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Friday, May 27, 2011
Friday, May 13, 2011
Nindou
1) What is the player experience?
2) What is the nature of interaction within the world?
3) How do players communicate?
4) How do players socialize?
5) What happens if/when players logout or are dropped from the game?
6) What do you have to do within the game?
7) What do you think of the game?
8) take a screen capture of the game and post it here.
1) What is the player experience?
2) What is the nature of interaction within the world?
3) How do players communicate?
4) How do players socialize?
5) What happens if/when players logout or are dropped from the game?
6) What do you have to do within the game?
7) What do you think of the game?
8) take a screen capture of the game and post it here.
May 13th in class excersise
Imagine the game you developed for your item 2 submission was online in a massively multi-player mode.
Answer the following questions about the game from this perspective:
(one paragraph per question)
Design Practice QUESTIONS
1. How do you plan to deal with the issue of new players arriving in the middle of
a long game? Get rid of the victory condition, or find a way to make sure that players are matched with those of similar ability?
In order to deal with new players we would make sure players are matched with players of similar abilities. This works best with our game since it is an action RPG and would have characters at different levels. Matching players abilities would provide fairness as well as create less frustration for players. This way, players have the oppurtunity to level up with without being constantly killed by stronger players.
2. What will happen to the gameplay when a player vanishes? How will it affect
the other players’ experience of the game (what they see and hear)? Does it disrupt
the balance of the game? Will it make the challenges easier or harder? Is the game
even meaningful anymore?
If a player chooses to leave mid-game, they other players will be notified by showing a message in the corner of the screen. Players will be affected differently depending on the goal of the game. If the game is team based then unfortunately the team that lost the player may be at a disadvantage. However, if it is a free for all or death match then the other players will not be affected by a player leaving.
3. What happens to the game’s score when a player vanishes? Is the game still fair?
The games score will only be affected in team based games when a player vanishes. Because scoring system cannot be changed to give the team with one less player more points, it will be unfair. That team will have to work harder to make up for the player that left.
4. Does your game offer a player an advantage of some kind for intentionally disconnecting himself (whether by preventing himself from losing or by sealing his
own victory)? Is there any way to minimize this without penalizing players who
are disconnected accidentally?
The player will gain no advantages for disconnecting themselves. While it would be a nice feature to have in the case that the player were accidentally disconnected, it is very likely that players will take advantage of the feature in order to gain points quickly and unjustly. There really is no way to make it fair for those who truly get disconnected accidentally since as with many online games, any way that can be used to get ahead will be exploited immediatly.
5. In a turn-based game, what mechanism will you use to prevent a player from
stalling play for the other players? Set a time limit? Allow simultaneous turns?
Implement a reasonable default if the player does nothing?
A player will not be allowed to stall since they may do so to unfairly win the game. Each time their turn arrives they will be given a set time limit to decide what they want to do. This way they must continue otherwise risk losing their turn. If a player attempts to stall by letting the timer run out, the other player will be able to steal that players turn and then take two turns simultaneously. This way a player would be forced to take their turn otherwise risk losing.
6. If you offer a chat mechanism, what features will you implement to keep it civil?
Filters? A complaint system? An ignore system? Or will your game require moderated chat spaces?
While a filter would be nice, it would be difficult to enforce. So instead you can simply choose to ignore the chat. A text chat will be available for those who do still feel the need to chat but that will be moderated and not allow any profane or derogatory language.
7. Is your game designed to prevent (or alleviate) collusion? Because you can’t prevent players from talking to each other on the phone as they play, how will you
address this? Or can you design your game in such a way that collusion is part of
the gameplay, as in "Diplomacy"?
As there will be both team and death matches, collusion will be allowed. In the team games, players will likely want to collude to get more points. With the nature of death matches it is very unlikely players will collude since you never know if the player you are in collusion with will turn on you just for points.
Answer the following questions about the game from this perspective:
(one paragraph per question)
Design Practice QUESTIONS
1. How do you plan to deal with the issue of new players arriving in the middle of
a long game? Get rid of the victory condition, or find a way to make sure that players are matched with those of similar ability?
In order to deal with new players we would make sure players are matched with players of similar abilities. This works best with our game since it is an action RPG and would have characters at different levels. Matching players abilities would provide fairness as well as create less frustration for players. This way, players have the oppurtunity to level up with without being constantly killed by stronger players.
2. What will happen to the gameplay when a player vanishes? How will it affect
the other players’ experience of the game (what they see and hear)? Does it disrupt
the balance of the game? Will it make the challenges easier or harder? Is the game
even meaningful anymore?
If a player chooses to leave mid-game, they other players will be notified by showing a message in the corner of the screen. Players will be affected differently depending on the goal of the game. If the game is team based then unfortunately the team that lost the player may be at a disadvantage. However, if it is a free for all or death match then the other players will not be affected by a player leaving.
3. What happens to the game’s score when a player vanishes? Is the game still fair?
The games score will only be affected in team based games when a player vanishes. Because scoring system cannot be changed to give the team with one less player more points, it will be unfair. That team will have to work harder to make up for the player that left.
4. Does your game offer a player an advantage of some kind for intentionally disconnecting himself (whether by preventing himself from losing or by sealing his
own victory)? Is there any way to minimize this without penalizing players who
are disconnected accidentally?
The player will gain no advantages for disconnecting themselves. While it would be a nice feature to have in the case that the player were accidentally disconnected, it is very likely that players will take advantage of the feature in order to gain points quickly and unjustly. There really is no way to make it fair for those who truly get disconnected accidentally since as with many online games, any way that can be used to get ahead will be exploited immediatly.
5. In a turn-based game, what mechanism will you use to prevent a player from
stalling play for the other players? Set a time limit? Allow simultaneous turns?
Implement a reasonable default if the player does nothing?
A player will not be allowed to stall since they may do so to unfairly win the game. Each time their turn arrives they will be given a set time limit to decide what they want to do. This way they must continue otherwise risk losing their turn. If a player attempts to stall by letting the timer run out, the other player will be able to steal that players turn and then take two turns simultaneously. This way a player would be forced to take their turn otherwise risk losing.
6. If you offer a chat mechanism, what features will you implement to keep it civil?
Filters? A complaint system? An ignore system? Or will your game require moderated chat spaces?
While a filter would be nice, it would be difficult to enforce. So instead you can simply choose to ignore the chat. A text chat will be available for those who do still feel the need to chat but that will be moderated and not allow any profane or derogatory language.
7. Is your game designed to prevent (or alleviate) collusion? Because you can’t prevent players from talking to each other on the phone as they play, how will you
address this? Or can you design your game in such a way that collusion is part of
the gameplay, as in "Diplomacy"?
As there will be both team and death matches, collusion will be allowed. In the team games, players will likely want to collude to get more points. With the nature of death matches it is very unlikely players will collude since you never know if the player you are in collusion with will turn on you just for points.
Friday, May 6, 2011
Game Map Excersise - By Ariel Valencia and Jeffery Zamora
The war is split into 3 territories. The blue represents the the main hero's location and the yellow is a guest area that helps your village out to fight off the warriors from the red side. As more and more people enter your village your location will expand and more landmarks will be added which may contribute the characters in many ways. The mode of transportation is mainly walking around but it is possible to use the train to obtain more locations passing through the enemy territory without being noticed but confronting the enemy group head on could be dangerous. As long as your village begins to thrive and become stronger the enemies would be doing the same so it would be a game more of strategy and obtaining better materials to claim all of the land and make the world safer.
Cultural Issues Essay - Sexism and Video Games
The video game industry since it’s beginning has been largely male dominated. As a result, games are aimed at males who are anywhere from their early teens to their late 20's. This audience for which many games are made, favored games in which they can be someone who they can’t be in the real world. Games were made to allow them to rescue the damsel in distress, be a member of a gang, fight off aliens, go to war and even simulate flights. However this audience also allowed for sexism in games to arise, showing male dominance over women as well as objectifying women. With the assumption that sex sells and the fact that video games primary audience is male, games have become increasingly sexist, carrying many forms of sexism from the subtle to the blatant in games going as far back as Mario and as recent as Grand Theft Auto.
