Introduction to Game Design

Understanding Video Games

Definition:

A video game is an electronic game which may or may not be based on a

story that involves interaction with a user interface to generate visual
feedback on a video device such as a TV screen, computer monitor or
mobile screens. The word ‘video’ in video game traditionally referred to a
raster display device, but as of the 2000s, it implies any type of display
device that can produce two- or three-dimensional images.

Video game is a form of art.

Introduction to Video Games
 History of Video Games

First Real Video Game: Spacewar! (1962)

First Commercial Video Game: Computer Space (1971)

First Home Game System: The Magnavox Odyssey (1972)

First Hit Game: PONG (1972)

 History of Video Games
First Real Video Game: Spacewar! (1962)

Spacewar! is a space combat video game developed in 1962 by Steve Russell, in

collaboration with Martin Graetz and Wayne Wiitanen, and programmed by Russell
with assistance from others including Bob Saunders and Steve Piner.
 History of Video Games
First Commercial Video Game: Computer Space (1971)

Computer Space is a space combat arcade game developed in 1971 as one of the last
games created in the early history of video games.
 History of Video Games
First Home Game System: The Magnavox Odyssey (1972)

The Magnavox Odyssey is the first commercial home video game console. It was
developed by a small team led by Ralph H. Baer at Sanders Associates and released by
Magnavox in the United States in September 1972 and overseas the following year. The
Odyssey consists of a white, black, and brown box which connects to a television set
and two rectangular controllers attached by wires.
 History of Video Games
First Hit Game: PONG (1972)

Pong is one of the earliest arcade video games and the first sports arcade video game. It
is a table tennis sports game featuring simple two-dimensional graphics. While other
arcade video games such as Computer Space came before it, Pong was one of the first
video games to reach mainstream popularity. The game was originally manufactured by
Atari, which released it in 1972. Allan Alcorn created Pong as a training exercise
assigned to him by Atari co-founder Nolan Bushnell.
 Games as Digital Media

Definition of Play:

Play can be defined as an activity engaged in for enjoyment and recreation.

 Games as Digital Media

Depending on the interest of gamers, a lot of real life games have been converted into
digital media.

Athletics: Summer Sports 2 (Archery) ICC Pro Cricket 2015

Games as Digital Media

FIFA 2018 The Hunter: Call of the Wild

Need for Speed: No Limits

 Games as Digital Media
Advantages:

1. People with disabilities can experience the joy and thrill of playing the virtual
version of the physical game.

2. One can play with another player who might be located far away.

3. No danger of getting hurt in rough games like Football, Rugby, Ice Hockey, etc.

4. Can experience the thrill of driving fast cars in games like Need for Speed,
without endangering oneself or others in real life.

5. Shooting and Hunting games can be experienced without having to kill animals
in real life.

6. Anybody irrespective of age can experience the joy of playing games digitally.
 Games as Digital Media
Disadvantages:

1. Might make people lazy and minimize physical exercise.

2. Might influence children in a negative way if the game contains content with
crude language, usage of drugs and other narcotics, violence, bullying, abuse

3. Might pose a threat to others and oneself if some game elements are attempted
in the real life.

4. Might psychologically affect people if the game contains too much violence and
gore.

5. Might affect studies of students if they get addicted to games.

 Brainstorming Game Ideas
Some of the methods of brainstorming for game ideas are:

1. There are only ideas and none of them are bad ideas. Note down any
ideas no matter how crazy.
2. Hold group discussions.
3. Be unselfconscious.
4. Get the timing right.
5. Look outside for inspiration.
6. Give full disclosure.
7. Question the brief.
8. Be honest.
9. Play word games to generate ideas.
10. Take a break and let things sink in.
11. Play a lot of different games.
12. Create prototypes.
 Narratology and Ludology

Video games are a new medium, and like all new media they are
struggling to be defined. Games are a special example in that they (with
the advancement of technology) are able to incorporate elements from
other mediums such as film and combine them with interaction. Based
on this, Game Studies are divided into two classes of thoughts.

Narratology Ludology
 Narratology

Narratology:

Narratology is the study of narrative and narrative structure and the

ways that these affect our perception.

The narratological view is that games should be understood as novel

forms of narrative and can thus be studied using theories of narrative.

* The study of games as novels or literature is called Narratology.

