tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57062224323604289972012-01-23T09:43:24.165-05:00Each month, game designers and other industry professionals offer their views on a particular game design issue.Sandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783798710597097506noreply@blogger.comBlogger1741100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5706222432360428997.post-18473308312607588172012-01-22T07:58:00.001-05:002012-01-23T09:43:24.176-05:00

In Part I of this article, game designer Mitchell Smallman explains the importance of value points and how value points drive users to support and play a social game. This is my confession. I started out working in social games…I’m one of those few people who has only ever worked as a designer in the social games field. Sometimes it makes me a pariah, with designers I admire voicing concern over

Sandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783798710597097506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5706222432360428997.post-59560422365104052872012-01-17T10:58:00.002-05:002012-01-17T11:28:51.669-05:00

January 2012's topic, Virtual Goods, was submitted by game designer Sande Chen. She writes: In 2007, I started working for a company that was interesting in bringing Chinese-style "microtransactional" games to the West.  People weren't sure how these would translate -- if American consumers would go for it, this "free but with microtransactions" model.  We had seen in China that the MMOs and

Sandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783798710597097506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5706222432360428997.post-61526334499530832742012-01-03T10:45:00.000-05:002012-01-03T10:45:54.194-05:00

Happy New Year! Please vote for the January 2012 topic! As always, feel free to suggest more topics!  Look at the submission guidelines for Topics and Blog Entries. You'll see the poll to the right. The choices are: Sequels Sandbox Games Virtual Goods

Sandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783798710597097506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5706222432360428997.post-18198063370651925692011-12-14T09:58:00.000-05:002011-12-14T09:58:03.437-05:00

Check out some game projects on the IGDA Kickstarter page! There, you will find games affiliated with IGDA chapters and other projects that are waiting to be funded.

Sandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783798710597097506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5706222432360428997.post-4058454714185402502011-12-02T09:01:00.000-05:002011-12-02T09:01:21.600-05:00

In this article, game designer Matt Forbeck gives advice on how to get started on a crowdfunding project. Crowdfunding is taking independent creatives by storm these days. People of all sorts are taking to the web, standing on a virtual street corner, and turning over a hat into which passerby can toss their hard-earned credit. And it’s working on sites like IndieGoGo.com and the current king of

Sandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783798710597097506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5706222432360428997.post-92110277205855633842011-11-16T09:29:00.002-05:002011-11-17T15:11:15.494-05:00

November 2011's topic, Crowdfunding, was submitted by independent developer Michael Lubker. He writes: Crowdfunding raises many questions, both in the business and design of a game. Some games give funders an in-game character. Others give out of game rewards, (metarewards?). People ask where to go and how many funding operations to start at once, and how to start. Is it distasteful, or a

Sandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783798710597097506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5706222432360428997.post-82575604734417306882011-11-01T15:16:00.000-04:002011-11-01T15:16:08.590-04:00

Hello!  As you can tell, I have fallen behind.  I used to have regular contributors and Altug used to help out, but now it's just me!  So, if you would like to be a regular contributor to GDAM or editor, pls lmk. Please vote for the November 2011 topic! As always, feel free to suggest more topics!  Look at the submission guidelines for Topics and Blog Entries. You'll see the poll

Sandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783798710597097506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5706222432360428997.post-54961216685839228672011-10-23T19:06:00.000-04:002011-10-23T19:06:51.931-04:00

In this article, independent developer Dave Gilbert discusses a recent decision concerning a promotional giveaway. Today I wanted to address another infrequent question I'm getting about the pre-order offer. The DVD contains all the previous Blackwell games burned onto the disc, and buying it gives you immediate access to Blackwell Convergence, the third game in the series. I've gotten a few

Sandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783798710597097506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5706222432360428997.post-66723299824704211772011-09-20T13:16:00.000-04:002011-09-20T13:16:29.158-04:00

There has always been free-to-play games, but the question remains: How do we earn money? Unless you are a non-profit or a philanthropist, that money issue will always come up. With casual games and shareware, the try-before-you-buy system of downloading the trial or demo version has been a proven method. There has also been tiered membership, divvying up perks to be added to each tier, from

Sandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783798710597097506noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5706222432360428997.post-1639696527474833362011-09-08T11:34:00.003-04:002011-09-08T19:30:41.251-04:00

In this excerpt from the book, Serious Games: Games That Educate, Train, and Inform, by David Michael and Sande Chen, the authors present a case study on game development through the Small Business Innovation Research or SBIR program. Perhaps the easiest way to get involved with developing for the military, and a number of other government agencies, is through the Small Business Innovation

Sandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783798710597097506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5706222432360428997.post-24011444193615802742011-09-06T08:34:00.001-04:002011-09-06T08:34:38.102-04:00

Hello!  As you can tell, I have fallen behind.  I used to have regular contributors and Altug used to help out, but now it's just me!  So, if you would like to be a regular contributor to GDAM or editor, pls lmk. Please vote for the September 2011 topic! As always, feel free to suggest more topics!  Look at the submission guidelines for Topics and Blog Entries. You'll see the poll

Sandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783798710597097506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5706222432360428997.post-19387908023348661492011-08-25T16:07:00.002-04:002011-08-25T16:07:43.931-04:00

If you're having trouble replying to blog posts because you're using FireFox, here is a workaround submitted by one of our readers: Disabling the page style in Firefox (Display/Page Style/ No Style) gives you a scrollable comment box where you can fill out the capcha and submit your comment.

Sandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783798710597097506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5706222432360428997.post-4188226478997394442011-08-25T11:25:00.000-04:002011-08-25T11:25:14.561-04:00

In Part I, independent developer Dave Gilbert discusses what went right in the creation of adventure game sequel, The Blackwell Convergence.  In Part II, he discusses what went wrong. What Went Wrong 1. Some Marketing Efforts, While Earnest, Were Quite Amateur I had a brilliant idea. I was going to create a bunch of short animated cartoons starring the two characters from the game and start

Sandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783798710597097506noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5706222432360428997.post-8051216181200422011-08-21T01:04:00.002-04:002011-08-25T11:05:16.536-04:00

In Part I of this article, independent developer Dave Gilbert discusses what went right in the creation of adventure game sequel, The Blackwell Convergence. The Blackwell games are point-and-click adventures made by my small indie game studio, Wadjet Eye Games, that center on an awkward writer named Rosangela ("Rosa") Blackwell who, upon her aunt's death, inherited the family ghost. The ghost in

Sandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783798710597097506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5706222432360428997.post-39754449146097767522011-08-16T19:27:00.000-04:002011-08-16T19:27:17.848-04:00

August 2011's topic, Indie Game Revelations, was initially submitted by indie game developer Michael Lubker. Are you working on an indie game that deserves to be spotlighted? What lessons or interesting game design choices can the mainstream game industry learn from the indie sector? Also of interest would be articles about crowdsourcing (such as succeeding with Kickstarter), postmortems,

Sandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783798710597097506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5706222432360428997.post-87689996970017187802011-08-01T08:25:00.000-04:002011-08-01T08:25:41.547-04:00

Hello!  As you can tell, I have fallen behind.  I used to have regular contributors and Altug used to help out, but now it's just me!  So, if you would like to be a regular contributor to GDAM or editor, pls lmk. Also, if you would like to be considered for GDAM's column in the IGDA Newsletter, I am seeking submissions on the topic of Gaming the Game Developers. Please vote for the August 2011

Sandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783798710597097506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5706222432360428997.post-47823507267824316272011-07-20T00:55:00.000-04:002011-07-20T00:55:59.498-04:00

The following article was written for the IGDA Newsletter. Several years ago, I decided I would move to New York. Driven by nostalgia for the places I remembered from childhood, I was under the mistaken belief that I missed seasons. I fared alright in the hot New York summers (nothing compared to Texas, really) but the bitter cold winters were something I could do without. I had already

Sandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783798710597097506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5706222432360428997.post-31110796954763952872011-07-07T11:31:00.001-04:002011-07-07T11:32:09.441-04:00

In July 2011, Game Design Aspect of the Month continues its look at various game scenes and game culture around the globe.  If you would like to spotlight your local scene or a particular conference experience, please let me know!  See Submit! for details.

Sandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783798710597097506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5706222432360428997.post-26040831555660165092011-06-28T00:16:00.002-04:002011-08-21T01:03:43.401-04:00

In Part I, researcher Ben Abraham discusses the importance of the land to Australia's cultural identity and wonders why there aren't more video games featuring Australia's unique environment. In Part II, he elaborates on how the game, Fuel, manages to captures this awesomeness. That distinctiveness in Fuel begins with the color palette. Fuel is itself an oddly colorful game, given its

Sandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783798710597097506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5706222432360428997.post-53839410079753163082011-06-21T14:38:00.000-04:002011-06-21T14:38:15.260-04:00

In this article, researcher Ben Abraham discusses the importance of the land to Australia's cultural identity and wonders why there aren't more video games featuring Australia's unique environment. There was a particular hill that I came across in Fuel, in an area that was covered with a tall field of crackling brown and straw-colored grasses. The battered remnants of a series of wind turbines

Sandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783798710597097506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5706222432360428997.post-379416514939488212011-06-15T11:01:00.001-04:002011-06-20T11:03:26.853-04:00

Game Design Aspect of the Month is seeking blog entries about games and game culture around the world.  If you have a game or scene to spotlight, please see the Submission Guidelines.

Sandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783798710597097506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5706222432360428997.post-31008246989885638142011-06-01T11:08:00.000-04:002011-06-01T11:08:08.129-04:00

Oops! Forgot to put up the poll. Please vote for the June 2011 topic! As always, feel free to suggest more topics! Look at the submission guidelines for Topics and Blog Entries. You'll see the poll to the right. The choices are: * The American Scene (Spotlight on Games Dev in American Cities) * The International Scene (Games and Game Culture Not in U.S.) * Indie Design Revelations Indie

Sandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783798710597097506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5706222432360428997.post-4633900434745769742011-05-26T13:36:00.001-04:002011-05-26T13:46:22.062-04:00

In this article, lead audio designer Gina Zdanowicz explains how audio designers can achieve epic soundscapes while still complementing emergent gameplay. It’s no secret that over the years game audio has evolved from sound chip generated blips and beeps with simple musical melodies to three-dimensional SFX with epic sound tracks. In the past, game audio has been viewed as a backdrop to the

Sandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783798710597097506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5706222432360428997.post-25152030185857243982011-05-13T12:57:00.000-04:002011-05-13T12:57:54.845-04:00

May 2010's topic was submitted by game designer Pascal Belanger. I heard the most troubling thing from a narrative designer last year, which went like this: "If we are going to make art, we can't make emergence". I must say I was shocked about this. I could not believe that he would have that narrow a view about art and/or emergence. The first thought that came to mind was: What about Emergent

Sandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783798710597097506noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5706222432360428997.post-36236188482762768622011-05-02T12:32:00.000-04:002011-05-02T12:32:39.324-04:00

In this article, market analyst Lauren Carlson gives examples of how one might gamify sales force automation software. There has been a lot of buzz lately around this term "gamification." But what is it? Gamification is the process of adding elements of games to non-gaming activities to encourage action or participation. Essentially, it is about making menial, repetitive or boring things a

Sandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783798710597097506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5706222432360428997.post-82860493842061362172011-04-28T12:38:00.001-04:002011-04-28T19:33:38.136-04:00

In this article, game designer David Calvo explains spissitude and why the gamification of life needs to be more transcendent to truly affect us as human beings. “When the fat gets thinner, the thin dies.” Darryl. F. Zanuck.I often get the same question, when I talk about my job. From mothers, teachers, activists.  Don’t you think games are dangerous? Don’t you think they worsen the problems of

Sandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783798710597097506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5706222432360428997.post-24744470520207181672011-04-23T15:28:00.003-04:002011-04-23T15:37:22.159-04:00

Please vote for the May 2011 topic! As always, feel free to suggest more topics!  Look at the submission guidelines for Topics and Blog Entries. You'll see the poll to the right. The choices are: Emergence The International Scene (Games and Game Culture Not in U.S.) Open Source Games Emergence (from Pascal Bélanger) What is emergence to you? How do you deal with it? What place do you

Sandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783798710597097506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5706222432360428997.post-82959542412589410782011-04-08T15:34:00.000-04:002011-04-08T15:34:32.611-04:00

In this article, game developer Dan Bahamon considers how gamification can help improve people's lives. I agree that most people think of achievements when they hear gamification, and I do agree that these little achievements will help many people to organize and learn about things that are good for them and the community, anywhere from getting kids to eat vegetables to reducing water over usage

Sandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783798710597097506noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5706222432360428997.post-59286187080358261042011-04-06T18:36:00.000-04:002011-04-06T18:36:56.946-04:00

What does it mean to gamify? Does this mean that the world is full of activities, sites, and programs that can be "gamed"? Is this good or bad? When I was first introduced to gamification by its proponents, I thought it was very similar to what David Michael and I supported in our book, Serious Games: Games That Educate, Train, and Inform. We could see that game design could be used to

Sandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783798710597097506noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5706222432360428997.post-79267229868710270702011-03-31T10:44:00.002-04:002011-03-31T10:49:21.907-04:00

In Part I, game designer Ian Schreiber outlines the debate between metrics-driven design and the more touchy-feely intuition-based design. In Part II, he explains the difficulties with trying to measure the "fun" in your game. In Part III, he tackles the issues of measuring difficulty, game balance, and the value of games to players. Another example: measuring difficulty Player difficulty,

Sandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783798710597097506noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5706222432360428997.post-74410445449115538942011-03-21T11:35:00.001-04:002011-03-21T11:39:05.094-04:00

Please vote for the April 2011 topic! As always, feel free to suggest more topics!  Look at the submission guidelines for Topics and Blog Entries. You'll see the poll to the right. The choices are: Gamification Emergence Dealing with Communities (How Fans Affect Our Games) Emergence (from Pascal Bélanger) What is emergence to you? How do you deal with it? What place do you let it take in

Sandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783798710597097506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5706222432360428997.post-58931152011996555132011-03-19T17:50:00.000-04:002011-03-19T17:50:09.627-04:00

In Part I, game designer Ian Schreiber outlines the debate between metrics-driven design and the more touchy-feely intuition-based design. In Part II, he explains the difficulties with trying to measure the "fun" in your game. How much to measure? Suppose you want to take some metrics in your game so you can go back and do statistical analysis to improve your game balance. What metrics do you

Sandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783798710597097506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5706222432360428997.post-966869708414576822011-03-17T15:42:00.002-04:002011-03-17T16:43:51.149-04:00

In this article, game designer Ian Schreiber outlines the debate between metrics-driven design and the more touchy-feely intuition-based design. Metrics Here’s a common pattern in artistic and creative fields, particularly things like archaeology or art preservation or psychology or medicine where it requires a certain amount of intuition but at the same time there is still a “right answer” or

Sandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783798710597097506noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5706222432360428997.post-61352286324156587772011-03-14T19:44:00.001-04:002011-03-14T19:45:07.648-04:00

Metrics.  For some, metrics is a golden savior:  the pathway to riches!  By learning what users respond to, you can quickly capitalize on this info and rocket your game to success.  Is it really that easy?  Surely, you need to know how to interpret the data so that you are not led astray. When David Michael and I presented at the Serious Games Conference D.C., we explained that while it might be

Sandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783798710597097506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5706222432360428997.post-65637874350890064112011-02-22T10:15:00.001-05:002011-02-23T12:11:21.404-05:00

Please vote for the March 2011 topic! As always, feel free to suggest more topics!  Look at the submission guidelines for Topics and Blog Entries. You'll see the poll to the right. The choices are: Using Metrics Gamification Game Accessibility  Please vote by March 1.  Thank you!

Sandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783798710597097506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5706222432360428997.post-83771557522842344132011-02-14T09:25:00.001-05:002011-02-14T12:01:45.588-05:00

What an odd day to be writing about Cheats!  Sorry.  Sorry for the delay and the unintended timing. About a year ago, I prepared a presentation on the topic of Cheats for the NYU Game Theory Seminar Series.  It struck me that colloquially, cheats or codes, as we sometimes call them, are commonly accepted by players as part of the game.  Look up any game and the word 'cheats' on Google and there

Sandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783798710597097506noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5706222432360428997.post-84702847407675665172011-01-31T11:45:00.000-05:002011-01-31T11:45:06.222-05:00

In Part I, game designer Brendon Trombley looks at the various ways crafting adds to player experience in MMOs and how developers can use an understanding of these roles to build better crafting systems.  In Part II, he discusses the role of crafting systems from a developer’s standpoint, which can differ and even conflict with the player’s agenda. So what’s the role of crafting for

Sandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783798710597097506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5706222432360428997.post-69387573984668143062011-01-27T11:06:00.002-05:002011-01-27T11:09:53.522-05:00

In this article, game designer Brendon Trombley looks at the various ways crafting adds to player experience in MMOs and how developers can use an understanding of these roles to build better crafting systems. Since early on, crafting has been a major staple in the design of MMORPGs. Without some sort of crafting system, most online worlds would seem empty, nothing more than hack'n'slash

Sandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783798710597097506noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5706222432360428997.post-39229818532115158892011-01-25T12:12:00.003-05:002011-01-25T12:15:10.371-05:00

Please vote for the February 2011 topic! As always, feel free to suggest more topics!  Look at the submission guidelines for Topics and Blog Entries. You'll see the poll to the right. The choices are: Cheats Sequels Game Accessibility

Sandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783798710597097506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5706222432360428997.post-57937788838844277092011-01-20T12:46:00.000-05:002011-01-20T12:46:03.595-05:00

In Part I, MMO developer Brian Green sums up the basic steps to crafting and takes a look at how different MMOs tackle the issue. In Part II, he continues his examination of various crafting systems. Creating an Item Finally, it's time to create the item. In most games, you click the button and wait. A random result can determine if the item is made or not, what the quality of the item is, or

Sandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783798710597097506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5706222432360428997.post-3186048186401545982011-01-12T14:04:00.000-05:002011-01-12T14:04:22.938-05:00

In Part I of this article, MMO developer Brian Green sums up the basic steps to crafting and takes a look at how different MMOs tackle the issue. What do tradeskills add to a game? What are some recent implementations? How are these implementations flawed, and what can we learn from them? The Way It Generally Works Crafting is typically broken down into the following steps: Learn a recipe.

Sandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783798710597097506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5706222432360428997.post-13482149147582661192011-01-10T13:32:00.001-05:002011-02-14T12:02:13.559-05:00

This month, we'd like you to think about crafting systems in MMOs.  Just think!  All those months harvesting minerals/materials/ore/plants/resources haven't been put to waste because you can now write about your experiences and give us the benefits of your wisdom :)   Crafting allows players to plug into a game's economy.  Ideally, this creates a form of interdependence since players may need

Sandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783798710597097506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5706222432360428997.post-19411670309074740082010-12-29T14:38:00.000-05:002010-12-29T14:38:01.109-05:00

In this article, Asi Burak, Co-President of Games for Change, argues that we don't need to be rid of war games, but that we should strive for more sophisticated and realistic war games: ones that address the complexity of war and the moral dilemmas that modern soldiers face every day. Representing Games for Change in interviews and conversations with the media, I am often asked to comment on the

Sandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783798710597097506noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5706222432360428997.post-55734842814148010462010-12-20T10:33:00.002-05:002010-12-20T10:33:47.935-05:00

Please vote for the January 2011 topic! As always, feel free to suggest more topics! You'll see the poll to the right. The choices are: Crafting Sequels Game Accessibility

Sandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783798710597097506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5706222432360428997.post-42617532232582057122010-12-10T10:25:00.000-05:002010-12-10T10:25:05.139-05:00

In this article, MMO blogger Zach Best wonders if replayable story content will successfully divert player attention away from the endless grind in MMOs. Timeless MMO topics are worming their way, yet again, around the ‘sphere. Oh, I can definitely take part of the blame since I strongly dislike subscription games, and what I feel they entail. Clearly, I am neither alone, nor am I objectively

Sandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783798710597097506noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5706222432360428997.post-31008995586205050072010-11-27T10:17:00.001-05:002010-12-01T11:02:39.254-05:00

December 2010's topic, No More War Games?, was submitted by graduate student Nick LaLone. He writes:  Thousands of video games have used war as a central component of their mechanics or narrative and it isn't surprising. They were created during a time of war and were inspired by the popularity of war board games like Tactics II, Diplomacy, Risk, and Advanced Squad Leader. These games reflected

Sandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783798710597097506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5706222432360428997.post-56158920122626455142010-11-22T10:21:00.001-05:002010-11-22T10:22:36.896-05:00

In this article, writer and designer R.M. Sean B Jaffe reminds everyone that it's the designer's job to make a game fun, even if the game is about topics outside of the designer's comfort zone. I have a powerful friend on the West Coast who asks his potential hires two questions. I’ll skip the first one since it’s irrelevant, but the second one is pretty straightforward: “Let’s say we have a

Sandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783798710597097506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5706222432360428997.post-91998716387296882272010-11-17T10:09:00.000-05:002010-11-17T10:09:51.387-05:00

Please vote for the December 2010 topic! As always, feel free to suggest more topics! You'll see the poll to the right. The choices are: Crafting No More War Games? Indie Design Revelations No More War Games? Videogames have a heritage in that they were constructed from display technologies developed because of the Cold War. The first games all resembled some form of war simulation (with

Sandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783798710597097506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5706222432360428997.post-47141187097295814842010-11-09T00:03:00.000-05:002010-11-09T00:03:20.617-05:00

Apologies for the late start! What's the best way to tackle designing a game for a specific audience? That audience could be segmented by age, gender, or even location. Some designers feel that a great game appeals to everyone while others go fishing for specific likes or dislikes of a targeted audience. For instance, if 50-year-old women are known to like gardening, then games about

Sandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783798710597097506noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5706222432360428997.post-86136778185984464812010-11-04T01:56:00.009-04:002010-11-04T09:50:45.279-04:00

Unfortunately, the second half of the podcast in September 2009 for Gaming the Game Developers had some sound quality issues.  I was able to get Josh Sutphin's voice louder but Grétar Hannesson is really hard to hear in the beginning of the podcast.  (And please disregard my breathing into the mike ;) At this point of the conversation, Billy Cain had to leave (he was attending GDC Austin at the

Sandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783798710597097506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5706222432360428997.post-6043878004332505932010-10-29T09:30:00.000-04:002010-10-29T12:16:47.154-04:00

In Part I of this article, writer-designer Steve Ince gives an overview of how story, plot, and gameplay feed into puzzle creation in a game. In Part II, he gives an example of the process. During my time at Revolution Software I was fortunate to work with some talented people and much of what I learned about developing and refining of puzzles comes from that period. When we developed the

Sandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783798710597097506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5706222432360428997.post-15052591247126014432010-10-26T18:13:00.002-04:002010-10-26T18:13:54.284-04:00

Please vote for the November 2010 topic! You'll see the poll to the right. The choices are: Cheats Sequels Designing for Demographics Please vote by November 1. Thank you!

Sandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783798710597097506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5706222432360428997.post-81501465804155504742010-10-21T03:42:00.000-04:002010-10-21T03:42:19.321-04:00

In Part I of this article, writer-designer Steve Ince gives an overview of how story, plot, and gameplay feed into puzzle creation in a game. I’ve spent most of my game development career working on various story-based games; mostly traditional adventures but other types, too. Although there are different kinds of puzzles involved in the creation of such a game, the kind I find most

Sandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783798710597097506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5706222432360428997.post-33166520474549959002010-10-08T02:25:00.001-04:002010-11-27T10:11:58.899-05:00

October 2010's topic, Puzzles, was submitted by postdoctoral researcher Clara Fernández-Vara. She writes: Puzzles are one of the most common design challenges in games, and yet their design practices remain largely undiscussed. This is because puzzles come in many shapes and sizes. Professor Layton includes a wide range of traditional puzzles (logic puzzles, riddles, jigsaws, etc.). Metroid,

Sandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783798710597097506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5706222432360428997.post-66049269305654621982010-10-01T10:17:00.000-04:002010-10-01T10:17:17.119-04:00

In this article, game designer Doug Hill discusses how game designers can use collectibles to allow players to adjust difficulty levels in games. In his article Risk Vs. Reward: TACOs, Achievements, and YOU, Ryon Levitt discusses the relationship between the risk a player must consider in getting a collectible versus the reward of obtaining it. This article will consider the opposite side of

Sandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783798710597097506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5706222432360428997.post-63457921391525184892010-09-29T05:46:00.007-04:002010-09-29T05:46:00.483-04:00

In this article, gameplay programmer Nels Anderson warns that more does not equal better when it comes to collectables, especially when their very presence may contradict the gameplay experience. Designed correctly, collectables can enrich a world, making it feel larger and more robust. Designed poorly, they exploit some of our worst tendencies as gamers. Usually games feature one or the other,

Sandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783798710597097506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5706222432360428997.post-45788137497787351512010-09-26T15:01:00.002-04:002010-09-28T16:17:27.359-04:00

In this article, game designer Ryon Levitt discusses how to make collecting totally arbitrary collectible objects (or TACOs) a meaningful and fulfilling activity for players. Since as long as I can remember, I’ve been somewhat of a completist when it comes to video games. I will admit that as I’ve grown older, my definition of “complete” has changed due to the amount of time I have for any

Sandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783798710597097506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5706222432360428997.post-7901234328783481762010-09-23T03:01:00.000-04:002010-09-23T03:01:15.702-04:00

Please vote for the October 2010 topic!  As always, feel free to suggest more topics! Also, podcasts may return in the near future! You'll see the poll to the right. The choices are: Puzzles Sequels No More War Games? No More War Games? Videogames have a heritage in that they were constructed from display technologies developed because of the Cold War. The first games all resembled some

Sandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783798710597097506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5706222432360428997.post-34102373553956427992010-09-07T13:26:00.000-04:002010-09-07T13:26:55.076-04:00

September 2010's topic, Collection and Completion, was submitted by game designer Doug Hill. Doug writes: From munching dots in Pac-Man to unlocking achievements and trophies in the hottest new AAA game for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, the act of collecting and completing has been a central part of video games for over three decades now. The collection and completion design is clearly one of

Sandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783798710597097506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5706222432360428997.post-79030317984086870772010-08-27T10:55:00.002-04:002010-09-02T20:11:51.505-04:00

Please vote for the September 2010 topic!  As always, feel free to suggest more topics! You'll see the poll to the right. The choices are: Cheats Collecting & Completion No More War Games? Collecting & Completion Many games attempt to hook players with short and long term goals to collect within games, whether it is a series of items or emblems, characters and captured creatures, or simply

Sandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783798710597097506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5706222432360428997.post-66517766757292561372010-08-22T13:01:00.000-04:002010-08-22T13:01:12.047-04:00

In this article, alternate reality game designer and writer Andrea Phillips discusses the near-future of augmented reality games. Here in 2010, the sizzle is all about mobile games, social games, location-based games. I’ll forgive you if you’re a little tired of hearing about them. But you’d better get used to it; these trends are just getting started. Just wait until you see what’s coming down

Sandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783798710597097506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5706222432360428997.post-88352857116904252042010-08-01T18:46:00.008-04:002010-08-01T19:55:45.214-04:00

In this article, writer and game designer Sande Chen urges game design students to take a look at classic video games. A few weekends ago, I participated in a Playpower workshop to create 8-bit games for children in developing countries.  It turns out that the patents on these old systems have long gone, so Chinese manufacturers have been churning them out and selling them for the equivalent

Sandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783798710597097506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5706222432360428997.post-9041281653980935692010-07-27T10:35:00.001-04:002010-09-28T16:18:14.212-04:00

