Eric Lang, award-winning board game designer comes to Manila

Eric Lang, a popular tabletop board games and card games designer, has arrived in the Philippines to speak about games and the hobby gaming industry as well as meet local tabletop fans. Lang spoke to members of the media last June 8 at a press briefing that was aptly held in Dyce N Dyne, a board games cafe in Pasig.

A recognizable name among board game fans, Lang has made more than 30 board and card games in a career spanning 17 years. The Montreal native is well-known for creating and co-creating games based on licensed intellectual property (IP) such as Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Warhammer, Marvel,  DC, A Game of Thrones, The Godfather, and Dungeons & Dragons. He has also designed and co-designed several original games such as the Norse mythology-themed Blood Rage, fantasy sports Kaosball, horror-fantasy The Others: 7 Sins, and the upcoming Dolores.

Lang spoke at length about the hobby games market, which is the umbrella term for board games, card and dice games, collectible games, miniatures, and roleplaying games. Hobby gaming is breaking out from the traditional confines of the basement and is fast becoming a mainstream activity. Internal Correspondence, an industry publication, estimated that the hobby games market generated up to $880 million last 2014. This year, it is estimated to be now worth a few billion US dollars.

According to Lang, the professional creative process for game designers can be described as an amalgam of art and science. He’s also worn many hats while in the industry as game designer, developer, producer, and IP creator. The designer writes the rules of the game, the developer playtests the prototype, the producer prepares the prototype for manufacturing, and the IP creator is in charge of creating and adding detail to the game’s universe.

Speaking about income opportunities in the industry, Lang said that a one metric for success for a game designer is to at least have one hit game since they can earn royalties on the games in perpetuity. Although it doesn’t look like it, the prolific Lang is now making fewer games than he did three years ago. He admits that because he’s earning royalties on a few good games he’s made, he’s now living a comfortable life. This has given him the freedom to pursue his passion projects.

When it comes to the skills needed to become a games designer, Lang mentions proficiency in the following areas: psychology, linguistics, and math. A knowledge of psychology helps designers when it comes to understanding human behavior and how we make decisions. An understanding of how language works helps in articulating the rules of the game. Basic math knowledge such as algebra is also needed but not necessary for game design. As a concrete example, Lang’s latest game, Dolores, uses the prisoner’s dilemma paradox as a game mechanic. When the players are acting in their best interest, the outcome may not be ideal for everyone.

When asked whether market research plays a significant factor in the creation of games, Lang disclosed that since the industry is already aware of the game genres and types that will likely sell, they are not as reliant on market research compared to other industries. For Lang he already considers it the initial stages of market research when he’s playtesting a game prototype. He usually ignores verbal feedback from the playtesters during a game’s initial versions, but pays close attention instead to the players’ body language.

Lang concluded the press event with a demo round of his latest game Dolores where players act as competing sunken treasure divers.

For those who want to personally meet Eric Lang, he will be signing autographs at the 2016 ToyCon PH event at the SMX convention center on June 10 (3pm-5pm), and June 11 (10am-12nn). He will also deliver a talk on game design on June 11 (2pm-4pm) in the same venue.

Eric Lang’s games are available at www.gaminglib.com. — TJD, GMA News