Document 7245324
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Introduction
GAM 224
Robin Burke
Winter 2005
Outline
Introductions
Class structure / syllabus
Games
Computer games
some basic principles
some examples
Introductions
Student information sheet
Me
Not a computer game designer
But
Background in AI
I will be learning, too
Resources
Course web site
Office hours
http://josquin.cti.depaul.edu/~rburke/courses/w05/gam224/
Wednesdays 1 - 4 pm
Email
[email protected]
Game Lab
Room 707 CST
Hours
10 am – 11 pm M/W/F
10 am – 8 pm Tu/Th
10 am – 6 pm Sa/Su
Run by volunteers
Need student ID to check out materials
Nothing leaves the lab!
Lab resources
Hardware
6 High-end PCs
5 console stations with XBOX, PS2
and GameCube
probably will be expanding soon
Software
(with new arrivals) ~100 titles
Class structure
Two themes
critical analysis of games
practice of game design
Both are interrelated
Analysis
What are the components of a game?
How do these pieces fit together?
What is the player experience?
Is the game compelling / interesting?
What makes one game better than
another?
What does a game mean?
Design
How do I develop and expand a game idea?
What pieces need to come together to
make a game?
How are these pieces designed and built?
What will a player's experience be like?
How can I make a game more compelling /
interesting?
How can I improve my design?
Theme: critical study
Genre discussion
game genre / week
reaction papers
leading discussion
• genre summary papers
Midterm project
game analysis
Midterm project
Milestones
1/10: Proposal – just the name of the
game
1/24: Notes – your notes on the
analytical dimensions
1/31: Midterm paper
• 8-10 pages
• 2000-2500 words
Caveat
Do not use the analytical dimensions
as an outline
Your paper should have
a thesis
an argument in favor of the thesis
evidence for the argument
• evidence will come from the analytic
dimensions
Example
You want to make the point that the
user doesn't have enough choices
Evidence could come from
rules
interactions
narrative
etc
Theme: design
Text
"Game Design: Theory and Practice"
excellent practical guide
lots of game analysis as well
Final project
develop game ideas into a game
concept document
Next week
Guest lecturer
Robin Hunicke
Northwestern University
PhD research
Managing resources to optimize
player "flow"
Topic
Game industry & new trends
Genres
1/17: Action / Arcade
1/24: Strategy / Simulation
1/31: Role-playing
2/7: Action / Adventure
2/14: Sports
2/21: Fighting
2/28: First-person action
3/7: Children's
Design topics
Following the book
Final two weeks
Violence
Gender
Profound questions
What is a game?
What are games for?
Critical analysis
Take the player's point of view
Three components
ludic
perceptual
psycho-social
Summing up
critical
Vocabulary
Ludology
Ludic
of or pertaining to play
Diegesis
the study of play and games
Latin "ludere" – to play
the universe of a narrative
Diegetic
of or pertaining to a narrative universe
Ludic
Genre
Point of view
Rules
Rewards / Consequences
Character
Narrative
Setting
Space
Time
Genre
Establishes expectations
Links to prior works
Questions
What genre does this game fit into?
Does this game do anything new or
surprising with the genre?
Point of View
The role of the player in the game
Questions
What is the player’s point of view?
Does this point of view help your
identification with the character,
interest in the story?
Rules
The limits of what the player can do
The responses produced by the game
to player actions
Questions
Describe the rules of the game. What
is allowed and not allowed?
Does this rule set create ongoing,
engaging choices for the player?
Rewards and
Consequences
The incentives to keep playing the game
get to the next level
May also be new abilities, "power ups"
Questions
What is the reward structure of the game? Is
the reward merely continuing the game
narrative or does the player gain something?
Are the rewards commensurate with effort?
Are they natural or artificial?
Character
Characters are the actors in the game
Questions
Describe the main character in the game.
What about the character makes you identify
with him/her/it?
If there are non-player characters, how does
the player interact with them? What kinds of
behaviors do they exhibit?
Narrative
The game’s plot or storyline.
Question
Does the game have a large emphasis on
storyline?
What is the central conflict?
Does the story move toward an interesting
resolution?
Is it an involving story or merely windowdressing for a series of game levels?
Setting
The game world itself
may be simple or complex
Questions
What is the setting for the game?
Where in time and space is it?
How does the game place enhances
the experience of the game?
Space
The experience of space of the game
world
Questions:
How does the game environment
create a sense of space?
How does it use the space that it
creates?
Time
Diegetic time is usually very different
from real world time
Players may be able to change the
speed at which time passes
Questions
How does time function in the game?
What is the relationship between real
time and game time?
Demo
Missile Command
Perceptual
Camera
Visual Design
Animation
Interaction
Camera
The rules that govern what is shown
and how
Questions
What are the rules that determine how
the game world is rendered?
How does the camera perspective
work with or against the objective of
the game?
Visual Design
The visual impact and ambience of
the game
Questions
What is the visual style of this game?
Are the visuals in the game
aesthetically pleasing?
How do they contribute to the game's
overall impact?
Animation
The motion of the objects and
characters in the game
Questions
How are the graphics animated?
How do the animations add to the
experience of the visuals?
Interaction
An interaction loop is
some user action
a diegetic response
feedback to the user
A game will usually have only a handful of
core interaction loops
Questions
Describe the interaction loop(s) in this game.
How do the interaction loops increase your
immersion in the game world?
Interface / Input
The user's input to the game
Questions
What is the control set up for the
game?
Does it work to make interaction easy
and natural?
Interface / Output:
The display of information from the
game
includes non-diegetic information
Questions
How does the game provide feedback
about the world?
Does the game provide the
information the player needs to make
choices?
Sound Effects
All aural information in the game,
(usually diegetic) except for music.
Question
What sound effects are used in the
game?
Do the sound effects enhance the
enjoyment of the game?
Music
Most games have some type of
constant background soundtrack that
accompanies the action
Question
Describe the music in the game.
How does the music enhance the
enjoyment of the game?
Demo
Halo
Pyscho-social
social aspects
overhead
ex machina
business
Social interactions
The interaction of people while playing
a multi-player game, directly or
mediated through the game.
Question
How do players communicate in the
game?
What communication opportunities
does the game provide?
Overhead
Player labor to
start the game
learn the controls
set options
Question
What does the game require the player to do
before they can play the game?
How is overhead handled in terms of
integration with the game?
Ex Machina
The game outside the game
Questions
What sorts of key elements sit outside
the game?
Do Easter Eggs, cheats, hint guides or
player modifications have an
important role in the game?
Business
Games are products of a commercial
system
Subject to constraints of profitability and
marketability
Questions
Are there interesting business issues behind
the game design?
Does the game fail creatively in delivering an
experience for obvious business reasons?
Demo
SSX3
Next week
guest lecture
project milestone #1