a journey at the heart of game design
TRANSCRIPT
Prof. Pier Luca Lanzi – Politecnico di MilanoDesign Methods and Processes – May, 18th 2016 – Alta Scuola Politecnica
A Journey at the Heart
of Game Design
sto giocando a …some of the gamesI recently played
http://www.polimigamecollective.orghttps://www.facebook.com/polimigamecollective
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Journey_(2012_video_game)
players
why do we play a new game?
what do we “see”?
what “moves” us?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dixit_(card_game)http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61apq-6v-mL.jpg
Uncharted 4 Official Trailer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hh5HV4iic1Y
narrative
The Walking Dead Season One Trailer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhL776xz9YU
Fallout 4 Official Trailer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdm1WcFHvcw
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Her_Story_%28video_game%29
CharacteR
Graphic style
The Witness Trailer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7h7AleSCF4
Lumino City Trailer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btpeCVRslFM
audio
Bastion - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZAuKkv4eZEBit Trip Beat - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHbg-sNqe4wDark Echo - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuOC8oTrFbM
Narrative +
Character +
graphic style +
audio =
AESThETIC
designers
grokDynamicsMechanics Aestethic
player
game designer
MDA MODEL
“jump”
Super Mario Bros. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ia8bhFoqkVE
Geometry Dash - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k90y6PIzIaE
Space is Key 140 Official Trailer - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XV478axBuiU
140 Official Trailer - http://vimeo.com/59001919
“shoot”
Unfinished Swanhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9YaFY8S75M
Splatoonhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8L54s2m1dPs
“the RPG LOOP”
explore/combat
collect
spend
improve
“physics”
Angry Birds Official Trailerhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNNzRyd1xz0
“CO-OP”
Journey Official Trailer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mU3nNT4rcFg
Spaceteam Official Trailer - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3fsvKnIVJg
Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes Official Trailer - http://www.keeptalkinggame.com
“time”
Super Hot Gameplay Trailerhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9Gz2FIlPXk
New mechanics can
be rather simple
Downwell Official Trailer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UygovwXlbsU
Or can define new genres
“unfolding”
Lifeline Launch Trailer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P81rf74MF7w
Procedural
rhetoric
Procedural rethoric
• Concept developed by Ian Bogost in the book “Persuasive Games” (MIT Press 2007)
• Videogames are part of a new form of rhetoric since their “procedurality” involves interaction
• Procedural Rhetoric is defined as “the practice of using processes persuasively.”
The Best Amendment - http://www.molleindustria.org/the-best-amendment/
Let’s Play “The Best Amendment”!
Engineering fun
Cartoon from “A Theory of Fun for Game Design” Raph Koster © (http://www.theoryoffun.com)
Cartoon from “A Theory of Fun for Game Design” Raph Koster © (http://www.theoryoffun.com)
Cartoon from “A Theory of Fun for Game Design” Raph Koster © (http://www.theoryoffun.com)
Cartoon from “A Theory of Fun for Game Design” Ralph Koster © (http://www.theoryoffun.com)
Cartoon from “A Theory of Fun for Game Design” Ralph Koster © (http://www.theoryoffun.com)
humans love patterns!
Highway to Hell by AC/DC © AC/DC
The world's ugliest music: Scott Rickard TEDxMIAhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RENk9PK06AQ
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Super_Mario_64_jumping.jpg
Excerpt from Indie Game the Movie – http://www.indiegamethemovie.com
'A Minute to Learn… A Lifetime to Master’
James R. Becker
games that fail to exercise the brain become boring
fun is all about the brain feeling good (endorphines)
the moment of triumph when we learn to master a task
triggers the release of chemicals triggering good feelings
fun comes from “richy interpretable” situations
Designing for
players
Bartle’s Player Types - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bartle_Testhttp://mud.co.uk/richard/hcds.htm
Osterweil’s Four Freedoms
• Freedom to explore§ Players should be allowed to explore
• Freedom to fail§ Players fail all the time in a game§ Failure has to be present in game§ Bad games don’t know how to treat failure
• Freedom of identity play§ Players love to be to be in someone else’s shoes§ E.g., play as Darth Vader, dress as a doll
• Freedom to effort§ Players should be able to play as they feel, soft or hard§ Sniper vs Assault vs Support vs Engineer
Flow (M. Csikszentmihalyi)
transparency
transparent, visible mechanicsincrease player comfort
pre luck vs. post luck
role playing games typicallyfavor post luck
design your own
Ruzzle board
bad transparency good transparency
“pre-luck” is an interesting wayto present interesting decisions
the end is near and so I
face the final curtain …
Play games
Make games
Say something
HISTORY Books!
• The Rough Guide to Videogames by Kate Berens, Geoff Howard (Sep 8, 2008)
• Vintage Games: An Insider Look at the History of Grand Theft Auto, Super Mario, and the Most Influential Games of All Time by Bill Loguidice and Matt Barton (Mar 4, 2009)
• The Ultimate History of Video Games: From Pong to Pokemon–The Story Behind the Craze That Touched Our Lives and Changed the World by Steven L. Kent (Oct 2, 2001)
• Replay: The History of Video Games by Tristan Donovan (Apr 20, 2010)
• Masters of Doom: How Two Guys Created an Empire and Transformed Pop Culture – David Kushner (Amazon)
Movies
• Get Lamp!• King of Kong• Chasing Ghosts• High Score• Once Upon Atari• Intellivision Lives• Rise of the Video Games• Video Game Revolution• Video Game Invasion The History Of A Global Obsession• History Of Video Games• Video Games The Story of Computer Games• Game Loading the Rise of the Indies• From Bedroom to Billions• Indie Game the Movie
Contacts
• Email§ [email protected]
• Skype§ pierluca.lanzi
• Web§ http://www.polimigamecollective.org
• Game design§ http://www.gamasutra.com
• Game Jam§ http://www.ludumdare.com§ http://www.globalgamejam.org
http://www.polimigamecollective.orghttps://www.facebook.com/polimigamecollective