Tuesday 16th October- Game Spaces

A short History of Digital Gamespace

by Dariusz Jacob Boron 

Text Based or Imaginary Gamespace

The world takes place in your imagination, for example 'The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy'. 

Contained 2D Space

Your movement is limited or confined by the screen, for example 'Space Invaders' in which the screen is portrait. 

Wraparound Space 

A literal representation of infinity in which you never reach the end or the edge. 'Pac Man' is a good example of this as if you go to the edge of the border you come out through the corresponding side. 

Spaces that scroll along two axes 

We know and can choose which direction we move in, a game called Gauntlet uses this type of game space. 

Adjacent Spaces one room at a time 

Simple tools are used to make us believe that we're in a room (moving from one to another), like lines to define the outline of a room. 

Scrolling with multiple background layers 

The closest layer of the background moves at the same speed of the character and the further back the layers are the slower they move. 

Limited 3D space: perspective in the scene 

Turns a flat space into a 3D space by using one point perspective. Such as Night Driver in which the actual car remains static and the player controls the position of the markers on the road. 

Isometric 3D space

You look down on a world, like in the game 'Paperboy' 

Window to the outdoors 

Like looking through a window 

Two spaces on one screen 

Otherwise known as a split screen, where there are 2 screens in one 

Video Capture

Mapped Space

Pre rendered panoramas 

Early 3D space

One horizontal plane. The illusion of space above us, this is technique is used in the game 'Doom'. 

Full 3D space

The player is given the ability to move both horizontally and vertically. 

After discussing all of the game spaces which exist we formed groups of up to 4 people, then each group was given a game space and given the task to create an original game using the space to our advantage. We looked at examples of popular games which use the space sufficiently and discussed ideas. These are some of the gameplay videos which we viewed: 

• Terraria 
• Sonic 
• Worms 
• Megaman

Castle Crashers 

Lemmings

                     

Limbo 

Semiotics

Semiotics: The study of signs as a language

It’s a new way of thinking about how images work. The same sign might mean different things in different cultures.

There are three types of semiotics:

•         Icons: which resemble the referent (for example road signs)

•     Indices: which are related to the referent/what it refers too (for example smoke indicating fire)
• 
  
•      Symbols: which are related to the referent only by convention, this includes words (for example the symbol for radioactive material, although we recognise this symbol and know what it means, it doesn’t actually look like radioactive material does therefore to someone whose never seen it before they would be clueless as to what it means without any knowledge of the world)

Left- (http://nuclearpoweryesplease.org/blog/2012/07/17/radioactive-tourism-a-trip-to-the-ytterby-mine/radioactive-symbol-1600-x-1200/)

Right- (http://www.vallartascene.com/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=17087)

The meaning of game images is different for someone who has played games to someone who hasn’t.

Semiotics allows us to think about different levels of meaning and it can tell us how certain cultures are represented. 

•  The men surrounding the main character are all wielding swords implying that they’re violent, but the fact that the character in the middle is stabbing one of them could mean that they’re defending themselves

•  In most cultures swords would be banned or illegal however in this image it seems to be acceptable

•  The man in white is killing one of the ‘soldiers’ so he is a murderer, however this doesn’t necessarily mean that he is the villain in the situation as he’s surrounded and outnumbered

•  The small box shape kiosk with the green curtain in the background suggests that he’s in a poorly developed country or economy

•  Crime is an issue within this culture as this is taking place during daylight hours

•  The man in white is clothed in a hooded outfit so he wants his identity to remain hidden, as he’s killing in the image this is most likely because he wants to remain low profile to avoid being caught

•   The fact that the hooded cloak/coat which he’s wearing is white could signify that he’s good and pure as we usually associate white with heaven; in contrast to this the other characters are wearing dark green coats which could signify that they’re evil. However it could also be indication as to what their religion is as green is considered to be the traditional colour of Islam.  

