Games Studies / Exercises (Series of investigations)

6.4.2023 - 18.5.2023 (Week 1 - Week 7)

Takuto Hozumi / 0354047 / Bachelor Of Design (Hons) In Creative Media

Games Studies

Exercises (Series of investigations)

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LECTURES

Week 1 GAME STUDIES Introduction

History of Games

Fig.1-1: "Go"

Fig.1-2: "Mahjong"

Fig.1-3: "Chess"

As in the account of Herodotus, in the land Tyrsenia, the Lydians went through famine and the remedy to distract them were dice and knucklebones and ball.

Fig.1-4: Cartwright, M. (2018, March 13). Ancient Olympic Games. World History Encyclopedia.

The first Olympic games were held in 776 BC in honour of Zeus. A healthy body and the competitive spirit were a large part of Greek education.

Apart from that physical games were equally important; athletics and physical fitness played an integral role in the lives of Egyptians of any age. Sports were a part of the king's coronation, celebrations of military victories, religious ceremonies, and festivals, while games were obviously a popular pastime judging from the number of board games found and how frequently they appear in artwork.

Senet, in fact, is shown being played by people and the gods in the afterlife and it is thought that the game mirrored one's journey through life toward eternity.

Fig.1-5: "Senet"

Snakes and Ladders is the simplified, modern version of the ancient Indian game of Gyan Chaupar. Translated as the game of knowledge, it is meant to inspire players to introspect rather than compete with each other. There are many versions of the game: Hindu (Advaitic or Tantric), Buddhist, Jain, Islamic and Sufi, each packing in its own philosophical lessons.

Fig.1-6: "Snakes and Ladders"

The aim of any Gyan Chaupar is to lead its player from the lowest to the highest plane of existence. The squares – between 72 and 124 in number – are symbolic of the journey of life. Each square represents a positive or negative choice or its consequence. Being bitten repeatedly by a certain snake, vice, for example, should encourage a player to introspect on his own weaknesses in life. Conversely, an easy passage to Vaikuntha (Vishnu’s abode) or Allah’s throne, as the case may be, would highlight the importance of morality in life."

Why people play games?

• Celebration

celebrating times of the year especialy harvest, battle victories, tributes to gods, festivals of cultures

• Distraction and escapism

to inculcate a sense of optimism and hope. to look at different perspectives and not at the problem. to provide entertainment.

• Strategy and education

one earliest form of simulation. Substituting real battles with strategy games. Educational value to teach and explain religious and philosophical values

Week 2 Games Principles, framework + Playful Experiences

What is Game?

A game has “ends and means”: an objective, an outcome, and a set of rules to get there. (David Parlett)

A game is a “voluntary effort to overcome unnecessary obstacles.” (Bernard Suits)

Games have four properties. They are a “closed, formal system” (they involve interaction; they involve conflict; and they offer safety… at least compared to what they represent but as a game it is an abstract representation of warfare, and it is certainly safer than being a soldier in the middle of combat). (Chris Crawford)

2 schools of thought on gaming directions/purpose

• Ludology - competitive play/challenge
• Narratology - Story driven play

Fig.1-7: Ludology

The Essence of competitive play;

• Play to win
• Play to gain
• Play to understand/learn
• Play to stay alive
• Not dependent of a complex narrative
• Challenge the rules

Fig.1-8: Narratology

Play as part of a Story/narrative;

• Play to achieve story conclusion
• Play to develop character
• Play as part of story simulation
• Play to fulfill quests
• dependent on a main story

Specific Principles for Gameplay to keep in mind during iterative design process

1. Play & challenge experiences
2. Rewards and achievements
3. Act of rebellion (making mistakes is okay and breaking rules)
4. Multisensory (motivation, engaging, appealing, replayable, social)

Game Study

Points to keep in mind when creating games

1. Research by playing
2. Iteration Design
3. Prototype

Prototyping via Iteration Design

Research & Play follows these steps;

1. Design a prototype
2. Playtest your prototype
3. Analyze what happened 
4. Back to step 1 - modifying your game to create a new prototype

In a game studies, most of the playtesting will be done by the designers themselves, especially for short assignments. But of course it is always good for other people to play the games and give feedback – such as designers playing each others’ games in a class. 

Iterative Design vs Design Thinking

Fig.1-9: Stanford d.school Design Thinking Process

https://dschool.stanford.edu

Fig.1-10: Design Process

https://www.enginess.io/insights/what-is-iterative-design

Fig.1-11: Playful Iterative Design framework

Prototype Development

Game platform: Level 1 – Project 01

• Game proposal
• iterative process

Level 2 – Project 02

• Game framework dev
• iterative process

Level 3 – Final Project

• final iteration
• final version

Week 4 Three-Dimensionality since Early-1990s

Towards Three-Dimensional Technology

High attention to games’ visuals was related to advances in audiovisual technology. Most contemporary digital games require real-time three-dimensional image synthesis.

The increase of available memory and computing power is reflected in how 8-bit gaming technology was replaced first by 16-bit and then by 32, 64 and 128-bit systems.

