Games Design Workshop: A playcentric approach to creating innovative games

I have been reading through Games Design Workshop – a playcentric guide to making games and these are just some of the aspects of games design that I learnt about from just reading some of the book:

Iterative process.  The iterative process relies heavily on audience feedback to help craft a successful game. Throughout the process, they; Formulate ideas, formalise ideas, test ideas and evaluate the results. If there is no problem then they move on. They do this before finalising the artwork and piece. By doing this a games designer can create the best possible experience for a gamer.
''When you design, design with toys, books, films; soundtracks, clothing lines and other franchise extensions you can think of. In addition to that design these things for your audience, not yourself or your team''. - American McGee (Interview in Games Design Workshop: a Playcentric approach to games design, page 46)

Now from a personal perspective, I would both agree and disagree with that statement. While the key to a successful and fun will always be a positive experience from the gaming community, I would say that it is important that the design team and other members feel as though they are working towards something they would play. If this is the case, self-motivation becomes simple as they strive to work together to produce something that they themselves want. It is finding this balance between audience and team enthusiasm for the product that I think is important. Nevertheless a constant stream of audience feedback is important to achieve this.

Another interesting view GDW: A Playcentric approach to creating innovative games presents is that of different 'games. Scott Kim - graphic and puzzle designer, describes a ''Hierarchy '' of games on page 38:
Game - Winning
Puzzle - Goal
Toy - No Goal
Story - No Interaction

He described how often these types of play combine to create a good game. ''To design a good puzzle, first design a good toy”. This would continue up the 'Hierarchy''. It is an interesting viewpoint that definitely rings true.


It is clear how solid and impressive this resource is to understanding games, the industry and how to make games. The book includes small exercises to reinforce the information, that is presented in a way that is easy to read - and further backed up with critical interviews with revered games designers and teachers. The book looks into all areas of games making including areas such as:

Prototyping: This book has taught me how important it is to prototype everything – even if it is just a rough paper copy with notes. Prototyping means that the core gameplay mechanics are there and the more these are playtested and feedback taken, the better the overall product will be. This already was shown in the board-game design project. Having only a rough paper template to playtest with, our group still gathered important information that has crafted our approach. Had we chosen to not playtest as the prototype was too ‘base’ that information would have been lost.

Play-testing and focus groups: Focus groups are purely for the generation of ideas. There is no bias or forced opinions. Everyone must get their fair share of vocal input on your idea or concept. Furthermore focus groups might have to be cut short or not have the desired effect should members of the focus group sway others with their opinions.
Play-testing should be carried out throughout the production process, and can be done so in three ways – within the design team, with close friends and family and with complete strangers or people outside of the production. When play testing it is important to study, not dictate. By this I mean not to explain every element to the players but let them figure it out on their own. Ask them to speak their thought process and only interfere when they cannot progress and note these points down.

Generating Ideas: Use everything from mind maps to a bowl full of random words and try to implement as many different viewpoints and opinions as possible.

This extensive coverage of games design has changed my view on the design process and given me some invaluable structure and ideas to work from when I do any kind of production or design.

Personal Games History

1) Croc (1997, developed by Argonaught software and published by Fox interactive for the Playstation) As one of the first 3D platform games on the PlayStation console in general it received good reviews from the gaming media. So much so that a second game was released in 1999 and two other ports were made for mobile phones. The games developers for those games no longer exist so the games cannot be bought.

Croc oddly enough wasn’t the first game I played, but rather the first game I can remember watching. At the time I was only a few years old but I can still remember how the bright colours, surreal worlds and colourful characters really enticed me into wanting to become part of that world. I would say that, the feelings I got from watching my brother play croc at an early age really showed in the early games I would consider to be in my games history.

2) Super Mario Kart (1993, developed by Nintendo EAD and released by Nintendo for the SNES)

Selling over 8 Million Copies worldwide, it is often considered one of the greatest games of all time and the origins of all kart based racing games- with top games magazines like Edge and the website IGN, naming it as such. With the game recorded as the SNES's top selling game of all time, Nintendo saw fit to re-release it on wiiware in Europe on April 2010. Further Karting sequels have been released over the years for the different Nintendo consoles - all receiving certain all round positive praise from the media.