 Ludology

Ludology:

The ludological position is that games should be understood on their

own terms. Ludologists have proposed that the study of games should
concern the analysis of the abstract and formal systems they describe. In
other words, the focus of game studies should be on the rules of a game,
not on the representational elements which are only incidental.

* The study of games as Interactive Play is called Ludology.

Classification of Video Games

There are many classifications of video games. These classifications are

also known as genres. Video games can be classified into several distinct
genres. Video games are most often classified into groups that represent
what kind of system they are played on, like games that are made for
computer systems or games that are made for consoles.

These genre include action, shooter, action-adventure, adventure, role-

playing, simulation, strategy, puzzles, cards, and race. Video games can
be put into many different categories based on the way they are played.

In a nutshell, video games are a classified into:

* Game Types
* Game Genre

Source: https://sites.psu.edu/shariffspassionblog/2014/09/26/classification-of-video-games/
 Game Types
Game types can be defined as a description of game play.

The following is brief list of game types:

1. Action:
- Games that offer intensity of action as the primary attraction.
- Reflex response is the primary skill needed to play these games well.
- The most common action games are shooters (Doom) and stealth
(Metal Gear).
- Action games also include most sports titles, although some sports
titles fall into the category of simulation.
 Game Types
2. Adventure:

- Games that offer exploration and puzzle solving as the main

attraction.
- Fighting plays a minor role.
- Reasoning, creativity, and curiosity are the most common skills
required of a good adventure game player.
- Pioneer adventure games include Myst and Syberia.
 Game Types
3. Puzzle:

- Games that offer puzzles as the primary attraction to games.

- These games are most commonly released on low budgets via the web.
- The people who play these games tend to be the oldest population of
the game playing community.
- One of the most successful puzzle games is the famed Tetris,
Lemmings and Minesweeper. I.Q. Intelligent Cube was another
interesting puzzle game of limited success.
 Game Types
4. Role Playing:

- Games that offer the player an opportunity to immerse themselves in

the player character’s situation.
- Role Playing Games (RPG) continue their rich history in storytelling
by embracing innovative ways to vary and report story.
- Characters tend to be rich, game play is long, and character
management is technical in RPGs.
- Famous RPGs include, Baldur’s Gate, Fable, Might and Magic,
Neverwinter Nights, Ultima, and World of Warcraft.
 Game Types
5. Simulation:
- The primary game play element of a simulation is its ability to match
real world situations. Simulation games attempt to realistically mimic
conditions of a particular environment or activity.
- Simulations seek to provide enjoyment through reenactment.
- Combat simulations and racecar simulations are relatively popular in
this game type.
- Simulations may also include social situation simulation such as Sims
and Leisure Suit Larry.
- Major games include Gran Tourismo and the Tycoon games.
 Game Types
6. Strategy:
- Strategy games entertain through reasoning and problem solving.
- Early strategy games (e.g. Civilization) did not use much storytelling,
although more recent games rely heavily on quality narrative.
- Strategy games require the player to take on a leadership role and
oversee every detail of the provided scenario(s).
- Gameplay focuses on strategies and careful planning and resource
management in order to win.
- Games such as Command and Conquer, which is a Real Time Strategy
(RTS), are examples of story based strategy games.
 Game Types

Age of Empires (Definitive Edition) Age of Empires (1997)

 Game Genres
Game genre describes the way the story is told. A genre is a narrative
style that effects the structure of the story, the depth of character, and
other storytelling elements.

The genre’s roughly translate to the genres of film and television. The
following is a list of game genres:
Genre Example
Drama Max Payne
Crime Grand Theft Auto
Fantasy Kingdom Hearts, Fable
Horror Resident Evil
Mystery Indigo Prophecy
Science Fiction Doom, Half Life
War and Espionage Metal Gear Solid, Ghost Recon
Western/Eastern/Frontier Red Dead Revolver, Ninja Gaiden
 Game Genres
Drama:
 Game Genres
Crime:
 Game Genres
Fantasy:
 Game Genres
Horror:
 Game Genres
Mystery:
 Game Genres
Science Fiction:
 Game Genres
War and Espionage:
 Game Genres
Western/Eastern/Frontier:
 Game Genres
Battle Royale:
 Game Categories
In the following game categories games belonging to multiple genre or
multiple game types are mentioned:

1. Advergames: Games developed for advertising purpose.

Source: http://www.oneonlinegames.com/games/pepsimaxbreakout
 Game Categories
2. Classic Arcade:

Classic arcade games refer to games that originally existed on

freestanding coin-operated machines. Classic arcade games include Pong
and Space Invaders.
 Game Categories
3. Fighting:
Fighting games involves rendering opponents unconscious or dead by
using a number of different moves. Gameplay tactics are limited to
selecting the most appropriate move in a situation. Fighting games
include Tekken Series and Street Fighter Series.

