Presentation for the course “Design Methods and Processes” of the Alta Scuola Politecnica. Genova May 18 2016

1. Prof. Pier Luca Lanzi – Politecnico di Milano
Design Methods and Processes – May, 18th 2016 – Alta Scuola Politecnica
A Journey at the Heart
of Game Design

3. sto giocando a …some of the games
I recently played

4. http://www.polimigamecollective.org
https://www.facebook.com/polimigamecollective

5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Journey_(2012_video_game)

6. players

7. why do we play a new game?
what do we “see”?
what “moves” us?

8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dixit_(card_game)
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61apq-6v-mL.jpg

9. Uncharted 4 Official Trailer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hh5HV4iic1Y

10. narrative

13. The Walking Dead Season One Trailer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhL776xz9YU

14. Fallout 4 Official Trailer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdm1WcFHvcw

15. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Her_Story_%28video_game%29

16. CharacteR

18. Graphic style

19. The Witness Trailer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7h7AleSCF4

20. Lumino City Trailer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btpeCVRslFM

22. audio

23. Bastion - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZAuKkv4eZE
Bit Trip Beat - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHbg-sNqe4w
Dark Echo - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuOC8oTrFbM

24. Narrative +
Character +
graphic style +
audio =
AESThETIC

25. designers

26. grokDynamicsMechanics Aestethic
player
game designer
MDA MODEL

28. “jump”

29. Super Mario Bros. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ia8bhFoqkVE

30. Geometry Dash - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k90y6PIzIaE

31. Space is Key 140 Official Trailer - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XV478axBuiU

32. 140 Official Trailer - http://vimeo.com/59001919

33. “shoot”

34. Unfinished Swan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9YaFY8S75M

35. Splatoon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8L54s2m1dPs

36. “the RPG LOOP”

37. explore/combat
collect
spend
improve

41. “physics”

42. Angry Birds Official Trailer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNNzRyd1xz0

43. “CO-OP”

44. Journey Official Trailer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mU3nNT4rcFg

45. Spaceteam Official Trailer - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3fsvKnIVJg

46. Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes Official Trailer - http://www.keeptalkinggame.com

47. “time”

48. Super Hot Gameplay Trailer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9Gz2FIlPXk

49. New mechanics can
be rather simple

50. Downwell Official Trailer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UygovwXlbsU

51. Or can define new genres

52. “unfolding”

53. Lifeline Launch Trailer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P81rf74MF7w

54. Procedural
rhetoric

55. Procedural rethoric
• Concept developed by Ian Bogost in the book
“Persuasive Games” (MIT Press 2007)
• Videogames are part of a new form of rhetoric since
their “procedurality” involves interaction
• Procedural Rhetoric is defined as “the practice of using
processes persuasively.”

58. The Best Amendment - http://www.molleindustria.org/the-best-amendment/

59. Let’s Play “The Best Amendment”!

60. Engineering fun

61. Cartoon from “A Theory of Fun for Game Design” Raph Koster ©
(http://www.theoryoffun.com)

62. Cartoon from “A Theory of Fun for Game Design” Raph Koster ©
(http://www.theoryoffun.com)

63. Cartoon from “A Theory of Fun for Game Design” Raph Koster ©
(http://www.theoryoffun.com)

64. Cartoon from “A Theory of Fun for Game Design” Ralph Koster ©
(http://www.theoryoffun.com)

65. Cartoon from “A Theory of Fun for Game Design” Ralph Koster ©
(http://www.theoryoffun.com)

67. humans love patterns!

68. Highway to Hell by AC/DC © AC/DC

69. The world's ugliest music: Scott Rickard TEDxMIA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RENk9PK06AQ

70. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Super_Mario_64_jumping.jpg

71. Excerpt from Indie Game the Movie – http://www.indiegamethemovie.com

72. 'A Minute to Learn…
A Lifetime to Master’
James R. Becker

73. games that fail to exercise the brain become boring
fun is all about the brain feeling good (endorphines)
the moment of triumph when we learn to master a task
triggers the release of chemicals triggering good feelings
fun comes from “richy interpretable” situations

74. Designing for
players

75. Bartle’s Player Types - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bartle_Test
http://mud.co.uk/richard/hcds.htm

76. Osterweil’s Four Freedoms
• Freedom to explore
§ Players should be allowed to explore
• Freedom to fail
§ Players fail all the time in a game
§ Failure has to be present in game
§ Bad games don’t know how to treat failure
• Freedom of identity play
§ Players love to be to be in someone else’s shoes
§ E.g., play as Darth Vader, dress as a doll
• Freedom to effort
§ Players should be able to play as they feel, soft or hard
§ Sniper vs Assault vs Support vs Engineer

77. Flow (M. Csikszentmihalyi)

78. transparency

82. transparent, visible mechanics
increase player comfort

83. pre luck vs. post luck

84. role playing games typically
favor post luck

86. design your own
Ruzzle board

87. bad transparency good transparency

88. “pre-luck” is an interesting way
to present interesting decisions

89. the end is near and so I
face the final curtain …

90. Play games
Make games
Say something

92. HISTORY Books!
• The Rough Guide to Videogames by Kate Berens,
Geoff Howard (Sep 8, 2008)
• Vintage Games: An Insider Look at the History of
Grand Theft Auto, Super Mario, and the Most
Influential Games of All Time by Bill Loguidice and
Matt Barton (Mar 4, 2009)
• The Ultimate History of Video Games: From Pong
to Pokemon–The Story Behind the Craze That
Touched Our Lives and Changed the World by
Steven L. Kent (Oct 2, 2001)
• Replay: The History of Video Games by Tristan
Donovan (Apr 20, 2010)
• Masters of Doom: How Two Guys Created an
Empire and Transformed Pop Culture – David
Kushner (Amazon)

93. Movies
• Get Lamp!
• King of Kong
• Chasing Ghosts
• High Score
• Once Upon Atari
• Intellivision Lives
• Rise of the Video Games
• Video Game Revolution
• Video Game Invasion The History Of A Global Obsession
• History Of Video Games
• Video Games The Story of Computer Games
• Game Loading the Rise of the Indies
• From Bedroom to Billions
• Indie Game the Movie

94. Contacts
• Email
§ pierluca.lanzi@polimi.it
• Skype
§ pierluca.lanzi
• Web
§ http://www.polimigamecollective.org
• Game design
§ http://www.gamasutra.com
• Game Jam
§ http://www.ludumdare.com
§ http://www.globalgamejam.org

95. http://www.polimigamecollective.org
https://www.facebook.com/polimigamecollective