Designing SimCity BuildIt

Petri IkonenCreative Director

tracktwentypikonen@ea.com

About Me• Creative Director at tracktwenty

• Game Designer since 2003• Previously worked on:• J2ME Games

• PC Downloadable Casual Games • Touchscreen Premium Games

• F2P Facebook Games

About EA tracktwenty

• EA’s mobile game studio in Helsinki, Finland• Established in 2012• Fully focused on Mobile

Outline1. Reimagining SimCity2. Mobile UI/UX Design3. Players first – Player-

centric design4. Design Culture &

Processes

1. Let’s Reimagine SimCity for F2P and Mobile!

Well, easier said than done!

1. Reimagining SimCity

• PC -> Mobile– Big Screen -> Small Screen– Mouse / Keyboard -> Touchscreen– Long Sessions -> Short sessions– Premium -> F2P

• Hardcore -> Casual– Complexity -> Simplicity

1. Reimagining SimCity

• Conflicts– We wanted to be true to the IP– We wanted to keep simulation

• Done, but was extremely difficult match with F2P

– We wanted to keep the depth and freedom of choices

• Finding the right balance was tough – who are our players?

1. Reimagining SimCity

• A very difficult project from Design point of view• Lessons learned

– Understand the DNA of the IP, design from scratch– Be ready for multiple design pivots– Design for players and their motivations

2. How about UI and UX?

2. Mobile UI / UX Design

• How to fit all information on a small screen?

• How to build a city with touch controls?

• How to support mobile UX?

•asdEarly design mock-up

2. Mobile UI / UX• Design == UI• Simplify, simplify, simplify• Paper prototype first• Abandon conventions from old platforms• Touch Controls need countless iteration rounds• Embrace typical mobile usage patterns, e.g. short sessions, playing when commuting, small download size, etc.

3. Let’s put Players First

• To whom to design? • Who are playing your game?

3. Players First• Know your players

– Research– Serve your audience– Test early and often– Cross-check with metrics during soft launch

4. Design Culture & Process• How do you

design and communicate?

• How do you engage the team with design?

4. Design Culture & Process• Avoid lonely designer

– Engage and challenge the whole team• Motivation and ownership raises

– Iterate processes to maximize agility– Great team culture (may) save your project

• Trust• Transparency• “Never give up”• Brutally honest design culture

Wrap Up!

1. SimCity BuildIt – reimaging city building on mobile2. Mobile UI/UX Design

• UI / UX == Design3. Player’s first – Player centric design

• Audience? What do they value?4. Design Culture & Processes

• Open, honest culture, include the whole team on Game Design

Key Takeaway?

Key Takeaway?

Importance of user testing1) Know your

players 2) Validate Design

with user testing

Thank You!

Questions?pikonen@ea.com