Tekken 7
Game Categories

Street Fighter V
Game Categories

Mortal Kombat X
 Game Categories
4. First Person Shooter (FPS):
FPS are games in which the player has a first-person perspective of their
character. FPS shooters include games like Doom and Quake.

Doom
Game Categories

Quake 4
Game Categories

Counter-Strike : Global Offensive

Game Categories

Far Cry Primal

 Game Categories
5. First Person Sneaker :
This is a sub-genre of First Person Shooter, where the focus is on stealth
rather than combat or shooting.

Thief
 Game Categories
6. MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Role Playing Game) :
'Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games' are multi-player role-
playing games that enable thousands of players to play in an evolving
virtual online world at the same time. MMORPGs include Diablo and
WarCraft.

Diablo III
Game Categories

WarCraft III
 Game Categories
7. Platform :
Platformers or side-scrollers are games in which the background scrolls
and the player jumps from platform to platform. Game-play generally
includes running and jumping. Platform games include Donkey Kong and
Super Mario Bros.

Donkey Kong
Game Categories

Super Mario Bros.

Game Categories

Limbo
 Game Categories
8. Racing :
Racing games involve the player competing in races. Racing games include
Daytona and the Mario Kart series, Road Rash, NFS Series, etc.

Daytona USA
Game Categories

Mario Kart 8
Game Categories

Road Rash
Game Categories

Need For Speed : Payback

 Game Categories
9. Shooters :
Shoot em' Up or Shooter games involve shooting or destroying multiple
objects and opponents. Shoot 'em up games include Doom and Asteroids.

Source: http://www.mspacman4u.com/asteroids/
 Game Categories
10. Serious Games :
Serious games are games aimed at teaching, discussing or debating real-
world concepts via gameplay. Serious games include Virtual U, Dragon
Box Elements, etc.

Dragon Box Elements

 Game Categories
11. Sports Games :
Sports Games emulate traditional physical sports such as cricket,
basketball , golf, etc. Examples are FIFA Series, Cricket series, NBA series,
etc.

Fifa 18
Game Categories

ICC Cricket Pro 2015

Game Categories

NBA Live 18
 Game Categories
12. Third Person Shooter (TPS):
'Third Person Shooters' offer players a third person perspective of their
character. TPS shooters include Max Payne, Grand Theft Auto, etc.

Max Payne 3
Game Categories

Grand Theft Auto V

 Game Categories
13. Web-based Games:
Web based games are those available via the web and are usually
developed in Flash or Shockwave.
 MMOGs

MMOG or Massively Multiplayer Online Game is an online game which

can be played by a very large number of people simultaneously.

There are several types of MMOGs:

1. Role-Playing
2. First Person Shooter
3. Real-time Strategy
4. Turn-based Strategy
5. Simulations
a. Sports
b. Racing
6. Casual
a. Music/Rhythm
b. Social
c. Combat
Popular MMOGs
 OWGs
OWG or Open World Games are games in which players can roam the virtual
worlds and approach objectives freely. The game map is vast and gives a very
real life like experience.

Some examples of OWGs are :

Just Cause 3,
Metal Gear Solid V : Phantom Pain,
Far Cry 5,
Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon : Wildlands, etc.
 NPCs
Non-player characters: While playing video games, we often come across
some characters with whom the lead character needs to interact.
However, these characters cannot be controlled by a player and hence
known as Non Player Characters.

NPC playing a guitar in Far Cry 5

 PvP/PvE and MVP
Player(s) versus player(s), better known as (PvP), is a type of
multiplayer interactive conflict within a game between two or more live
participants. It is a type of online role playing game in which human players
can fight each other.

Games where players compete against computer-controlled

opponents and/or players, which is referred to as player versus environment
(PvE).