• The ‘soldiers’ all wear head scarfs implying that it’s either a part of their religion/culture or they are required to wear them to signify that they’re a part of that faction

•  Both the very blocked shaped buildings and the dress of the characters implies that this is an Islamic or Asian country/culture

•  The buttons in the top right hand corner with the words placed by 3 of them suggest that this is how the character is controlled and each word signifies what action the character performs when the player interacts with the button. 

Tuesday 2nd October: The Game Design Reader A Rules of Play Anthology

We read through a section of an anthology called 'Nature and Significance of Play as a Cultural Phenomenon' by Johan Huizinga and after reading it had to write up a brief summary of what the book is about/ what its trying to portray. 

Johan Huizinga is trying to say that: 

• Play is more than just mechanics 
• Play is hard to define as there are so many aspects to it 
• If we were to quantify play against other aspects in society they would never measure up to it 
• Play is chaotic as opposed to ordered
• Play is a universal concept 
• Play is a learning tool
• Its not something we do by nature but not something we feel that we have to do 
• Humans haven't really influenced play 
• Its not just mental or physical 
• It's not a material object (more like something we feel, like love)

(http://www.popmatters.com/pm/post/127853-johan-huizingas-homo-ludens/)

I decided to do my own research on the theory of play and the serious by looking at an article written by Hector Rodriguez on the subject. The article puts across Huizinga & Caillois and Salen & Zimmerman's argument by looking into several aspects which they explored. These are Player experience, Methodology, Play and human nature, Play and culture, Serious games, Community Formation and the Magic Circle, Play and life, Performance and Exploratory Learning and their conclusions. As the article is very drawn out i have picked out a piece of text from each subsection which i found to be particularly interesting and discussed it by expressing my own views on the matter. 

(reference: http://gamestudies.org/0601/articles/rodriges)

Player experience

'The consciousness of risk, for instance, presupposes that the player cannot confidently anticipate the result of an action; this unpredictability largely determines the intensity of many games, particularly those involving chance and competition. To experience this sort of tension is to become invested in an outcome that has not yet been settled. It is always possible to ask: How will the game come out? The intensity of our investment in many games essentially depends on our consciousness that their outcome is not fixed in advance.'

(http://mattbrett.com/blog/videogames/2010/heavy-rain-is-just-barely-a-video-game/)

I think that the point which is raised here is particularly true of decision making games such as Heavy Rain, in that the player has to make a decision in order to progress in the game. Every decision which the player makes drives the storyline forward and the outcome of the decisions which they make are very ambiguous. For example if you kill off a character then they will not return, this impacts the storyline as like in real-life, the characters stories are intertwined. Each character has their own ending and these vary depending on the choices the player makes when they play as that character. One of the possible endings which the player can experience is the killer walking completely free without getting caught, they might not necessarily have attempted to get this ending.  

Players enjoy twists within games, it shocks them and makes them feel more involved in the storyline as the game designer has outsmarted them in a sense. If the player was able to guess the ending of a game at the very start they would start to wonder what the point of playing the game is as they already know what's going to happen. 

Play and Human Nature

(http://playfulplace.wordpress.com/2012/05/28/167/)

'Most modern nation-states, for instance, make sports training an integral part of the compulsory school curriculum. Psychologists utilize games to enhance social adaptation and regulate human conduct. Play thus becomes a tool to engineer docile citizens in the service of hierarchical institutions. Corporations sometimes introduce play techniques to enhance the motivation and productivity of their workers. Treated as a mechanism of social engineering, play is subordinated to such functional goals as the cohesiveness of the state, the socialization of the child, or the success of a commercial firm. Playing becomes a tool and an obligation.'

'According to Huizinga's critique of functionalism, people do not typically play because they have rationally inferred that playing is good for them. Those who emphasize the function of play often assume that playing is motivated by a rational assessment of its potential benefits. But play does not characteristically rest on utilitarian calculations. Players are typically motivated by the quality of experience that playing affords, not by the expectation of some future utility.'

