11:15 am – 11:30 am
Game Verbs for Change
Lindsay Grace (Miami University)
Director Persuasive Play Lab @ Miami University
AIMS Games Center @ Miami University
Moving to American University (Washington DC)
to help start a Persuasive Play Graduate program
In my 10 years of teaching game design I have taught two basic principles to game designers:
1. Game design is about interesting problems
2. Games are about Doing
1. Interesting problems
2. Doing
Game designs begins with:
1. Goal2. Obstruction to goal 3. Means to achieving your goal
Example:
Goal : Save the Princess
Obstruction: Distance, Platforms, Enemies
Means: Run, Jump and shoot
Goals
Goals are often best when they are
familiar and
easy to understand
Common Goals
• Get to the end• Collect as many items as you can• Find an object or person• Complete a collection of items
*Goals often relate to Sutton-Smith’s 7 Rhetorics of Play
Obstruction
Obstruction is often situational
Your character is _______ and needs _________
Obstruction is often situational
Your character is _______ and needs _________hungry food
Obstruction is often situational
Your character is _______ and needs _________hungry food
Obstruction is often situational
Your character is _______ and needs _________weak strength
Obstruction is often situational
Your character is _______ and needs _________Sad Passion
Obstruction is often situational
Your character is _______ and needs _________troubled resolution
Obstruction is often situational
Your character is _______ and needs _________angry revenge
Obstruction is often situational
Your character is _______ and needs _________lonely company
If the obstruction is compellingwe will want to play
If your means is enjoyable,
we will want to continue to play
Means = Game Verbs
Game Verbs
Verb: RunVerb: Jump
Game Verbs
Verb: Run
Verb: Jump
Game Verbs
Verb: Run
Verb: JumpPlatformer
Game Verbs
Verb: Run
Verb: JumpVerb: Shoot
Platformer(earned verb)
Only 2 solutions to your problem:
Run Jump
… and shoot if you are good
Shoot
Game Verbs
Verb: Run
Verb: JumpVerb: ShootFPS – 1st Person Shooter
What’s the rhetoric to solving these problems?
Run, jump and shoot your way to succsess.
What arguments are we making about creating change and facilitating change?
If you want to enact change, you need to examine your verbs
Game Verbs Universe
Run
JumpPlatformer
Hide
ShootHeal
TellSave
Learn
Attract
Love
FreeEvaluateEmpathize
Game Verbs Universe
Run
Jump
Hide
ShootHeal
TellSave
Learn
Attract
Love
FreeEvaluateEmpathize
RunHide
Goal: Collect WaterObstruction: Janjaweed militia
Game Verbs Universe
Run
Jump
Hide
ShootHeal
TellSave
Learn
Attract
Love
FreeEvaluateEmpathize
Run
Heal
Verbs of Political Change
Goal: Provide for your familyObstacle: Examining
Allow Deny
Goal: Manage the company
Plow FeedCorrupt
Verbs of Empathy
Move Blend
Calm
Verbs of Affection
Goal: Get to the endObstacle: Environment
Hug
What you allow the player to do is as important as what you don’t
Goal: (none – this is a toy)Obstacle: Terrorism
Do NothingShoot
Move Wait
Are your verbs enticing? Interesting to players?
Verb: Flirt
Complicated & nuanced
Flirt!
Flirt!• HEar
"Heart” of the verb?
Are my verbs interesting?
Verbs: Shoot,Canvas, Steal
Verbs: Shoot,Canvas, Steal
Canvas = lousy verb
No point in packaging grape flavored medicine
Don’t mask the meaning, make the meaning integral to a good experience
If we look at the fundamentals
we can get the formula right
Remember:
Digital game verbs are far less limited than analog verbs
What games verbs will you create?
Thank You.
Questions?Lindsay D. GraceFall 2013 – Associate Professor, American University
Former:Armstrong Professor of Creative ArtsDirector, Persuasive Play Lab at Miami UniversityDirector, Games Center-Miami University
Armstrong Institute for Interactive Media Studies LGrace.comhttp://www.ProfessorGrace.com@Mindtoggle
