Burgun, Keith.
Game Design Theory: A New Philosophy for Understanding Games
Game Design Theory: A New Philosophy for Understanding Games
Chapter 1 analysis,
notes:
Key points.
-Difference between Interactive systems, puzzles, contests, & games.
-Also what makes a good game, Ambiguous decisions.
"Game: a physical or mental competition conducted according to rules
with the participants in direct opposition to each other ." or "Game: a system of rules in which agents compete by making ambigu-
ous decisions."
Definitions of Interactive Systems = possibility space defined by explicit rules.
e.g Minecraft or Sims; at no point have you have 'won.' There is no contest so it is not defined as a game by Burgun.
Defintion of Puzzles: Puzzle adds a problem and a goal, but only has one optimal solution. Designed with a solution in mind. E.g Super Mario Brothers is designed as a puzzle. There is a optimal way in which you can achieve the goal.
Definition of a Contest. Adding a element of competition to puzzles (which added the element of solution to interactive systems). E.g Weight lifting or Guitar Hero. There is a solution an number of agents are trying to reach, but only one can do it. Once it is reached the other agents 'lose' When the victory cannot be shared it is a competition, all conditions cannot be met simultaneously.
And finally the definition of a Game. Interactive systems that have the problem quality of puzzles, and the competition quality of contests with the new attribute of ambiguous decisions. The decisions you make in a game are special because even if you win, you cannot say for sure the decisions you made were the correct ones. There are guidelines but mastering a game is learning the special circumstances when the can be broken. Games reward study, but also ingenuity and innovation, allowing for the gamer try the bizarre to achieve their goal is allowable by a deep game.
"Game players are artists too, using inspired creativity and ingenuity to come up with new strategies and gambits that hopefully push the understood limits of that system in a new direction."
A goodgame is when guidelines can be taken into consideration but also thrown out of the window. So there is a interesting element of creativity for the gamers. Formulate tactics, teach us to learn, second guess our thinking, train ourselves as thinkers. The by-product of this training is fun. appeases the hunger for the understanding of the world around u . Feeling of self improvement, learning something new, brain rewards of endorphins.
Meanings aren't in the mechanisms of the game but in the themes.
Meaningful decisions is a decision that has effects inside the system = rippling effete a game, better than false choices. Learning cause and effect.
Mastery is bad for a game. but not too hard they do not understand it.
Games are inheritingly an exploration, or a discovery, of a possibility space.
