I want to hear from you!

I am currently working on a flash game website and I wanted to know what you guys liked so I could improve my site. So I have a set of 5 questions for you to answer:

1. What is your favorite flash game website?

2. Why do you like that website?

3. What do you like to see in flash game websites?
a) Lots of games!
b) Points, medals and scoring
c) A cool design

4. What are your favorite types of flash games. Eg: Action, Shooting?

5. What sort of design of a webpage do you like?
a) Simple
b) Dark colors
c) Bright and colorful


Thanks guys it would be great to get some answers back so please post!

Bieng a social scientist myself I can't help comment on your survey. Your doing a partial quantative study, while I get the impression that the categories weren't the outcome of a previous qualitative study, but just educated guesses. Especially question 2 and 3 give me that impression. First you have an open question asking what I like in my favorite website and then a question asking what would make a website a favorite, but only then I've got to choose between three categories. Let's say its my favorite website because it has good games. What would I choose at question three? Four is actually an open question, while that could be easily categorised to make statistical analysis a lot easier.

I would say change question 3 in something like: "What would you like to see improved on that website and why?" (Double question, but I don't think it's a biggie here) Make questions 1, 2, 3 and 5 open questions. Make 4, and maybe 1 so you could do a content analysis on the websites first, closed questions.

Wow TOdorus.

I was just going to ask why he didn't use the thread he'd already started pretty much about the same thing.

Glad I didn't now after your reply.

Oh arse.

Squize.

This is the kind of feedback I would get in my first year. Dit it sound that harsh? I'm used to a member of the methods faculty viewing research and survey design as a very black and white practice and have no problem in letting you know. They have that luxury of a black and white field.

There are good points too though: a good and honest introduction and a nice short list. Both very important when using the internet. A test-retest is also a good idea (question 2 and 3), but I don't think it will work here even if 3 would be an open question.

I think a content analysis would go a lot further with your goal in mind. The complaints and praises on portals are already out there in their forums. Just look through them for answers on what people would like out of a portal. There is no need to go create your own data. Also: keep in mind that there are probably different groups of people coming to these portals. As Nintendo and Popcap showed: games used to only cater to the needs of the hardcore gamers and not the casual gamers. These are pretty distinct groups with their own wishes and probably could be made more specific.

"Dit it sound that harsh?"

No, far from it, it was just a shock to see the tone raised around here with such a well constructed response.

Squize.

Umm... Is it just me or did every reply made here sort of not follow what the topic poster requested. He expected opinions on what makes a flash game website good, not opinions on what questions he should ask...

I personally can't say too much because I'm not really a big Flash game fan that has played like 100 flash games or anything.

But so far I like newgrounds the best, Idk.

Perhaps the advice given so far in the thread will help Jordan to refine his questions to get a better response ?

Also, you answered only one of his questions ( Backed up with a "Idk" ), so perhaps you should have helped in at the same time as highlighting faults with the replies so far ?

Squize.

I am going to go ahead and take the time and answer the questions for you since noone has done the courtesy so far.

For the sake of clarity, I have color coded my answers and your questions in no peticular order.

1. What is your favorite flash game website?

None

2. Why do you like that website?

NA

3. What do you like to see in flash game websites?
a) Lots of games!
b) Points, medals and scoring
c) A cool design

None of the above

4. What are your favorite types of flash games. Eg: Action, Shooting?

Puzzles

5. What sort of design of a webpage do you like?
a) Simple
b) Dark colors
c) Bright and colorful


Doen't matter



I hope this information is usefull.

I don't play a ton of flash games so I'm not sure how much my opinion is worth, but:

1. What is your favorite flash game website?
Newgrounds I suppose

2. Why do you like that website?
Aesthetics, plenty of games, and also a lot of flash movies and music.

3. What do you like to see in flash game websites?
A, but only to a certain extent. Having the games well organized and easily search-able is also nice.

4. What are your favorite types of flash games. Eg: Action, Shooting?
Shooters, Strategy games and RPG's.

5. What sort of design of a webpage do you like?
c) Bright and colorful - I guess.

Thanks to everyone who answered

You have not mentioned whether you want to start a passive website with only games, or an elaborate dynamic site with member pages, blogs, reviews, badges, online posts/threads, facility to publish games, rewards, game rating
and other innovative features.
:confused:

Well thats what im thinking of doing

How about this for a set of questions:

1. Do you like to be able to sign up for an account on a website or it doesnt really matter?

2. What are your favorite kinds of flash games?

3. Do you like to be able to earn badges/ achievements?

1) It depends on what the site offers, ie it has to be worthwhile going through a sign up, otherwise no one will bother.

2) Retro, experimental and puzzle. Although I'd expect a portal to cover the whole range of games rather than be a niche site.

3) Yep, that goes along with 1), that's the carrot to encourage people to sign up.

I think you should look at the top sites and see what they offer. Kong and NG both offer a very active community. Also Xbox Live should be a starting point for any new portal, they've just nailed it perfectly.

Squize.

I find sites where you sign up to be annoying really. Rarely do signup sites allow you to function when NOT signed in, and I prefer to not sign up.

For example:
Sites that let you comment on blogs/games/videos that do not have signups let you do this quickly and easily.
Sites that have these features and a signup almost always MAKE you sign up to do the same thing you can do at other sites when NOT signed up.

All that said, the site I run now does require signup because we had problems with anonymous posters. So what I like as a browser and what I like as an admin are totally different. I am a pot who calls the kettle black.

I do not have a membership to any game portal and find the fact that they don't let me comment on games annoying even though I understand the reasoning. I don't have to be rational during my free time.

1. What is your favorite flash game website?

Anything with hentai.


2. Why do you like that website?

Hentai.


3. What do you like to see in flash game websites?
a) Lots of games!
b) Points, medals and scoring
c) A cool design

d) Hentai


4. What are your favorite types of flash games. Eg: Action, Shooting?

Hentai!


5. What sort of design of a webpage do you like?
a) Simple
b) Dark colors
c) Bright and colorful

Pinks, whites, flesh tones...

lol ok thanks to everyone who posted! Keep them coming!

Me me me !

1. What is your favorite flash game website?
New grounds, Nitrome

2. Why do you like that website?
Lots of good games, variety, ranking of games (for NG)

3. What do you like to see in flash game websites?
a) Lots of games!

4. What are your favorite types of flash games. Eg: Action, Shooting?
everything from casual puzzle, plateform to dating sim, but I like originality, see http://blog.onemorelevel.com/?p=12

5. What sort of design of a webpage do you like?
b) Dark colors, that don't hurt my poor eyes

1. Do you like to be able to sign up for an account on a website or it doesnt really matter?
I don't quite like it but, as Squize said, if there's something that encourages me to do so then it doesn't matter, as Newgrounds does.

2. What are your favorite kinds of flash games?
Strategy, shooters, platformers, RPG (but not with lot of texts :P)

3. Do you like to be able to earn badges/ achievements?
Shure! That's cool.

Cool thanks