MVP (Most Valuable Player) is an award given to the player(s) who

scores either the highest number of kills in a PvP game or scores the highest
points. MVPs are usually rewarded with additional experience points or other
in-game goodies.
 Player Perspectives

There are basically three different types of Player perspectives in Video

Games:

1. First Person View

2. Third Person View

3. Overhead/Three-Fourth/ God View

 Player Perspectives
1. First Person View:

In video games, the first person refers to a graphical perspective rendered

from the viewpoint of the player's character. In many cases, this may be the
viewpoint from the cockpit of a vehicle. Many different genres have made use
of first-person perspectives, ranging from adventure games to flight
simulators. The most notable genre to make use of this device is the first-
person shooter, where the graphical perspective has a heavy impact on
gameplay.

Call of Duty: Black Ops II Call of Duty: Modern

Warfare
 Player Perspectives
2. Third Person View:

Third-person is a perspective in which the player can visibly see the body of
the controlled character. This is seen in most third-person shooters and
adventure games. It most commonly refers to a viewpoint behind the player
character.

Rise of the Tomb Raider The Witcher - III

 Player Perspectives
3. Overhead/Three-Fourth/God View:

Overhead perspective, also sometimes referred to as top-down view, bird's-

eye view, Overworld view, God view, or helicopter view, when used in video
games refers to a camera angle that shows the player and the area around
them from above.

Age of Empire - V Company of Heroes 2

 Designer Perspectives
Many aspects make a video game stand above the rest. From the
perspective of a designer, some of the most important elements of a
game design are:

1. Story

2. Audio (Music and Sound)

3. Visuals

4. Gameplay

5. Immersion

6. Addictiveness
 Designer Perspectives
1. Story:
Just like movies, a story based game gains popularity depending
upon how good the story or narrative is. A game with a good story attracts a
lot of players. Games like Need For Speed Most Wanted, Call of Duty 4:
Modern Warfare, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, etc. have a good storyline.

However, it is not an element which is absolutely necessary in all

video games. Games like Candy Crush, PlayerUnknown’s BattleGrounds
(PUBG) are examples which shows that a game need not have a story to
become popular.
Designer Perspectives (1. Story)

Need for Speed: Most Wanted

Designer Perspectives (1. Story)

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

Designer Perspectives (1. Story)

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Designer Perspectives (1. Story)

Candy Crush
Designer Perspectives (1. Story)

Playerunknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG)

 Designer Perspectives
2. Audio (Music and Sound):
Music is one of the most underrated parts of a game. A good
soundtrack can literally change the feeling of a game. Just like a movie,
music helps put the player in the right frame of mind for whatever challenge
is ahead. An epic boss battle can be made even more special when
accompanied by appropriate music. Music is usually something we don’t pay
attention to much, but take it away from a game, and it would feel as though
something is missing. For games like Rock Band 4, music is a very important
component. The music from Mario is so iconic that even people who do not
play video games can easily identify it.

You can play a video game without sound but for games with
narrative or a storyline, you might miss out on vital pleasant experience.
People usually turn off the sound while playing mobile games if they don’t
have a headphone. Therefore, although audio is an important part of a video
game, it is not totally necessary for each and every game.
Designer Perspectives (2.
Audio)

Rock Band 4
Designer Perspectives (2.
Audio)

Mario
 Designer Perspectives
3. Visuals:
Visuals are a little overrated, but they are still an incredibly
important part of game design. Can a game be good without high-end visuals?
Certainly, but it is going to be hard to appeal the masses without sharp
graphics and a good art style.

Games such as the latest from the Call of Duty franchise, Call of
Duty: WWII and Battlefield franchise, Battlefield 1 have great graphics and is
highly appealing to a lot.

Nevertheless, games like Minecraft or Undertale makes it apparent

that games can be popular even without high-end graphics.
Designer Perspectives (3. Visuals)

Call of Duty: WWII

Designer Perspectives (3. Visuals)

Battlefield 1
Designer Perspectives (3. Visuals)

Minecraft
Designer Perspectives (3. Visuals)

Undertale
 Designer Perspectives

4. Gameplay:
When video games first came out, gameplay is what separated
them. The ability to interact with something and see the decisions you made
having an affect on the game itself was unprecedented. Gameplay can make
a game popular as it gives the player the ability to do things which are not
only thrilling but appealing as well. However, it is not an element which is
absolutely necessary today.

Games like Telltale’s The Walking Dead or Square Enix’s Life is

Strange are examples of games where gameplay doesn’t matter much. Here
players don’t have much to do except follow the narrative to enjoy these
games.
Designer Perspective (4. Gameplay)
Designer Perspective (4. Gameplay)
 Designer Perspectives
5. Immersion:
One of the things that leaves a deep, lasting impression on a gamer
is how immersed they are in the world. A good video game design makes you
forget that you are playing a game and makes you feel like you are in a living,
breathing world. Of course, there are certain “gamey” elements that can
break the immersion, and sometimes these are unavoidable. The key is for
the developer to find a way to restore the immersion quickly and not use
these mechanics too much.