A classic example of male dominance and female frailty resides in games such Mario. The plot is simple; the protagonist (Mario) must rescue a princess (Princess Peach) from the antagonist (Bowser). This cliché and over done storyline is sexist, showing that women cannot fend for themselves and are delicate, frail and innocent creatures with no hope of saving themselves. While this is the same story concept that we are told as bedtimes stories when we are children, it gives young girls the idea that men are stronger and that they are weak and helpless, further instilling sexism to younger generations. Not every woman is incapable of saving herself. This shows that men believe they are more powerful than women and are the only ones capable of going on an adventure and rescuing someone.
Another way in which women are objectified in games is by typically being weaker playable characters. For example, in Dynasty Warriors 5, while there are female characters they are not as powerful as the male characters. Male characters have stronger attacks and better weapons. In the Final Fight Series, female characters may have been faster than the male characters but were still much weaker in comparison. This further supports this idea that some men have of women being weaker than they are. This means that when women, given the option to play a female or male, will typically choose the male character. The same goes for men. Leaving this ideal for both men and women that female characters are weak and that it is always better to choose a male.
Male dominance is not the only form of sexism in video games. Objectification of women, as well as the treatment of women as merely objects, can be seen in many games. One particular example that has been in recent debate is the Grand Theft Auto series. In this game you are allowed to do anything you want such as steal a car, kill innocent people and exploit women for sex. Many of the women are also scantily dressed and there are even strip clubs in the game you can visit. This gives the idea that women are merely sex objects there for men’s pleasure, demeaning women and treating them as if they are not even humans.
Tomb Raider, while having a female hero still shows signs of sexism. The original Lara Croft had large breasts, a tiny waist and slender hips and was usually wearing shorts, a cropped tank top, a backpack and thigh holsters. She was the ideal woman that any man would be happy to play. Not only was she tough and strong, she was also beautiful. This however shows that when men want a playable female character she must be strong and have the body similar to Jessica Rabbit, cartoony and disproportional. Also in later games, the designers even created breast movement, so not only does she have big breasts, but also now they even move as she moves. While this would seem to create more realism, is it really necessary? Why for instance, can she not be attractive but proportional? This however, in the most recent Tomb Raider to be released in 2011, has changed so that she is not as objectified, yet still beautiful.
These are not the only examples of sexism in video games and there are certainly more than the few described in this essay. Games need not objectify women to be fun or make female characters weak and helpless. If video games are to hope to gain a stronger female audience, designers must learn to create female characters that both men and women want to play.
A classic example of male dominance and female frailty resides in games such Mario. The plot is simple; the protagonist (Mario) must rescue a princess (Princess Peach) from the antagonist (Bowser). This cliché and over done storyline is sexist, showing that women cannot fend for themselves and are delicate, frail and innocent creatures with no hope of saving themselves. While this is the same story concept that we are told as bedtimes stories when we are children, it gives young girls the idea that men are stronger and that they are weak and helpless, further instilling sexism to younger generations. Not every woman is incapable of saving herself. This shows that men believe they are more powerful than women and are the only ones capable of going on an adventure and rescuing someone.
Another way in which women are objectified in games is by typically being weaker playable characters. For example, in Dynasty Warriors 5, while there are female characters they are not as powerful as the male characters. Male characters have stronger attacks and better weapons. In the Final Fight Series, female characters may have been faster than the male characters but were still much weaker in comparison. This further supports this idea that some men have of women being weaker than they are. This means that when women, given the option to play a female or male, will typically choose the male character. The same goes for men. Leaving this ideal for both men and women that female characters are weak and that it is always better to choose a male.
Male dominance is not the only form of sexism in video games. Objectification of women, as well as the treatment of women as merely objects, can be seen in many games. One particular example that has been in recent debate is the Grand Theft Auto series. In this game you are allowed to do anything you want such as steal a car, kill innocent people and exploit women for sex. Many of the women are also scantily dressed and there are even strip clubs in the game you can visit. This gives the idea that women are merely sex objects there for men’s pleasure, demeaning women and treating them as if they are not even humans.
Tomb Raider, while having a female hero still shows signs of sexism. The original Lara Croft had large breasts, a tiny waist and slender hips and was usually wearing shorts, a cropped tank top, a backpack and thigh holsters. She was the ideal woman that any man would be happy to play. Not only was she tough and strong, she was also beautiful. This however shows that when men want a playable female character she must be strong and have the body similar to Jessica Rabbit, cartoony and disproportional. Also in later games, the designers even created breast movement, so not only does she have big breasts, but also now they even move as she moves. While this would seem to create more realism, is it really necessary? Why for instance, can she not be attractive but proportional? This however, in the most recent Tomb Raider to be released in 2011, has changed so that she is not as objectified, yet still beautiful.
These are not the only examples of sexism in video games and there are certainly more than the few described in this essay. Games need not objectify women to be fun or make female characters weak and helpless. If video games are to hope to gain a stronger female audience, designers must learn to create female characters that both men and women want to play.
Friday, April 22, 2011
Chapter 10 Design Exercises and Questions
Design Practice EXERCISES
CHOOSE ONE OF THE FOLLOWING EXERCISES BASED ON CHAPTER 10 of ERNEST ADAMS.
READ THE CHAPTER AND DO ONE OF THE FOLLOWING: Due 4/29
1. Devise and document the core mechanics for a traditional analog alarm clock.
The alarm clock possesses the following indicators: an hour hand, a minute hand, a
hand indicating the time at which the alarm should go off, and a buzzer. It also has
the following input devices: a knob to set the time, a knob to set the time at which
the alarm will go off, and a two-state switch that arms the alarm when the switch
is in one position and cancels it in the other. (Assume that it is an electric clock
and does not need to be wound.) Explain what entities are needed inside the clock,
what processes operate within it, and what conditions and mechanics govern the
functioning of the alarm. (Explain the movement of the hands in terms of the passage of time not the workings of the clock.)
2. Research the history and rules of Tetris, then perform the following exercises:
a. Devise an entity that contains enough attributes to describe the tetromino (a
Tetris block) that is currently under the player’s control. Name each attribute in
the entity; state whether it is symbolic or numeric; and if symbolic, list its possible values.
Your entity should include one cosmetic attribute.
b. Document the effect of each of the player actions allowed in Tetris on the
attributes of the currently falling tetromino. Bear in mind that some actions
have different effects depending on which tetromino is currently falling. Where
this is the case, be sure to document the effects of the action on each different
type of tetromino.
c. Document one of the scoring systems for Tetris (there are several; you may
choose one), indicating what condition of the play fi eld causes the score numeric
entity to change and by how much. Your mechanic for changing the score
should include as a factor the current game level (another numeric entity). Also
document what makes the current game-level entity change.
3. Using a real-time strategy game or construction and management simulation of
your choice (or one that your instructor assigns), write a short paper describing its
resources, sources, drains, converters, production mechanisms that are not sources
(if any), and traders (if any). Note whether the game has any feedback loops or
mutual dependencies; if so, indicate whether any mechanism exists to break a possible deadlock.
4. Define a mechanic for a trap that harms a character when it detects the character’s
presence and then must wait for a period before it can detect another
character. Document the condition that triggers the trap (the nature of the sensing
mechanism), the character attribute(s) that change when the trap is triggered, and
the length of the reset wait period. Incorporate one or more nonuniform random
numbers to determine the amount of damage done and explain how they are computed.
Indicate what states the trap may be in and what causes it to change from state to state.
Include a vulnerability in the sensing mechanism that could either
(a) set off the trap without harming a character or (b) allow a character to move
within range of the trap’s sensor mechanism without setting it off. (For example, a
pressure-sensor in the fl oor would not go off if the character weighed less than a
certain amount.) Propose a means by which a clever player could exploit this vulnerability to avoid the trap.
Design Practice QUESTIONS
1. What entities and resources will be in the game? Which resources are made up
of individual entities (such as a resource of airplanes consisting of individual planes
that the computer can track separately) and which are described by mass nouns
(such as water, which cannot be separated into discrete objects)?
2. What unique entities will be in the game?
3. Which entities will actually include other entities as part of their defi nition?
(Remember that an avatar may have an inventory, and an inventory contains
objects.)
4. What attributes describe each of the entities that you have identifi ed? Which
attributes are numeric and which are symbolic?
5. Which entities and resources will be tangible, and which will be intangible?
Will any of them change from one state to another, like the resources in Age of
Empires?
6. What mechanics govern the relationships among the entities? Remember that
any symbolic entity requires mechanics that determine how it can get into each of
its possible states and how other entities interact with each possible state.
7. Are there any global mechanics in the game? What mechanic governs the way
the game changes from mode to mode?
