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| Manning Early Access Program |
Funware in Action Developing Sticky Sites with Game Mechanics Gabe Zichermann and Chris Cunningham  MEAP Release: September 2009 Softbound print: Fall 2010 | 325 pages ISBN: 9781935182078 |
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Table of Contents, MEAP Chapters & Resources
| Table of Contents | Resources |
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1 Funware, games, and business objectives - FREE
2 Your website + games: the basic recipe - AVAILABLE 3 Lessons from standalone game sites - AVAILABLE 4 Funware: integrating game design for business - AVAILABLE 5 How to make forums more fun - AVAILABLE 6 Funware and the social, mobile world Appendices a. Game service providers b. Major game-related APIs c. Game design and development resources d. Social networking APIs and resources |
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DESCRIPTION
Games are the fastest-growing and stickiest form of entertainment. For a website, games offer powerful potential to acquire new users, build engagement, and enhance revenue. Implementing games in a website can be complicated, though. There are hundreds of technical and process options to choose from, and the landscape is constantly shifting.
Funware in Action: How Fun and Games Improve Your Site shows web developers how to incorporate games into websites. This book will help you decode the possibilities and provide a series of proven and tangible strategies that any web developer, producer, or product manager can use to implement games in their website. Whether you're looking to make games the centerpiece of your site, an added-value feature, or you just want to engage and excite your users, Funware in Action will help you develop a strategy that harnesses the power of games.
Through this book, you will take away an in-depth understanding of the current state of the art in game and web planning and integration methodologies. It begins by presenting an understanding of basic "funware" principles - or how non-designers can use games to further business objectives. Powerful funware designs like frequent flyer programs, casino games, and leaderboard/ladders will be deconstructed and componentized so that you can leverage their strengths for your specific site and business objectives.
You'll then investigate the three basic recipes for melding games with the web, and look at specific examples of integration approaches that have been successfully deployed across various industries. Finally, you'll examine social networking considerations and look at code examples.
Whether you're building a business or consumer site, games and funware design can be a powerful weapon in your battle for user engagement, stickiness, and revenue. Funware in Action is the field guide that gives you the best tactics, techniques, and strategies for winning the war.
WHAT'S INSIDE
- Understanding funware and game design
- Principal funware designs: casinos frequent flyer programs, leaderboards
- Matching games to your business objectives
- Recipes for implementing games on your site
- Games, social networking and you
- Code examples
About the Author
Gabe Zichermann is a ten-year games industry veteran, sought-after strategist, popular lecturer, and serial entrepreneur. Zichermann is the co-founder of the breakthrough funware startup, rmbr, whose social game/web mashups and mobile exchange apps have received both critical and popular acclaim. In the past decade, Gabe also helped found Trymedia Systems and was an executive for the Game Developers Conference, Gamasutra.com and Game Developer magazine. He currently sits on the advisory board of four fantastic startups and is a frequent editorial contributor on the subject of game industry trends and new game design theory. Zichermann lives in New York City and really misses (good) Mexican food.
Christopher Cunningham is the CTO and Co-Founder of rmbr. Christopher's past experiences include helping found TrekMail, a breakthrough mobile email/text application that was sold to Visto in 2005, as well as deep expertise with agile development processes and distributed team management. Christopher is also an avid digital photographer and frequent writer/contributor to numerous publications and conferences. He divides his time between Europe and the US which is marginally more glamorous than it sounds.
About the Early Access Version
This Early Access version of Funware in Action enables you to receive new chapters as they are being written. You can also interact with the authors to ask questions, provide feedback and errata, and help shape the final manuscript on the Author Forum
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