A great example of an immersive game is Skyrim. When a player

enters the world of Skyrim, they become their character. You are thrust into
a beautiful, massive world that feels almost as alive as the real world. You
can play the game how you choose, and this makes your character feel like it
is you. Some mechanics feel like a video game, but for the most part, Skyrim
makes you forget that you are playing a video game, and that is a special
feat.
Designer Perspectives (5. Immersion)

Skyrim
 Designer Perspectives
6. Addictiveness:
In order to keep a player coming back to a game, there has to be
something about it that gets them a little addicted. Otherwise, players will
move on to the next big thing quickly. It is hard to pinpoint exactly what
makes a game addictive, but it seems to come down to character
progression.

Games like Call of Duty, World of Warcraft and Diablo are some of
the most addictive games because they make you care about your character.
You want to keep going back and leveling up or getting that new piece of
gear. Of course, if it were that simple, everyone would do it. Addictiveness is
one of those qualities that is hard to quantify, but you know it when you see
it.
Designer Perspectives (6. Addictiveness)

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3

Designer Perspectives (6. Addictiveness)

World of Warcraft
Designer Perspectives (6. Addictiveness)

Diablo III
 Games and Learning
Video Games can be a very good medium to learn about some
important lessons in life. Games and learning is a field of education research
that studies what is learnt by playing video games, and how the design
principles, data and communities of video game play can be used to develop
new learning environments.

For example, Multiplayer Games such as Counter Strike: Global

Offensive, Rainbow Six: Siege teaches you about team spirit/team play. Only
as a team, can the players win. Games such as Age of Empires teaches you
about resource management. Games like Commando, Company of Heroes,
Command and Conquer teaches how one should strategize and make
decisions quickly and concisely. Puzzle games, word games help increase
your vocabulary as well as IQ.
 Games Analytics
Game analytics are simply the study of our players’ behaviors using statistics.
This expression covers all the types of data you may want to track. Most of
the time, we tend to associate them with marketing and monetization.
However, those statistics are not only for marketing people or producers!

They are a great learning tool, an occasion to get to better know and
understand your audience. Game analytics offer us an opportunity to
understand players beyond our subjective interpretation.

Metric:

A metric is a stream of data that is being tracked over time. Metrics can track
anything: average session duration, game uninstalls, player demographics,
etc.
 Games Analytics
Categories of Metrics:

1. Customer metrics:
They correspond to all the data related to the acquisition and
retention of customers. They can also be seen as the marketers’ data. Specific
metrics in that category include DAU (Daily Active Users), ARPU (Average
Revenue Per User).

2. Community metrics:
Community metrics focus on the community’s behavior and
evolution. They track what happens in your in-game chat for example. All
sorts of social interactions fall in that category as well. For instance, both in-
game and social network messaging.
 Games Analytics

3. Performance metrics:
Performance metrics track your application’s performances and
potential bugs or crashes. Be it a response time from your distant server, the
game’s loading duration or framerate at runtime. Anything that can help you
to improve your back-end systems.

4. Gameplay metrics:
Gameplay metrics record anything that happens inside the game,
between the player and the game. I.e. time spent in a given level, how many
times the player died. They empower us to estimate the quality of the user’s
gameplay experience.
 Cheat Codes
Cheating in video games involves a video game player using non-standard
methods to create an advantage or disadvantage beyond normal gameplay, in
order to make the game easier or harder. Cheats may be activated from
within the game itself (a cheat code implemented by the original game
developers), or created by third-party software (a game trainer) or hardware
(a cheat cartridge). They can also be realized by exploiting software bugs; this
may or may not be considered cheating based on whether the bug is
considered common knowledge. Software bugs are very often considered
software features and as long as they are common knowledge, it is
questionable whether it is cheating.

The most basic type of cheat code is one created by the game designers and
hidden within the video game itself, that will cause any type of uncommon
effect that is not part of the usual game mechanics.

Cheat codes are usually activated by typing secret passwords or pressing

controller buttons in a certain sequence.
 Easter Eggs
An Easter egg is an intentional inside joke, hidden message or image, or secret feature
of a work. It is usually found in a computer program, video game, or DVD/Blu-ray Disc
menu screen. The name is used to evoke the idea of a traditional Easter egg hunt.