8. For each entity and resource, does it come into the game world at a source, or
does it start off in a game world that does not provide a source for additional entities or resources? If it does come in at a source, what mechanics control the
production rate of the source?
9. For each entity and resource, does it go out of the game world at a drain, or does
it all remain in the game world and never leave? If it does go out at a drain, what
conditions cause it to drain?
10. What conversion processes exist in your world? What trader processes exist? Do
any feedback loops or mutual dependencies exist? What means have you provided
to break or prevent deadlocks?
11. Can your game get into a state of equilibrium, static or dynamic? Does it include
any form of decay or entropy that prevents states of equilibrium from forming?
12. How do mechanics create active challenges? Do you need to establish any
mechanics to detect if a challenge has been surmounted?
13. How do mechanics implement actions? For each action that may arrive from the
user interface, how do the core mechanics react?
14. For autonomous entities such as nonplayer characters, what mechanics control
their behavior? What mechanics defi ne their AI?
CHOOSE ONE OF THE FOLLOWING EXERCISES BASED ON CHAPTER 10 of ERNEST ADAMS.
READ THE CHAPTER AND DO ONE OF THE FOLLOWING: Due 4/29
1. Devise and document the core mechanics for a traditional analog alarm clock.
The alarm clock possesses the following indicators: an hour hand, a minute hand, a
hand indicating the time at which the alarm should go off, and a buzzer. It also has
the following input devices: a knob to set the time, a knob to set the time at which
the alarm will go off, and a two-state switch that arms the alarm when the switch
is in one position and cancels it in the other. (Assume that it is an electric clock
and does not need to be wound.) Explain what entities are needed inside the clock,
what processes operate within it, and what conditions and mechanics govern the
functioning of the alarm. (Explain the movement of the hands in terms of the passage of time not the workings of the clock.)
2. Research the history and rules of Tetris, then perform the following exercises:
a. Devise an entity that contains enough attributes to describe the tetromino (a
Tetris block) that is currently under the player’s control. Name each attribute in
the entity; state whether it is symbolic or numeric; and if symbolic, list its possible values.
Your entity should include one cosmetic attribute.
b. Document the effect of each of the player actions allowed in Tetris on the
attributes of the currently falling tetromino. Bear in mind that some actions
have different effects depending on which tetromino is currently falling. Where
this is the case, be sure to document the effects of the action on each different
type of tetromino.
c. Document one of the scoring systems for Tetris (there are several; you may
choose one), indicating what condition of the play fi eld causes the score numeric
entity to change and by how much. Your mechanic for changing the score
should include as a factor the current game level (another numeric entity). Also
document what makes the current game-level entity change.
3. Using a real-time strategy game or construction and management simulation of
your choice (or one that your instructor assigns), write a short paper describing its
resources, sources, drains, converters, production mechanisms that are not sources
(if any), and traders (if any). Note whether the game has any feedback loops or
mutual dependencies; if so, indicate whether any mechanism exists to break a possible deadlock.
4. Define a mechanic for a trap that harms a character when it detects the character’s
presence and then must wait for a period before it can detect another
character. Document the condition that triggers the trap (the nature of the sensing
mechanism), the character attribute(s) that change when the trap is triggered, and
the length of the reset wait period. Incorporate one or more nonuniform random
numbers to determine the amount of damage done and explain how they are computed.
Indicate what states the trap may be in and what causes it to change from state to state.
Include a vulnerability in the sensing mechanism that could either
(a) set off the trap without harming a character or (b) allow a character to move
within range of the trap’s sensor mechanism without setting it off. (For example, a
pressure-sensor in the fl oor would not go off if the character weighed less than a
certain amount.) Propose a means by which a clever player could exploit this vulnerability to avoid the trap.
Design Practice QUESTIONS
1. What entities and resources will be in the game? Which resources are made up
of individual entities (such as a resource of airplanes consisting of individual planes
that the computer can track separately) and which are described by mass nouns
(such as water, which cannot be separated into discrete objects)?
2. What unique entities will be in the game?
3. Which entities will actually include other entities as part of their defi nition?
(Remember that an avatar may have an inventory, and an inventory contains
objects.)
4. What attributes describe each of the entities that you have identifi ed? Which
attributes are numeric and which are symbolic?
5. Which entities and resources will be tangible, and which will be intangible?
Will any of them change from one state to another, like the resources in Age of
Empires?
6. What mechanics govern the relationships among the entities? Remember that
any symbolic entity requires mechanics that determine how it can get into each of
its possible states and how other entities interact with each possible state.
7. Are there any global mechanics in the game? What mechanic governs the way
the game changes from mode to mode?
8. For each entity and resource, does it come into the game world at a source, or
does it start off in a game world that does not provide a source for additional entities or resources? If it does come in at a source, what mechanics control the
production rate of the source?
9. For each entity and resource, does it go out of the game world at a drain, or does
it all remain in the game world and never leave? If it does go out at a drain, what
conditions cause it to drain?
10. What conversion processes exist in your world? What trader processes exist? Do
any feedback loops or mutual dependencies exist? What means have you provided
to break or prevent deadlocks?
11. Can your game get into a state of equilibrium, static or dynamic? Does it include
any form of decay or entropy that prevents states of equilibrium from forming?
12. How do mechanics create active challenges? Do you need to establish any
mechanics to detect if a challenge has been surmounted?
13. How do mechanics implement actions? For each action that may arrive from the
user interface, how do the core mechanics react?
14. For autonomous entities such as nonplayer characters, what mechanics control
their behavior? What mechanics defi ne their AI?
1. "King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters" in-class survey
Class,
As you watch the documentary, write comments about the film in the boxes provided based on the questions supplied for each. These will be used as the basis for a post-film class discussion.
As you watch the documentary, write comments about the film in the boxes provided based on the questions supplied for each. These will be used as the basis for a post-film class discussion.
1. Mitchell is unabashedly cocky and fond of self promotion, proclaiming himself the "Sauce King" of Florida for his successful line of homemade hot sauces. Next to his family, Mitchell considers his arcade scores his greatest achievements in life.
How typical are these types of values and attitudes among 'core' gamers and how important is it to understand these values if you are a game designer? What *are* these values, exactly?
These values and attitudes and values are very typical among core gamers. If a game designer does not understand a core gamers need to achieve high scores, then a game will do poorly. A player must gain a sense of accomplishment of beating other core gamers scores in a certain game. This means a game must be both enjoyable and difficult,
2. Steve Wiebe has been laid off as a Boeing engineer, and now spends his time as a science teacher. His friends and his wife, Nicole, describe him as a tragic figure who always comes up short, despite being proficient at music, sports, art, and mathematics.
Is Weibe's 'tragic' aspect typical of core gaming 'types'?
What role does self esteem (high or low) play in the culture of hard core gaming and such subcultures as competitive vintage or 'classic' game playing? How would you best describe the relationship between low self-esteem and videogame mastery?
Weibe's aspect is very typical. Most (not all) core gamers fail to do well in activities such as sports or art, that many others can at least do somewhat
3. Despite Wiebe's protests that his own first score was disqualified for being submitted via unsupervised videotape, Twin Galaxies accepts Mitchell's score over Wiebe's and proclaims that Mitchell is still the record holder.
How valid do you think videotaped gameplay should be in establishing videogame playing records?
If valid, why? If not valid, why not?
I do not think it is valid at all. The reason being that depending on how the videotape is shot, you may not be able to see the player. If the player is not seen then how are we to know that he truly did it.
4. Peter Travers of Rolling Stone gave the film 3 out of 4 stars, wondering "Who would have guessed that a documentary about gamers obsessed with scoring a world record at Donkey Kong would not only be roaringly funny but serve as a metaphor for the decline of Western civilization?"
What do you think of the film?
Is it an accurate portrayal of what makes videogames so compelling for those who play them?
I really enjoyed the film. I thought it was relatively accurate.
5. On November 10, 1981, Walter Day opened an arcade in Ottumwa, Iowa called Twin Galaxies. Though it was a modest arcade of merely 22 arcade games, it soon became known as the International Scorekeeper for the burgeoning video game industry. Under Day's direction, Twin Galaxies set rules for gameplay on hundreds of games, while maintaining a records database of competitive high scores. Twin Galaxies is considered by gaming historians as being the first organizer of professional gaming, putting competitive electronic gaming on the world map.
How important do you think organizations like Twin Galaxies are in the vintage arcade gaming community?
