Games User Researcher @Blizzard_Ent @PlayOverwatch. Psych & game design background. Loves games, music, MMA, research, and games 4 mental health #payitforward
Laguna Beach, CA, USA
Joined May 2012
- Tweets2.1K
- Following364
- Followers607
- Likes8K
Stadium player feedback out in the wild, oh my! The folks in our Playtests were truly fabulous
Since it was announced, we’ve been working to polish and tweak Stadium alongside players in its Closed Alpha Playtest 🛠️
Check out today’s blog to learn how Stadium has evolved since Overwatch 2 Spotlight before hopping in on Apr 22 🤩
✨ blizz.ly/3Er4E7r
82
Stadium is coming! It's been amazing to be a part of this and cannot wait for what our players will cook up and break
Big arena, bigger plays. Welcome to Stadium! 🏟️
🙌 New permanent game mode
⚔️ Best-of-7, round-based play
💵 Earn Stadium Cash & build your loadout
🎮 Third-person AND First-person modes
Stadium arrives on Apr 22 💥
7
559
So excited for this to be announced. Been amazing seeing this develop, bring in player feedback, and witness the many surpriring and wild ways players leverage Mods!
Season 16 is bringing an entirely new way to experience Overwatch 2 with the introduction of Stadium 🔥
Check out the all-new powers system, third-person combat, revamped maps, and more before Stadium officially launches in Season 16 💥
1
3
201
Thrilled to see our own Amanda Cullen and David Kingsbury featured here leading the charge on the front line of User Research and "player first" thinking
Wow, so I'm in this video talking about UR for D4! I'm proud of the work I do at Blizzard, amplifying player voices and experiences to build worlds like Sanctuary where all are welcome.
Follow the link in the thread if you're interested in sharing your experience with Blizzard.
2
95
OW2's best patch getting even better with fine tuning coming in hot. Best time to play for sure!!
This Post is from an account that no longer exists. Learn more
4
731
Biggest patch in Overwatch history?! Super excited for our players to get such a passionately worked on overhaul to OW today! Especially proud to have had the chance to work with our Devs on the drastic improvements coming to the Competitive experience. 1/4
This one’s for you, Champions 💪
In our latest blog, learn more about everything new coming when Season 9: Champions launches TOMORROW 🏆
📝 blizz.ly/3OHhVKS
1
1
193
Top 5 Vinyl Acquisitions of 2023
1. Alice Coltrane ft. Pharoah Sanders - Journey In Satchidananda
2. Talk Talk - Spirit Of Eden
3. Weedeater - God Luck & Good Speed
4. Viagra Boys - Cave World
5. Richard Wright - Wet Dream (Stephen Wilson's Remix/Remaster)
🧵w/ mini-reviews⬇️
1
192
Been using a different recording / delivery of this same breakdown to pass on how we need to structure our stories as researchers. With a good structure, our stories will be memorable and impactful - we can tell a story without "storytelling".
In 4 minutes, Kurt Vonnegut explains stories better than anyone I’ve ever heard.
“The shape of the curve is what matters. Not their origins.”
He plots stories on 2 axes:
X: Time
Y: Good fortune / ill fortune
He goes on to say,
“Somebody gets into trouble, then gets out of it again. People love that story. They never get tired of it.”
Point 1:
Stories have defined patterns.
In Joseph Campbell’s Hero of a Thousand Faces, he makes the case for the Hero’s Journey.
Since then, it’s become the most famous storytelling structure in the world.
Vonnegut argued stories could be divided into 8 shapes.
Each story, he said, fit one of the 8.
Point 2:
Vonnegut says,
“Be a sadist. No matter how sweet and innocent your leading characters, make awful things happen to them — so the reader may see what they're made of.”
To see who your characters really are, you have to make them suffer.
Only then does your audience have someone worth cheering for.
Point 3:
End on a high note.
Vonnegut says, “It’s not accidental that the line ends up higher than where it began. This is encouraging to readers.”
The way a story makes people feel when they finish is how they remember it.
It’s called recency bias.
Lift people up and they will love you.
***
“There are people. There are stories. The people think they shape the stories, but the reverse is often closer to the truth.”
I wrote this with @RobbieCrab. Follow him for lessons on storytelling + fundraising.
And I talk about creative storytelling & writing fiction. Follow me @nathanbaugh27 for more like that.
1
144
A petition is circulating citing an Israeli "genocide" and demanding a "ceasefire" w/o any mention of the 150+ Israeli hostages ripped from their homes.
I cannot sign this in good conscience. For anyone on the fence, please read to better understand. docs.google.com/document/d/1…
The games industry's silence on the Palestinian genocide is disgusting, and this needs to change.
To all gamedevs: Please read our letter to The Game Awards, sign it, and share it as much as you can. Palestinians need all the support we can give ✊🏽🇵🇸
📩forms.gle/oxnB1PKMxVuYUJUB6
1
534
"Drinks Among Friends"
A small piece I wrote yesterday about a shattered reality
docs.google.com/document/d/1…
126
Friends, those responsible for the indiscriminate murder of >1K Israelis this weekend in their homes (women, babies, elderly) would do the same to you all in an instant if they could.
But I would be the first to go for the crime of being a Jew. LGBTQ next on the list. Wake up.
1
177
Just donated.
If you've been afraid to speak about the worst attack on Western Civilization since 9/11, and don't know what to do - here at least is a reputable group providing meals worth your consideration.
paypal.com/pools/c/8Yjm2FC6D…
After Flashpoint's India, this was the first map we got to work closely on. Was great to have a strong research proof of concept by testing out the map during blockout phase. Stoked to see folks learn more and get their hands on it soon!
New Map, Confirmed 👀 🗺️
Join @OhReallyJared and @aaronkellerOW during the #OWLGrandFinals on Oct 1 as they dive into Season 7's new Control Map: SAMOA 🌴
2
38
2,899
Few things more exciting than bringing on new team members! Will be helping with their onboarding, which means learning maybe even as much as we are imparting.
221
Congrats to my outstanding colleague Amanda! Book out now on the social science of Live Streaming culture.
Real Life in Real Time is officially out today through @mitpress! So wonderful to see the hard work of my fellow editors and our authors out in the world. Enjoy!
mitpress.mit.edu/97802625456…
2
237
It's been a long time coming - nothing but gratitude and respect for this amazing Dev Team! Privileged that user Research had its hand in just about all of this amazing work. See you on the battlefield! youtube.com/watch?v=z7usG2oK…
4
204
Presentations from the @GamesUR Summit are up! Personal faves are from @queenofthedilly, @DrakeLevere, and @TikiTheHutt from Riot Games. (No shade: I wasn't able to attend every talk) youtube.com/playlist?list=PL…
64