Sequels: Mario Kart 64 (Nintendo 64) , Mario Kart: Super Circuit ( Game Boy Advance), Mario Kart: Double Dash (Game Cube), Mario Kart DS (Nintendo DS), and Mario Kart Wii (Wii)

Other gaming brands have created 'kart' based games - the most notable being Crash Team Racing for the PlayStation 1.

Super Mario Kart was a game that I used to play around my neighbour’s house when I was younger.  At the time, I had not really had too much experience with multiplayer games, so the game was a revelation to me. It allowed me a way to competitively take on friends and family and while at the time I wasn’t great, my memories of that game caused me to buy Crash Team Racing (A game that while it doesn’t make my own games history, I would consider to be the best kart based racing game of all time)

 

3) Crash Bandicoot 2: Wrath of Cortex (1997, developed by Naughty Dog and released by Universal Interactive Studios for the PlayStation)

Crash Bandicoot 2: Wrath of Cortex was the sequel to Crash Bandicoot, and like its predecessor, was generally well received by gaming critics. One key critique however, was that it didn’t add to the genre. Nevertheless, Crash Bandicoot 2 solved many of the problems from the first game, offered 'bonus' levels and had multiple ways (or goals) to complete in single levels - meaning replayability was there.

From a personal viewpoint, what made me adore this game enough to be included in my 'personal history' was the sheer fun that could be had both playing and watching. The voice acting added much needed humour to the game and this became a blueprint for the great platformers from generation to generation. Furthermore the gameplay was simple, fun and somewhat wacky and had universal appeal. It was close in choice between this game, and Spyro the dragon as both games I could place in my top ten favourite games - which perhaps is a signal of how much quality was placed into early games. In both Crash Bandicoot and Spyro, they had brilliant characters, music (even now thinking about Spyro, it makes me instantly think about the music) and level design. This is something that may have been lost in more modern games.

The game was much more successful than croc and led to the production of several sequels:

                                                        Crash Bandicoot 3

                                                        Crash Bandicoot: Wrath of Cortex

                                                        And Crash Bandicoot: Twinsanity

Other sequels or spin offs have taken the game in a different direction (with Mind over Mutant and Crash of the Titans having different voice actors, gameplay and graphical style (coincidently slowly receiving worse reception by fans and critics alike). Crash Bash and Crash Team Racing (which also had the sequels: Nitro Kart and Tag Team racing) retained the original style.

                   

4) Pokémon Red - (1996, developed by Gamefreak and released by Nintendo for the Original Gameboy)

Released in Europe and America a year later, Pokémon Red and Blue editions were a revolution for the Gameboy system. Launched just after the series had become a phenomenon worldwide, the game had received exceptional reviews, and is now in the Guinness book of records for the Best Selling RPG for the Gameboy and the Best Selling RPG of all time in 2009.

It is easy to see why it holds such a massive appeal, and a cult fan base. The game introduced a strong competitive multiplayer that meant that family members and friends could battle their Pokémon using a link cable. Furthermore, Pokémon could be traded across systems (and even evolve via this method). The game series encapsulated every aspect of what players would want - Playability (a long lasting single player experience that could continue after it had finished), Competitive modes (meaning that unlike most RPG's at the time, the time spend levelling characters could be used to accomplish something outside of the game world - giving non RPG fans reasons to play), trading and finally the Pokedex system that appealed to the collective side of a gamer - giving them 150 Pokémon to collect. Satoshi Tajiri - the games designer also included Mew - a secret 151st Pokémon, which sparked rumours and myth about the creature thought only attainable at Nintendo Events. As a Player it was the perfect game, as it was fun, competitive and compelling. Additionally there was the fact it was available for the Gameboy - which meant that the game could be played on the go- wherever, whenever.

The series has grown with the Anime and comics, which each new set of Pokémon meaning a new set of games:

Red and Blue - Gameboy

Yellow - Gameboy

Gold and Silver - Gameboy colour

Crystal - Gameboy Colour

Ruby and Safire - Gameboy Advance

Emerald - Gameboy Advance

Pearl and Diamond - Nintendo DS

Platinum - Nintendo DS

and Black and White - Nintendo DS/ 3DS

The older editions of the game have been re-released later on other consoles (Fire Red and Leaf Green - Gameboy Advance, and Soul Silver and Heart gold - Nintendo DS (incorporating its own pedometer system - allowing Pokémon to be caught and levelled while on the move)

