Lecture 1?: IntroductionCO42032 Computer Games Software Engineering

Malcolm Rutter

m.rutter@napier.ac.uk

The Video Game

Characteristics of a video game

Majority of games tend to be • Intensely competitive• Demanding of one’s skills - physical or mental• Regulated by specific rules• Clearly structured, with an established beginning and

ending• Played to achieve a clear cut goal - to succeed at winning

or to avoid losing

Carolyn Handler Miller (2004)

Are there others ?

““You’re going to find that You’re going to find that many of the truths we cling many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our to depend greatly on our point of view.”point of view.”

Genre

“Genres are important. They satisfy our basic instinct to classify and define, but they also allow us to better explain the

type of story an audience is paying for.”

Voytilla (1999)

Genre & Sub-Genre

• Applied to all forms of media • Classification, Taxonomy• Concept originated in 1940s

• A genre is what it is collectively believed to be at any point in time

Finding the Box

• Theme & Content• Expectations & Hypothesis

Conventions Narrative image Opening sequence Iconology & iconography

• Public Opinion• Marketing• Reflection

Older games and movies

Video Games (Genre & Sub-Genre)

• Puzzle• Gambling

Casino

• Role Play• Adventure• Action

First Person Shooter

• Sports Racing Fighting games (beat ‘em ups)

• Simulation• Artificial Life• Real Time Strategy• Management• Uncategorised

• Lets have a look at some in detail …….

Role Playing Game (RPG)

• Character creation• Character evolution• Character, class attributes and skills• Inventory management• Melee• Quests• Interactive story• Adventure

• Example: Zelda: Ocarina of Time

Adventure games

• Puzzle- solving challenges• A great deal of thought process• An interactive story that is revealed as challenges are

overcome• Multi-threaded plot• A journey• Central protagonist

• Example: Tomb Raider

Action games

• Action• Quick reflex• Minimal thought process• Simple rules

Pick up and play Minimal learning curve

• Examples: Doom Quake

Real-Time Strategy (RTS)

• Harvesting resources• Building a community• Spawning units• Strategic attacks• Destroying the opponent

• Example: Command and Conquer

Sports games

• Competition• Performance challenges• Quick reflexes

• Examples FIFA 2005 SSX3 GT4 Tony Hawks

Simulation

• Real physics• Real vehicles• Steep learning curve

• Examples: Flight simulator

• Why is Genre important ?

Point of View

• First person• Third person

• 2D platform aerial fixed boundary scrolling parallax

• Isometric• 3D

• Split Screen• Dual Screen

First person

• First Person

Third person • Third Person

2D

3Dforced perspectivemultiple angles

• Platform• (show Donkey Kong video)

aerial

fixed bound

scrolling

QuickTime™ and aSorenson Video 3 decompressorare needed to see this picture.

QuickTime™ and aSorenson Video 3 decompressorare needed to see this picture.

Moving perspective• Nearby objects flash by quickly• Distance objects slowly

parallax

• Isometric

QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

split screen

dual screen

Case Study

• Lara Croft Tomb Raider - The Angel of Darkness

Game Conception• Idea

Spark of inspiration• Story

Plot, back story, challenge, reward• Engine

Brain of the game• Game play

Avatar control, parameters etc• Opponent’s & AI

Increase challenge• Specific Game Elements

Variation, objectives• Plot Elements & interstitials

FMV - intro, cut-scenes etc Adverts

• Graphical User Interface User feedback

• Sound & Music Atmosphere, cues, feedback

Developing the idea (1/2)

• We need an idea for a new game• How about something scary but fun ?• What about Ghostbusters ?• Nice idea - but already been done• Game about a Haunted House ?• Ok - lets incorporate one of our established characters• Donkey Kong ?• No - too big• Mario ?• Already gotta new Mario game in the pipeline• What about Luigi ?• Ok - Lets call it “Luigi’s Mansion”

…. developing the idea

• Lets have one of these ghostbuster backpacks to suck ghosts - no lets make it a vacuum cleaner more fun (1)

• Excellent - the vacuum cleaner could also be used suck up other items to reveal hidden items and switches (2)

• We could also put it into reverse and make it blow - use to move objects such as a beachball or blow out fire (3)

• Fire - Hey, we could also make it a flamethrower - to light candles or melt ice (4)

• Melt ice - water - lets make the vacuum cleaner squirt water - put out fires or even water plants to make the grow (5)

• Totally excellent - Lets make it .

………………..……… the rest is history

• (Show luigi.mov & Luigiman1.mov)

Getting started

• Gameplay Theme What’s the game about ?

• Core Objective What is the overall goal ?

• Core Idea Defines overall gameplay Develop secondary ideas to enrich experience

• Game Objects Primary function Secondary Functions

• Generated by gameplay features• Initiates additional gameplay features

Narrative Structure

• Diegesis the world created by the narrative

• Diachronic Story what happened before (the back story)

• Synchronic Story happens in the “present” (ongoing narrative)

• Consider Grand Theft Auto - San Andreas SSX3 Tomb Raider: Angel of Darkness

Feedback

• Visual• Audio• Action

rumble

• Non Playing Character (NPC)• Accumulative

heath, armour, weapons etc

• Emotional• Fulfillment

• Cause & Effect

The Physical Interface

• Keyboard• Mouse• Joystick

• Game Pad• Eye Toy• Dance Mat• Driving Wheel• Skateboard

• Stylus• Dual Screen

On-line Games

• Internet• Bluetooth• Wi-Fi• Broadband• 3G

• MMORPG• Urban Games

GPS Augmented reality

Useful Sites

• http://www.gamasutra.com/

• http://www.ign.com/

Recommended Reading

• Baillie-de Byl P. (2004), Programming believable characters for computer games. Charles River Media

• Caillois, R. & Barash, (2003) M. Man, Play and Games  University of Illinois Press

• Gee, J.P. (2003) What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy.  Palgrave Macmillan

• King, B. and Borland, J. (2003) Dungeons and dreamers : the rise of computer game culture : from geek to chic. McGraw-Hill/Osborne

• Miller, C.H. (2004) Digital Storytelling Focal Press

• Poole,S. (2004) Trigger Happy: The Inner Life of Videogames  Fourth Estate

Directed Study

• Look at a range of video games and trace the influences back through earlier generations How do the current mobile games compare with retro platforms

such as the SNES or Commodore 64 ?

• Consider the various user interfaces available and how they affect gameplay

• Consider soundtracks and SFX and how they affect immersion and enjoyment