game design workshop lynne hall marc hall. session overview introduction orient using games to make...
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Game Design Workshop
Lynne Hall
Marc Hall
Session Overview
Introduction
ORIENT using games to make learning fun changing the way we play games
Game design process
Your turn
Games Design
Introduction
Digital World
Complex digital world Digital natives and the digitally eloquent
Input from cinema Cuts, montage, flashbacks
Input from interaction Engagement, entertainment, persistence
Evolving literacy Being able to read and write in emerging forms of
media Digital life
Production as well as consumption Learning, extending, sharing
Game Environments
Lots of video games in contemporary society Realism-based simulations
Contemporary car racing games Business simulations Sports, combat and civilization development
Abstract simulations Adventure and fantasy – Role playing games Space battle games
Puzzles Tetris Traditional table top games (e.g. Scrabble, Cards)
What do you like about your favourite games?
Reward Immersion Competition Escape Challenge Relaxation Excitement Intellectual stimulation Accomplishment Variety
Entertainment Control Humour Role playing Social interaction Discovery Aesthetics Creation Advancement
What do you dislike about games?
Punishment Tedium Inconsistency Presentation glitches Boredom Frustration Interruption Crashes Eyestrain Wrist fatigue Poor acting/plot
Characteristics of a Good Game
Easy to start, tough to master
Intuitive controls – easy to do it
Balanced difficulty ramping
Gradual learning curve
If it isn’t fun, it won’t be played…
Educational Computer Games
1,000s of educational software titles Cater for specific age groups Usually follow the main stages of the curriculum Can be not fun at all! Some games that are fun and can help learning
Zoombinis Some examples of fun games that can be used for
learning
Using games to learn
Business simulations Combat training
Wargaming scenarios MarineDoom
Learning to fly / drive Flight simulation Maclaren practice using
F1 driving games
Zoombini’s Logical Journey
Teaching maths to 4-8 year olds
Puzzles within a games world
Effective learning whilst having fun
Makes maths accessible and understandable
Fun to play Doesn’t feel like learning
Simulation
The Sims (EA) Simulation of life Manipulation of
characters, events and culture
Allows exploration of alternative approaches
Social creativity
Strategy
Age of Empires (Microsoft) Decision making Responding to diverse
conditions Use of resources Defence & attack Building empires
Story / Quest
The Settlers 4 (Bluebyte) Identifying resources
needed for survival, subsistence and success
Understanding of basic building blocks of societal development
Puzzle
Rollercoaster Tycoon (Atari) Design Aesthetics Resourcing Issues Finance versus fun Marketing
RPG / Action
World of Warcraft (Blizzard) Active participation in
stories Problem solving
involving complex puzzles
Collaboration Goal-oriented activity
Case Study: RunescapeGames can be good for you!
3 year study Positive results
Teaches valuable skills Requires collaboration Mirrors real world aspects Work-related learning
Prof. David Buckingham, of London University's Institute for Education: “computer games should be taught at school, because they are as much a part of modern literacy as reading and writing”
Games as a career?
Many jobs Huge sector Many different skills
Writer Programmer Graphic designer Animator
Many opportunities
Games Design
ORIENT
ORIENT
Overcoming Refugee Integration Empathic Novel Technology
ORIENT
Meant to make learning about friendship fun… Issue: How to use a game to learn about PSHE
and citizenship To help teenagers learn and use friendship
strategies for aiding refugee and immigrant children into becoming part of the class / school
Uses 3D characters and sets
What’s it for?
Purpose of Game: It’s to teach children ways to help people fit in to a
group.
Audience: It is for teenagers about your age.
What you’re doing Looking for bugs Report as on board
Let’s have a look
osiris.sunderland.ac.uk/~cs0jri Trailer
Indicative games
Games Design
Games design process
Ideas
Very first ideas about what the game will be. Action? Strategy? Life-like? Sports … …
Concept Design
Ideas turned into pictures “Concept Art”
Modelling
Levels and Characters modelled in 3D
Texturing
Pictures put on the models to make them more detailed.
Animation
Allowing characters to move
Motion capture Back flip Matrix Jump
Programming
Programmers (coders) write the software to make the graphics work together
Testing
Testers play the game Look for problems (bugs) Make sure the game isn’t too easy or too hard
Designing a mini game for ORIENT
Learning to design games
Getting going: Making a mindmap Initial designs
Outline Storyboard Scripts Concept art Models
Game Outline
What mini-game will involve What will the users have to do What will the characters do in the game What is meant to happen What is the point of what the user is doing? How will they succeed? What are the fail conditions? What sets do you need? What props?
Useful design technique:Storyboards
Just like a comic strip Frames depicting
How you will interact with the game What is the activity and purpose in the
application What can the children do with the
application Add notes if you need to
Creating storyboards
A4 paper is your screen – you can draw and stick
But it can become “alive” if you want Role-play Acting out what the user would be doing Becoming part of the game
Sprites and Seeds
Culture: Sprites Getting seeds Could be any sort of game
Role playing Shooter Creating
Sprites
Sprites
Close to nature Live in the country Love partying Life is about making
things fun Most of what they do
relates to simple pleasures like eating
Your task
What do the seeds look like? How do the sprites “catch them”? What happens when they’re caught? How does the user join in? Do other sprites and users join in?
Mind Map & Concepts
What your ideas are…
What do the seeds look like?
Storyboard
What will happen in the game…
Games design
How did you think games were designed? Did you enjoy these approaches? Have you learnt anything? What did you enjoy most?
Summary
Games here to stay Games can have serious as well as fun
purposes Games design involves lots of skills Plenty of opportunities for careers in the games
industry Enjoyable and interesting career