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.

Game worlds.

Game worlds

A game world is a place/ location of where the game is played, and this will contain your character/ characters, objects and any other thing that will be in the game. For example in Assassins Creed Unity the game is set in France, in FIFA 15 the game is set in a football pitch, in Borderlands 2 it is set in a planet called Pandora and in Forza horizon is set in a race track.

Different games use different game worlds because they need to make sure they need to make an appropriate game worlds for that specific game otherwise it would lead the confusion or a lack of entertainment to the audience, for example if a game like FIFA 15 set in the French revolution time it wouldn't make sense and leave the audience confused. The game worlds have changed over time by its quality, the graphics of the game have improved drastically which could improve people’s gaming experience.

Terrain

Terrain is the surface that you are able to play on, for example the terrain on Fifa is the grass pitch, the terrain in Forza in concrete roads however you are able to change it to of road (sand and gravel) and in GTA 5 the terrain changes from sand in the beaches and grass in gardens and concrete in roads. Games sometimes do not only have one terrain because it would make the game more diverse and more interesting, also they will need to change the terrain to fit different situations for example in GTA when you want to swim there would need to be water to be able to swim also if you want to go to the beach you would want there to be sand no concrete.

They also need to make sure that the don't over do it and make it appropriate for the game your playing for example in fifa your playing football in a pitch and there is no need to play somewhere else also if they try to make other terrains it could spoil the game. However some games do not like to keep the same terrain such as GTA and borderlands however some games like to keep it the same like FIFA and F1 games.

Architecture 

Architecture is the buildings, the structures and statues that make up the game, for example in GTA they have tall sky scrapers and big monuments which give the game a good look. Video games would usually use architecture to make the game look good also they can use monuments to emphasis what the type of environment that they want for example in Assassins creed they would put old school buildings to emphasis that the game is set in olden times, also it wouldn't make sense if they put modern sky scrapers in Assassins creed.

The point of putting high quality architecture is to make the game look appealing and also because the architecture plays a big role in games as they can give a player a first impression which can affect their gaming experience so if someone sees bad quality buildings and very low quality monuments then they might not enjoy the game as much because some people would want to feel like they are in the game so if there is bad quality buildings then the player would not feel that they are in the game and cant feel attached to the game, however if there is good quality buildings and monuments then the player would feel that they are in the game and experiencing the game like he was in the character. The quality of the buildings and monuments have changed in quality by a lot to seem more and more realistic.

Objects.

objects are the are small objects that are in the game which wouldn't necessarily play a big role in the game but could affect how you see the game, for example chairs, tables, TV's and computers wouldn't affect the game but creates a more realistic environment for you to play. Video games would use objects to make the game environment look more realistic which could lead the player to feel like he/ she is in the game actually experiencing the same things as they character, for example in Grand theft auto the would put chairs, TV's and tables are very basic things which make the game seem more realistic.

Through out games evolving and getting better it is important for the objects to better quality as well, because they would give an impression to the audience on how good quality the game actually is, for example in  battlefield they put a lot of emphasis on the objects as well as the main things such as the guns and characters and this is why the Battlefield is know to be a very high quality game. Also if the game has good quality games then it would be more lifelike which people likes in a game.

Video game characters

Characters are people or objects in the game which you can control, there is also characters that have an effect on the game but you are not able to control.

Main characters are the characters that are key and play a big role in the story that the game is trying to portray, for example in borderlands 2 there is more than one main character, there is your character, a character called Lilith which helps you complete some missions also sets you missions to complete and prepare you for the last mission and the other main character is a person called Roland which also helps you complete some missions and sets you some missions to help you level up and get the right equipment to be able to complete the last mission.

It is important for creators to have a strong main character because the audience will be able to relate to them and develop an attachment to them and therefore the audience will develop different emotions depending on what happens to the character. For example in The Last Of Us Joel and Ellie are the main characters and when you play the game you feel that you have experienced the whole situation with them and when Joel lied to Ellie that she had the cure inside of her he lied to her to protect her and didn’t let her die for the cure.

Some games have more than one main character to help you understand the story better also to make the game more diverse. For example in Grand theft auto there are 3 main characters which have different perspectives to the story which helps you understand all of their perspectives also makes the game more interesting and at the end you have developed an attachment with the characters you have a choice to either kill one of them or to save all and depending on how you felt towards the characters you make a decision.

Npc’s (non-playable characters) are characters that are in the game that you are not able to control or play as, there are different types of NPC’s there are friendly NPC’s and enemy NPC’s and NPC’s that are there for visual affect for example in FIFA 15 there is enemy NPC’s which is the opponent team, friendly NPC’s are your team and in GTA the people in public are NPC’s that are there for visual effects. There is different NPC’s to make you have different relationships towards different people for example the creators would rather you become more attached to a NPC’s that helps you throughout the whole story, then ones that only set you missions.

It is important to have strong NPC’s because it will be important to develop attachments to them and you will most probably help them if they are under bad situations for example in borderlands one of the main NPC’s Lilith gets kidnaped and you have to retrieve her and so because she helps you then you are determined to help her and you will play more the game more till you save her, having strong characters make you more determined ton play more.

Feedback interface.
Feedback interface shows you how you are doing in the game, for example in Fifa the feedback interface shows you how you are doing by showing you your score, possession, the name of the players and the time. This interface gives you information and this could affect your gaming experience.

Video game perspective

_{Introduction.}

Perspective is the way you see the game, for example there would be first person, third person, Arial and 2d scrolling. The different types of perspective affects your experience in a game.

First person.

