Creativity Techniques in Game Design

Creativity Techniques and Game Idea Generation Thoughts provided by GameSpace-AaKoo

Collected thoughts
Creativity is a complex phenomenon involving the operation of multiple influences as we move from initial generation of an idea to delivery of an innovative product (Mumford and Gustafson 1988)
Lateral thinking and creativity, lateral thinking as a process that can be learned (deBono 1970)
There is need for organisations to have cultures which encourage, reward and respect the free flow of ideas and enquires, where the social environment can influence both the level and frequency of creative behaviour (Amabile 1998, Blum 2000)
Creativity occurs when new relationships between existing elements occur and/or when new elements are brought in (Bostrom 1993, Gryskiewicz 1980&1987)
Idea generation as a critical means for achieving competitive advantage (Gordan et al. 1997)

Collected thoughts
Brainstorming don’t necessary produce novel and innovative solutions (McFadzean 2000)
Quantity of ideas will ultimately yield to quality (Osborn 1957)
Strong relationship between the number of idea generation techniques and the number of successful products (Sowrey 1989, Parnes 1961)
Idea generation should be regarded as a separate activity from idea evaluation (Osborn 1963)
Procedures and methods for idea generation are often based on intuitive belief systems rather than empirically validated theory (Perttula 2006)
Idea generation is not a random process governed solely by an individual’s personal trait, but a relatively structured process that can be explained (Perttula 2006)

Creativity at the Workplaces
Atmosphere, environment
Creativity is supported
Environment is enhanced with diverse and inspiring stimuli
Diverse personnel
When putting different people together, creativity will arise from the collision of different opinions and experiences
Creativity techniques
Creativity on demand
Methodological approach
Learning lateral thinking
Inspiration and atmosphere

Creativity Techniques
Brainstorming
Treated as a synonym to any group ideating
Others:
Alternative Scenarios, BrainSketching, Brainstorming, Brainwriting, Bunches of Bananas, Causal Mapping, Collective Notebook, DO IT, Delphi, Do Nothing, Exaggeration, Keeping a Dream Diary, Mind Mapping, Morphological Analysis, Random Stimuli, Relaxation, Six Thinking Hats, TRIZ, Think Tank, Why Why Why… and so on…
Different techniques for different purposes
Problem Def., Idea Select., Idea Implement., Holistic techniques
Idea Generation
Relatively little empirical valid research

Idea Generation Techniques
Ideas should be:
Novel
Idea is new or distinctive when comparing to old ideas or existent products
Applicable
Idea is suitable for given purposes
Techniques targeting to:
Quantity
When producing vast amount of ideas, you will more probable end up with good idea
Diversity
The techniques will produce ideas that are different from each other and not only copying the same thing over and over again.
Predictability/stability
You don’t have to “wait for the good day”, but the techniques really helps you also on some “bad” days as well
Creating right atmosphere

Ideating process
User
Expertise, experience, knowledge
Techniques
Structure, stimuli, inspiration, change from the common procedures, forcing “out of the box”
“ Be crazy, but don’t touch the walls!”
Cognitive conflict (novelty and applicability)
Importance of techniques and technique development:
Entrusting the technique providing “mental rubber between the user and the wall”?

Game Ideating Techniques
General or specific approach?
Use of general ideating techniques
Creating game generic ideating techniques
Base on other general techniques
New approaches to ideating techniques
Creating casual, mobile and multiplayer specific techniques??

For what purpose game ideas are for?
Fundamental
Good idea can be used as a fundamental basis for the game product
Completeness, applicability, novelty
Inspirational
One idea may inspire another
Iteration rounds
Producing lots of ideas

GameSpace Techniques
GameSpace studies methodological approach to game design
Ideation process, concepting, prototyping, evaluation
Workshop I (casual)
VNA, Emo, MorF, PlayFirst!
Workshop II (multiplayer)
Brainstorming, GameBrain, It’s a Game!, GameSeeker
Workshop III (mobile)
NoteBooks, Gameboard, PieceBox, It’s a GameSeeker, MorF 2.0, Out-of-the-Office, Mechano, Call Your Mama!

Workshop I
VNA, Emo, MorF and PlayFirst!
Research questions:
“ Are ideating techniques useful?”
“ What is the basis for the game ideating technique: thematic, or mechanical approach?”
Even though methods were either with thematic or mechanical approach, the idea descriptions did not differ in the level of completeness
“ How to help to produce casual game ideas?”
MorF?
Other findings:
PlayFirst! produced clone-a-like ideas

Workshop II
Brainstorming, GameBrain, It’s a Game!, GameSeeker
Similar group procedures, different stimuli
Research questions:
“ What is the function of stimuli and group procedure?”
All the methods produced similar amount of ideas in time
If there is no specific stimuli, it will be taken from the environment (coffee-mug effect) or existing product is recalled
Some stimuli may “leave you inside the box”
Stimuli is not always easy to treat as inspirational/associational or it can have too strong effect
The balance between associative and structural elements?
Again the game based method (GameBrain) produced mainly variants and mixtures of existent products
The analysis of the workshop II is not ready

Workshop III
Further developed techniques and some new approaches
Different documenting techniques
Lesson learned from previous workshops: outside factors such as group procedure and documenting techniques are greatly relevant factors
No specific research questions
interest in different kind of user experiences

Techniques:
NoteBooks (SwopBook and MyBook)
Idea can come whenever
GameBoard (co-op and solo)
How about competition?
Mechano
Mechanical approach
Out-of-the-Office
Different environment
Call Your Mama!
Target group
PieceBox
General game stimuli, close to prototyping
It’s a GameSeeker!
associative & structural
MorF 2.0
Computer aided, base on game analysis
4P documenting technique
Parallel ideating in the group
Workshop III

GameSpace IdeaPackage
Workshops provides limited possibilities to study ideating processes
Summer 2007
Development of existing techniques, possible new ones
Send your hopes, wishes and developing ideas to: [email_address]
Autumn 2007
Packages sent to the partners
Physical objects, card games, former ideas, computer programs, documenting techniques and instructional material (possibly instructions f2f)
Real use, if any use at all
Interviews, feedback (autumn/winter 2007-08?)

Let’s make game ideas! Gimme mail! [email_address]

Let’s make game ideas! Gimme mail! [email_address] MOBILE

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http://johngaynardcreativity.blogspot.com	90
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http://www.slideshare.net	55
http://gameslices.wordpress.com	48
http://hypergogue.posterous.com	5
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http://aakoosgamelab.wordpress.com	3
http://johngaynardcreativity.blogspot.co.uk	3
http://gamearchitect.nl	2
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Creativity Techniques in Game Design

by aakoo on Jun 04, 2007

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Creativity Techniques in Game Design — Presentation Transcript