What I Learned - 16 ( Way Late )

OK - this is really late.  However, this update shows-off a plethora of new content (soon to be followed by all I learned at GDC Next).  Read, enjoy, learn something new!

What I Learned - 10/27 to 11/9

1. Saying that something is "released" instead of "finished" is a great way to counter any issues that arise post a game's launch.
1. Bungie Podcast 10/25/13
2. The order of receiving benefits / let-downs is very important.  Examples: a good thing followed by a "less" good thing will decrease happiness; a very bad thing followed by a not-as-bad thing will increase happiness.
1. NPR story about Halloween and happiness after receiving candy
3. Just because something has mechanics, points, levels, challenges, etc. doesn't mean that a game is present.
1. Nils Pihl; What are Rewards?  Decoding the Game Ep.2
4. A person playing a finite game, where some quantifiable measurement is present, will take more risks than a player in an infinite game, where they wish to keep going.
1. ex: Tetris players going for a high score vs. those wanting to last the longest.
2. Nils Pihl; What are Rewards?  Decoding the Game Ep.2
5. Tokens (finite points) displayed ingame will generate very different playstyles than if a timer (infinite points) is shown.
1. Nils Pihl; What are Rewards?  Decoding the Game Ep.2
6. "A point is only rewarding when it is a token of a currency that the player values."
1. Nils Pihl; What are Rewards?  Decoding the Game Ep.2
7. All editable settings in Windows 7, 8, and maybe more are available if this code is entered as the name of a folder: GodMode.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}
1. NOTE: I have not tried this!
2. Imgur
3. 
8. "Necessity is a poor motivator", therefore, to force a player out of their way for something because they 'have too' is a lacking design.
1. Nils Pihl; What is Play?  Decoding the Game Ep. 2
9. Giving instrumental (something valued because it leads to something else that holds value; ex: money) compensation for work (done because it is necessary) can lead to worse results than doing something otherwise voluntarily.
1. Nils Pihl; What is Play?  Decoding the Game Ep. 2
10. Intrinsic motivators (unnecessary things done because they are valuable in their doing / experiencing) come in three types: Autonomy, Mastery, and Purpose.
1. Nils Pihl; What is Play?  Decoding the Game Ep. 2
11. Approximately 188 games arrive in the iOS app market every day, compared to the 254 total games released in 5 years for the Sega Saturn.
1. Seth Sivak; State of the Industry: Four Frightening Facts
2.  
12. The top 20 best-selling games of 2012 weren't new IPs :(
1. Seth Sivak; State of the Industry: Four Frightening Facts
13. Just because hardware will run at a higher-than-average setting, doesn't mean it should.
1. Dave Baggett; My Hardest Bug Ever
14. Use sound cues to remove UI visuals.
1. Michel Henein; 6 Ways 3D Audio Can Expand Gaming Experiences