August 2010's topic, Design 2020: Imagining the Future of Gaming, was submitted by game designer Ryon Levitt with contributions from game designer Josh Sutphin.  Join us and discuss the possibilities of the next 10 years of game design. What major innovations will this decade bring? What tiresome trends will stubbornly cling to life? What old genres will we see resurrected and which current

Sandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783798710597097506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5706222432360428997.post-54608164417880689442010-07-21T12:01:00.000-04:002010-07-21T12:01:27.161-04:00

In Part I, postdoctoral researcher Clara Fernández-Vara elaborates on the influential design decisions that have made SCUMM adventure games just as engaging today as they were a decade ago.  In Part II, she explains the impact of those decisions. Solving the puzzles is not a matter of “a thousand deaths” any more, but of learning more about the world. There is a lot of information that we can

Sandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783798710597097506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5706222432360428997.post-44869621340591605162010-07-17T16:46:00.001-04:002010-07-17T16:54:30.352-04:00

In Part I of this article, postdoctoral researcher Clara Fernández-Vara elaborates on the influential design decisions that have made SCUMM adventure games just as engaging today as they were a decade ago. The release of Maniac Mansion in 1987 became a milestone in the history of videogames. Although the game itself was quite popular, what is important for us is the framework developed for it:

Sandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783798710597097506noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5706222432360428997.post-42709656908698095882010-07-14T13:50:00.002-04:002010-07-14T13:50:09.401-04:00

Please vote for the August 2010 topic! You'll see the poll to the right. The choices are: Cheats Design 2020 Augmented/Alternate Reality Games Please vote by July 21. Thank you!

Sandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783798710597097506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5706222432360428997.post-27748782382042553542010-06-29T13:01:00.001-04:002010-06-29T19:36:29.709-04:00

July 2010's topic, In Search of Old School Fun, was submitted by game designer Michael Lubker. He writes: We all love games from old-school names like Maxis, Sierra, Mecc, LucasArts (SCUMM days), Apogee, Impressions, MicroProse, Ensemble, etc. This topic discusses what's changed in the days since then and how difficulty levels, graphical complexity, popularity of genres and business models all

Sandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783798710597097506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5706222432360428997.post-65407147447597175542010-06-21T14:22:00.000-04:002010-06-21T14:22:56.601-04:00

Please vote for the July 2010 topic! You'll see the poll to the right. The choices are: Sequels Cheats In Search of Old School Fun Please vote by June 28. Thank you!

Sandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783798710597097506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5706222432360428997.post-38411948096252126762010-06-19T15:13:00.000-04:002010-06-19T15:13:22.020-04:00

In Part I, MMO developer Brian Green points out that a realistic economic simulation in a MMO may not actually be possible or even fun for the players.  In Part II, he explains how to create a game economy that maximizes fun. To discuss economic adjustments, we need to have a design for the economy. The traditional and perhaps simplest design for a game economy is called "faucets and drains".

Sandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783798710597097506noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5706222432360428997.post-10363706723620701642010-06-15T13:20:00.000-04:002010-06-15T13:20:58.067-04:00

In Part I of this article, MMO developer Brian Green points out that a realistic economic simulation in a MMO may not actually be possible or even fun for the players. Psst. Hey, do you fake it? It's okay, you can confide in me, I won't tell them. I'll admit, I prefer to fake it when I can; it's just a lot more fun that way. ...I'm talking about multiplayer economies! What did you think I

Sandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783798710597097506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5706222432360428997.post-27879611385262353592010-06-12T13:51:00.002-04:002010-06-12T14:04:08.638-04:00

In Part I, lead social designer Aki Jarvinen explains why the first five minutes of a social game needs to engage players right away.  In Part II, he gives guidelines on how to design tutorials that accommodate, assimilate, and accelerate players into a social game.  Tutorial as a set of metrics As a sequence of steps where the player is guided by hand to click from one step to the next,

Sandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783798710597097506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5706222432360428997.post-77095042901964639152010-06-08T15:45:00.004-04:002010-06-12T13:28:17.249-04:00

In this article, lead social designer Aki Jarvinen explains why the first five minutes of a social game needs to engage players right away. In a marketplace that appeals to casual gaming sensibility, such as Facebook, competitors and distractions are literally one spontaneous click away. If a social game does not manage to spell out its rules of attraction in the first few minutes, the player

Sandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783798710597097506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5706222432360428997.post-77453109447701846612010-06-07T14:13:00.001-04:002010-06-15T13:59:34.192-04:00

June 2010's topic, Multiplayer Economies, was submitted by game designer Sande Chen. She writes: Games have always had an economy or at least the semblance of an economy. In the ye olden days of single-player RPGs, you trucked your loot to the local merchant and used the gold you earned from it to purchase upgrades. Economies were more socialist by nature: prices were determined by the

Sandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783798710597097506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5706222432360428997.post-79752909442371123382010-05-31T18:08:00.001-04:002010-05-31T23:31:21.208-04:00

Apologies...  It appears we've missed the entire month of May!  It's obvious that we need some help, so here is our Call for Editors notice again in case you were interested in the responsibilities. Call for Editors GDAM wants to strengthen its team of editors and would like to hear from individuals who would be interested in joining us. Routine tasks of GDAM Editors include:Developing or

Sandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783798710597097506noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5706222432360428997.post-20923917282020621632010-04-29T18:16:00.011-04:002010-04-29T18:38:08.512-04:00

In this article, Steele Filipek and Jeff Gomez of Starlight Runner Entertainment explain why the opening hook is so important to video games and how game designers can create opening hooks that deliver gamers into game worlds of long-lasting fun.One of Shigeru Miyamoto’s more famous quips is, “Find the fun.” That is, first find what is fun about a game and then build around that. It can be

Sandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783798710597097506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5706222432360428997.post-83003740803721557452010-04-27T18:45:00.014-04:002010-06-09T14:55:03.347-04:00

In this article, programmer Nels Anderson argues that "in medium ludum," or starting in the middle of a game, be it mechanically or narratively, may lead to better beginnings. Jason Rohrer's Sleep is Death was released recently, providing unique digital gaming experiences that harken more toward improv theatre than anything else. Given the similarity, theatre professor and games critic Michael

Sandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783798710597097506noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5706222432360428997.post-8719839630288551242010-04-23T04:36:00.011-04:002010-04-23T16:06:15.377-04:00

In this article, freelance games writer Leanne C. Taylor takes a look at cinematics in the context of game openings. She identifies three ways in which cinematics can be used to create a bond between the game and players: History, Mystery, and Story.Games are like movies, or so some would have us believe. With their ever-increasing budgets and graphical realism, they're certainly heading down

altugihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10968576672685287373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5706222432360428997.post-35110011231107461612010-04-01T13:40:00.005-04:002010-04-04T06:15:49.957-04:00

This month's topic was proposed by game designer Doug Hill.Doug writes:Much like the first chapter of a book or the first fifteen minutes of a movie, the opening hook of a game quickly confirms whether a player will continue playing or find something else to do. This hook can come in many forms: showing a non-interactive opening movie, thrusting the player directly into gameplay, or even playing

altugihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10968576672685287373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5706222432360428997.post-41321489690363199312010-03-31T13:17:00.008-04:002010-03-31T13:43:33.983-04:00

In this article, lead social designer Aki Jarvinen argues that 'viral games' might be a better name for social games and postulates the future opportunities for viral games.In this essay, I want to pose questions about a design aspect which is particularly topical to social game design. This aspect is something that has not been traditionally associated with game design, but rather with marketing

Sandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783798710597097506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5706222432360428997.post-38870587982122015692010-03-30T00:36:00.005-04:002010-03-30T15:27:33.710-04:00

In this article, graduate student Nick LaLone points out that many video game designers view social games with disrespect and worries that if industry professionals do not take social games seriously, they may be doomed to repeat mistakes of the past.What are Social Games?Social games are a structured activity which has contextual rules through which users can engage with one another. Social

altugihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10968576672685287373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5706222432360428997.post-88739612044036838172010-03-26T16:39:00.003-04:002010-03-26T16:47:11.406-04:00

Hello! In order to give more time for our contributors to write articles, we have decided to do topic polls one month in advance. So, the April & May topics will be determined in the following poll. The runner-up will be the May topic.Please vote for the April & May 2010 topics!You'll see the poll to the right. The choices are:In Search of Old School FunThe Opening HookMultiplayer

Sandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783798710597097506noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5706222432360428997.post-83725523466129312662010-03-21T19:10:00.017-04:002010-03-21T20:22:24.089-04:00

Lead game designer Tom Rassweiler offers his thoughts on the benefits and challenges of re-developing successful casual games for social platforms.With the potential of garnering tens of millions of monthly active users in a short period of time, social games are in the spotlight and every game company is trying to figure out how to capitalize on this new market. However, every platform has its

Sandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783798710597097506noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5706222432360428997.post-23131992955994662452010-03-18T04:12:00.002-04:002010-03-18T04:12:00.053-04:00

In Part I, game designer and writer Doug Hill weighs the pros and cons of passive and active play in social games. In Part II, he explores how to combine both passive and active play in social games.So.. What's the Solution?The ideal situation is one where players can actively play the game for as long as they wish, while also creating situations where players must passively wait. Luckily, we've

altugihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10968576672685287373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5706222432360428997.post-82839326362196566312010-03-15T14:34:00.011-04:002010-03-17T14:39:34.844-04:00

In Part I of this article, game designer and writer Doug Hill weighs the pros and cons of passive and active play in social games.In Mafia Wars and its many clones, players are given energy that they spend on completing jobs, which reward experience and money. When the player levels up, they typically regenerate all of that energy and are given the option of increasing how much energy they can

Sandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783798710597097506noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5706222432360428997.post-25092271111306082712010-03-08T11:36:00.000-05:002010-03-08T11:36:00.173-05:00

In this article, game designer Sande Chen describes the distinctive design considerations game designers face when designing for social games.Social networking sites have changed how we consume information and how we play games. It is only fitting that social games reflect the characteristics of the platform. When combined together, the social graph, ambient awareness, and inclusive play are the

Sandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783798710597097506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5706222432360428997.post-63959712439380808262010-03-05T05:16:00.001-05:002010-03-06T14:43:57.416-05:00

This month's topic was proposed by game designer Doug Hill and refined by scholar Altug Isigan.Altug writes:Social games play an increasingly important role in the game industry. Played over social networks, it is projected that these games will create revenues of a billion dollars in the year 2010. In both recent publications and recent conference talks, social gaming was a popular topic and the

altugihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10968576672685287373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5706222432360428997.post-46790901490559817542010-02-27T03:22:00.002-05:002010-02-28T12:32:33.112-05:00

In this Q&A, experimental videogame maker and IGF finalist Daniel Benmergui talks about his own approach to making games and the potential of games in eliciting emotions.How do you make emotive games?I never set myself the goal of making emotive games. It just happened that both I Wish I Were the Moon and Today I Die where born out of intense emotional impressions.Something I discovered with

altugihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10968576672685287373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5706222432360428997.post-6422122088848143362010-02-22T04:48:00.003-05:002010-02-27T11:33:09.500-05:00