Could such communities exist without such organizations?
What role does Twin Galaxies play ultimately, and why is this significant to the film and its story?
I think organizations such as Twin Galaxies are very important.I believe similar communities would exist even without such organizations. Twin Galaxies was influential however in creating a need to keep scores.
6. The film depicts Wiebe's skill at Donkey Kong being linked to his ability to deeply understand the title's game mechanics, particularly the way that rhythm and timing work to ensure a successful outcome.
The film in one scene compared his love of drumming and his abilities at basketball as well as his musical talent as part and parcel of his gift at playing Donkey Kong.
How would you best describe this set of inter-related skills?
Have you experienced anything like this yourself when playing games? Have you been able to associate the skill of playing games with similar related skills and talents and how would you best describe the nature of this set of inter-relationships between skills/passions/abilities?
7. In the film, Wiebe, while playing the game says hello to Mitchell. Mitchell didn't respond. As he's walking away from Wiebe, Mitchell says, "There's certain people I don't want to spend too much time with." Mitchell offered no explanation for his behavior towards Wiebe but did later explain that at the time of filming, he had not played video games for "more than a year", and that the filmmakers had not given him enough advance warning to train for a public record-breaking attempt. Seth Gordon, the film's Director, in referring to Mitchell's character says that Mitchell "is a true puppet-master", "a master of information-control".
What do you think Gordon means by this? What role does such behavior play in general terms in videogame culture?
8. What did you think of the film? Is it really only about the game "Donkey Kong" and those who seek to hold the highest score or is it really about something more?
It was an interesting film and I believe that it can be applied to just about any game.
9. Have you ever played "Donkey Kong"? What was your memory of playing it? Where were you, when was it?
I would play it at the movie theaters with my dad.
Friday, April 15, 2011
Design Questions from Chapter 9
Design Practice QUESTIONS
HOMEWORK THIS WEEK:
ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS FOR YOUR GAME DESIGN (ITEM 2) AND POST
THESE ON YOUR CLASS BLOG BY 4/22/11
1. What types of challenges do you want to include in your game? Do you want to
challenge the player’s physical abilities, his mental abilities, or both?
HOMEWORK THIS WEEK:
ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS FOR YOUR GAME DESIGN (ITEM 2) AND POST
THESE ON YOUR CLASS BLOG BY 4/22/11
1. What types of challenges do you want to include in your game? Do you want to
challenge the player’s physical abilities, his mental abilities, or both?
2. Game genres are defi ned in part by the nature of the challenges they offer. What
does your choice of genre imply for the gameplay? Do you intend to include any
cross-genre elements, challenges that are not normally found in your chosen genre?
3. What is your game’s hierarchy of challenges? How many levels do you expect it
to have? What challenges are typical of each level?
4. What are your game’s atomic challenges? Do you plan to make the player face
more than one atomic challenge at a time? Are they all independent, like battling
enemies one at a time, or are they interrelated, like balancing an economy? If they
are interrelated, how?
5. Does the player have a choice of approaches to victory? Can he decide on one
strategy over another? Can he ignore some challenges, face others, and still achieve
a higher-level goal? Or must he simply face all the game’s challenges in sequence?
6. Does the game include implicit challenges (those that emerge from the design),
as well as explicit challenges (those that you specify)?
7. Do you intend to offer settable diffi culty levels for your game? What levels of
intrinsic skill and stress will each challenge require?
8. What actions will you implement to meet your challenges? Can the player surmount a large number of challenges with a small number of actions? What is the
mapping of actions to challenges?
9. What other actions will you implement for other purposes? What are those purposes—unstructured play, creativity and self-expression, socialization, story
participation, or controlling the game software?
10. What save mechanism do you plan to implement?
Choose one from the following exercises - use a console game from the locker or an online java/web based game for Questions 2-5
Design Practice EXERCISES
POST YOUR RESPONSES (drawn, written or both) to your individual class blog
1. Write the rules for a simple, single-player, PC-based puzzle game like Bejeweled
but make up your own mechanics for earning points. Document all the challenges
and actions of the game. You must create at least 10 different kinds of atomic challenges. Indicate what action the player should use to surmount each challenge and
what reward the player gets for doing so. You must also create and document at
least four actions that are not intended to meet challenges but serve some other
purpose. You do not have to design a user interface in detail but may find it helpful
to make and submit a quick sketch of the screen and the layout of the controls.
2. Choose an action or action-adventure game you are familiar with (or your
instructor will assign one). Document the challenge hierarchy of the fi rst level in
the game that is not a tutorial level, diagramming it as in Figure 9.1. (If the level
includes more than 50 sequential atomic challenges, you may stop after 50, but be
sure to include any level bosses or major challenges that occur at the end of the
level.) If you have the necessary software, play partway through the level, take a
screen shot, and indicate on your diagram what challenges you were facing at that
moment, similar to the gray boxes in Figure 9.1. If you faced simultaneous challenges, indicate that also. Submit the screen shot along with your diagram.
3. Think of a game you are familiar with that permits the player to achieve victory
by different strategies, similar to Figure 9.2. Write a short essay documenting each
approach and how the hierarchy of challenges (including the intermediate challenges) differs in each one. If one strategy seems more likely to achieve victory than
another, say so and indicate why. Your instructor will give you the scope of the
assignment.
4. Choose a single or multiplayer role-playing game that you are familiar with (or
your instructor will assign one). Identify all the actions it affords. (You may find
the game’s manual helpful.) Divide the actions into those intended to meet challenges, those that participate in the story, those that facilitate socializing with
other players (if any), housekeeping operations such as inventory management, and
those that control the software itself. If another category suggests itself, document
it. Also note any actions that fall into more than one category and indicate why.
The size of the game that you or your instructor selects will determine the scope of
the assignment.
5. Choose ten different types of challenges from among the ones listed in the section “Commonly Used Challenges” in this chapter. For each type, devise one example challenge and two example actions that overcome it (this may rule out some types). Describe the challenge and the two actions in a paragraph, ten paragraphs in all.
POST YOUR RESPONSES (drawn, written or both) to your individual class blog
1. Write the rules for a simple, single-player, PC-based puzzle game like Bejeweled
but make up your own mechanics for earning points. Document all the challenges
and actions of the game. You must create at least 10 different kinds of atomic challenges. Indicate what action the player should use to surmount each challenge and
what reward the player gets for doing so. You must also create and document at
least four actions that are not intended to meet challenges but serve some other
purpose. You do not have to design a user interface in detail but may find it helpful
to make and submit a quick sketch of the screen and the layout of the controls.
2. Choose an action or action-adventure game you are familiar with (or your
instructor will assign one). Document the challenge hierarchy of the fi rst level in
the game that is not a tutorial level, diagramming it as in Figure 9.1. (If the level
includes more than 50 sequential atomic challenges, you may stop after 50, but be
sure to include any level bosses or major challenges that occur at the end of the
level.) If you have the necessary software, play partway through the level, take a
screen shot, and indicate on your diagram what challenges you were facing at that
moment, similar to the gray boxes in Figure 9.1. If you faced simultaneous challenges, indicate that also. Submit the screen shot along with your diagram.
3. Think of a game you are familiar with that permits the player to achieve victory
by different strategies, similar to Figure 9.2. Write a short essay documenting each
approach and how the hierarchy of challenges (including the intermediate challenges) differs in each one. If one strategy seems more likely to achieve victory than
another, say so and indicate why. Your instructor will give you the scope of the
assignment.
4. Choose a single or multiplayer role-playing game that you are familiar with (or
your instructor will assign one). Identify all the actions it affords. (You may find
the game’s manual helpful.) Divide the actions into those intended to meet challenges, those that participate in the story, those that facilitate socializing with
other players (if any), housekeeping operations such as inventory management, and
those that control the software itself. If another category suggests itself, document
it. Also note any actions that fall into more than one category and indicate why.
The size of the game that you or your instructor selects will determine the scope of
the assignment.
5. Choose ten different types of challenges from among the ones listed in the section “Commonly Used Challenges” in this chapter. For each type, devise one example challenge and two example actions that overcome it (this may rule out some types). Describe the challenge and the two actions in a paragraph, ten paragraphs in all.
In-class pinball excersise
1) What is "good gameplay" when it comes to pinball game design?
Good gameplay involved having games with a challenging course that was not to difficult at the same time. It allowed the player to enjoy the game while still feeling challenged.
