Gaming

Dave Tach makes a great observation on the evolutionary nature of software products:

This is the ebb and flow of software development, where bits and bytes evolve beyond their creators' initial conceptions. Developers make educated guesses and pitch their product to the public. After it's released and potentially millions of people use it, they learn whether they guessed correctly. In some ways, Apple guessed wrong about the fundamentals of the software that powers its popular wearable. It is far from the only company to have done so. Set for release this fall, watchOS 3's big changes are the result of observation, reassessment and refinement.

His article is an interesting look at how game design has changed from monolithic single releases to an iterative process where designers adapt their games based on how players play it.

I've been a closet Hearthstone player since shortly after the game launched in early 2014. As a player, I enjoy the game mechanics and strategy but as a Product Manager, I've come to appreciate the design decisions the team has made and how transparent they are with their process.

Recently, the team announced a feature aimed at new and returning players and I think it's a great one:

Deck Recipes are a new feature coming to Hearthstone to help budding deck-builders get a head-start on quickly crafting a solid deck to play in the Tavern. They’re great for both new players who haven’t built many decks, and experienced players who don’t want to create a deck entirely from scratch.

I'm constantly impressed by how much thought goes into each new feature they launch, such as the ability to suggest a missing card:

Don’t have all of the cards to complete a specific Deck Recipe? No sweat! Simply click on one of the greyed out cards you’re missing, and the greatly improved “Suggest a Card” feature will help you replace it with a card from your collection. This should help make it easy to quickly finish a deck, and start playing!