Games Design Brain Dump The kind of lecture you give when there’s no exam.

The kind of lecture you give when there’s no exam.

Who am I? David Farrell CS @ Strathclyde Games @ Caledonian Dare to be Digital e-Bug [email_address]

David Farrell

CS @ Strathclyde

Games @ Caledonian

Dare to be Digital

e-Bug

[email_address]

Dare to be Digital

e-Bug: Platform Game

e-Bug Detective Game

Game Interface Design?

Game Interface? Menus Hud Data (abstracted?) Interaction

Menus

Hud

Data (abstracted?)

Interaction

‘main’ menus

in-game menus

HUD Heads Up Display

“ any transparent display that presents data without requiring the user to look away from his or her usual viewpoint.” Wikipedia article on Heads Up Display, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Head-up_display , 2009

“ any transparent display that presents data without requiring the user to look away from his or her usual viewpoint.”

data communication and abstraction

interaction

Design?

“ Design is the process by which a designer creates a context to be encountered by a participant, from which meaning emerges.” Salen and Zimmerman, Rules of Play, page 41, SAGE Publications, 2004

“ Design is the process by which a designer creates a context to be encountered by a participant, from which meaning emerges.”

These make sense. The design says “push me”.

These make sense. The design says “push me”.

This make sense. The handle (and all that text) says “pull me”.

This make sense.

The handle (and all that text) says “pull me”.

But what the heck do you do here? For a bonus point: Have you seen this design mistake on campus?

But what the heck do you do here?

Is this good design?

Is this good design?

Is this good design?

Is this good design?

Design is used to communicate with the player.

Design is used to communicate with the player.

This game has many many many combos... ...but did anyone learn them?

This game has many many many combos...

What is colour for? to label (colour as noun) to measure (colour as quantity) to represent / imitate reality to enliven or decorate (colour as beauty)

to label (colour as noun)

to measure (colour as quantity)

to represent / imitate reality

to enliven or decorate (colour as beauty)

Colour in Games Team identification Item highlighting Mood, tone & aesthetics Convey information

Team identification

Item highlighting

Mood, tone & aesthetics

Convey information

Team Identification

Item Highlighting

Mood & Tone

Convey Information

Combining Colours

Semiotics A sign is “something that stands for something to someone in some capacity”

Literacy Literacy is normally thought of as the ability to read and write. You can interpret meaning from other stimuli than just text. art, music, film, fashion, advertising Many mediums convey more through images than text

Literacy is normally thought of as the ability to read and write.

You can interpret meaning from other stimuli than just text.

art, music, film, fashion, advertising

Many mediums convey more through images than text

Reading & Writing You don’t just read, you read or write something in some way . newspaper vs rap essays vs fiction Each domain has its own rules & requirements These can be considered separate literacies

You don’t just read, you read or write something in some way .

newspaper vs rap

essays vs fiction

Each domain has its own rules & requirements

These can be considered separate literacies

What does this mean? “ The guard dribbled down court, held up two fingers and passed to the open man.”

Semiotic Domains Within each domain, all sorts of things can take on meaning. Someone can be musically literate without knowing how to read notation. they are part of a different semiotic domain

Within each domain, all sorts of things can take on meaning.

Someone can be musically literate without knowing how to read notation.

they are part of a different semiotic domain

Games Literacy

Game Domains Game literacy is really an umbrella term for many sub domain literacies. FPS game domain expectations of a box would differ from a platform game

Game literacy is really an umbrella term for many sub domain literacies.

FPS game domain expectations of a box would differ from a platform game

Short Cut By understanding the meaning of symbols, the designer can avoid the need to explain or teach the player what something does.

By understanding the meaning of symbols, the designer can avoid the need to explain or teach the player what something does.

Cultural Semiotics Swastika symbol has many meanings but in western culture the association with Naziism is overwhelming. Possible to cause offence or create meaning where none intended.

Swastika symbol has many meanings but in western culture the association with Naziism is overwhelming.

Possible to cause offence or create meaning where none intended.

Game Tells The decisions you make about your game’s art style convey information to the potential player. This is not ‘art’ this is games design.

The decisions you make about your game’s art style convey information to the potential player.

This is not ‘art’ this is games design.

Sci Fi Corridors Sci Fi corridors and doors often have angled or curved walls. In the future, we’ll probably have rectangular walls but the art design isn’t trying to be realistic, it’s trying to communicate . Desaturated, gloomy colours are often used to imply a grim future environment.

Sci Fi corridors and doors often have angled or curved walls.

In the future, we’ll probably have rectangular walls but the art design isn’t trying to be realistic, it’s trying to communicate .

Desaturated, gloomy colours are often used to imply a grim future environment.

Association People associate and identify themselves with certain things. Blue for boys, pink for girls Brands like Apple, FCUK have a lot of meaning for people. The visual style of a game is important.

People associate and identify themselves with certain things.

Blue for boys, pink for girls

Brands like Apple, FCUK have a lot of meaning for people.

The visual style of a game is important.

That’s That This lecture touches on some of the topics covered in 3 rd year games design. Hopefully you’ll all forget before you get to 3 rd year so I don’t have to reinvent all my examples.

This lecture touches on some of the topics covered in 3 rd year games design.

Hopefully you’ll all forget before you get to 3 rd year so I don’t have to reinvent all my examples.