5) Final Fantasy 8 - (1999, developed and released by Square for the PlayStation 1)

At the time, it was the eighth instalment of the cult franchise. As a gamer, I would consider this to be the 'best' one however it could be said that my own viewpoint has been clouded by nostalgia and the influence it has had on my life. As of 2003, the game has shipped 8.3 million copies worldwide and was voted the 22nd best game ever released in a Japanese magazine - Famitzu. Currently the game can be downloaded - along with VII and IX on PlayStation Network; the online marketplace for the PlayStation 3. Of course, with its cult status, this game is considered a rarity and can be bought from between £20 and £100+ for second hand/ New PlayStation copies retrospectively.

               My own opinion on the game was that it was one of the finest pieces of storytelling on the PlayStation console, and the sheer volume of content in the game made it have a play through time of over thirty hours easily. Furthermore at the time the graphics were incredible in comparison to other games on the original PlayStation. The graphical artwork was a unique mix of Japanese comicking and realism - inspiring my own passion for Japanese artwork. It was due to this game that many of my 'single-player' orientated games tended to be RPG's later in my buying history (it was here that depth and playability could be found in abundance).

(Sequels I have bought

of this game in order            - Final Fantasy X

of aquisition  )                        Final Fantasy X-2

                                             Final Fantasy XII

                                             Final fantasy VII

                                             Final Fantasy IX

                                             Final Fantasy IV

                                             Final Fantasy XI

                                             Final Fantasy XIII

                                             Final Fantasy VI

(The game currently has a total of 14 traditional console based games; however it has numerous handheld console games. Their Tactics series, XII revenant wings and remakes of number 4 and 5 are available on the ds. However the PSP exclusively has Final Fantasy 7: Crisis Core, Final Fantasy Dissidia and news speculates of the development of a second Dissidia. Furthermore the franchise has t-shirts, figures, soundtracks and soft drinks available - however most of which are needed to be imported from japan (the soundtracks are also available on iTunes)

6) Grand Theft Auto 3 (2001, developed by DMA Design (Now Rockstar) and published by Rockstar games for the PlayStation 2)

While not the first 3D sandbox made, it is considered to be the largest influence on the development of 3D sandbox games - at least for the conventional systems. Its popularity led to the several sequels and ports - most of which were critically acclaimed, although it is this games leap from 2D bird’s eye view to 3D sandbox that made it so. Players had three distinct islands that they could progress through - being able to walk, sprint, jump, drive and fly (a singular small plane) their way around the map. The AI for the time was considered advanced, as many NPC's would populate the screen at once, all having distinct reactions to the players actions. Furthermore, the narrative and storyline was littered with strange and dark characters, all with unique missions that would vary depending on the tasks set.

Of course, the nature of the game often grabbed highlights, being banned in Australia and some places in America due to the violent and sexual actions a player could take - also leading to many stores checking ID's more frequently. Nevertheless, as a gamer, I consider this to be a benchmark for gaming of that era. Unlike many games having a set amount of 'Lives' at the players disposal, GTA3 removed this, meaning that while players could not indefinitely lose the game, they had freedom to do as they pleased within the game world. And this game world would alter depending on the time of day and weather conditions - yet another advanced display from the developers at the time of release.

While I was too young to be playing it, I found that the game was enticing not because of the violence or sexual content, but rather because the game allowed you to be playful. Most games at that time were fun, yes, but didn’t allow you to experiment with the gameplay. GTA 3 allowed me a chance to experiment, to make my own game within the game. An example of this is a game that my brother and I used to play. Switching on cheats that gave normal pedestrians weapons, made they hate both each other and the player, the rules were that we would take it in turns to see who could make it across all three islands, without being killed. At each island we had to stop in the safe house before proceeding. In the end neither of us could make it to the final island (around 65% of pedestrians would have rocket launchers) but even so, it is the fact that GTA 3 allowed games to be made within the game that was so interesting and caused it to make my games history

7) Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (2003, developed by BioWare and published by Lucas Arts for the Xbox)

Star wars: Knights of the Old Republic was one of BioWare's benchmark RPG's and could be considered to have been the start point for Mass Effect for the Xbox 360. Star Wars: KOTOR utilised a combat system that was said to be derived from table top turn based RPG's such as Dungeons and Dragons and Wizards of the Coasts: Star Wars Role Playing game. The combat employs a hidden twenty sided dice role that determines what damage a player will do. A player can queue up several moves at once, but nevertheless the combat remains turn based.

