Game Design Mashup

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Game Design Mashup

• Games for .

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Inspiration

• Design Challenges
• GDC 04, 05
• 3 Designers One Theme
• Romance
• Emily Dickenson

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Goals

• Approach a hard problem
• From a new perspective
• With a sense of humor
• Think big!

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The Mashup

• Old, New, Borrowed Blue?
• Familiar but different
• Grounded
• Reflective

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Games for Granny

• The Audience
• Mainstream
• Casual
• Female
• Gray
• Who is really out there?
• How can we reach them?

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Contestants

• Demis Hassabis
• Republic, Evil Genius
• Nick Davies
• Project Gotham Racing
• Keita Takahashi
• Katamari Damacy (12)

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Contestants

• Demis Hassabis
• Republic, Evil Genius
• Nick Davies
• Project Gotham Racing
• Keita Takahashi
• Katamari Damacy (12)
• one day notice

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Contest

• 15 minutes each
• Discussion
• Vote by applause
• Prizes!

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Games For GranniesGDCE 2005Demis Hassabis
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Approach

• What do grannies like?
• What cant we do?
• Some rejects
• The idea

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Grannies like

• Hobbies Knitting/reading/gardening
• Reminiscing/telling stories
• Playing bridge
• Watching soap operas
• Gossiping
• Grandchildren

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Aims

• Out are
• Complex controls
• Anything too fantastical
• Gratuitous violence/sex/language
• Should be
• Familiar setting
• Social/friendly
• Simple

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The Hobby Simulator

• Real-time knitting guide
• Landscape gardening program
• Rejected due to
• Being too obvious
• Not as good as the real thing

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War Story Constructor

• Use Half-Life 2 or Battlefield engine
• Instructions via voice input
• Unlimited add-on packs
• Grandkids could actually play it
• Rejected due to
• Difficult AI
• Problematic making it simple enough

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Bridge Online

• TV based
• Voice input dial in conference call
• Simple interface same as poker sites
• Social and competition
• Rejected a bit dry

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The Village

• The worlds first MMO Gossip Simulator
• Set in a present day city block or village
• Grannies effectively play themselves
• Aim is to gain as much info as possible
• Missions
• Decimate reputations of those you dislike
• Enhance reputations of those you like
• Spread gossip to as many as possible

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The Village (cont.)

• AI characters play key actors
• Ongoing content released
• Upgrades and special abilities
• Bonus points for needless interference
• Daily TV show new missions
• Grandkids play in the same game world

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Summary

• The worlds first MMO Gossip Simulator
• Think Shenmue meets Sims Online meets Eastenders
• Also includes
• Bridge online and real-time knitting ?

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Games for Granny (or Grandad?)
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Whats different about Granny?

• She has slower reaction time
• She has weaker eyesight
• She is harder of hearing
• She has slower Hand Eye co-ordination
• Conclusion It sounds a bit like being drunk

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Whats the same about Granny?

• She wants to be entertained.
• She wants to interact with like minded people.
• She wants to be challenged.
• Conclusion Granny is just like you and me

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What Subject Matter?

• Relevant to their interests.
• Relevant to a different moral era.
• Relevant Licence.
• Relevant Music
• Conclusion The subject matter already exists

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The Interface

• Simple Controller
• Simple Button Layout
• Large Buttons
• Comfortable to Hold
• Conclusion The interface already exists

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The Gameplay Ideas

• Simulators Sim City, The Sims, Train Simulator.
• Mental Games Chess, Sudoku.
• Unique Interface Buzz!
• Conclusion - The gameplay ideas already exists

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The Conclusion

• You cant please all of the Grannys all of the
  Time.
• There is no Stereotypical Granny
• Games that Granny would like already exist in the
  market place.
• Not a revolution in gameplay, more a revolution
  in marketing.

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However

• Ballroom Dancing RevolutionTM
• Its a popular past time
• Its the right pace
• It has relevant music
• Its good exercise
• It needs a partner
• However
• It also needs a dance mat the size of a gymnasium
• It will probably cause broken hips

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Discussion

• Similarities?
• Differences?
• Comments?

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By Applause.

• Demis?

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By Applause.

• Demis?
• Nick?

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By Applause.

• Demis?
• Nick?
• Keita?

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Prize!!

• Something remixed
• Inspire new ideas
• Old-fashioned
• Useful

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Prize!!
www.thisintothat.com
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And, of course

• Sharffen Berger Chocolates
• Independent, Bay Area
• Recently acquired by Hershey!

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Conclusions

• Hard problems
• New perspectives
• Sense of humor
• There are new audiences out there!