These days literally hundreds of companies are promising to deliver the next big Massively Multiplayer Online tour de force. But it may serve us well to remember that even the simplest of multiplayer games usually ends in more whimper than bang. In fact, the commercial success rate for multiplayer games and game communities is downright dismal. As a person deeply involved with several epic failures (as well as a hit or two), I will present design, technical, and business techniques you can emulate to ensure that your multiplayer game becomes a party nobody shows up for.

1. Yes, You Too Can Fail at Multiplayer! Games 20 Easy Lessons By David Fox , VP Technology , iWin (dfox@iwin.com)

2. Multiplayer Games Are Like Restaurants

9. MMOG Hype

10. $100,000,000 9You $50,000,000 Realtime Worlds $40,000,000 Turbine $15,000,000 Hidden City Games $12,000,000 Gaia Online $8,000,000 Grockit $7,800,000 Vivox $7,000,000 EveryScape $6,500,000 Gizmoz $6,000,000 iOpener $5,800,000 ROCKETON $4,500,000 IGG, Inc. $4,250,000 Sparkplay Media $4,000,000 C3L3B Digital $3,700,000 FlowPlay $3,200,000 Fluid Entertainment $3,000,000 Seasky $1,900,000 Akoha $1,500,000 GoFish $1,000,000 Rebel Monkey $1,000,000 PlayFish $1,000,000 Dizzywood $800,000 Handipoints $530,000 Chapatiz Funded Company

13. Family Feud Online Party

14. Jewel Quest III Tournament

15. Cram In More Features. Good. Now More! 01 Lesson

16. Ah, PlayLink

17. Pogo

18. ClassicGames.com (Yahoo)

19. Features Matrix   Enhanced Profiles   Expressive Chat  Custom Avatars   Automatic Tournaments    Invite to Table    PlayLink  Play As Guest Saving / Resuming   Observing PlaySite Pogo ClassicGames

24. Any Audience Worth Its Salt Will Build Organically 02 Lesson

29. Get Massively! 03 Lesson

30. Uneven Distribution

31. Shut Out

33. Glitz Is All They Really Care About 04 Lesson

34. “ Classic” Games

35. NEW IMPROVED Games!

38. Now, Now. Polite People Take Turns 05 Lesson

39. Wordscape Conversion

40. Wordscape Online Party

42. Pogo’s Top Games

43. Panacea?

44. Take Yer Winning Single-Player Mechanic Then “Drop In” More People! 06 Lesson

46. Leaderboards Are Not Multiplayer

47. Is Bingo Really Multiplayer?

48. Panacea?!?

49. Can’t Go Wrong With a Big Brand! 07 Lesson

50. Trivial Pursuit Online Party

51. Innovate in Design at All Costs! 08 Lesson

54. Jewel Quest Java

56. What’re Ya a Wuss?! Build It Yourself! 09 Lesson

58. Er, Right. I Meant… Buy All Your Tech! 10 Lesson

61. My Kung Fu Has No Weakness! 11 Lesson

64. Disasters Happen

67. I’m Money with My AAA+++ Team 12 Lesson

68. Risk Online Party

69. Planned Network Design

70. Actual Network Design

71. Fire and Forget, Launch and Laugh, Gold Master and Go! 13 Lesson

72. Family Feud Flatness

73. Get Episodic!

77. Gotsta Get Creative with Your Business Plan 14 Lesson

82. Designers Design, Marketers Sell 15 Lesson

85. Free To Play is The Only Way 16 Lesson

88. I’m on , I Can’t Lose! 17 Lesson

91. Free Community Volunteers Can Do All the Dirty Work 18 Lesson

95. Cheaters Never Win in the End 19 Lesson

96. Cheating Takes Many Forms

98. Give Up! 20 Lesson

102. Hungry for More?

105. Let’s Discuss! 20. Give Up! 10. Er, Right. I Meant… Buy All Your Tech! 19. Cheaters Never Win in the End 9. What’re Ya, a Wuss? Build It Yourself! 18. Free Community Volunteers Can Do All the Dirty Work 8. Innovate in Design at All Costs! 17. I’m on Facebook, I Can’t Lose! 7. Can’t Go Wrong With a Big Brand! 16. Free to Play Is the Only Way 6. Take Yer Winning Single-Player Mechanic Then “Drop In” More People! 15. Designers Design, Marketers Sell 5. Now, Now. Polite People Take Turns 14. Gotsta Get Creative with Your Business Plan 4. Glitz Is All They Really Care About 13. Fire and Forget, Launch and Laugh, Gold Master and Go! 3. Get Massively 12. I’m Money with My AAA+++ Team 2. Any Audience Worth Its Salt Will Build Organically 11. My Kung Fu Has No Weakness! 1. Cram In More Features. Good. Now More!