2) How do pinball playfield designers create exciting experiences?
Designers of pinball playfields add various loops, holes and bouncers to keep the game unique and create their own design. This allows for alot of individuality on a game with a fixed course. Since there is no telling how the ball will react or hit a part of the course, one never knows just what will happen next.
Good gameplay involved having games with a challenging course that was not to difficult at the same time. It allowed the player to enjoy the game while still feeling challenged.
2) How do pinball playfield designers create exciting experiences?
Designers of pinball playfields add various loops, holes and bouncers to keep the game unique and create their own design. This allows for alot of individuality on a game with a fixed course. Since there is no telling how the ball will react or hit a part of the course, one never knows just what will happen next.
Friday, April 8, 2011
User Interface Assignment 4/8/11
Design Practice Exercise - USER INTERFACE
1. Design and draw one icon for each of the following functions in a game:
■ Build (makes a unit build a certain structure)
■ Repair (makes a unit repair a certain structure)
■ Attack (makes a unit attack a certain enemy unit)
■ Move (moves a unit to a certain position)
■ Hide (makes a unit hide to be less visible to enemy units)
Briefl y explain the design choices you made for each icon. All icons should be for the same game, so make them consistent to a game genre of your choice.
2. In this exercise, you will practice designing user interfaces for two different
gameplay modes, each of which has different indicators. Using the following
descriptions of the modes, decide how best to display the functions to the player
and sketch a small screen mock-up showing how these indicators can be positioned
on the screen. Briefl y explain your design decisions.
In the primary gameplay mode, the avatar can move around in the game world and
do different things such as attacking, talking to NPCs, and so on. The mode is avatar-based in the third-person perspective.
Functions/indicators:
■ Character’s health
■ Character’s position in the game world
■ Currently chosen weapon
■ Waypoint to the next mission
■ Character visibility to enemies (indicate that, if the character stands in shadows
or in darkness, he is less visible to enemies)
In the secondary gameplay mode, the player enters vehicle races that include shooting at other vehicles driven by non-player characters. The perspective is fi rst person.
Functions/indicators:
■ Vehicle health
■ Vehicle speed
■ Primary weapon ammo left
■ Type of secondary weapon mounted, if present (if not present, so indicate)
■ Position in race
■ Laps remaining in race
3. In this exercise, you design the same UI, once for breadth and once for depth.
Make the broad UI no more than two levels deep at any point. Make the deep UI at
least three levels deep at one point, offering no more than three options at the top
level. Present the UIs by making flowcharts showing the different levels of interaction or how you group different functions. Include all the following functions.
Briefl y explain your design decisions.
Attack Defend Guard Patrol Move
Set waypoint Choose weapon Research Build barracks Build headquarters
Build hospital Destroy Repair Harvest Save current game
Load game Quit game Change video Change sound Change control
settings settings settings
4. A game intended for a console needs to have its functions mapped to a game pad with a limited number of buttons. Make a button layout that supports all the
actions in the primary gameplay mode (described in the following list). Discuss the pros and cons of your button layout.
The game pad has the following button layout:
■ A D-pad
■ One analog joystick
■ Four face buttons
■ Two shoulder buttons
The main gameplay mode has the following actions:
N ORMAL HARD ATTACK HIGH ATTACK (attack upward) LOW ATTACK
Normal Hard Attack High Attack Low Attack Block Attack
(attack upward) (attack downward)
Jump Crouch Move forward Move backward Strafe left
Strafe right Rotate left Rotate right Choose weapon Use health pack
Design Practice QUESTIONS
1. Does the gameplay require a pointing or steering device? Should these be analog, or will a D-pad suffi ce? What do they actually do in the context of the game?
Our game does require a steering device but as it is a side scroller, the D-pad will suffice. We will allow the player to change between the analog or D-pad depending on their preference. They will steer the character through the level avoiding enemies, traps, etc.
2. Does the function of one or more buttons on the controller change within a single gameplay mode? If so, what visual cues let the player know this is taking place?
There will be a button that allows players to play in 1st person to allow for better aim of enemies. The player will be able to do so at any point in time.
3. If the player has an avatar (whether a person, creature, or vehicle), how do the
movements and other behaviors of the avatar map to the machine’s input devices?
Defi ne the steering mechanism.
4. How will the major elements of your screen be laid out? Will the game use a windowed view, opaque overlays, semitransparent overlays, or a combination?
5. What camera model will the main view use? What interaction model does the
gameplay mode use? Is it one of the common ones or something new? How does
the camera model support the interaction model?
6. Does the game’s genre, if it has one, help to determine the user interface? What
standards already exist that the player may be expecting the game to follow? Do
you intend to break these expectations, and if so, how will you inform the player of
that?
7. Does the game include menus? What is the menu structure? Is it broad and shallow (quick to use, but hard to learn) or narrow and deep (easy to learn, but slow to
use)?
8. Does the game include text on the screen? If so, does it need provisions for
localization?
9. What icons does the game use? Are they visually distinct from one another and
quickly identifiable? Are they culturally universal?
10. Does the player need to know numeric values (score, speed, health)? Can these
be presented through nonnumeric means (power bars, needle gauges, small multiples), or should they be shown as digits? If shown as digits, how can they be
presented in such a way that they don’t harm suspension of disbelief? Will you
label the value and if so, how?
11. What symbolic values does the player need to know (safe/danger, locked/
unlocked/open)? By what means will you convey both the value and its label?
12. Will it be possible for the player to control the game’s camera? Will it be necessary for the player to do so in order to play the game? What camera controls will be
available? Will they be available at all times or from a separate menu or other
mechanism?
13. What is the aesthetic style of the game? How do the interface elements blend in
and support that style?
14. How will audio be used to support the player’s interaction with the game? What
audio cues will accompany player actions? Will the game include audio advice or
dialog?
15. How does music support the user interface and the game generally? Does it create an emotional tone or set a pace? Can it adapt to changing circumstances?
1. Design and draw one icon for each of the following functions in a game:
■ Build (makes a unit build a certain structure)
■ Repair (makes a unit repair a certain structure)
■ Attack (makes a unit attack a certain enemy unit)
■ Move (moves a unit to a certain position)
■ Hide (makes a unit hide to be less visible to enemy units)
Briefl y explain the design choices you made for each icon. All icons should be for the same game, so make them consistent to a game genre of your choice.
2. In this exercise, you will practice designing user interfaces for two different
gameplay modes, each of which has different indicators. Using the following
descriptions of the modes, decide how best to display the functions to the player
and sketch a small screen mock-up showing how these indicators can be positioned
on the screen. Briefl y explain your design decisions.
In the primary gameplay mode, the avatar can move around in the game world and
do different things such as attacking, talking to NPCs, and so on. The mode is avatar-based in the third-person perspective.
Functions/indicators:
■ Character’s health
■ Character’s position in the game world
■ Currently chosen weapon
■ Waypoint to the next mission
■ Character visibility to enemies (indicate that, if the character stands in shadows
or in darkness, he is less visible to enemies)
In the secondary gameplay mode, the player enters vehicle races that include shooting at other vehicles driven by non-player characters. The perspective is fi rst person.
Functions/indicators:
■ Vehicle health
■ Vehicle speed
■ Primary weapon ammo left
■ Type of secondary weapon mounted, if present (if not present, so indicate)
■ Position in race
■ Laps remaining in race
3. In this exercise, you design the same UI, once for breadth and once for depth.
Make the broad UI no more than two levels deep at any point. Make the deep UI at
least three levels deep at one point, offering no more than three options at the top
level. Present the UIs by making flowcharts showing the different levels of interaction or how you group different functions. Include all the following functions.
Briefl y explain your design decisions.
Attack Defend Guard Patrol Move
Set waypoint Choose weapon Research Build barracks Build headquarters
Build hospital Destroy Repair Harvest Save current game
Load game Quit game Change video Change sound Change control
settings settings settings
4. A game intended for a console needs to have its functions mapped to a game pad with a limited number of buttons. Make a button layout that supports all the
actions in the primary gameplay mode (described in the following list). Discuss the pros and cons of your button layout.