The use of the term "Easter egg" to describe secret features originates from the 1979
video game Adventure for the Atari 2600 game console, programmed by employee
Warren Robinett. At the time, Atari did not include programmers' names in the game
credits, fearing that competitors would attempt to steal their employees. Robinett, who
disagreed with his supervisor over this lack of acknowledgment, secretly inserted the
message "Created by Warren Robinett". This message would only appear if a player
moved his/her avatar over a specific pixel (the "Gray Dot") during a certain part of the
game. When Robinett left Atari, he did not inform the company of the acknowledgment
that he included in the game. Shortly after his departure, the Gray Dot and his message
were exposed by a player who told Atari about his discovery. Atari's management
initially wanted to remove the message and release the game again, but this was
deemed too costly an effort. Instead, Steve Wright, the Director of Software
Development in the Atari Consumer Division, suggested that they keep the message
and, in fact, encourage the inclusion of such messages in future games, describing them
as Easter eggs for consumers to find.
 MODs
A mod (short for "modification") is an alteration that changes some aspects
or one aspect of a video game, such as how it looks or behaves. Mods may
range from small changes and tweaks to complete overhauls, and can extend
the replay value and interest of the game. It is a piece of software which
modifies the appearance and/or rules of an existing game.

Gun before mod. Gun after mod.

 Hardcore Vs Casual Players
Hardware

Casual: anything will do, really.

Hardcore: I need a really good keyboard and mouse setup or the game isn’t worth playing.

Time spent

Casual: 4–5 hours a week. Whenever I am free or feel like playing.

Hardcore: 2–3 hours a day, every day of the week. I have 5 essays and 3 tests coming up sooooooo I am just gonna play
some Dota.

Attitude

Casual: quite relaxed. I am here for a good time. Would be nice if I win. If I lose, that’s fine. Having fun is more important.

Hardcore: takes the game very seriously. I want to be the best and beat yo puny arse. I don’t entertain the possibility of
losing.

Game knowledge

Casual: doesn’t know much. Not very interested in exploring the game’s depth. Did I mention I just wanted to have a good
time?

Hardcore: takes learning seriously so knows a lot about the game and other related stuff. I have a neurotic need to improve
and be the best. I also know the history of the main character’s grandmother.

Most importantly, a hardcore gamer knows that lots of healing potions lying around and a change in music means it’s time
to save the game.
 Hardcore Vs Casual Players
What is a Casual Gamer

The term casual usually refers to someone who dabbles in something but is
not overly committed. A layman. Pretty simple right? Generally speaking, a
casual gamer is a player who just wants to use a game like any other
medium for fun. They don’t really have any desire to master it, or study it.
The vast majority of people fall into this category.

What Are Hardcore Gamers

Hardcore refers to someone dedicated to something. A hardcore guitarist

will play every day and study hard. Translated into gaming this means
hardcore gamers will dedicate themselves to a game. They will play a game
with a perfectionist mindset even when they aren’t having fun. They still
play for fun most of the time, but the fun they get is from the satisfaction of
surpassing their own skill barriers.
 Hardcore Vs Casual Players
There is no shame being in either group.

Of course, the definition doesn’t end here. Being a casual or hardcore gamer is just a
generalisation of your approach to gaming. It doesn’t mean you can’t have exceptions. In this case
you are a Casual ___ Player or a Hardcore ___ Gamer. For example, if you are usually a casual
player but let’s say you get really into civilisation V you can still be a Harcore Civilisation V
Gamer. All these tags really denote is the gameplay style.

Now these tags can actually be applied to games themselves. Candy Crush is a casual match 4
game. You can still be a Hardcore Gamer of a Casual game even if that isn’t what the developers
intended.

Why Is There Conflict?