The real unique aspect to this game was not the combat, but rather the conversation and 'moral' systems that could reward savvy players and continue the customisation. The player could be confronted with a certain situation (i.e.: persuading someone to give up a vital item for your quest). You could choose to try and talk your way through using persuasion, go off and do something for him, or kill him. Each of these has its own consequences in the game world and with your team members. Killing him could cause an entirely different fight further down the line, and make you lose favour with a team mate. Or you could do the quest and he could help you out later. This was something that a player might come across once or twice and think little of it. However, much later in the game it could cause a reaction that is large. It is due to this that the game can be played multiple times, each causing a different set of results and problems.

This system can be seen in both Mass Effect and Dragon Age: Origins - much more recent BioWare games. As can the moral system that was first used in Star Wars: KOTOR. The system would give either Dark Side or Jedi points to a player, all reliant on their interactions with the NPC's. And in doing so they could cause their appearance to change and the way other members of the party interact with them - adding yet another customisable element to the gameplay.

This game had a sequel for the original Xbox: Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2 - The Sith Lords. It retained many of the features of the first - but allowed the player to influence the teammate’s beliefs

What I loved about this game was the sheer replay ability to it. I have played this game for easily in excess of 70 hours (just the first game) over its lifespan. Often I would take a route I had never taken before in the conversation and discover a completely different way that my team mates or the world would look at my character. The most extreme change I found was in one conversation, I managed to turn half of my own team against me, eliminating them for the story. It was a shock, but made me appreciate just how much time had been spent crafting a brilliant story for the game that could be altered at the players whim.

8) Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (2006, developed and published by Bethesda studios (with 2K Games) for the Xbox 360)

Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion was released a few months after the Xbox 360 and answered RPG fans calls for a dedicated RPG on the system. Offering a vast world for players to explore, with over 100 dungeons/ruins/ points of interest in the wild, around 50 side quest, 4 large guild arcs and an extensive main quest, Oblivion was both large in gameplay size and play area ( it is said to be around 16 square kilometres ). It was well received by critics - with PC gamer listing it as number 1 on their 'top 100 games ever' in 2007.

As a console gamer to see the level of detail that was put in was incredible, as was the AI - which allowed NPC's to construct a daily routines based around their environment and jobs.      

It felt like a living world, something that only really massively multiplayer RPGs tend to achieve and due to this it was easy to become immersed. Furthermore, with the introduction of Shivering Isles and Knights of the Nine packs, the expansive game world was extended even further.

There are so many reasons this reached the game’s history. Huge storyline, vast and expansive world, limitless possibilities to cause mayhem among the advanced AI villagers, are just some of the reasons. For me though, it was the fact that as I gamer I played the game so much that I could guide a friend around the map or through a quest - just by knowing what point he was at. While this isn’t something to boast about, as a gamer that is somewhat casual generally, just having such ridiculous knowledge of the game world was an achievement in itself for the game. If a game can entice someone to know everything about it, then the gameplay and story have been exquisitely crafted. And Oblivion definitely fits that category

9) Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (2008, developed and released by Konami for the Playstation 3)

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots was the final instalment of the storyline based around the character Snake - beginning around 20 years ago. The game received widespread perfect reviews and critical acclaim for its dramatic story elements, smooth gameplay and stunning graphics. On a personal note, I would consider it to have the finest graphics for a console game at the moment - only rivalled by Uncharted 2: Among Thieves.

The game features over 3 hours of cutscene footage, and accurate recreations of several locales - including a War-torn middle east and also some of the previous game locations, such as the Shadow Moses Complex. The game is broken up into five acts and two epilogues.

The reason for choosing this game in my games history is simple. As a video-game, it is the peak of today’s games in my opinion. Of course this will eventually change, but considering that the game is two years old, it is incredible how it still can be seen as such.

10) ModNation (Most Recent game played) (2010, developed by United front games and released by Sony Computer entertainment for the Playstation 3)

 ModNation was the most recent game that I have played. Technically it is considered to be a 'kart racing game' - much like Mario Kart, however it has taken the videogame Littlebigplanet's emphasis on user generated content and tracks and applied it to the genre. Now players can build their own characters, karts and tracks using thousands of options. Having just begun my look into game design, it is games that use this method that are both clever and intricate. By a developer identifying the aspects of the genre and implicating them into a track/ map maker, they can draw the focus away from constructing their own maps, and focus on building 'add on' packs. By doing this, a player will constantly keep buying into the company by expanding tools at their command - thus empowering them, and paying the developers at the same time.