The game pad has the following button layout:
■ A D-pad
■ One analog joystick
■ Four face buttons
■ Two shoulder buttons
The main gameplay mode has the following actions:
N ORMAL HARD ATTACK HIGH ATTACK (attack upward) LOW ATTACK
Normal Hard Attack High Attack Low Attack Block Attack
(attack upward) (attack downward)
Jump Crouch Move forward Move backward Strafe left
Strafe right Rotate left Rotate right Choose weapon Use health pack
Design Practice QUESTIONS
1. Does the gameplay require a pointing or steering device? Should these be analog, or will a D-pad suffi ce? What do they actually do in the context of the game?
Our game does require a steering device but as it is a side scroller, the D-pad will suffice. We will allow the player to change between the analog or D-pad depending on their preference. They will steer the character through the level avoiding enemies, traps, etc.
2. Does the function of one or more buttons on the controller change within a single gameplay mode? If so, what visual cues let the player know this is taking place?
There will be a button that allows players to play in 1st person to allow for better aim of enemies. The player will be able to do so at any point in time.
3. If the player has an avatar (whether a person, creature, or vehicle), how do the
movements and other behaviors of the avatar map to the machine’s input devices?
Defi ne the steering mechanism.
4. How will the major elements of your screen be laid out? Will the game use a windowed view, opaque overlays, semitransparent overlays, or a combination?
5. What camera model will the main view use? What interaction model does the
gameplay mode use? Is it one of the common ones or something new? How does
the camera model support the interaction model?
6. Does the game’s genre, if it has one, help to determine the user interface? What
standards already exist that the player may be expecting the game to follow? Do
you intend to break these expectations, and if so, how will you inform the player of
that?
7. Does the game include menus? What is the menu structure? Is it broad and shallow (quick to use, but hard to learn) or narrow and deep (easy to learn, but slow to
use)?
8. Does the game include text on the screen? If so, does it need provisions for
localization?
9. What icons does the game use? Are they visually distinct from one another and
quickly identifiable? Are they culturally universal?
10. Does the player need to know numeric values (score, speed, health)? Can these
be presented through nonnumeric means (power bars, needle gauges, small multiples), or should they be shown as digits? If shown as digits, how can they be
presented in such a way that they don’t harm suspension of disbelief? Will you
label the value and if so, how?
11. What symbolic values does the player need to know (safe/danger, locked/
unlocked/open)? By what means will you convey both the value and its label?
12. Will it be possible for the player to control the game’s camera? Will it be necessary for the player to do so in order to play the game? What camera controls will be
available? Will they be available at all times or from a separate menu or other
mechanism?
13. What is the aesthetic style of the game? How do the interface elements blend in
and support that style?
14. How will audio be used to support the player’s interaction with the game? What
audio cues will accompany player actions? Will the game include audio advice or
dialog?
15. How does music support the user interface and the game generally? Does it create an emotional tone or set a pace? Can it adapt to changing circumstances?
Friday, March 18, 2011
Excercise 1 3/18/2011
Game writers often find themselves asked to write content with very limited
information, and they have to make it up as best they can. This is an exercise about
writing dialog in such a situation. Assume the following scenario: An adventurer
arrives at an old ruin. The main entry gate is guarded by a huge stone golem that
has to be convinced to let the adventurer pass through. The player might take three
different approaches to the conversation at hand: intimidation, admiration, or subterfuge.
TASK
Write a scripted conversation for this situation in which, at each menu, the
player has a choice of three options corresponding to each of the three approaches.
Your conversation must include no fewer than four exchanges, counting introducing and parting dialog lines. If the player chooses a consistent approach
throughout the conversation, the golem opens the gate; if the player does not, the
golem refuses and the conversation ends.
Post your completed set of menus plus the conversations that stem from each as separate branches as a diagram to your blog. You may use freemind (on the applications folder of the macs in room 474) or some other tool such as google draw or photoshop or illustrator - any tool that lets you create a diagram of possible branching path options - a flowchart, basically.
Friday, March 11, 2011
Today's in class exercises - based on Chapter 5 of Ernest Adams
In class exercise number 1 - create three different kinds of hero for an imaginary videogame - e.g. RPG, MMORPG, FPS, etc. Consider scale, gender, body type for each of the three and try to vary them as much as possible.
As you build your three characters with hero builder, clearly identify and document those functional and cosmetic attributes of the avatar that the player may modify. In the case of the functional attributes, indicate how they affect the gameplay.
As you build your three games characters with hero builder, clearly identify and document those functional and cosmetic attributes of the avatar that the player may modify. In the case of the functional attributes, indicate how they affect the gameplay.
Post the pictures to your blog with a brief written description of each character and those attributes the player can modify. Explain very clearly how these modifications assist in the gameplay.
RPG
Claudio:
Abilities: As a skilled archer, Claudio
Part 2
Think of an idea for a game that permits the player to construct something you
have not seen in commercial games (no cities, buildings, or vehicles). Assume that
you will constrain the player’s abilities via an economy but allow him to earn new
tools and features for his construction over time. Design a set of elementary parts
from which the item may be constructed, and specify a price for each part. Include
a number of upgrades—more expensive parts that replace cheaper versions. Write a short blog entry explaining the domain in which the player will be creating, and supply your list of parts, giving them in the order in which the player will earn the ability to buy them (cheapest to most expensive). Also indicate in a general way how the player can use the item s/he constructs to earn money.
The scope of the exercise - limit yourself to the iPhone/iPad online 'app store' type casual game for this job.
Friday, March 4, 2011
Friday, February 25, 2011
2/25/11 - In class excersise 2
Go to http://www.atari.com/play
Play one of the classic vintage arcade games (but NOT a facebook game!) online via a browser - e.g. asteroids, battlezone, centipede etc
And answer the following questions (CUT & PASTE THE QUESTIONS INTO A PERSONAL BLOG ENTRY AND PROVIDE ANSWERS WITHIN SAME BLOG ENTRY)
Include a graphic image of the game you played in your blog entry.
Student Name___Ariel Valencia__________________
Today’s Date______2/25/11_________________
Game Title Examined________Tempest________________
Year of Publication (if known - check thedoteaters.com for details) _______1981__________________
Game Publisher_______Atari_______________
Game Developer (if different from Publisher) ______Atari_____________________
1 - What is the game genre (e.g. shoot-em-up, racing, sports, puzzle, MMORPG, ‘sandbox’, music sequence following game (e.g. DDR, guitar hero)
Shoot-em-up
2 -What is the type of game ‘world’ or environment (e.g. flat environment, puzzle/maze space, 3D world?)
flat enviroment
3 - What is the perspective taken by player (e.g first person, third person perspective, top down, isometric) in relation to main player controlled character.
Third person
4 - What is the actual gameplay – what does the player have to do?
The player must clear the level before being killed.
5 - Is the gameplay intuitive? (i.e. is it easy to understand what to do without instructions?) describe.
Yes. It is very easy to figure out the goal of the game and how to play.
6 - Is the gameplay patterned (game does the same thing over & over) or is it random (happens differently every time?)
The gameplay is random.
7 - What does the type of graphic approach used as well as the audio tell you about the limits of the technology at the time the game was published?
It tells me that it was difficult to even program the machine to do what it did.
8 - Describe your views about the game from the point of view of
1. ease of play
It was fairly easy to play and the game play was intuitive.
2. enjoyability
c) level of engagement/immersion
Since the game was random and not patterned, the game was very engaging keeping the player on their toes and completely immersed in the game.
9 - Had you played this game prior to this time? If so, when?
No I had not played the game before.
10 - what does playing the game remind you of in terms of other games/media?
It reminds me of a puzzle you have to complete in rachet and clank in order to unlock a door.
Play one of the classic vintage arcade games (but NOT a facebook game!) online via a browser - e.g. asteroids, battlezone, centipede etc
And answer the following questions (CUT & PASTE THE QUESTIONS INTO A PERSONAL BLOG ENTRY AND PROVIDE ANSWERS WITHIN SAME BLOG ENTRY)
Include a graphic image of the game you played in your blog entry.
Student Name___Ariel Valencia__________________
Today’s Date______2/25/11_________________
Game Title Examined________Tempest________________
Year of Publication (if known - check thedoteaters.com for details) _______1981__________________
Game Publisher_______Atari_______________
Game Developer (if different from Publisher) ______Atari_____________________
1 - What is the game genre (e.g. shoot-em-up, racing, sports, puzzle, MMORPG, ‘sandbox’, music sequence following game (e.g. DDR, guitar hero)
Shoot-em-up
2 -What is the type of game ‘world’ or environment (e.g. flat environment, puzzle/maze space, 3D world?)
flat enviroment
3 - What is the perspective taken by player (e.g first person, third person perspective, top down, isometric) in relation to main player controlled character.