In Part I, graduate student Nick Lalone considers Johan Huizinga's notion of play-character as a pathway to invoke emotions in games. In Part II, he compares how various games use play-character.Most often, video games invoke the spirit of exploration during the time between World War 1 and World War 2. We, as people, think back on a world much larger than it is now. What is out there? As

altugihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10968576672685287373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5706222432360428997.post-274104341286055642010-02-19T07:50:00.007-05:002010-02-19T12:31:58.097-05:00

Please vote for the March 2010 topic!You'll see the poll to the right. The choices are:CheatsFuture of Social GamesIn Search of Old School FunPlease vote by February 26. Thank you!

altugihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10968576672685287373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5706222432360428997.post-65126627158944830192010-02-16T12:43:00.001-05:002010-06-09T15:01:13.613-04:00

In Part I of this article, graduate student Nick LaLone considers Johan Huizinga's notion of play-character as a pathway to invoke emotions in games. Video games most often use single person events to create emotion. Some examples here are Death of Aerith in Final Fantasy 7, Permanent Death in Steel Battalion, Modern Warfare 1's Nuke Sequence and subsequent single person death. However, a

altugihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10968576672685287373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5706222432360428997.post-35485384637950118622010-02-04T13:03:00.000-05:002010-02-05T12:23:07.999-05:00

In this article, game writer and designer Shelly Warmuth explains why emotive games, games that affect players emotionally, involve small ethical dilemmas.Train changes the rules of gameplay, eliciting an emotional response while causing players to try to change the design of the game while playing it. It makes them uncomfortable, sad, and unwilling to win.When discussing emotive games, it's

Sandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783798710597097506noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5706222432360428997.post-5425802229770979742010-01-31T01:00:00.004-05:002010-01-31T20:01:23.945-05:00

In this article, graduate student Nick LaLone argues that another factor, exposure, affects game design decisions and whether or not players feel a game is unnaturally short or long, or just right.Exposure is something that everyone thinks they want and need when selling a product. You see this in every aspect of game publicity: interviews with designers, advertisements in magazines devoted to

altugihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10968576672685287373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5706222432360428997.post-80297559467052953182010-01-29T01:00:00.001-05:002010-01-29T01:44:42.237-05:00

In this article, gameplay programmer Nels Anderson discusses the responsibility of game developers and designers to honor the precious time players spend on their games."Time is the most valuable thing a man can spend." -Theophrastus We entreat customers of our games for their money. But in reciprocity, they entrust us with that most valuable thing: their time. Ultimately, it's the only thing we

altugihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10968576672685287373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5706222432360428997.post-70702623228964761772010-01-27T01:00:00.003-05:002010-01-28T09:37:31.400-05:00

In Part I, game designer and artist Taekwan Kim explains how player investment and the feeling of game progression do not only rely on plot but can be created largely through skill development as well. In Part II, he presents examples of skill axis based progression and describes how their design is done right.Examples of Skill Axis Based ProgressionRecently, I’ve been burning a lot of hours

altugihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10968576672685287373noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5706222432360428997.post-16157563903670024332010-01-26T18:39:00.002-05:002010-03-06T14:42:14.054-05:00

February 2010's topic, Emotive Games, was submitted by writer and game designer Sande Chen.Sande writes:How many times have we heard the question asked about games: "But can it make you cry?" Or in other words, does the game make you feel something? Can a game stir the passions just as much as a heart-wrenching movie? Some people say emphatically, "Yes!" Unfortunately, either I have watched

Sandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783798710597097506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5706222432360428997.post-58718584036257515972010-01-25T01:23:00.002-05:002010-01-27T19:09:40.757-05:00

In Part I of this article, game designer and artist Taekwan Kim explains how player investment and the feeling of game progression do not only rely on plot but can be created largely through skill development as well.Recently Altug Isigan posted an interesting article about stagnating plots affecting the player’s sense of progression. He mentioned two axes of experience in that article: plot and

altugihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10968576672685287373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5706222432360428997.post-31416869564359521522010-01-22T14:22:00.003-05:002010-01-26T18:20:14.238-05:00

In Part I, game journalist Petter Mårtensson points out the relation between level caps and dominant business models in MMO's as they contribute to lengthen gameplay artificially. In Part II, he looks at the problems that are inherent in the leveling methods applied in MMO design and what changes we might expect in the future.Despite being functional, the leveling system has a few problems

Sandehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783798710597097506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5706222432360428997.post-42206538386399108542010-01-20T12:19:00.000-05:002010-01-20T13:28:48.180-05:00

In the first part of his article on leveling in MMO's, game journalist Petter Mårtensson points out the relation between level caps and dominant business models in MMO's as they contribute to lengthen gameplay artificially.To lengthen gameplay in an "ordinary" single player game, it can be as easy as copy-pasting corridors, enemies and sometimes even puzzles. But those games have a limited length

altugihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10968576672685287373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5706222432360428997.post-47218803068566382722010-01-13T13:37:00.056-05:002010-01-16T12:37:52.723-05:00

In Part I, scholar Altug Isigan asks why not all motivational game mechanics are necessarily engaging and why they often feel like they are wasting our time. In Part II, he elaborates on how pure action can become a source of boredom and frustration if increasing tension is not taken into consideration.The Boredom of Pure ActionOften writers and designers will confuse increasing tension with “

altugihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10968576672685287373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5706222432360428997.post-37222393926465138842010-01-13T12:24:00.112-05:002010-01-14T13:16:36.918-05:00

In Part I of this article, scholar Altug Isigan asks why not all motivational game mechanics are necessarily engaging and why they often feel like they are wasting our time.It happens all too often that we lose our motivation exactly because of the mechanics that were supposed to achieve such motivation. I believe that one of the reasons for this is that game designers have too much faith in

altugihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10968576672685287373noreply@blogger.com2