what games say
TRANSCRIPT
What Games SayBret Staudt Willet
What is a game?
What is a game?
Basic elements of any game:
• objectives
What is a game?
Basic elements of any game:
• objectives
• environmental constraints
What is a game?
Basic elements of any game:
• objectives
• environmental constraints
• formal constraints
What is a video game?
Basic elements of any VIDEO game:
• objectives
• environmental constraints
• formal constraints
• machine-based arbitration
What is a video game?
Basic elements of any VIDEO game:
• objectives
• environmental constraints
• formal constraints
• machine-based arbitration
The rest is just style!
Gamer Personality TypesRichard Bartle, Designing Virtual Worlds
Gamer Personality Types
What is a video game?
A video game is a medium of expression.
What is a video game?
A video game is a medium of expression.
• Basic elements: objectives, environmental constraints, formal constraints, machine-based arbitration.
• Gamer Personalities: different ways to act and interact with it.
What is a video game?
A video game is a medium of expression.
• Basic elements: objectives, environmental constraints, formal constraints, machine-based arbitration.
• Gamer Personalities: different ways to act and interact with it.
Communicating something—but what? And how?
What is a video game?
A video game is a medium of expression.
• Basic elements: objectives, environmental constraints, formal constraints, machine-based arbitration.
• Gamer Personalities: different ways to act and interact with it.
Communicating something—but what? And how?
Wall Street Journal looks at Serious Games
WHAT Games Communicate
• Skill development
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHtjRilQ8xY
WHAT Games Communicate
• New knowledge or understanding
http://www.gameslearningsociety.org/project_virulent.php
WHAT Games Communicate
• Changing real world beliefs:o alcoholism and child abuse
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAkUDP5ZqYY
WHAT Games Communicate
• Changing real world beliefs:o sweatshops
http://www.playsweatshop.com/
WHAT Games Communicate
• Changing real world beliefs:o international conflicts
http://www.peacemakergame.com/video.php?v=gameplay
WHAT Games Communicate
• Changing real world beliefs:o environmental sustainability
http://artworksforchange.org/bioharmonious/webplayer.html
WHAT Games Communicate
• Changing real world realitieso empower women around the world
https ://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6Ahpocmjs0
WHAT Games Communicate
• Changing real world realitieso help kids fight cancer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xewFHfquK54
HOW Games Communicate
HOW Games Communicate
• Not necessarily FUN
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3o0HFXPfco
Ian Bogost on designing fun: http://vimeo.com/74943170
HOW Games Communicate
• Not necessarily even ENGAGING
http://www.depressionquest.com/dqfinal.html#
HOW Games Communicate
• BUT, not-fun, not-engaging games can still be very good games
HOW Games Communicate
• BUT, not-fun, not-engaging games can still be very good games
• How can that be?
HOW Games Communicate
• Two ideas from Ian Bogost:
HOW Games Communicate
• Two ideas from Ian Bogost:o Procedural Rhetoric
HOW Games Communicate
• Two ideas from Ian Bogost:o Procedural Rhetorico Deliberation
HOW Games Communicate
• Procedural Rhetorico Rhetoric = persuasive expressiono Procedures = rule-based representations and
interactions
HOW Games Communicate
• Procedural Rhetoric in BioHarmonious
http://artworksforchange.org/bioharmonious/webplayer.html
HOW Games Communicate
• Procedural Rhetoric in Darfur is Dying
http://www.darfurisdying.com/
HOW Games Communicate
• Deliberationo Not incentives or reinforcement
HOW Games Communicate
• Deliberationo Persuade, no coerce—through meaningful
choice
HOW Games Communicate
• Deliberation in Data Dealer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2eCAgQ1DTo
HOW Games Communicate
• Deliberation in Cow Clicker
http://www.bogost.com/games/cow_clicker.shtml
Go Make Serious Games
https://www.scirra.com/construct2
http://unity3d.com/
http://gamestarmechanic.com/
Go Make Serious Gameshttp://gel.msu.edu/winn/Winn_DPE_chapter_final.pdf
Go Study Serious Gameshttp://seriousgames.msu.edu/
3 online courses for Master’s Certificate:
• Foundations of Serious Games
• Theories of Games and Interaction for Design
• Understanding Users
Questions? [email protected]
References
Bogost, I. (2010). Persuasive Games: The expressive power of videogames. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
Ferrara, J. (2012). Playful Design: Creating game experiences in everyday interfaces. Brooklyn, NY: Rosenfeld Media.