Home computing devices capable of real-time three-dimensional graphics became widely available in the 1990s.

Fig.1-12: Changes of Mario

8-Bit Era

8-bit graphics refers low resolution visuals (256 colors max) and sound bytes due to hardware constraint low resolution graphics.

Fig.1-13: Atari 2600 (1977)‏

Fig.1-14: Nintendo Game Boy (1989)

• Atari 2600 (1977)‏
• Magnavox Odyssey2 (1978)‏
• Commodore 64 (1982)‏
• NES/Famicom (1983)‏
• Nintendo Game Boy (1989)‏

LCD monitors physically change the liquid crystal, whereas CRT monitors convert electrons into photons. This results in a slight difference in appearance. (In this case, the CRT looks a little more realistic.)

Fig.1-15: CRT vs LCD‏

16-Bit Era

Shadow gradations can be expressed in more detail than in the 8-bit era. However, 2D games are still the norm.

Fig.1-16: 8-bit vs 16-bit

Fig.1-17: Sega Mega Drive (1988)‏

Fig.1-18: SNES (1990)‏

• PC Engine/TurboGrafx-16 (1987)
• ‏Sega Mega Drive (1988)‏
• SNES (1990)‏
• Neo Geo (1990)

32-Bit / 64-Bit Era

The 32-bit can perform higher depiction, and the 64-bit version finally allows for full 3D depiction.

Fig.1-19: For more realistic image quality

Fig.1-20: Nintendo 64 (1996)‏

Fig.1-21: Sony PlayStation (1994)‏

• 3DO Interactive Multiplayer (1993)‏
• Amiga CD-32 (1993)‏
• Atari Jaguar (1993)‏
• Sega Saturn (1994)
• Sony PlayStation (1994)‏
• Nintendo 64 (1996)‏

124-Bit Era

Fig.1-22: Nintendo GameCube (2001)‏

Fig.1-23: Sony PlayStation 2 (2000)‏

• Sega Dreamcast (1998)‏
• Sony PlayStation 2 (2000)
• Nintendo GameCube (2001)‏
• Microsoft Xbox (2001)‏

Current Era

Fig.1-24: Nintendo DS (2004)‏

Fig.1-25: Sony PlayStation Portable (2004)‏

• Nintendo DS (2004)
• Sony PlayStation Portable (2004)‏
• Microsoft Xbox 360 (2005)
• Sony PlayStation 3 (2006)
• Nintendo Wii (2006)‏

Now

Fig.1-26: Nintendo Switch (2017)

Fig.1-27: Sony PlayStation 5 (2020)

Fig.1-28: XBOX Series X, S(2020)‏

Fig.1-29: PS VR

Tomb Raider, also known as Lara Croft: Tomb Raider from 2001 to 2008, is a media franchise that originated with an action-adventure video game series created by British gaming company Core Design. As the figure below, the character design is changing as a result of technological advances.

Fig.1-30: Transition of Lara Croft (Tomb Raider)

Consoles and the PC

Games-dedicated video gaming consoles and multipurpose home computers (like the Commodore 64) competed in homes during the 1980s.

IBM PC was released in 1981.

The original PC was lacking in sound and graphics, but the open PC architecture provided opportunities for manufacturers of add-on cards.

The PC was became an important gaming platform during the 1990s.

Components of Gameplay Immersion

Three main components;

1. sensory immersion in the sounds and interactive images of virtual space
2. challenge-based immersion in the actions of play (sometimes close to an optimal, 'flow' experience)‏
3. Imaginative immersion in the world of fiction in a game (this immersion can be created e.g. by text alone)‏.

Fig.1-31: Gameplay Experience Model

Game–player interaction and the three components of immersion in play (the SCI model, Ermi & Mäyrä, 2005).

Play dimension: Point of View (immersion)

Fig.1-33: TPS (Tomb Raider)

The first person view does not focus our attention as much on the game character as e.g. the view used in ‘third-person shooters’‏.

Doom has very transparent interface: the player focus is strongly on the task and a feeling of immersion in virtual space is created.

Fig.1-31: FPS (Doom)

Influences on Game Cultures

With Doom and followers such as Quake, Unreal and Halo, FPS games found their audience and also developed into new sub-genres (e.g. ‘tactical shooter’, ‘MMOFPS’)‏.

Practicing ‘speedruns’ means rushing through a game or level as fast as possible.

Recording speedrun style game events gave birth to ‘machinima’, movies created using game engines.

Doom-influenced ‘modding’ (user-created game modifications) becoming popular.

Play dimension: Personalization (modding)

• ‘Castle Smurfenstein’ modified Castle Wolfenstein to show opponents as Smurfs instead of Nazi characters (1983)‏.
• ‘Capture the Flag’ style of team play became popular as part of ‘Team Fortress’ (1996), a multiplayer mod for Quake.
• Counter-Strike was originally developed as a ‘total conversion’ mod of Half-Life (Valve, 1998) by Minh ‘Gooseman’ Le and Jess ‘Cliffe’ Cliffe.
• Counter-Strike is also an example of a game with its own dedicated ‘CS culture’, including professional CS teams and LAN tournaments.
• Number of mods can also be used as to estimate the popularity of certain games.