Communities for games are usually built by hardcore players and fans. Casual players come and
go since they are not dedicated to the game, but they can often be the cause of much pain to the
community. Think of what happen to World of Warcraft as the developers tried to make it more
accessible to casual gamers. It pretty much destroyed the game for veterans. A similar thing is
slowly happening to FFXIV as well. It is easy for that to build resentment. Casual players will
always outnumber the hardcore players and because of this they are a tasty demographic to court.
 Identity

1. Shroud
2. DrDisRespect
3. Powerbang
 Gaming Platforms

1. PC (Microsoft Windows/Apple Macintosh)

2. Console (Microsoft Xbox, Sony Playstation, Nintendo Wii)
3. Mobile Devices (Android, iOS, Microsoft Windows Mobile)

PC
In common use a "PC game" refers to a form of media that involves a player
interacting with a personal computer connected to a video monitor. Personal
computers are not dedicated game platforms, so there may be differences
running the same game in different hardware, also the openness allows some
features to developers like reduced software cost, increased flexibility, increased
innovation, emulation, creation of modifications ("mods"), open hosting for
online gaming (in which a person plays a video game with people who are in a
different household) and others.
 Gaming Platforms
CONSOLE
A "console game" is played on a specialized electronic device ("home video game console")
that connects to a common television set or composite video monitor, unlike PCs, which
can run all sorts of computer programs, a console is a dedicated video game platform
manufactured by a specific company. Usually consoles only run games developed for it, or
games from other platform made by the same company, but never games developed by its
direct competitor, even if the same game is available on different platforms. It often comes
with a specific game controller. Major console platforms include Xbox, PlayStation, and
Nintendo.

MOBILE
With the advent of standard operating systems for mobile devices such as iOS and Android
and devices with greater hardware performance, mobile gaming has become a significant
platform. These games may utilize unique features of mobile devices that are not necessary
present on other platforms, such as global positing information and camera devices to
support augmented reality gameplay. Mobile games also led into the development of
microtransactions as a valid revenue model for casual games.
 Console Exclusive Games
1. The Last of Us : Remastered
2. Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
3. Gran Turismo : Sport
4. Horizon Zero Down
 Gaming Hardware
GPU (Graphics Processing Units ) :

A GPU is a computer chip that performs rapid mathematical calculations,

primarily for the purpose of rendering images.

In the early days of computing, the central processing unit (CPU)

performed these calculations. As more graphics-intensive applications such
as AutoCAD were developed; however, their demands put strain on the CPU
and degraded performance. GPUs came about as a way to offload those
tasks from CPUs, freeing up their processing power.

A GPU may be found integrated with a CPU on the same circuit, on

a graphics card or in the motherboard of a personal computer or server.

NVidia, AMD, Intel and ARM are some of the major players in the
GPU market. However, in the recent times, NVidia and AMD are known as
the marketing giants of GPUs.
 Gaming Hardware

APU vs GPU vs CPU

An Accelerated Processing Unit (APU) combines the CPU and GPU onto a single
chip. The APU was developed by AMD and initially released under the name
Fusion. By combining both processors onto a single chip, the components are
able to communicate faster and give you greater processing power and
performance. APUs are generally not seen as a replacement to a standalone
graphics card. Instead, they look to replace the GPUs embedded on the
motherboard.

The Central Processing Unit (CPU) is often referred to as the brains of the
computer. In the early days of computing, the CPU would be spread across
multiple electronic chips. Modern computers, smartphones, and other smart
devices use microprocessors, where the CPU has been manufactured onto a
single chip. The CPU aids everything from loading your operating system, to
executing commands
 Gaming in Virtual Reality
Oculus Rift (Oculus Go)
Samsung Odyssey
Google Cardboard
HTC Vive
Lenovo Explorer
Microsoft Hololens
 Game Aesthetics

MDA Framework:

In game design the Mechanics-Dynamics-Aesthetics (MDA)

framework is a tool used to analyze games. It formalizes the consumption
of games by breaking them down into three components - Mechanics,
Dynamics and Aesthetics. These three words have been used informally
for many years to describe various aspects of games, but the MDA
framework provides precise definitions for these terms and seeks to
explain how they relate to each other and influence the player's
experience.
 Game Aesthetics
Mechanics are the base components of the game - its rules, every basic
action the player can take in the game, the algorithms and data structures
in the game engine etc.

Dynamics are the run-time behavior of the mechanics acting on player

input and "cooperating" with other mechanics.

Aesthetics are the emotional responses evoked in the player.

