{"product_id":"playing-with-balance-9781032971599","title":"Playing with Balance","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003ePlaying with Balance: Game Economy Design\u003c\/i\u003e is your guide to understanding why games are unlike any other medium: they are built on verbs, not nouns. Players donât just watch or readâthey do. Every choice, action, and interaction forms part of a living system designed to engage, challenge, and reward.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eGreat game economies are about far more than numbers or virtual currencies. They are intricately designed systems that blend anticipation, frustration, fear of missing out, and the relief of success. Through systems thinking, we can create experiences that keep players coming backânot through manipulation, but by balancing curiosity, challenge, frustration and satisfaction across days, weeks, and months of play.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOscar introduces the three loops of engagement - \u003cb\u003eCore, Context, and Culture\u003c\/b\u003e - showing how they build authentically on intrinsic player motivations to create value loops that feel desirable, meaningful, and fair. These foundations provide a framework for designing progression, difficulty, and rewards that truly resonate with different kinds of players. Youâll discover why ethical design isnât just the right thing to do, but a commercial necessityâand why short-term exploitative tactics inevitably undermine long-term loyalty and success.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDrawing on deep industry experience and insights from leading designers, this book combines diverse perspectives with practical tools to help you calculate value, balance economies, and adapt from launch through LiveOps.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhether youâre building a small indie project or running a massive live game, \u003ci\u003ePlaying with Balance: Game Economy Design\u003c\/i\u003e gives you the tools to craft mechanics that feel alive.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"CRC Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53515577229655,"sku":"9781032971599","price":47.49,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"url":"https:\/\/bookcurl.com\/products\/playing-with-balance-9781032971599","provider":"Book Curl","version":"1.0","type":"link"}