Computation as an Computation as an Expressive MediumExpressive Medium

Lecture 13?: Lecture 13?: Games!Games!

Jason AldermanJason Alderman

Project 6: Make a game!!Project 6: Make a game!! What’s the assignment?What’s the assignment? Where do I begin?Where do I begin?

Ludology: videogame theory!Ludology: videogame theory! Where to go for inspiration…Where to go for inspiration… Some examples…Some examples…

Q & A! (if you have questions)Q & A! (if you have questions) Discuss the readings!Discuss the readings!

Your mission:Your mission:While computer-based interactive games (a.k.a. video games) have been a While computer-based interactive games (a.k.a. video games) have been a pop-pop-

cultural forcecultural force since the since the arcade scenearcade scene of the late 1970s and early 1980s, in of the late 1970s and early 1980s, in recentrecent years video games have been recognized as a years video games have been recognized as a major emerging major emerging art formart form, poised to have as much cultural impact on the 21, poised to have as much cultural impact on the 21stst century as century as cinema did on the 20cinema did on the 20thth.. The game industry is making Hollywood-The game industry is making Hollywood-sized amounts of money, with designers of the most popular sized amounts of money, with designers of the most popular

games achieving a geeky sort of celebrity. Museums and games achieving a geeky sort of celebrity. Museums and galleries are offering exhibitions of galleries are offering exhibitions of ““aart gamesrt games””,, computer- computer-scientists are beginning to treat games as technical objects scientists are beginning to treat games as technical objects

worthy of serious attention, and inworthy of serious attention, and in humanities departments humanities departments around the world, games studies is a hot new topic.around the world, games studies is a hot new topic.

What kind of game would you create?What kind of game would you create?

Create a simple game.Create a simple game.

Your mission:Your mission:While computer-based interactive games (a.k.a. video games) have been a While computer-based interactive games (a.k.a. video games) have been a pop-pop-

cultural forcecultural force since the since the arcade scenearcade scene of the late 1970s and early 1980s, in of the late 1970s and early 1980s, in recentrecent years video games have been recognized as a years video games have been recognized as a major emerging major emerging art formart form, poised to have as much cultural impact on the 21, poised to have as much cultural impact on the 21stst century as century as cinema did on the 20cinema did on the 20thth.. The game industry is making Hollywood-The game industry is making Hollywood-sized amounts of money, with designers of the most popular sized amounts of money, with designers of the most popular

games achieving a geeky sort of celebrity. Museums and games achieving a geeky sort of celebrity. Museums and galleries are offering exhibitions of galleries are offering exhibitions of ““aart gamesrt games””,, computer- computer-scientists are beginning to treat games as technical objects scientists are beginning to treat games as technical objects

worthy of serious attention, and inworthy of serious attention, and in humanities departments humanities departments around the world, games studies is a hot new topic.around the world, games studies is a hot new topic.

What kind of game would you create?What kind of game would you create?

Create a simple game.Create a simple game.

(games have been around for a long time)

(games are getting (more) popular)

(games are being considered as an artform)

Your mission:Your mission:While computer-based interactive games (a.k.a. video games) have been a While computer-based interactive games (a.k.a. video games) have been a pop-pop-

cultural forcecultural force since the since the arcade scenearcade scene of the late 1970s and early 1980s, in of the late 1970s and early 1980s, in recentrecent years video games have been recognized as a years video games have been recognized as a major emerging major emerging art formart form, poised to have as much cultural impact on the 21, poised to have as much cultural impact on the 21stst century as century as cinema did on the 20cinema did on the 20thth.. The game industry is making Hollywood-The game industry is making Hollywood-sized amounts of money, with designers of the most popular sized amounts of money, with designers of the most popular

games achieving a geeky sort of celebrity. Museums and games achieving a geeky sort of celebrity. Museums and galleries are offering exhibitions of galleries are offering exhibitions of ““aart gamesrt games””,, computer- computer-scientists are beginning to treat games as technical objects scientists are beginning to treat games as technical objects

worthy of serious attention, and inworthy of serious attention, and in humanities departments humanities departments around the world, games studies is a hot new topic.around the world, games studies is a hot new topic.

What kind of game would you create?What kind of game would you create?

Create a simple game.Create a simple game.

(games have been around for a long time)

(games are getting (more) popular)

(games are being considered as an artform)

(games are being considered as an artform)

[Games are what make us human.]

Broadly paraphrased from:http://www.lcc.gatech.edu/~murray/digra05/

Your mission:Your mission:Create a simple game.Create a simple game.

No need to make any epic 20-hours-of-narrative kind of works, just a

simple casual game.

Thinking about games…Thinking about games… Chris CrawfordChris Crawford

says that games says that games are made up of are made up of verbsverbs

Raph KosterRaph Koster agrees agrees and does a good and does a good job job breaking downbreaking down games games furtherfurther

Take a look at Take a look at games out there…games out there…

Guess how many verbs go with BIG FREAKIN’ GUN, eh,

punk…?

Survey of the state of the Survey of the state of the artart

(Consulting one of our good friends…)(Consulting one of our good friends…)

(Honestly, Professor Mateas did this last year, too!)

If you can read this, your vision is really good! This is for the people who print slides: http://www.homestarrunner.com/sbemail94.swf

Some starting points…Some starting points… retroretro (with a twist) (with a twist) (underused) (underused) verbsverbs ……and (unlikely) and (unlikely) simulationssimulations (novel) means of (novel) means of interactioninteraction

Any questions?Any questions? Examples from last year…Examples from last year… A few good sites to check out:A few good sites to check out:

http://www.theoryoffun.com/http://www.theoryoffun.com/ Raph Koster’s analysis of gamesRaph Koster’s analysis of games

http://escapistmagazine.com/http://escapistmagazine.com/ http://erasmatazz.com/library/Game%20Design/Index.htmlhttp://erasmatazz.com/library/Game%20Design/Index.html

Chris Crawford on game designChris Crawford on game design http://grandtextauto.org/http://grandtextauto.org/

Learn what Mateas & Friends think is nifty about games!Learn what Mateas & Friends think is nifty about games! http://del.icio.us/tag/gamedev/http://del.icio.us/tag/gamedev/ google for “ludology”google for “ludology”

We’re done!We’re done!

Let’s discuss the veritable Let’s discuss the veritable plethora of readings!plethora of readings!