With this presentation, we will discuss the experience of playing the latest Prince of Persia video game along with discussing the experience of designing and developing the game. Sequences in the game will be played and analyzed in detail in order to illustrate and interpret how the various components of the game come together to create a fulfilling playing experience. We will look at the narrative development and game design, highlight overarching themes and gameplay mechanics. We are going to alternate between sharing insights from the playing experience, and then explore the design and development process as well. Well Played 1.0 is a recent book with a group of authors performing similar analyses of various video games. The goal of this book is to help develop and define a literacy of games as well as a sense of their value as an experience. Video games are a complex medium that merits careful interpretation and insightful analysis.

1. the
Experience(s)
o f
t he
Prince
o f
Persia
Drew
Davidson
Francois
Emery
James
Paul
Gee

2.  Narrative
Development
 Game
Design
 Design
 Development
 Literacy
and
Mastery
of
Gameplay

3.  Played
the
game
2
times
 PS3
 Some
GameFAQs
&
Wikipedia
 Talked
with
Francois
 Spoiler
Alert!

4.  Introduction

7.  Playing
the
Game
 Making
the
Game
 Throughline
-­‐
Themes
 Platform
and
Combat
 Mulligans
 Endings

8.  5
areas
 The
Vale,
Royal
Palace,
City
of
Light,
Ruined
Citadel
 Temple
 20
levels
 6
boss
battles
 Light
Seeds
and
4
Power
Plates
 Multi-­‐Linear,
@
10-­‐15
hours
 PS3,
XBOX360,
PC

9.  Show
World
Map

10.  Ubisoft
Montreal
 Design
and
Development
 Role
of
Level
Design
Director
 Team
Building
 World
Building
 08
Holiday
Release
 Awards,
Nominations
and
Lists

11.  Reboot
of
Series
 Art
Direction
 After
Previous
Incarnation
 Prince
of
Persia:
Sands
of
Time

12.  Destiny
vs.
Free
Will
 Fate
vs.
Choice
 Corrupt
vs.
Healing
 Elika

13.  Moving
through
Space
 Combos
 Two
Way
 4
Power
Plates
 Hand,
Breath,
Wind,
Step
 Corruption
and
Healing
 Teleport
 Elika

14.  Platforming
into
an
area

15.  Corrupted
 Bosses
 Hunter,
Warrior,
Concubine,
Alchemist
 King/Father,
Ahriman
 Combos
 Sword,
Gauntlet,
Acrobatic,
Aerial,
Throw
 Quick
Time
Events
 Elika

16.  Boss
battle

17.  Can’t
Die
 Controversy
 Opens
up
Game
to
more
Players
 Elika
 Integrate
rules
with
fiction
 PoP:
SoT

18.  Power
Plates

19.  Choice
at
End
 Undo
all
You’ve
Done
 PoP:
SoT
 Ultimate
Mulligan
 True
Choice?
 Elika
&
Epilogue

20.  Endings

21.  Interpret
&
Analyze
 Design
&
Develop
 Narrative
&
Gameplay
 Flow
&
Meaning
 Ludic
Narrans
 Well
Played
 http://etc.cmu.edu/etcpress/wellplayed1.0/