Goals, challenges and rewards

Goals
The goals that arise within the game are the tasks given to the player in which they must complete, in order to advance into the next stages of the game. Goals are constantly introduced within the game in order to keep the player focused and enable to enhance the gaming experience, thus keeping the player interested in the game. Short term goals may vary; e.g. killing an enemy (Call of Duty), collecting coins (Sonic), scoring goals (FIFA) or completing a lap in a racing game (Gran Tourismo).

Game World

Game World
A game world is an artificial universe which the game is set and built within. This game world can be completely fictional or can be based on a real time and place. For example, a game like Destiny is created on a fictional world where there are guardians protecting Earth from external attacks from other planets, whereas a game like Assassins Creed: Unity is set within the 1800s during the French Revolution. Moreover, all games will bet set in different worlds and they will not coincide. It is relatively crucial for game designers to get the game world set accurately, due to the the fact that a game world virtually determines the potential of the game. To entice a player into playing their game, designers must be able to design the game world so it is appeals to the player throughout the game. The game world includes terrain, architecture and objects. Additionally, the game worlds have improved significantly over time. It is clear two see from the two images below of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City(2002) and Grand Theft Auto: 5(2014) that there is a significant difference is graphics. For example, characters within the more recent games look more realistic and the terrain looks more detailed.

Interaction models

The interaction model is basically the functions of input required by the player while reacting to what's happening in the game, the analysis of those responses by the computer, and the nature of the action by the computer. When designing a game it is important to consider how he player will be controlled and represented within the game itself. There are two different ways to make the player interact with the game world. One is Avatar interaction model and the other is omnipresence interaction model.

Avatar Interaction Model
Avatar interaction model is when the player of the character is represented by an avatar that is presented within the game world. Moreover, the avatar interaction model is used when the player is represented on the screen by a main character and the focus of the game is based on how this main character is controlled by the player. With this, the player can control that specific avatar as they like. An example of a game which uses this specific type of interaction model is Assassins Creed or Uncharted. This is because these type of games only allow the player to control one specific character rather than controlling many characters at once.

Omnipresence Interaction Model
Omnipresence interaction model is used when the player is able to control more than one character (an army of characters) within the game world. It is also use to make direct changes within the game world. A few example which use this type of interaction model would be Sims, Clash of Clans and Boom Beach. Generally people will like this type because it allows them to be creative when 'designing' the game world. Furthermore, they would like to have the ability to control several characters.

Game settings

Game Settings
Within every game there are settings which can be adjusted which allow the game to become unique and specific to each player. There are different characteristic setting within a game; these are physical, temporal, environmental, emotional, and ethical settings.

Physical Setting
Physical settings in a video game is the current story mode and position you are in the game. For example, if you were to play a horror game such as Outlast, the physical setting would be dark and scary; this encourages the player to become more immersed in the game. Moreover, the physical setting an adventure game would be bright and colourful scenes. In order to attract gamers and allow them to engage more with the game, game designers will use an appropriate setting for the game so that it matches the genre of the game.

(Game play of Outlast)

Temporal Setting
Temporal settings is the time in which the game is set. This is a very important aspect to a game and must be considered in order for the game to be set in the correct time period. An example of a game which uses temporal settings is Assassins Creed. This game effectively uses temporal settings to portray that it is set up in the 1800s by showing the old designs of buildings and what transportation people used to use, such as horses and carriages. Another example is Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare. This game conveys a futuristic battlefield through the introduction of advanced equipment such as invisibility cloaks and jet-packs.

(Assassins Creed: Brotherhood)

Environmental Setting
Environmental settings are the settings in the game which affects the weather conditions. An example of an effective use of environmental settings is in horror games. Horror games constantly use a dark, rainy and stormy scene in order to make the player become frightened. However, an adventure game for example will show bright and sunny scenes. Moreover, there are games which can even allow you to alter the weather conditions. For example, FIFA gives you the ability to change the weather to whatever the player prefers. The conditions in a game can determine the outcome of certain things, for example in FIFA, if the weather is rainy then the ball becomes more slippery in comparison to dry weather conditions.

(FIFA game play in Snow)

Emotional Setting
Emotional settings are used in video games in order for the player to see what the main character is feeling as they progress through the game. It is relatively important for game designers to allow there to be an emotional bond between the player and the main character, this is because as the bond becomes stronger between the two, this encourages the player to keep on progressing through the game. For example, in The Last of Us video game, the connection between Joel and Ellie makes the player feel sorry for them as they only have each other to survive.