Third person
4 - What is the actual gameplay – what does the player have to do?
The player must clear the level before being killed.
5 - Is the gameplay intuitive? (i.e. is it easy to understand what to do without instructions?) describe.
Yes. It is very easy to figure out the goal of the game and how to play.
6 - Is the gameplay patterned (game does the same thing over & over) or is it random (happens differently every time?)
The gameplay is random.
7 - What does the type of graphic approach used as well as the audio tell you about the limits of the technology at the time the game was published?
It tells me that it was difficult to even program the machine to do what it did.
8 - Describe your views about the game from the point of view of
1. ease of play
It was fairly easy to play and the game play was intuitive.
2. enjoyability
c) level of engagement/immersion
Since the game was random and not patterned, the game was very engaging keeping the player on their toes and completely immersed in the game.
9 - Had you played this game prior to this time? If so, when?
No I had not played the game before.
10 - what does playing the game remind you of in terms of other games/media?
It reminds me of a puzzle you have to complete in rachet and clank in order to unlock a door.
2/25/11 - In class excersise
Once you have a game idea in mind, these are the questions you must ask yourself in order to turn it into a fully fledged game concept. You don't have to be precise or detailed, but you should have a general answer for all of them.
1) Write a high concept statement: a few sentences that give a general flavor of the game. You can make references to other games, movies, book, or any other media if your game contains similar characters actions or ideas
It is an action RPG with with main character being a High School student who gets caught up in a feud between two assassin groups.
2) What is the player’s role? Is the player pretending to be someone or something, and if so what? Is there more than one? How does the player’s role help to define the gameplay?
The main character is forced to join an assassins group and train as well as help the group stop the enemy from summoning a creature
3) Does the game have an avatar or other key character? Describe him/her/it
The main character is a nerdy, horny 18 year old boy who is a bit of a loner.
4) What is the nature of the gameplay, in general terms? What kinds of challenges will the player face? What kinds of actions will the player take to oercome them?
The player will have to travel to other friendly assassins bases and secure ancient artifacts and preventing the enemy from gathering the relics. In his quests he will have to fight off enemies as well as gain trust in his fellow assassins.
5) What is the player’s interaction model? Omnipresent? Through an avatar? Something else? Some combination?
The players interaction model is through an avatar.
6) What is the game’s primary camera model? How will the player view the game’s world on the screen? Will there be more than one perspective?
3rd person camera as well as first person when aiming certain weapons
7) Does the game fall into an existing genre? If so, which one?
It is an action/adventure RPG.
8) Is the game competitive, cooperative, team-based or single player? If multiple players are allowed are they using the same machine with separate controls or different machines over a network?
Single player with co-op. The co-op will allow you to play with someone next to you on the same console or online with other players.
9) Why would anyone want to play this game? Who is the game’s target audiencde? What characteristics distinguise them from the mass of players in general?
They would want to play this game because it is an action RPG with a good storyline to keep the player hooked and on the edge of their seat. The target audience are males ages 16+. Entertaining story seperates this game from others.
10) What machine or machines is the game intended to run on? Can it make use of or will it require any particular hardware such as dance mats or a camera?
It is a console/PC game that uses the controller that comes with the console.
It is a console/PC game that uses the controller that comes with the console.
11) What is the game’s setting? Where does it take place?
It takes place in modern day world.
It takes place in modern day world.
12) Will the game be broken into levels? What might be the victory condition for a typical level?
The game is broken into levels seperated by years and adventures.
13) Does the game have a narrative or story as it goes along? Summarize the plot in a sentence or two.The game is broken into levels seperated by years and adventures.
It has a story to go along with it.The story takes place in the present and follows the story of an 18 year old boy who gets sucked into a world of assassins and needs to join their ranks in order to save the world.
Friday, February 11, 2011
End of Analogue - History of Videogames
1) Who invented the first computer game on the PDP1?
Steve Russell
2) What was the name of the game?
Computer Space
3) What was the name of Morton Helig's amusement device that let you smell, hear and see in 3D filmed experiences?
Sensorama
4) What early 1970s movie does an arcade console machine of Spacewar appear?
Spacewar appeared in Soylent Green (1973).
5) What was the name of the man who developed the first TV tennis game?
William Higinbotham
6) Who was the man whose company Atari commercialized the idea of the arcade computer tennis game?
Nolan Bushnell
7) What was the name of this version of the game?
Pong
8) What are vector graphics?
The use of points, lines, curves and shapes based on mathematical equations to represent computer graphics.
9) What types of games do vector graphics lend themselves to?
Space Shooter games
10) When home computers were first made available, how did owners load games into them?
Users entered source code they found print media such as magazines
11) What is the name of the 1985 film in which a young Matthew Broderick starts World War III with his home computer and modem?
WarGames
12) From what sources did the designer of the Space Invaders aliens draw inspiration?
Tomohiro Nishikado drew inspiration from Breakout, War of the Worlds and Star Wars.
13) What is the name given to the contemporary subculture of 8 bit music made with gameboys and other 80s game technology
Chiptune
14) "Escape from Woomera" was a videogame which was used to draw attention to the plight of inmates at a remote detention center in desert town in what country?
A dessert town in Australia.
Steve Russell
2) What was the name of the game?
Computer Space
3) What was the name of Morton Helig's amusement device that let you smell, hear and see in 3D filmed experiences?
Sensorama
4) What early 1970s movie does an arcade console machine of Spacewar appear?
Spacewar appeared in Soylent Green (1973).
5) What was the name of the man who developed the first TV tennis game?
William Higinbotham
6) Who was the man whose company Atari commercialized the idea of the arcade computer tennis game?
Nolan Bushnell
7) What was the name of this version of the game?
Pong
8) What are vector graphics?
The use of points, lines, curves and shapes based on mathematical equations to represent computer graphics.
9) What types of games do vector graphics lend themselves to?
Space Shooter games
10) When home computers were first made available, how did owners load games into them?
Users entered source code they found print media such as magazines
11) What is the name of the 1985 film in which a young Matthew Broderick starts World War III with his home computer and modem?
WarGames
12) From what sources did the designer of the Space Invaders aliens draw inspiration?
Tomohiro Nishikado drew inspiration from Breakout, War of the Worlds and Star Wars.
13) What is the name given to the contemporary subculture of 8 bit music made with gameboys and other 80s game technology
Chiptune
14) "Escape from Woomera" was a videogame which was used to draw attention to the plight of inmates at a remote detention center in desert town in what country?
A dessert town in Australia.
Friday, January 28, 2011
Legend of Zelda
1) How would you describe the level of engagement compared to more action oriented games from the same period?
The level of engagement is a lot higher in this game compared to other games of the same period. With games like Super Mario Brothers, There is was a set path which you had to follow as well as little story behind the game. With Zelda there was a world you could explore to find items adventure through the world as you followed the story.
2) What role does setting and characterisation play in the game?
The setting allows the player to have to find their way through the woods. Rather than having a set path that the player must follow, the player is immersed in a forest through which they must navigate and find the correct path. This setting gives the player the feeling as thought they are on an adventure.
3) How do spells, pickups and power-ups assist the game play?
Spells, pickups and power-ups allow the player to use more strategy and allow for longer game play. You can decide when to use spells and power-ups to your advantage rather than them being used automatically when you pick them up. Other pickups such as life and weapons allow you to grow stronger and attain more life when you are low.
The level of engagement is a lot higher in this game compared to other games of the same period. With games like Super Mario Brothers, There is was a set path which you had to follow as well as little story behind the game. With Zelda there was a world you could explore to find items adventure through the world as you followed the story.
2) What role does setting and characterisation play in the game?
The setting allows the player to have to find their way through the woods. Rather than having a set path that the player must follow, the player is immersed in a forest through which they must navigate and find the correct path. This setting gives the player the feeling as thought they are on an adventure.
3) How do spells, pickups and power-ups assist the game play?
Spells, pickups and power-ups allow the player to use more strategy and allow for longer game play. You can decide when to use spells and power-ups to your advantage rather than them being used automatically when you pick them up. Other pickups such as life and weapons allow you to grow stronger and attain more life when you are low.
"I, Videogame" Part 2
1) What kind of company was Nintendo before it made videogame and videogame consoles?
