Well PlayedVideo Games, Value, and Meaning

Drew Davidson

About Me

ETC Press• First Publication in 2008• Experimental, Academic, Open Source• Entertainment Technologies Across Fields• Books, Journals, Proceedings, Games

• http://press.etc.cmu.edu/

Well Played• Well  Read  &  Well  Made  • Analysis  &  Cri2cism  • Gameplay  &  Narra2ve  • Design  &  Development  • Literacy  &  Mastery

Well Played• Presenta2ons  • Books  • Conferences  • Journal

Well Played Books Video Games, Value and Meaning

• ETC Press• 1.0 – 2009• 2.0 – 2010• 3.0 – 2011• 65 Articles

Well Played Journal• Started in 2011

• To Date - 4 Volumes, 8 Issues• Peer Reviewed• Editorial Advisory Board• Open Submissions• Special Issues• Regular Publication

• http://press.etc.cmu.edu/wellplayed/

Well Played Live Sessions• GLS (2007 - • DiGRA (2011 - • IndieCade (2011 - • Games for Change (2014 -

What is it?• Live Play• Illustrate & Analyze• Developer Discussion

Two Games

• Monument Valley• Crossy Road

• Indie Games

Monument Valley

• An Illusory Adventure ofImpossible Architecture and Forgiveness

• April 2014• Played @ Dozen Times

Play!• I • (escher, clear feedback

Crossy Road

• An Endless Arcade Hopper• November 2014• Some Forums• Played A Lot (!)

Play!• Original Chicken• Character Menu• (frogger homage, free gift

Monument Valley

• Escher Environments• Simple Controls• No Dying• Gentle Progression• Peaceful Aesthetics• Subtle Story

Monument Valley

Monument Valley

Monument Valley

Play!• II (photo, social• III (story• V (simple controls• VI, VIII (gentle progression• Forgotten Shores• Ida’s (Red) Dream• (aesthetics

Monument Valley

Crossy Road

• Clever Details• Super Simple• Lots of Splat• Fun Aesthetics• Character Unlocks• Collect Coins• Good Opt-In IAP, Ads

Crossy Road

Crossy Road

Crossy Road

Play!• Poopy Pigeon, Doge, Swift Snail• (details, splat, eagle• Vampire, Frankenstein, Dragon• (aesthetics• Kookaburra, Xi, Disco Zoo• (character unlocks, good iap• Random (videos, photos• Top Score Lines, Coins (ads

Crossy Road

Both Successful

Monument Valley

• $3.99 ($1.99,.99¢)• April 2014• November 2014

• New Levels (& Red)

Crossy Road

• Free (IAP, .99¢, $3.99, Ads) • November 2014• December 2014

• Piggy Bank• January 2015• February 2015

• New Characters

Why?

• Simple to Play• Progression• Subtle Social• Details, Aesthetics• Mystery, Surprise, Wonder

Why?• Video Games, Value and Meaning• Analysis & Criticism• Literacy & Mastery• Well Read & Well Made

Value & Meaning• What it Means to Play a Game• Why it’s Important• Deconstruct & Discuss• The Experience of Play

Analysis & Criticism• Close Reading• “Textual” Analysis• Like Film and Literary Criticism• Various Methods

Literacy & Mastery• Flow• Procedural• Articulation• Interactive• Learning is Playing

Well Read & Well Made• Playing Games• Making Games• Value & Meaning• Good, Bad, Better

Well Played• Video games are a Complex Medium

that Merits Careful Interpretation and Insightful Analysis.

• Thanks!• Questions?• drew@andrew.cmu.edu