Interaction Model

Interaction model.

Interaction model is that part of the game where the creator should consider when making the game. There is two different types if interaction model avatar interaction model and omnipresence interaction model.

Avatar interaction model is when the gamer is represented by an avatar within the game and usually the players controls the avatar. An example of games were it has avatar interaction model is Grand theft auto and Max Payne. People usually like this types of game because you only control one character which means that they can develop attachments to the character and so enjoy the game more.

Omnipresence interaction Model is when the player needs to control more than one thing at one time, or when you have to make changes to the game world. An example of a game that used an omnipresence interaction model is SIMS and people usually like these games because it lets them be creative and lets them control everything. Another reason why people like this game is that they control everything so they have all the power to make things happen which can make things very interesting as some consequences could be bad or good.

Single versus multilayer

Single player.

Single player is the mode of the game were you can play by yourself and it usually consists of a story line, for example in Call of Duty single player is used so you can play by yourself to complete a story line. It is popular because they usually have very interesting story lines which gets players attached and hooked to the single player games, also if the player is attached they can develop emotions to when certain things happen in the game for example in the Last of Us in the last mission where Joel saved Ellie life by lying made a lot of people feel emotional. This way of playing games are usually good because you don’t rely on other people pulling up their weight to complete missions and the game so it is all up to your own skill. The negative aspect to this type of games is that it wouldn’t have a competitive side to it, therefor it is to hard set goals for the game for example to complete Call of Duty faster than another person.

Multiplayer games.

The term multi-player games means that you are able to play with other people from friends to people around the world. There is 3 different types of multi-player games the first type is CO-OP, then versus and then MMO’s (massive multiplayer online)

Co-Op

Co-Op games are games where you are able to complete a story mode game with other people, for example in Resident Evil 6 you can play through the story mode with other or your friends. It is popular due to you being able to experience the story mode with your friends which can make it a better experience. This is a good way of playing because if you’re struggling in a certain part then you will have someone else helping you to complete the game which will let the game run smoothly without people being stuck in certain missions. A negative aspect to this way of playing a game is that someone might not be as good as you and so might be dragging you down and making the game much more difficult for you to complete.

 Versus

This is when you are playing against someone online, for example mortal kombat is a versus game were you will pick a character and will fight someone online (essentially a 1v1). They are popular because you will verse someone online and the winner is usually the person who is better skilled will win so therefore when you win in them types of games you will be very satisfied with yourself. 

MMO

MMO are games that is only playable online, they are usually known as RPG. They are usually monthly or yearly fees that you have to pay to be able to play online with other people or the game. Very famous MMO’s is World at Warcraft, rift and never winter and in these games they allow to play in a big group of friends as well as more people online. Another reason why MMO’s are popular is because there is so many things to do. For example there are usually high amounts of customisation, a lot of missions to do and this usually causes you to enjoy the game more.

Player action

                                                                Player action.

There is two different types of player action, the first one is main actions and the second one how the player controls the action. The main action is the basic movements that your character can do for example walking, running and jumping. The second action is the way you control the character for example a controller or a keyboard and mouse. In Forza Horizon the movements that you could do is drive, turn and brake, this differs from a game such as Call of duty because in Call of Duty you are able to run, walk, jump, shoot and crouch.

A controller is hand held device which allows you to control what is happening in the game, they are usually used to help the user control what is happening on the game.

Some other consoles such as a Nintendo Wii uses a remote like controller to control the console. It is shaped and designed as a remote control. It is a wireless controller which is lets you control the game like your hands is a controller because of the Wii remote being a wireless remote that acts like a cursor on a computer. An example is WII sports and in this game you play through many different sports using the remote (using the remote like it is the equipment that they are using in the game, for example if you are playing baseball you will treat the WII remote as a baseball bat.

 A full motion controller are controllers that is controlled by your motion for example Xbox Kinect is controlled by the movement of your body, it is usually used in sports games so it makes you feel involved in the game as you will be mimicking the movements of the game.

mechanics

The three different areas of mechanics in games are inventory scoring and you’re in conditions

Inventory:

Inventory is a mechanic in a game were you are able to see what weapons and items you have whilst playing through the game, it also gives you information about your character which you can use to see what you are able to do for example to see if your strong enough to fight bosses and also can show you how useful you can be for other players for example in world at Warcraft when you’re playing a healer then you need to know if you have the right items to be able to support your team. Also in Counter strike global offence they show you how much money you have and then you can see if you are able to buy a weapon and to see if you can be useful in that round.

Scoring:

Scoring is used in games to show how well the player is doing and usually most important in competitive games for example FIFA 15 show your scores to show you who’s winning and how well your doing. They are usually used in many different games but mostly aims to show the player how they are doing compared to other people and in general. For example in angry birds they will show you your score to show you how well your doing compared to your previous results, you can also compare it to other people around the world by looking at world rankings and seeing how your score compares to theirs.

