Matchmaking needs a person with a Masters in Business Administration to optimize it. Someone who understands human psychology and consumer behavior to keep people loving and playing Halo; someone who understands that the credit system could be awesome, that people love immediate gratification (1-50 ranks) not delayed gratification (four days in Arena to get a rank? Are you serious? The average player has ADD, I mean c’mon Bungie!!!)
Anyways, it shouldn’t be designed by a programmer turned matchmaking guru; its a public relations, marketing, and consumer behavior /market that needs to be optimized for success. Run by a real person who understands consumer behavior (which is what we are. Think of each time you pick Halo Reach over another game as a “purchase”).
Also the person needs to understand decision making analysis, the time value of decision making, etc., etc. There is a lot a person needs to understand to make it a success.
It would also help if they actually played the game b/c that alone would reveal so many problems with the game.
It also wouldn’t hurt if they were experienced and skilled at the game to understand how to balance it so that it is casually fun but competitively fair.
> Matchmaking needs a person with a Masters in Business Administration to optimize it. Someone who understands human psychology and consumer behavior to keep people loving and playing Halo;
I don’t think those things require a degree; you could get them elsewhere. But you’re making good points.
> someone who understands that the credit system could be awesome, that people love immediate gratification (1-50 ranks) not delayed gratification (four days in Arena to get a rank? Are you serious? The average player has ADD, I mean c’mon Bungie!!!)
Aaaand here’s where I have to disagree. Instant feedback for the sake of convenience is fine; instant feedback for the sake of turning the game into a -Yoink!- Skinner box is not.
> Instant feedback for the sake of convenience is fine; instant feedback for the sake of turning the game into a -Yoink!- Skinner box is not.
Hey, 343 could learn a lot from Zynga.
Like the value of charging us real world money for every single convience we currently enjoy. Or making our rank decay if we don’t play every six hours.
> > Instant feedback for the sake of convenience is fine; instant feedback for the sake of turning the game into a -Yoink!- Skinner box is not.
>
> Hey, 343 could learn a lot from Zynga.
>
> Like the value of charging us real world money for every single convience we currently enjoy. Or making our rank decay if we don’t play every six hours.
and then get hit with a class action law suit for copy right infringement!
> > Instant feedback for the sake of convenience is fine; instant feedback for the sake of turning the game into a -Yoink!- Skinner box is not.
>
> Hey, 343 could learn a lot from Zynga.
>
> Like the value of charging us real world money for every single convience we currently enjoy. Or making our rank decay if we don’t play every six hours.
It just needs someone who actually understands both sides of the fence (casual and hardcore) while knowing that you need to have incentive to improve in game (I.E ranking system) and not some MMO ranking system based on playing time rather than skill.
At the same time, giving a nice amount of social playlists for everyone to mess in wouldn’t hurt anyone either. As long as there is a balance; catering to one side or the other is just going to piss off the otherside. Seriously, Reach is the perfect example of catering to mostly one side (I.E casual/mediocre players).
Bonus points if that person or persons are good at the game and is really competitive.
All I want of matchmaking to get matched with people who are close to my (pathetic) abilities. I don’t want to ever play with anyone who is ranked or has skills well above me. Please match me to other bad players so we can all leave a good time.