I agree with Rodriguez's point in that play is not about improving functionality but the journey which players are taken on when playing. For example, in regards to video games, players don't necessarily play a game because they want to be able to improve in a skill which can be applied to other activities/jobs in every day life but so that they can become involved in a story which takes them on an emotional roller coaster, challenges their ideas/perceptions of the world, their beliefs and allows them to problem solve. 

Serious Games

'The second approach, in contrast, sets out from the conviction that many manifestations of serious culture intrinsically possess playful aspects. The connection between learning and playing is no longer contingent but essential. This is the core argument I am advancing in this essay: Playing can be part of the learning process because the subject to be learnt is, at least in some respects, essentially playful. The use of serious games in the learning process therefore illuminates the fundamental nature of the subject being taught.'

In other words using play as a tool to teach attempts to make what could be considered to be a mundane subject more entertaining/exciting. I think that using play as a tool for learning is more effective as we've grown up developing the idea that play is fun and something which we want to do, therefore we're more motivated to engage in play, making it efficient for learning. 

Tuesday 2nd October- Analysing Games

As a homework task we were told to find a screenshot of a game which included at least one figure and some recognisable scenery (not just open space). We were then told to analyse the screenshot. 

Analysing Games

The image above is the screenshot which i am analysing 

Its from the game Enslaved Odyssey to The West

Recording the details

Designer/Team: Ninja Theory

Publisher: Namco Bandai

Title of work: Enslaved: Odyssey to the west

Date it was made/published: 2010

Genre: action-adventure

Target audience: 13+

Formal Elements

Composition

Focal point: The main focus of the image is on the main character, Monkey. As he’s in the foreground and different colours have been used for Monkey contrasting him with the background.

Geometrical shapes: There aren't very many clear shapes in the screenshot. It includes an arc which forms the foundation for a part of the bridge in the background. Rectangles are used to form the skyscrapers which reside in the very background.

Symmetry/Asymmetry: The screenshot isn’t symmetrical or asymmetrical, the character is placed slightly to the left of the centre of the image and the background features are different on each half of the picture. (E.g. there are buildings on the right hand side, forming a city and further forward to the left there is a bridge.

Methods used to lead the eye around the work/scene/gamescape: Very bold and bright colours have been used to lead the eye to the main character that is standing on a lit up blue coloured disk. The water also draws attention as it’s creating a trail behind the character which is relatively high.

Space/Depth

Effects created (to create a sense of naturalism, to give an illusion of great distance, to limit picture space): There is a lot of space around the character to create a sense of distance and naturalism as the main character is in the foreground therefore the large space which has been used for sky places the character closer to the audience.

Colour

Main colours used: The main colours which have been used are blue, white and green.

Cool and warm colours: Mainly cool colours have been used, with the main block of colour used for the sky. It creates a very fresh and open atmosphere.

Effects colour creates: The light blue colour creates a very uplifting feeling as it brightens up the image, the use of lilac, light blue, white and green creates a very effective water texture.

Light

Chiaroscuro (contrasts of light and shadow) or even lighting: A contrast of black, white, blue and purple creates a realistic water texture.  

Atmospheric light (what mood is created): The bright lighting used for the sky creates a feeling of awe and contentment. There is very little dark lighting used in the image.

Style

Realism/Expressive/Minimal: The screenshot is realistic as the graphics are highly polished and the most of the physics in the picture are possible, for example although the bridge is damaged there is enough of a foundation to hold it up. However, one physic which has been broken is the fact that the main character is on a floating disk, but the game is set in the future so therefore this could still be possible.