First person perspective is when you see the game/ world in the same perspective as the character, this would mean that you could experience the same emotions or feelings that the character would as you feel that you are that character and experience the world in the same the character would. First person is mostly used in first person shooters and plane/ car simulators, an example is Call of Duty: Advance Warfare you are first person and experiencing the game as if you were there and also felt kind of depressed when one of your team mate died (who is a key character in the game), another example is Counter strike Global Offence and battlefield.

 An advantage of first person is that you get immersed to the game and feel like you’re part of the game, for example battlefield 4 is first person and you are immersed in the game and feel that you are the actual character. Another advantage is that the graphics of the games are usually amazing for example battlefield 4 and last of all the other advantage is that you get more accurate shooting which leads to a better experience in the game.

Disadvantages to first person games is that you are limited to what you can see at one time and therefore miss some detail that can change your experience. Another negative of first person is that people could get motion sickness as it is a first person view. In addition the lack of cover can affect your first person experience as when your behind cover you are not able to see what is happening around you.

3rd person.

Another video game perspective is 3rd person and this perspective is based on the camera looking behind the character.
An advantage to 3rd person is that you are able to to see more of your environment which would mean you you will have more information to play with and increase your gaming experience. Another positive of 3rd is that it gives the creator of the game freedom to let them make more imaginative and creative ideas.

A negative thing about 3rd person games is that they are usually not realistic and so people might not feel involved the game, it also means that people cant relate to the game and therefore do not develop attachments to the characters. Another negative to 3rd person is that it usually has bad graphics and therefore people might not enjoy there experience, having good graphics can affect how peoples experience are whilst playing the game.

Arial games.

In addition the other game perspective is Arial and this type of games is is set on birds eye view perspective. An advantage of Arial games is that you are able to see around you and therefore gain more information of your environment which could help with your gaming experience. Another positive is that it requires skill to play and so when you do something good you feel very satisfied when you do something good. for example in League of legends it is know to be a highly strategical game and so when you win or get an objective you feel satisfied.

A negative concept about Arial games is that you have to control many things at once for example your character/ characters, camera, your abilities and items and this can be very confusing to new people. Another bad concept about Arial games is that you wont see the game in the character's perspective which mean that you cant get attached to the character and would not get immersed into the game,

2D scrolling.

2D scrolling games are type of games were you see the game from a side way type of view. some positives of 2D scrolling games are that you are able to see where you are about to go which can prepare you for what is coming up as you can see everything that is going on. Another positive is that these types of games isn't hard to play and anyone can play it as you usually only have to go straight and jump.

A negative to these types of perspectives is that if you miss something the the game usually don't let you turn back which could mean that you wont experience the game fully. Another negative is that the graphics isn't usually the best and therefore people can immures themselves in the game.

Video Game Genres

Introduction, here I will be talking about different genres of games such as sports, adventure, action, simulation, strategy. Puzzle, role play, management, educational, viral marketing.

In sports games they try to mimic the real life sport. For example in FIFA there is a mode called ultimate team where you can buy any player you won’t to create your team and when you have created your team you are able to versus people from around the world and after each game you get money and with the money you are able to buy new and better players.

The other genre adventure is a game where you able to explore different places and worlds and try to turn that place to a civilised place such as walking dead and The Last Of Us. For example The Last of Us you have to travel around the world to try find a cure and attempt to eradicate the zombies.

Another genre is strategy and these games aim are to gather your team/ helpers to try and take over other people’s base. There are many different example such as league of legends, StarCraft 2 and Dota 2, an example is League of Legends and the aim of this game is to push through the lanes whilst pushing through the lanes you have to take out the towers which protect the base and so to kill the ultimate goal the enemy nexus.

Action is a genre in games which is mostly based in combat focused games such as call of duty, battlefield and street fighter. For example in Call of Duty your aim is to defeat and kill the enemy who has taken over the certain place and your job is to protect that location by defeating the enemies bosses men and eventually kill the boss.

The other genre that I will discuss is simulation and in these games they try to allow you to experience game as if you were there, they also try to let you experience real life activities without doing them. For example Plane simulator allows you to experience what it is like to pilot a plane without doing it, they usually have the equipment to help them for example the chair and the control panel.

role playing games allow you to create and develop a character, role playing games usually consist of creating a character then levelling him/her up to become a powerful character that can beat nearly everyone/everything. The audience can usually get attached to the character as you have raised the character up and created it so it could lead you to form some sort attachment, also you can feel a sense of achievement if you have defeated a boss as you have made your character strong enough, they also usually consist of finding good weapons so you can be powerful. An example of a role playing game is Borderlands 2 and in this game you are suppose to create a character and try to complete missions and level your character high enough and have good enough     weapons to be able to verse the boss.

additionally management is a genre of games and in it usually wants you to control someone or a group of people to help get through tasks. for example in football manager you are expected to manage a team by choosing what players to play, tactics that the players should follow and substitutes to help you win the game.

In educational games they try to educate or try to help your knowledge, some of the games try to help you practise the specific subject to help you understand it. For example in brain training they give you maths questions that you have to answer in a short period of time and the game try to eventually improve your maths skills, after you answer the question the games the game will tell you what they say what age your brain is by comparing your score to the average.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Puzzle games is show you a problem and is your job to try and find out how to solve the problem. These types of games are set to help you to spot problems and find ways to solve it. An example is 

sudoku is a game where you have to spot out what numbers you can put in the boxes but have to make sure that you do not repeat a number in the same row,box or column, the aim of this game is to plot the right numbers that all the column, boxes and rows have the number 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9 however no numbers can repeat in the same box, row and columns.  

 

Last of all the last genre of games is viral marketing and these games are the games that go viral for example flappy birds, this game went around the world and went viral quickly due to people passing out the message that this game is good and so more and more people pass on the message. these types of games usually are addicting and you usually want to beat your best score all the time.