Game Design Workshop

Lynne Hall

Marc Hall

Session Overview

Introduction

ORIENT using games to make learning fun changing the way we play games

Game design process

Your turn

Games Design

Introduction

Digital World

Complex digital world Digital natives and the digitally eloquent

Input from cinema Cuts, montage, flashbacks

Input from interaction Engagement, entertainment, persistence

Evolving literacy Being able to read and write in emerging forms of

media Digital life

Production as well as consumption Learning, extending, sharing

Game Environments

Lots of video games in contemporary society Realism-based simulations

Contemporary car racing games Business simulations Sports, combat and civilization development

Abstract simulations Adventure and fantasy – Role playing games Space battle games

Puzzles Tetris Traditional table top games (e.g. Scrabble, Cards)

What do you like about your favourite games?

Reward Immersion Competition Escape Challenge Relaxation Excitement Intellectual stimulation Accomplishment Variety

Entertainment Control Humour Role playing Social interaction Discovery Aesthetics Creation Advancement

What do you dislike about games?

Punishment Tedium Inconsistency Presentation glitches Boredom Frustration Interruption Crashes Eyestrain Wrist fatigue Poor acting/plot

Characteristics of a Good Game

Easy to start, tough to master

Intuitive controls – easy to do it

Balanced difficulty ramping

Gradual learning curve

If it isn’t fun, it won’t be played…

Educational Computer Games

1,000s of educational software titles Cater for specific age groups Usually follow the main stages of the curriculum Can be not fun at all! Some games that are fun and can help learning

Zoombinis Some examples of fun games that can be used for

learning

Using games to learn

Business simulations Combat training

Wargaming scenarios MarineDoom

Learning to fly / drive Flight simulation Maclaren practice using

F1 driving games

Zoombini’s Logical Journey

Teaching maths to 4-8 year olds

Puzzles within a games world

Effective learning whilst having fun

Makes maths accessible and understandable

Fun to play Doesn’t feel like learning

Simulation

The Sims (EA) Simulation of life Manipulation of

characters, events and culture

Allows exploration of alternative approaches

Social creativity

Strategy

Age of Empires (Microsoft) Decision making Responding to diverse

conditions Use of resources Defence & attack Building empires

Story / Quest

The Settlers 4 (Bluebyte) Identifying resources

needed for survival, subsistence and success

Understanding of basic building blocks of societal development

Puzzle

Rollercoaster Tycoon (Atari) Design Aesthetics Resourcing Issues Finance versus fun Marketing

RPG / Action

World of Warcraft (Blizzard) Active participation in

stories Problem solving

involving complex puzzles

Collaboration Goal-oriented activity

Case Study: RunescapeGames can be good for you!

3 year study Positive results

Teaches valuable skills Requires collaboration Mirrors real world aspects Work-related learning

Prof. David Buckingham, of London University's Institute for Education: “computer games should be taught at school, because they are as much a part of modern literacy as reading and writing”

Games as a career?

Many jobs Huge sector Many different skills

Writer Programmer Graphic designer Animator

Many opportunities

Games Design

ORIENT

ORIENT

Overcoming Refugee Integration Empathic Novel Technology

ORIENT

Meant to make learning about friendship fun… Issue: How to use a game to learn about PSHE

and citizenship To help teenagers learn and use friendship

strategies for aiding refugee and immigrant children into becoming part of the class / school

Uses 3D characters and sets

What’s it for?

Purpose of Game: It’s to teach children ways to help people fit in to a

group.

Audience: It is for teenagers about your age.

What you’re doing Looking for bugs Report as on board

Let’s have a look

osiris.sunderland.ac.uk/~cs0jri Trailer

Indicative games

Games Design

Games design process

Ideas

Very first ideas about what the game will be. Action? Strategy? Life-like? Sports … …

Concept Design

Ideas turned into pictures “Concept Art”

Modelling

Levels and Characters modelled in 3D

Texturing

Pictures put on the models to make them more detailed.

Animation

Allowing characters to move

Motion capture Back flip Matrix Jump

Programming

Programmers (coders) write the software to make the graphics work together

Testing

Testers play the game Look for problems (bugs) Make sure the game isn’t too easy or too hard

Designing a mini game for ORIENT

Learning to design games

Getting going: Making a mindmap Initial designs

Outline Storyboard Scripts Concept art Models

Game Outline

What mini-game will involve What will the users have to do What will the characters do in the game What is meant to happen What is the point of what the user is doing? How will they succeed? What are the fail conditions? What sets do you need? What props?

Useful design technique:Storyboards

Just like a comic strip Frames depicting

How you will interact with the game What is the activity and purpose in the

application What can the children do with the

application Add notes if you need to

Creating storyboards

A4 paper is your screen – you can draw and stick

But it can become “alive” if you want Role-play Acting out what the user would be doing Becoming part of the game

Sprites and Seeds

Culture: Sprites Getting seeds Could be any sort of game

Role playing Shooter Creating

Sprites

Sprites

Close to nature Live in the country Love partying Life is about making

things fun Most of what they do

relates to simple pleasures like eating

Your task

What do the seeds look like? How do the sprites “catch them”? What happens when they’re caught? How does the user join in? Do other sprites and users join in?

Mind Map & Concepts

What your ideas are…

What do the seeds look like?

Storyboard

What will happen in the game…

Games design

How did you think games were designed? Did you enjoy these approaches? Have you learnt anything? What did you enjoy most?

Summary

Games here to stay Games can have serious as well as fun

purposes Games design involves lots of skills Plenty of opportunities for careers in the games

industry Enjoyable and interesting career