RECAPGame Design Class

Héctor Muñoz-Avila

Motivation• Compelling games don’t need

– the latest and best graphics– deep narrative or involved story line– beautiful people– sophisticated AI

• Compelling games need good gameplay

–What is that?

–How can we obtain it?

–How can we tell if we do have it or not?

Meaningful play: Player: (action system: outcome) discernable

integrated

Meaningful play: Player: (action system: outcome) discernable

integrated

choice

What happened before the player was given a choice?How is the possibility of a choice conveyed to the player?How did a player make a choice?What is the result of choice? How affects future choices?

How are the results of choice conveyed?

Interactivity:

Meaningful play: Player: (action system: outcome) discernable

integrated

choice

What happened before the player was given a choice?How is the possibility of a choice conveyed to the player?How did a player make a choice?What is the result of choice? How affects future choices?

How are the results of choice conveyed?

Game:

•A game is a system•In which players• engaged in an artificial conflict• defined by rules•That results in a quantifiable outcome

Interactivity:

Meaningful play: Player: (action system: outcome) discernable

integrated

choice

What happened before the player was given a choice?How is the possibility of a choice conveyed to the player?How did a player make a choice?What is the result of choice? How affects future choices?

How are the results of choice conveyed?

Game:

•A game is a system•In which players• engaged in an artificial conflict• defined by rules•That results in a quantifiable outcome

Video

Immediate but narrow interactivityInformation manipulationAutomated complex systemsNetworked communication

traits

Interactivity:

Closed

Open

FormalExperientialCultural

Meaningful play: Player: (action system: outcome) discernable

integrated

choice

What happened before the player was given a choice?How is the possibility of a choice conveyed to the player?How did a player make a choice?What is the result of choice? How affects future choices?

How are the results of choice conveyed?

Game:

•A game is a system•In which players• engaged in an artificial conflict• defined by rules•That results in a quantifiable outcome

Video

Immediate but narrow interactivityInformation manipulationAutomated complex systemsNetworked communication

traits

Interactivity:

Closed

Open

FormalExperientialCultural

play

Primary schemas

rules

context

Magic circleLusory attitude

Meaningful play: Player: (action system: outcome) discernable

integrated

choice

What happened before the player was given a choice?How is the possibility of a choice conveyed to the player?How did a player make a choice?What is the result of choice? How affects future choices?

How are the results of choice conveyed?

Game:

•A game is a system•In which players• engaged in an artificial conflict• defined by rules•That results in a quantifiable outcome

Video

Immediate but narrow interactivityInformation manipulationAutomated complex systemsNetworked communication

traits

Interactivity:

Closed

Open

FormalExperientialCultural

play

Primary schemas

rules

context

rules

Meaningful play: Player: (action system: outcome)

Now lets talk schemas…

discernableintegrated

rules

ConstitutiveOperationalImplicit

Meaningful play: Player: (action system: outcome)

Now lets talk schemas…

digital vs. non digital games

discernableintegrated

rules

ConstitutiveOperationalImplicit

Meaningful play: Player: (action system: outcome)

Now lets talk schemas…

digital vs. non digital games

is pre-determined deterministic gamenot predetermined chance games

has complete information perfect information game

discernableintegrated

rules

ConstitutiveOperationalImplicit

Meaningful play: Player: (action system: outcome)

is pre-determined deterministic gamenot predetermined chance games

has complete information perfect information game

Now lets talk schemas…

digital vs. non digital games

emergence

discernableintegrated

rules

ConstitutiveOperationalImplicit

Meaningful play: Player: (action system: outcome)

is pre-determined deterministic gamenot predetermined chance games

has complete information perfect information game

Now lets talk schemas…

digital vs. non digital games

emergence

uncertainty

discernableintegrated

macro-level micro-level

Information theory

Noiseredundancy

rules

ConstitutiveOperationalImplicit

Meaningful play: Player: (action system: outcome)

is pre-determined deterministic gamenot predetermined chance games

has complete information perfect information game

Now lets talk schemas…

digital vs. non digital games

emergence

uncertainty

discernableintegrated

macro-level micro-level

Information theory

Noiseredundancy

•Information known to all players•Information known to only one player•Information known to the game only•Randomly generated information

