My Third Year Uni Project

[Doctor Oak]

Hey guys, I'm currently working on my big 3rd year Uni project - which will be a website - and am putting out the feelers for whether or not my concept is hitting the intended audience (gamers) as I expected. If you could spare a few minutes to read my proposal and give me your opinions it would be very much appreciated.

My aim is to create a social network website specifically aimed at gamers - that allows users to set up their own page, connect with friends and share videogame content from images to trailers to news items as well as much more.

To begin with, to make it clear: this website does not replace the use of any existing website. Instead, the point is to bring all those different websites together into one easy to use source. So, users can and should still continue using Facebook, Twitter etc, should still continue to read articles on their preferred gaming news website and should very much definitely still remain a part of their online gaming community - whatever website that may be attached to. By integrating these websites and services into this one, it becomes a simple way to manage your online presence rather than just another addition to it.

You also won't have to create yet another account on another website just to use this service. So long as you already have an account on a site like Facebook or Twitter, you can use OpenID to sign in with that account.

Features include video and image hosting, using existing services such as Photobucket and Youtube where necessary. Users can also manage their own blogs, or community blogs (multiple people posting on it).

People can create a page about themselves, and can make community areas that allow existing online gaming communities to expand their presence and connect with other communities and gamers.

So, for example, say I were to make a community area for Pokecharms, people could join this group, connect and share conversations about Sonic/games in general, upload images, post about topics posted on the forum (for example, someone asking the group to check out their sprite or trade topic) as well as allowing those users to come together to be able to connect personally - which could even spread out to connecting with each other on other websites, such as Facebook, because of it - should the users be up for it.

The real focal point of the website, though, is your personal page. On this page you could have a bit of information about yourself, your favourite games, your XBL GamerTag (for example - could be PSN or Steam or whatevers), an images area with screenshots you've taken or fanart you've made or whatever, a videos area with videos you've made or linked to, status updates that include Facebook and Twitter, a blog area that one could use for writing videogame reviews, for example, in a way that gets them easily online and sharable with friends and the ability to feed in the latest updates from your regular gaming blogs/news sites/forums.

Essentially, this page could be your new home page and the starting point for your browsing every day as it gives you all your gaming and social media options in one single place where you can then jump off from.

I'm still working on the firm details and designs, and hope to use any feedback you guys may have in doing so - so please let me know what you think and as soon as I have more concrete info ready I'll be sure to share it too.

Thanks. (Also, any comments here may be used in my market research report, if you don't mind).

 

[StellarWind Elsydeon]

Everything is becoming integrated these days, so why not really. I personally wouldn't be using anything like it as not only I'm not much of an uber-gamer but also because I kinda don't like how all the sites and things blend into each other. Bad enough Facebook is assimilating everything with all its privacy issues and whatnot.

 

[Secad MS]

I have to say I like this. This may help the different areas of the gaming world be more integrated. I have heard so many times that "Pokemon isn't a real game."

I'm definitely in, Doctor!

 

[Kerauno]

I say, this sounds very interesting. But, with all the integration of the other sites and what-not, could you also access your email? Since everything else seems to be there, why not add that? But other than that, it will pull together all the different branches of gaming. Perfect idea, I say.

 

[Linkachu]

Sounds like a fun idea for gamers. I'd definitely use something like this, although I'm not sure how in-depth I'd get with it.

A few ideas to expand on the personal pages could be to add a templated "favourite games" section for people to list their top 10 favourite games or whatever (IGN has something like that on their member accounts). You could also do gaming wish lists and stuffs. Lastly, maybe you could add an option for people to create polls on their personal pages, similar to dA (if not more easily sharable)?

Just some thoughts. Looking forward to seeing further work done on this thing. ^^

 

[Louie Forest]

Wow, this sounds great! i would love the idea of a website that is a mixture of facebook and 'Charms! Good job so far, but i have no ideas towards the project. Sorry!

 

[Toastie]

That sounds like a lot of fun, and could work really well if executed nicely. I like the idea of it working as a core website with other websites, whether they are social networking, gaming news or forums, branching off of it. The amount of personalisation is good and I like the idea of having groups which are sort of like mini-forums or smaller versions of actual forums. I think a good addition to the personalisation would be writing reviews of games, which would be added to a game's groups for other people to read.

 

[Indie]

I love the idea! The concept of having one convenient location to access your facebook and twitter pages and communicate with like-minded individuals is a wonderful one. I would definetly join if it was launched.

 

[Blazi]

I love this idea! The idea is awesome, and being able to show my favourite games, any pictures I've conjured up and other stuff, it's Brilliant. I'm going to join as soon as this website is up (If it isn't already).

 

[Magpie]

Essentially, this page could be your new home page and the starting point for your browsing every day as it gives you all your gaming and social media options in one single place where you can then jump off from.

Out of all of what you said, that part stands out to me the most. Currently, I have a tonne of bookmarks for all the pages I visit. It's not like it's a huge problem, but it would be really nice to have it all there and ready on a homepage, rather than being a list/menu of bookmark folders. I wouldn't even consider myself to have half as many gaming/social media sites as most, so if I'd find the idea useful, I know many others would. Sort of like a 'bridge'.

It's always great not having to create yet another ID and password for yourself ♥

All-in-all the concept sounds like a good one. For those who play many games, I could see something like this becoming essential. The blog aspect is also appealing, since keeping everyone up to date with what you're completing/working through will always have its worth. I know quite a few people who like to share humorous or silly anecdotes and events that happen to them while gaming, so again, great idea.

 

[Doctor Oak]

Thanks for the input guys, if you could all fill in this survey about the project, it would be extremely appreciated:

http://bit.ly/projectQs

Thanks.

 

[Doctor Oak]

I've got a few variations of a logo concept for the project that I need some feedback on. If you could pick your favourite out of the 6 and respond to the poll now attached to this topic ASAP, that would be appreciated:

(P.S: Ignore any extra white space)

1:

2:

3:

4:

5:

6:

 

[Secad MS]

Ah, something totally art-based. That's more my area. I prefer the sixth version, as the thin lines allow the eye some space to 'explore' the buttons and spaces. In addition, the lack of a person allows the logo to look more like a video game controller than a house, which I am sure was the intention.

 

[Ghosty]

This sounds really cool the way you bring gamers in to one site, cause its hard if you like different games like sonic and pokemon cause you would follow to different sitesalso i voted for number six but for invise mamy change the colour sceam a bit to make it look more gamey like camo or at least darken it (you dont have to listen to it i was just giving my opinion)

-Ghosty-