L3 Y1 Video Games

1. Research
Will Stewart

2. Existing Product
Bold and unique character
designs used to differentiate
playable and plot-relevant
characters from enemies or
NPCs. Each character’s design
is overseen by a team so that
they convey the appropriate
image to the audience, as
decided upon by the character
designers. The character are
rendered in-game by graphic
designers, who create and
piece together dozens of
assets to make sure that each
character moves fluidly. The
characters are designed to the
specifications of their
backstory and skills, so that
each has an individual style,
further emphasised by their
portraits and stats and the
bottom of the screen.
The field is laid out to
accommodate the sprites of both
of the enemy and allied parties, in
order to streamline the gameplay.
This assists in selecting characters
to target during turns, whether it
be for regular attacks or skills. It
also showcases the background of
the area, adding context to the
scene and infusing a sense of
authenticity into the game, selling
the story to the players. This way
also displays all of the necessary
information in the same frame,
including the ally and enemy stats,
the controls available to the
player, and the possible actions
that can be taken.

3. Existing Product
A unit profile that displays the
various levels, skills, values and
flavours of the character in
question, allowing the player to
best theorise on how to use
them. Strategy is a major part of
any customisable party, and
figuring out which units, items,
and skills work the best together
is part of the excitement of the
game.
The unit portrait,
showcasing the full design
of the character, often
acting as a major draw for
players to collect a specific
unit, coupled with the
backstory.
Specific skills exclusive to the character, which can only be
used under specific conditions, effecting the layout of the
party and necessitating experimentation to find the best
combination.

4. Existing Product
Fire Emblem, a JRPG video game franchise in which the player is expected to amass a literal army of
recruitable characters, usually to wage war. The games are famous for their strategic unit-based gameplay,
large-scale epic level storytelling, striking visuals, and the sheer depth that each character has. The series
has been both a cult classic and a major commercial hit, especially in recent years, where it’s newest
releases are a hotly anticipated as other triple-A game series such as Final Fantasy and Persona, at least in
Japan.

5. Existing Product
A line-up of but a small percentage of the characters from the massively popular MOBA, League of Legends. Standing for
Multiplayer Online Battle Arena, the main concept is that you choose a selectable character known as a Champion and are
matched with an online team to do battle against another team. The game is famous for having a lifespan of around ten years,
much longer than other games of its kind, with its competitive nature, diverse aesthetics, and sprinklings of lore drawing back
players time and time again. One of the most popular online games in the world, LoL is a juggernaut in the online competitive
gaming circuit, and seems to be unlikely to go away, at least until a very long time has passed.

6. Research Analysis
• What common features do the researched
products have?
– All researched products are renowned for their personalised flair, whether that be through
storytelling or imagery, and despite sharing similar concepts, each one is unique in its own way.
• What aspects of the research will you include
within your on work?
– The techniques that the developers used to diversify their products from their competitors,
thematically or mechanically, and the ways that they work well with the material presented.

7. Interviews

8. Interview 1
• What kind of stories or plot-lines do you like the most, and why?
• Rescue/damsel plot lines. (where there an aim to save someone)
• Do you prefer a linear narrative or a more multi-faceted perspective, and why?
• I prefer linear narrative structures, as its easier to follow.
• When it comes to characters, do you prefer an ensemble of pre-generated characters with their own play styles, or a single
customisable character, and why?
• I prefer customisable characters, because I like to create my own characters clothing, style etc.

9. Interview 1
• Observation: The audience prefers an easy-to-follow and archetypical story, where the inventiveness of
the game is based off of the choices made by the player.
• What this says about my audience: That they are comfortable with standard video games that are original,
but do not go so overboard in trying to be unique that they become incomprehensibly confusing.
• How will your product appeal to this audience: By sticking to recognisable narrative conventions and
basing more original content off of that, and handing the more customisable functions off to the player.

10. Interview 2
• What kind of stories or plot-lines do you like the most, and why?
• The kind of story lines that go on for a long running time so its not over straight away and keeps you interested, more along
the lines of a action story line.
• Do you prefer a linear narrative or a more multi-faceted perspective, and why?
• I prefer the idea of a linear narrative as it makes you become more involved//interacted with the game and also can interest
you more.
• When it comes to characters, do you prefer an ensemble of pre-generated characters with their own play styles, or a single
customisable character, and why?
• I more prefer the idea of a single customisable character as you are able to make it unique and something of which you
created, making it stand out to other characters.

11. Interview 2
• Observation: The audience prefers games where you can take your time to explore and interact with what
it has to offer, enabled through an extensive story and world-building.
• What this says about my audience: That they view quality and quantity to be correlated, which is a fair
assumption, with the amount of content within a game usually indicating its’ success and popularity.
• How will your product appeal to this audience: By focusing most of my attention on the quality of the
project, it will conversely rise in prominence, satisfying the players who want both ends of the stick.

12. Bibliography

13. Bibliography
1. Oliver, C. (2018) Target Audience Interviews (conducted on 12/01/18)
2. Wilcox, C. (2018) Target Audience Interviews (conducted on 12/08/18)
3. DELiGHTWORKS, TYPE-MOON (2015) Fate/Grand Order
4. A-Lim (2013) Brave Frontier
5. Intelligent Systems, Nintendo (1990 – 2017) Fire Emblem
6. Riot Games (2009) League of Legends