For all of us who still haven't received their Hogwarts acceptance letter, Harry Potter: Wizards Unite AR game is a dream come true. Being able to run around and help wizarding world stay hidden from muggles is nothing short of epic.
What's great about new Harry Potter game is the story and possibility to choose own path. Professor for smart, Magizooligst for creature lovers and Auror for the brave. But that's not all that game offers.
The motivational drivers behind the game
It works with motivational drivers. The Octalysis framework suggests that if there are no core drives present, there is no motivation to do anything. That's why certain games appeal to certain groups of people driving decisions and activities. The framework divides motivations into eight core drives.
Harry Potter: Wizards Unite aces several of core drivers:
Epic Meaning and Calling: wizarding world is in grave danger and about to be discovered by muggles. Player is the spell casting hero, helping keep the secrets hidden!
Development and Accomplishement: The further player gets in the game, the better are rewards, more interesting the fights, badges collected and profession challenges.
Curiosity and Unpredictability: What's hidden in this dark tower? If I go here, what artefacts I might find? Can I capture gnomes with forst try? What will I find in this 5km Portkey? So many questions and the only way to get answers is to play the game forward.
But how this ties together when hiding even more Easter Eggs along the game storyline?
In first week after release, Harry Potter Wizards Unite conjured 6.5 million downloads and $3 million in earnings. It was long anticipated game by Potterheads around the world. Surprisingly it actually takes some time(Level 6) to get to some great surprises, like choosing a career path or brewing potions and it has not been advertised previously.
Those first levels pass in a blur as so much is happening with alerts, collections, getting down the gameplay and, of course, visiting the fortresses to ban the evil creatures. But what if in-game treats weren't the only ones players got? What if game actually had Harry Potter collectibles like t-shirts and figurines players could unlock?
Now, players are armed with motivation and curious to see what hides around the next corner and after next 5 kilometers. But being curios and taking actions is not the same thing. That's why Triggers system should be put in place after carefully analyzing game storyline.
In Level 6 when players choose their profession, it's easy to forget all about moving forward with it, what's with all the other things happening. So why not give players sneak peak in what will happen if they complete just three easy levels?
With so much going on, in-game Rewards just tend to be lost in static
So real-world custom collectibles let's game earn money and delight players. Decals, pins and magnets at the beginning of game, exclusive, limited quantity shirts later on in the game as well as figurines and key-chains with amazing Harry Potter hero’s and details on them. Potterheads are proud fans of the franchise and displaying their affiliation with one of the houses, professional paths and other achievements are the honorable thing.
Most people start playing mobile game from the beginning just once and then move forward. Game-maker ability to keep players entertained are directly related to how long and often player will open and play the game. In case of Harry Potter, the sky is the limit with loyal audience that have grown up with the story about the boy who survived.
This is and opportunity to reward players BIG time. Like sending the to Harry Potter theme park in Florida or to Warner Bros studio in London. And let the players know that this is ahead of them. The most motivated players will get there first not sparing the time or expense involved because there's two things - Harry Potter and sweet, sweet feeling of winning and winning big.
The motivational drivers behind the game
Finding player Motivations
Triggers encouraging players to move forward
With so much going on, in-game Rewards just tend to be lost in static
Repeating and keeping the success alive
Repello muggletum!