Systems of information

rules

ConstitutiveOperationalImplicit

Meaningful play: Player: (action system: outcome)

is pre-determined deterministic gamenot predetermined chance games

has complete information perfect information game

Now lets talk schemas…

digital vs. non digital games

emergence

uncertainty

discernableintegrated

macro-level micro-level

Information theory

Noiseredundancy

•Information known to all players•Information known to only one player•Information known to the game only•Randomly generated information

Systems of information

Cybernetics(feedback)

PositiveNegative

StabilityDurationSuccessControl

rules

ConstitutiveOperationalImplicit

Meaningful play: Player: (action system: outcome)

is pre-determined deterministic gamenot predetermined chance games

has complete information perfect information game

Now lets talk schemas…

digital vs. non digital games

emergence

uncertainty

discernableintegrated

macro-level micro-level

Information theory

Noiseredundancy

•Information known to all players•Information known to only one player•Information known to the game only•Randomly generated information

Systems of information

Cybernetics(feedback)

PositiveNegative

StabilityDurationSuccessControl

Game theoryGame tree

Saddle points

Meaningful play: Player: (action system: outcome)

Other presentations…

discernableintegrated

Magic circleLusory attitudeGame:

•A game is a system•In which players• engaged in an artificial conflict• defined by rules•That results in a quantifiable outcome

Meaningful play: Player: (action system: outcome)

Other presentations…

discernableintegrated

•Instructional gamingEpistemic gamesSecond lifeMotivation theoryGames in educationEducation theories

Magic circleLusory attitudeGame:

•A game is a system•In which players• engaged in an artificial conflict• defined by rules•That results in a quantifiable outcome

Meaningful play: Player: (action system: outcome)

Other presentations…

discernableintegrated

•Instructional gamingEpistemic gamesSecond lifeMotivation theoryGames in educationEducation theories

Magic circleLusory attitudeGame:

•A game is a system•In which players• engaged in an artificial conflict• defined by rules•That results in a quantifiable outcome

Meaningful play: Player: (action system: outcome)

Other presentations…

discernableintegrated

•Instructional gamingEpistemic gamesSecond lifeMotivation theoryGames in educationEducation theories

Magic circleLusory attitudeGame:

•A game is a system•In which players• engaged in an artificial conflict• defined by rules•That results in a quantifiable outcome

Ben’s presentation

Meaningful play: Player: (action system: outcome)

Other presentations…

discernableintegrated

•Instructional gamingEpistemic gamesSecond lifeMotivation theoryGames in educationEducation theories

Magic circleLusory attitudeGame:

•A game is a system•In which players• engaged in an artificial conflict• defined by rules•That results in a quantifiable outcome

Ben’s presentation Virtual economies

Meaningful play: Player: (action system: outcome)

Other presentations…

discernableintegrated

•Instructional gamingEpistemic gamesSecond lifeMotivation theoryGames in educationEducation theories

Magic circleLusory attitudeGame:

•A game is a system•In which players• engaged in an artificial conflict• defined by rules•That results in a quantifiable outcome

Ben’s presentation Virtual economies

Genre MM

Warc3 rts/pg

Starcft rts

Savage rts/pg Fate rpg

GTA fps

ZooT sim

HalfL2 fps

WOW rpg Neverw rpg

Diablo rpg

Soccer sport

Sims sim

Magic circleLusory attitude

Meaningful play: Player: (action system: outcome) discernable

integrated

choice

What happened before the player was given a choice?How is the possibility of a choice conveyed to the player?How did a player make a choice?What is the result of choice? How affects future choices?

How are the results of choice conveyed?

Game:

•A game is a system•In which players• engaged in an artificial conflict• defined by rules•That results in a quantifiable outcome

Video

Immediate but narrow interactivityInformation manipulationAutomated complex systemsNetworked communication

traits

Interactivity:

Closed

Open

FormalExperientialCultural

play

Primary schemas

rules

context

The End…