Administrative

1
Administrative

• Schedule presentations
• Test 1 Feb. 20
• Covers up to what we cover in Thursday September
  15th

2
Defining Digital Games
Assigned readings Chapter 8 (Rules of Play Book)

• Dr. Héctor Muñoz-Avila

3
Definition of Game

• Reminder Definition of a game (and elements).

• A game is a system
• In which players
• engaged in an artificial conflict
• defined by rules
• That results in a quantifiable outcome

• Notes
• most of the definitions of games studied where
  made before computers existed
• The term digital game. Covers

4
Digital Games as Systems

• Reminder Definition of System

• Parts affect one another within an environment
• elements Objects, Attributes (properties),
  Internal relationships, and the Environment
• dimensions formal, experiential, cultural

• Digital games tend to be confused with the
  medium they are taking place
• Our definitions of game and system provide the
  means to make these distinctions

5
Analysis of Tetris
Environment
general
Cultural
Experiential
SCOPE
Formal
narrow
A game designer creates experience not technology
6
John Carmack

• Creator of Doom game series
• ID Software
• Famous for creation of graphics engines that
  pushed the envelope from a computer graphics
  perspective

If you are left alone in an Island, which game
you wish they left with you?
7
What Can We do? (with digital media)

• Goal use technology to create meaningful play
• What capabilities does digital media have?

• Trait 1 immediate but narrow interactivity
• Trait 2 Information manipulation
• Trait 3 Automated complex systems
• Trait 4 Networked communication

8
Trait 1 immediate but narrow interactivity

• The game responds to player input
• Examples other than digital games?
• Why is it narrow?
• Examples?
• Can technology overcome this?

• Player tactics in an RTS game
• Alternatives to keyboard

9
Trait 2 Information manipulation

• Digital (Turing) machines store/manipulate
  information
• Key characteristic computers can learn while
  playing
• User preferences/capabilities
• Plus Hiding information
• Example?
• Some games have too much information to be played
  in a board game
• Example?

10
Trait 3 Automated complex systems

• Complicated procedures
• Chess, Civ
• But some say that is a problem War games
• People want to see the internal workings of the
  system
• Examples of complex, non-digital games?

11
Trait 4 Networked communication

• Facilitate communication between players
• Evolution
• 2-4 players using the same console/computer
• 2-4 Players over a local network
• 2-4 Players over the internet
• 12 players over the internet
• 1000 Players over the same instance of game
  world
• Direct communication is not restricted to text

12
Final Word

• These traits are not the only ones
• Even non digital games may exhibit some of these
  traits
• But they help our understanding of video game
  potential
• Analysis of Unreal Tournament
• Trait 1 immediate but narrow interactivity
• Trait 2 Information manipulation
• Trait 3 Automated complex systems
• Trait 4 Networked communication