Win conditions:

Win conditions are used in games to show the player/players of who the clear winner is. It is important to have it in games so the players know who won the game. Win conditions are used in Call of Duty by showing you who won the game, so for a game mode like demolition in Call Of Duty you will win the game by planting the bombs and letting it explode however in single player your win conditions can fall under smaller steps but will still have an overall big goal to achieve to win the game.

goals challenges and rewards

Goals:

The goals in video games vary, for example the main goal for all video games is to complete the game but you can also set mini goals to try achieve different things, for example one mini goal you might set is to get an achievement, another achievement is to defeat a boss. They are used in video games to make the game more interesting as the player can set goals for himself to try achieve things to help make the experience of the game better, for example the player can set a goal to defeat hard boss and if he achieves this goal then he will feel satisfied with himself and enjoy the game more. For example in borderlands 2 a goal could be to defeat a boss called pyro peat as he is very difficult to beat many people set a goal to kill him also their goal could try to get a good weapon that he drops to help them create a strong character.

Challenges:

In games there is 3 different challenges short team, medium term and long term challenges. In Short term challenges are little challenges that don’t take too long which are little tasks that you want to complete for example in league of legends there is a dragon which gives your character extra combat stats for example attack damage. Short term challenges are in games to make the player complete small tasks which could help the player get some rewards and this would make the player experience the most out of the game. Medium term challenges are tasks which takes quite a long time which usually consist of you putting some effort to reach it, for example in Call Of Duty modern warfare 2 a medium term challenge can be to go for a tactical nuke as it is takes quite a bit of time to get and isn’t easy to get. You would want to have a medium term challenge in a game so you can let the player can complete them achieving good weaponry and to help them enjoy the game more as they would get some self-satisfaction. Long term challenges are tasks that would take long time to complete but usually you would get a big reward that you would get when you have completed it. In The Last of Us a long term challenge is to complete the whole game. There would be long term challenges in the game so people are enjoying the game as they want to complete the challenge also the player would play the game more because the player would want to complete the challenge.

Rewards:

Rewards in video games are prizes that you get for completing different tasks and missions, rewards can vary from getting experience points, weapons and different outfits. There can be different rewards short term rewards, long term rewards and medium term rewards. Short term rewards can be small things such as a bonus for a few seconds for your character for example in Mario you can become massive or invulnerable for a few seconds. Long term rewards are rewards that usually come from long term challenges and they usually consists of a lot of experience points, very good weapons or/ and a lot of money. For example in Borderlands 2 when you complete the game you get a lot of money and experience points. Rewards are used in game so the players have an incentive to play the game also to keep the players playing the game because they would want the rewards. You usually get rewards when you complete missions and objectives. If games had no rewards then games would be boring as players would feel that there is no reason for them to play the game as they get nothing out of it.

balance and difficulty in games

Balanced means when a game is not too difficult so it feel impossible to complete or not to easy where it feels like you were not challenged. It is important for the game to have an easy beginning to get the player used to the game and to learn how to play the game and as the game goes on the game gets harder to challenge you and so it feels rewarding when you complete the mission. The game allows you to choose the difficulty to find the best difficulty for you to enjoy the game the most. The game allows you to choose the difficulty to find the best difficulty for you to enjoy the game the most. Games uses difficulty settings because some people might be better than other people at that game therefore need fight harder enemies to find it challenging, so for example if someone has played call of duty for around 10 years they will put it at a higher difficulty then someone who has never played call of duty. Someone might increase the difficulty level as they play more of the game because they want to find the game more challenging and so they can feel satisfied when they complete a mission.

Narratives

                                                       Narratives, FMV and cut scenes.

Narrative:

Narrative is the story line in a game. Video game designers will use narrative to get the audience intrigued in the game, they also will use narratives to make the story and game seem more interesting. An advantage of narratives is that it would make the game more interesting and sets you an aim to complete the story for when people are playing the game. Another advantage of using narratives is that you can get attached to the game as the gamer would feel immersed and fell like they are part of the game which would lead to a more exciting game. However a negative of using narratives is that it can make the gamer bored if the story line isn't interesting. In addition another negative is that the game needs to make good main characters also the NPC’s (enemies) to compliment the narrative.

FMV:

FMV stands for full motion video and is a short movie that is set a certain point of the game (usually the beginning and the FMV is usually used to set the scene for the gamer or to give some insight information to the gamer. A game designer will use FMV to set you good first impression to the game also to give you insightful information to the game. For example in Call of Duty: Advance warfare at the beginning there is a full motion video to let you know why you’re going to war and what the aim is. A downside to full motion video is that you might not be able to skip it so the player might find it frustrating and boring.

Cut Scene:

·         A cut scene is when the game transacts from game play to a video and these videos are ways to give information to the gamer about the game and what is happening. Cut scenes are triggered when you start a mission or a big point in the game and is used to create a scene fitting for that moment. For example in Assassins creed there is a cut scene before nearly every mission also at the last mission. Cut scenes are preferred over FMV in the modern day due to FMV are usually long and can be boring and delays you’re playing time however in Cut scenes it can usually be skipped and isn't long and usually interesting.