It was a producer of plastic toys and card games
2) What videogame system did it sell before it made its FAMICOM (known in USA as Nintendo Entertainment System)
Odyssey game system
3) Shigeru Miyamoto was not a programmer - what skill set did he bring to the industry?
Artist/Designer- Art and storytelling
4) How did the limits of the technology affect the way Mario could be shown?
They gave him a hat because it was difficult to do hair, he had a mustache because it was difficult to do a mouth, he had a red jumpsuit to make him recognizable
5) Why did US retailers think there was no future in home videogame consoles at the time just prior to the NES release in the USA?
Sales died and atari crashed.
6) What was assumed to the be the 'next big thing' by electronics manufacturers?
PC computers
7) What did Legend of Zelda bring to gaming that was new?
An adventure style of gaming, equipment, leveled up, had a story.
8) How did the conservative values of the 1980s (Reagan & Thatcher etc) affect the culture of videogames?
The games became more story driven. Also while parents would by computers to create spreadsheets, younger people would buy computers to play games
9) How were the PC games published by Mystery House like King's Quest different from console games?
They had graphics. The games were also different adventure aspect.
10) How did Sega's 16 big Megadrive system change home console gaming?
It had double the processing power, superior sound and graphics.
11) How did "Leisure Suit Larry" differ from most genre based games of the period?
It was the first racey content game and the first game to use real world characters and enviroments.
12) How is this aspect reflected in many games of today?
It pushed the creation of games with real world characters and more realistic games.
13) What is 'motion capture'?
It is a process in which you put markers on a person and capture their movement.
14) What is the 'uncanny valley'?
When animation and robots look and almost act like actual humans
It was a producer of plastic toys and card games
2) What videogame system did it sell before it made its FAMICOM (known in USA as Nintendo Entertainment System)
Odyssey game system
3) Shigeru Miyamoto was not a programmer - what skill set did he bring to the industry?
Artist/Designer- Art and storytelling
4) How did the limits of the technology affect the way Mario could be shown?
They gave him a hat because it was difficult to do hair, he had a mustache because it was difficult to do a mouth, he had a red jumpsuit to make him recognizable
5) Why did US retailers think there was no future in home videogame consoles at the time just prior to the NES release in the USA?
Sales died and atari crashed.
6) What was assumed to the be the 'next big thing' by electronics manufacturers?
PC computers
7) What did Legend of Zelda bring to gaming that was new?
An adventure style of gaming, equipment, leveled up, had a story.
8) How did the conservative values of the 1980s (Reagan & Thatcher etc) affect the culture of videogames?
The games became more story driven. Also while parents would by computers to create spreadsheets, younger people would buy computers to play games
9) How were the PC games published by Mystery House like King's Quest different from console games?
They had graphics. The games were also different adventure aspect.
10) How did Sega's 16 big Megadrive system change home console gaming?
It had double the processing power, superior sound and graphics.
11) How did "Leisure Suit Larry" differ from most genre based games of the period?
It was the first racey content game and the first game to use real world characters and enviroments.
12) How is this aspect reflected in many games of today?
It pushed the creation of games with real world characters and more realistic games.
13) What is 'motion capture'?
It is a process in which you put markers on a person and capture their movement.
14) What is the 'uncanny valley'?
When animation and robots look and almost act like actual humans
Friday, January 21, 2011
Cartoon Network Game Creator
A) What options are available to you as a 'game designer'?
Game Starter, Backrounds, Heros, Goal, Level Design, Test
B) How are these options provided?
They are provided in 6 steps beginning with game starter.
C) What types of elements are provided for you to use to 'build' the game?
You can choose how the level will look, the background, he heros, what the goal is such as collecting orbs or killing enemies. Then you can place obstacles, enemies, orbs, etc. to finish the level/.
D) What limits are set on the level of the game play able to be customized
You cannot choose what the characters attacks will be or how they move about.
E) What does the process of using these game creators teach about the notion of the 'difficulty and achievement' balance? Explain using an example from your research.
The game must be difficult to provide entertainment but also achievable otherwise the player will get bored.
Game Starter, Backrounds, Heros, Goal, Level Design, Test
B) How are these options provided?
They are provided in 6 steps beginning with game starter.
C) What types of elements are provided for you to use to 'build' the game?
You can choose how the level will look, the background, he heros, what the goal is such as collecting orbs or killing enemies. Then you can place obstacles, enemies, orbs, etc. to finish the level/.
D) What limits are set on the level of the game play able to be customized
You cannot choose what the characters attacks will be or how they move about.
E) What does the process of using these game creators teach about the notion of the 'difficulty and achievement' balance? Explain using an example from your research.
The game must be difficult to provide entertainment but also achievable otherwise the player will get bored.
"I, Videogame" Part 1
1) Videogames emerged from the culture of the "Cold War" - what does Henry Jenkins from MIT compare the period to in terms of a famous board game?
Battleship
2) a) Who was the inventor of the first Video game according to the documentary?
William Higginbothom
b) What was the name of the game?
Tennis for 2
3) Steve Russell is credited with the first true computer-based videogame (in terms of its use with the 1961 PDP1 mainframe computer) with SPACEWAR - what popular science fiction book series also influenced him?
Docs Smiths Lensman Series
4) What innovation did Steve Russell's SPACEWAR introduce in terms of input hardware?
The joystick
5) a) In the anti-war and counterculture period of the 1960s and 1970s, what new home entertainment system let consumers finally control what was being seen on the home television?
The MAGNAMOX Oddessy
b) b) Who was its inventor/developer?
Ralph Baer
6) PONG emerged out of the counterculture spirit of the early 1970s - its natural home was what type of entertainment setting?
Bar, restaurant, coffeeshop
7) Who does Nolan Bushnell say were generally best at playing the game?
Women
8) "Space Invaders" emerged in the late 1970s as the first game from Japan.
How did the TAITO production team intensify the emotion of the game using the four-note in-game music theme?
They sped up the tempo of the music as the space invaders got closer
9) Steve Moulder reflects that the first arcade games tended to result in the player's defeat. This he argues in turn reflected the view held by many designers during that time that war itself is defeatist.
Has this view changed since that time? Do today's latest games still convey this sense? Why? Why not? (use your own words)
I believe that this view has not changed but it is perhaps not as direct. When playing a game like Resident Evil, there are many enemies trying to prevent you from finishing the game. These enemies are trying to defeat you and while you can now continue from save/checkpoints, the game is still based on you trying not to be defeated and completing the game.
10) Have you ever played any of the games shown in this the first episode of "I, Videogame"? What was your memory of playing it? Where were you, when was it?
Yes I have. When I was younger I would play Pac Man whenever i was at an arcade.
Battleship
2) a) Who was the inventor of the first Video game according to the documentary?
William Higginbothom
b) What was the name of the game?
Tennis for 2
3) Steve Russell is credited with the first true computer-based videogame (in terms of its use with the 1961 PDP1 mainframe computer) with SPACEWAR - what popular science fiction book series also influenced him?
Docs Smiths Lensman Series
4) What innovation did Steve Russell's SPACEWAR introduce in terms of input hardware?
The joystick
5) a) In the anti-war and counterculture period of the 1960s and 1970s, what new home entertainment system let consumers finally control what was being seen on the home television?
The MAGNAMOX Oddessy
b) b) Who was its inventor/developer?
Ralph Baer
6) PONG emerged out of the counterculture spirit of the early 1970s - its natural home was what type of entertainment setting?
Bar, restaurant, coffeeshop
7) Who does Nolan Bushnell say were generally best at playing the game?
Women
8) "Space Invaders" emerged in the late 1970s as the first game from Japan.
How did the TAITO production team intensify the emotion of the game using the four-note in-game music theme?
They sped up the tempo of the music as the space invaders got closer
9) Steve Moulder reflects that the first arcade games tended to result in the player's defeat. This he argues in turn reflected the view held by many designers during that time that war itself is defeatist.
Has this view changed since that time? Do today's latest games still convey this sense? Why? Why not? (use your own words)
I believe that this view has not changed but it is perhaps not as direct. When playing a game like Resident Evil, there are many enemies trying to prevent you from finishing the game. These enemies are trying to defeat you and while you can now continue from save/checkpoints, the game is still based on you trying not to be defeated and completing the game.
10) Have you ever played any of the games shown in this the first episode of "I, Videogame"? What was your memory of playing it? Where were you, when was it?
Yes I have. When I was younger I would play Pac Man whenever i was at an arcade.
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