Influences and Context

Other designers/periods/genres/mediums/historical influences: The story which the game follows is based on a novel called Journey to The West by Wu Cheng'en; in China it is renowned for being one of the four great classical novels. Two characters, Monkey and Tripitaka, which coincidentally are the same names as the game characters have to travel across a landscape, the novel was written in the 16^th Century and therefore it is an important part of Chinese culture. The fictional novel has influenced Chinese religious beliefs, as it tells the story of a Buddhist monk called Xuanzang whom goes on a pilgrimage to India in search of sacred texts. The game follows a similar plot in that the main characters are both on a journey in search for answers. Monkeys' character design is also based on the Monkey king from the novel as he shares similar features. 

(Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enslaved:_Odyssey_to_the_West

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Journey_to_the_West)

Subject, Theme and Meanings

Describe the subject (what is obvious in/about the game?): What is obvious about the picture is that the main character is trying to escape from something as he’s coming towards the audience and away from the city scape behind him.

Characters (how are they represented?): There’s only one character shown in the image, whereas in the game itself there are actually 2 main characters. The character in the image is portrayed as having a physical strength; this is shown by his muscular physique. He also appears to be the type of character whom travels a lot and keeps on the move as he is standing on a disk which allows him to travel on water. The main character also radiates a sense of loneliness and isolation as he’s the only one in the image and there are no other signs of life. His expression seems to depict a sense of anger and determination, he has a purpose and objective so he’s going to fight for it.

Setting: The fact that there is water surrounding the main character and very little land implies that some sort of event has caused the world around him to fall apart. This is also shown by the bridge which has growth on it and the sheets of metal which have been put together to try and keep the bridge together.

Mise en scene (character, costume, make-up and hair): The character is the screenshot is dressed in some tight brown trousers, red coloured gloves, golden boots, wears a metal headband and no shirt. His costume suggests that he doesn’t come from the environment which he now inhabits in the image as his outfit looks like it’s been improvised. His trousers suggest that he’s athletic as the skin tight material provides the ability for a larger range of motion and the brown colour implies that his main environment is in a forest or woodland area as this is where they would blend in to provide camouflage. The boots and gloves appear to be made out of some sort of metal which is a very tough material used for protection and definitely not something which would be used for comfort, so he’s more than likely a soldier, warrior or someone equivalent to this type of persona. His hair is white and all spiked up to a single point which makes him look imposing.

Describe the content (what is it ‘about’?): The fact that he’s moving away from a scene of abandoned structures and ruins gives the impression that he’s making a bid for freedom and possibly attempting to suppress certain memories of a previous way of life.  The post-apocalyptic landscape in the background gives the impression his future survival is going to be extremely challenging and his journey ahead, perilous.

Explain any ideas that the work is expressing (historical, political, social, and cultural): The image appears to express that whatever political system they had in place no longer exists, due to the city ruins (bridge) and the freedom which the main character has. It gives the impression that an almost state of anarchy prevails throughout the image.

Personal Responses

What feelings does it provide? : The picture makes me feel free and provides me with a sensation of happiness and contentment as there’s a lot of open space surrounding the central character. It also delivers a feeling of sympathy for the character as he’s the only one in the image and therefore must be lonely, but also the ruined landscape suggests that his way of life has now completely changed and he can’t turn back because there’s nothing to turn back too. 

Mindmap For My Context

As i was unable to put it directly onto the blog I've linked it instead, it still needs work done to it. 

Click Here to see my Mindmap for My Context

Tuesday 25th September

First we were shown a slideshow of the type of contexts that we're going to be exploring throughout the course, these are 

• Historical 
• Social 
• Cultural 
• Geographical 
• Political 

Then we watched a film called 'Indie Movie' which showed the struggles and stress which independent game designers go through to become successful. 

We saw the creation of the games and how much work and dedication goes into them. The games included were 'Fez' and 'Super Meatboy'.

Fez was created by one man and took 3 years to finish, it was originally created by two men but one of them left the partnership leaving  Phil Fish to complete the game by himself.  

  

Super Meat boy was 

desgined by Edmund 

McMillen and Tommy

Refenes.