find social media posts from attendees with their reactions to the game.

Microsoft Game Stack

Project Details

The Approach

The Challenges

The Work

Results

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