This made my games history not through merit, as while it looked impressive and such, it didnt stand out much for me, but rather as it was the most recent game I had played.

(NOTE: Information gained from sources such as Wikipedia, (accessed at 12th October/ 13th October)

Lecture Comments

First Lecture (Project introduction)

The first lecture introduced the topic of this project and had some interesting information about the origins of video games, and some arguments, that appeared throughout. Having been studying board games, and having briefly looked at Senet - the first recorded game (3500 BC), it was of no shock to discover that Games had been around for over five thousand years. But William Higgan Botham in a university made the first video game in 1958. The game, Table Tennis for Two was initially constructed for military purposes. Looking at its design and visual output, there are striking similarities between Table Tennis for Two and both the early video game Pong and sonar technology.
Another interesting fact that immerged from this lecture was that it was only after 2001 that video games were recognized by academia on the whole. This is slightly surprising - given that the Table Tennis for Two was born from such roots. However personally, I feel that it is a sign of the post-modern era that we live in, allowing many to use film and video games as art form, beyond its simple purpose as a movie or game.
Marie Claire - the lecturer, brought an interesting argument to light also. Many observers and philosophers believe that Video Games are very much in a young state. If a film was used for comparison- Birth of a Nation (DW Griffiths, 1915) is said to be a description of Video Games at this point in time.
As a gamer that has been part of the evolution of gaming, it is obvious that games are progressing at an alarming rate. With software soon to be released, that allows a player to interact with its environment or talk with characters, more and more video games are growing, becoming more bold in game play and photorealistic. It is impossible to say what standard that Videogames will be at in the next five years. Perhaps it is this statement that ultimately means that I agree with the common opinion that games are at a child state at the moment. For Video Games - unlike films, continue to grow and flourish with creativity.


Alumni Lecture

Chris Goodswen - a 3D character artist, was the guest speaker for the afternoon. Having graduated in 2008, he had proceeded to a Masters in Professional Game Development at Abertay University. His time at NUCA and Abertay were both intriguing to listen to. His origins were rather humble (a sketcher in his free time, was stuck in a ''boring'' job) and he had no previous experience with Photoshop or any of the 3D tools. Chris's interests were in 2D character design and he studied artists such as Syd Mead, Fang Zhu and Aaron Symms.
Key areas Chris felt were important to enable one to progress in the industry, from his Under Graduate year, were to have a specialism (Character, environment, etcetera) and to have an incredible understanding of anatomy. As stated in the earlier lecture - with video games flourishing and becoming more realistic, the art behind it too must reach those levels. The final skill that is needed to progress as an artist within a game is the ability to research whilst self-motivated. Having spent 90% of his time researching by his own admission, it is clear that this is important to substantiate the realistic drawings.
Chris's description of his time at Abertay was much more reflective of the mechanics behind a development team. Having initially worked in a group of 2, slowly progressing up to 16, team dynamic played a huge part of each games success. Being able to communicate between different disciplines (animators, programmers/ coders, artists, etc.) to construct a final product is an integral part of the games industry.
At the end of his experiences at Abertay, Chris found that he was more confident in his abilities, had contacts in the games industry (and also had good friends working in studios) and found that he still had much to learn. Now working freelance, he has applied for positions in many videogames studios - but as with all employment at this time, is finding it difficult to get a position he wants (loved in interviews - but 600 people applying for 5 jobs or such).

(His website: http://www.tincow.net/)


Goodwin, Chris (2010)[Lecture on his time at NUCA, Friday 8th October]

I found the lecture interesting and I related to some aspects of the talk (inexperienced with some areas of software, etc.) but found it somewhat daunting in some areas (the amount of sheer work that had to put into the master’s degree and the lack of jobs in the industry). But still despite this I am not going to let it damp my own enthusiasm for the course and the subject, so I shall take some areas of the lecture (notability the focus on knowing every area of anatomies to be a good character designer, having to be able to research well and work in teams) and use to improve myself to hopefully be able to reach that level at the end of the three years.