 Game Aesthetics
There are eight type of Aesthetics as stated by Hunicke, LeBlanc and
Zubek:

1. Sensation (Game as sense-pleasure): Player experiences something

completely unfamiliar.
2. Fantasy (Game as make-believe): Imaginary world.
3. Narrative (Game as drama): A story that drives the player to keep
coming back
4. Challenge (Game as obstacle course): Urge to master something.
Boosts a game's replay ability.
5. Fellowship (Game as social framework): A community where the
player is an active part of it. Almost exclusive for multiplayer games.
6. Discovery (Game as uncharted territory): Urge to explore game world.
7. Expression (Game as self-discovery): Own creativity. For example,
creating character resembling player's own avatar.
8. Submission (Game as pastime): Connection to the game, as a whole,
despite of constraints.
 Game Aesthetics
From the perspective of the designer, the mechanics generate dynamics
which generate aesthetics. This relationship poses a challenge for the
game designer as they are only able to influence the mechanics and only
through them can be produced meaningful dynamics and aesthetics for
the player. The perspective of the player is the other way around. They
experience the game through the aesthetics, which the game dynamics
provide, which emerged from the mechanics.
Q. WHY ARE AESTHETICS IMPORTANT IN GAME ? WITH EXAMPLES

First impressions matter in almost every situation – including game play.

Aesthetics are a huge part of the game play experience. If the game doesn’t
LOOK appealing, then players won’t want to play even if the game has a great
game goal and rules. Conversely, a game that may be “just okay” from a game
play perspective can be elevated by strong aesthetics. This fact can be a plus in
learning games where content might be a bit dry but a great theme and
aesthetics can help create an enjoyable experience.

Aesthetics do several things for you in a game (any game – including serious
games).
For example:
• Set a mood and reinforce a theme or a concept
• Immerse the player into the game experience and help them suspend reality
so they can play the game.
• Offer cues that can guide performance and communicate a player’s status and
progress.
• Facilitate understanding of game play, making it easier for a player to figure
out what to do.
Q. PERIPHERALS REQUIRED TO BUILD UP A GOOD GAMING RIG ?

Here is our gaming PC parts list of all the components you will need:

• Processor (CPU)
• Motherboard (MOBO)
• Graphic Card (GPU)
• Memory (RAM)
• Storage (SSD or HDD)

CPU
The processor, or Central Processing Unit, is essentially the “brain” of your
computer. It is the second most-impactful component on gaming performance,
just behind the GPU, and is the most important component for content creation.
In some games, the CPU may actually be more important for getting high FPS!
The three most important things to know about a processor are its clock speed,
cores, and threads.
MOTHERBOARD
You’ve picked out your CPU. Now, you need a compatible motherboard.
The main difference between a low-end motherboard and a high-end one
is overclocking capabilities.
Do note that motherboards have the least, if any, effect on gaming
performance. You don’t need to buy a gaming motherboard for a great
gaming rig.

GPU
The GPU, or Graphics Processing Unit, will be the component that impacts
your gaming performance the greatest, at least in most titles.
The GPU takes this information and renders the actual graphics that you’re
seeing, at the resolution and settings you’ve told it to.

(Video RAM) is actually a much more helpful measurement. But not all
types are created equally. GDDR5 is the standard- don’t accept anything
lower than this.

RAM, or Random Access Memory, is the third most important component

for gaming performance.
The more RAM you have, the better the rest of your system will be at
managing multiple applications and meeting the memory needs of
demanding modern games.
HARD DISK DRIVE / SSD

This is actually fairly simple. An SSD, or Solid State Drive, is a storage drive with no
moving parts. This makes it much, much faster than an HDD (hard disk drive), but also
much more expensive per GB of storage.
If you want quality, get an SSD. SSDs are more durable and smaller overall.
If you want quantity, get an HDD. These are larger, but less durable.
Do you think violent video games can turn someone violent ? Justify your answer

Yes I do think playing violent video games can turn someone violent. It can be justified
by the following points:
• If the game contains content with crude language, usage of drugs and other
narcotics, violence, bullying, abuse etc. it may effect the children.

• Might psychologically affect people if the game contains too much violence and
gore.

• Might pose to threat to others and oneself if some violent game elements are
attempted in the real life.

• If one doesn’t have control of its use, then it can affect our lives in a negative way,
thus affecting school performances and day to day life in general.
• The child who has fun with games that are violent can lead to negative
effects in their socialization with other equals, leading to their lack of
sense of belonging or social justice.

• Some games are very aggressive and violent. Sometimes, this content is
not only limited to physical aggression but also enters ideologies.

• Researches have claimed that violent video games can desensitize

children to violence, and lower the likelihood of a pro-social behaviour.

• Video games such as Grand Theft Auto and Call of Duty for over 18 yrs.,
are training children to shoot and kill in virtual world in which the values
of life are lost.
Thank you