Controversy Continued

The violent, adult-oriented themes of FPS style games continue to evoke debate.

FPS action has become part of ‘family games’, like those in the Harry Potter franchise (produced by Electronic Arts)‏.

Popular contemporary games like Grand Theft Auto V and its follow-ups often feature FPS style of gameplay, but combine it with quests familiar from adventure games.

Also Grand Theft Auto III - V has created controversy with its violent and sexual content.

Game Violence Debate

Violent games (as well as cinema, comics or rock music) have been blamed for violence.

But it has been hard to demonstrate a clear, cause-and-effect relationship between media violence and real violence.

Contemporary research is most often interested in particular contexts for media use, and looks for e.g. games’ positive ‘effects’ as well as possible detrimental consequences of digital play.

Debate around violent games continues and many countries have introduced games-related legislation.

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INSTRUCTION

Project Outline

Students are to investigate continuously analogue and digital games to identify gameplay patterns and concepts. This would be done continuously with a minimum of 5 types of games each and each review will juxtapose two similar games for comparative study. 

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Week 1 Exercise 1 task: Personal Gaming History

Task:

Do you remember the first video game you played as a child? Go down that memory lane, and revisit the best memorable games you had played as you were growing up. Review the best parts of the games that makes you a fan, as well as the parts where you think the game could use some improvements. These childhood games and memories are most likely to inspire your potential game ideas. Present your findings as a video presentation and upload it into YouTube (set to Unlisted) for submission.

Fig2-1: Recorded Presentation "Personal Gaming History"

Fig2-2: PDF slides "Personal Gaming History"

Week 2 Exercise 2 task: What makes ‘this game’ playful?

Task:

Now that you had fun going down memory lane, choose one of your most favourite game. The one that made you a loyal fan, and play it again and again. Based on the Playful Iterative Design framework, review the game’s components - DESIGN, PLAY, and ANALYZE - as in how do they all come together to create playful experiences for this particular game. These findings are most likely to strengthen and improve your current ideas for your game. Present your findings as a video presentation and upload it into YouTube (set to Unlisted) for submission.

Fig2-3: Recorded Presentation "What makes ‘this game’ playful?"

Fig2-4: PDF slides "What makes ‘this game’ playful?"

Week 4 Exercise 3 task: Re-mediating the non-digital?

Task:

Identify a non-digital game which has been converted into a digital version. Discuss on:

1. Brief explanation of the gameplay
2. Differences and similarity of play dimension (real life vs on screen): Tip! Pick a game with either real-time or turn-based action; describe its core game mechanics and explain how the player experiences them temporally during both play dimensions.
3. Benefits and disadvantages of three-dimensional: Tip! Find a game that has appeared in both two-dimensional and three-dimensional versions; compare, and give grounds for whether three-dimensional is beneficial or not in games.

Present your findings as a video presentation and upload it into YouTube (set to Unlisted) for submission.

Fig2-5: Recorded Presentation "Re-mediating the non-digital?"

Fig2-6: PDF slides "Re-mediating the non-digital?"

Week 6 Exercise 4 task: The world’s evolution in “this game”

Task:

Identify a video game series or franchise that revolves around the same world (i.e: The Sims, God of War, Civilization, Guild Wars, Super Mario Bros) and discuss how each game’s iteration affect the world’s evolution.

Brief description of the chosen game

Differences and similarity of the world building throughout the series/franchise

TIP! Pick a game that revolves around the same world and lore. From here you can easily track the evolution of the worlds as the game progresses throughout the series/franchise.

Fig2-7: Recorded Presentation "The world’s evolution in “this game”"

Fig2-8: PDF slides "The world’s evolution in “this game”"

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REFLECTIONS

Experiences

Through a series of lectures and exercises we learned what the game means to humans. A comprehensive review of everything from our fundamental desire for games to current digital games will help us understand the nature of games and improve the board game we are creating as our final project for this module.

Observation

I learned that even though the player side only plays, the creators must consider various elements in constructing the game. These include motivating players to play the game, technical aspects, setting error-free rules, beautiful visual design, and background story. However, there are also a large number of games released in the past that are commonly referred to as "shitty games" on the Internet. These have games that are not only inadequate in certain elements, but also those that simply do not feel good or comfortable to play. I strongly felt that when creating a game, we need to think about how to develop a playful experience, with a lot of playtesting.

Findings

The 1990s, I am probably the first generation for whom digital games were a natural part of my childhood. Prior to that, only a very limited number of my classmates, especially those whose parents understood gaming, owned video game consoles. In our generation, everyone had a game console as a natural part of children's play. In hindsight, games are like sports. The simple fighting spirit, the competitive desire to win, the greed to acquire rare items, and the self-expression of pride in doing so, are all true to the fundamental human need.