Ethical Setting
Ethical settings are important in video games as it encourages people to do things within the game. For example, in Assassins Creed, you are motivated use your character's parkour abilities to climb large buildings in order to get to your destination much faster. Moreover, the game must be designed to ethically match the age rating of the game. For example, if the game is rated 7+, there cannot be any extreme violence, swearing or sexual content. The dangers of not making the game suitable for the selected audience is that young kids may become influenced from such a young age towards violence.

feedback interface

Feedback interface is the information provided by the game which allows the player to see how they are doing throughout the game. There are two main types of feedback interface. One of which is simple interface; this is the scores displayed onto the screen, such as health, time remaining, points won etc. The other type of interface (advanced interface) is more complex. This type can display radars onto the screen to show where your character is and where team mates and enemies are placed around the map/game world. Feedback interface is used on every video game. However, advanced interface is mostly used on complex video games such as FIFA, GTA 5, or Call of Duty.

(screenshot of FIFA 15 game play)

It is clear to see in the image above of FIFA 15 game play the different areas where feedback interface and advanced interface is used. For example, the simple interface is displayed on the top right hand corner, where the scores of the game is provided and how long is left for the game to end. Furthermore, the advanced interface is displayed on the bottom half of the screen. this consists of the fitness bars on each player on how much stamina a player has left to the game radar which provides information to where each player's current position is on the pitch.

Every game will use feedback interference as it will provide the player with information on how much they've completed or what left is needed in order to successfully complete a mission or objective. For example, on FIFA, the feedback interface that is provided is the scoreboard and the time which shows you who is winning and how much time is left for the game. This is effective as it allows the players to decide on what they need to do in order to win the game; this could be the way they change their formation or who they may want to bring on to secure a victory. The advanced interface used on FIFA is the game radar and the stamina bar. The radar is useful as it helps the player roughly understand where each player is on the pitch, this means that if the player is not on screen, you can judge as where they are on the pitch. The stamina bar is also useful as it highklights which players are tired and in need of a substitution.

Difficulty and Balance

Difficulty and Balance

Balance is directly linked to the difficulty within a video game. In all games, the difficulty of the game during the beginning is very easy; this is important because this allows a new gamer to understand the controls of the game and help the gamer slowly progress their skills in the game. Furthermore, it is important that you have difficulty settings which can be adjusted throughout the game, this is because different gamers may have different expertise, meaning they may change the difficulty of the game in order for it to suit their ability, so it is not too easy (boring) or too hard (frustrating) for the gamer. Moreover, as the game gradually progresses, the difficulty also becomes harder, such as more enemies, complex terrain etc. This is because the game is under the assumption that you are becoming better with every mission. This constant rise in difficulty allows the player to become more immersed into the virtual gaming world as the harder the game becomes, the focused you will have to be to complete the mission. However, if the gamer's abilities have not necessarily improved, a game such as Call Of Duty allows the gamer to reduce difficulty or keep it the same. Another good example of a game which you can change difficulty is Fifa; this game allows the gamer to change the CPU's difficulty, which may make it harder or easier to play against the opposing team.

Players Actions

There are two different types of player actions used within games. One is the main actions in which the gamer can control the character. This can vary from jumping, running, shooting and punching. The other type is how the gamer controls the player within the game via a remote controller. For example, two games which may differ in controls are GTA 5 and Super Mario. GTA 5 has more complex actions than Super Mario; GTA 5 has more controls such as jumping, climbing, shooting, driving etc. whereas Super Mario only allows you to run and jump.

There are different ways in which the gamer can control the main character of the game. However, this depends on the console in which the game is being played on. For example, if the game is played on a console such as a Playstation or an Xbox, the character will likely be controlled via a controller. whereas, consoles such as Wii or Xbox Kinect allow the player to control the character through a motion sensor. To add to this, a controller is an input device which is connected to the console either wired or wireless and enables the the gamer to control the actions of the character by either pressing a certain button or a combination of buttons. Below you can see the different controls for Fifa 15, by pressing certain buttons the players do different tasks.

Nevertheless, motion sensor devices are also input devices which helps to control the main character, however, the difference is that instead of pressing buttons, it detects the movements of the gamer and implements it into the game.

Narrative

Narrative / FMV / Cut Scene

Narrative

Narrative is a storyline of a video. The narrative of a game can exist without a plot or as a larger system in which the plot exists. Narratives can be embedded within missions to ensure that the gamer knows what the current mission is going to be about or they can emerge during the gamer's progress throughout the game. Furthermore, video game designers often use narrative within their games in order to highlight to the player what point they are in the game, or they may do it to notify the gamer that there is a new mission at hand. Narratives are usually included in single player games rather than multi-player games, this is because single player games have a storyline to follow whereas multi-player games are often just competitive competitions between others. An example of a single player game which uses narratives is 'The Last Of Us'. This game is all about surviving a zombie apocalypse; this storyline keeps the player involved and also helped them keep their progress up to date as there was narratives throughout the game. There are two different types of narrative, they consist of FMV (Full Motion Video) and Cut scenes.

The advantage of having narratives within a game is that the gamer is aware of their progress in the game and what mission they will have to complete to continue their progression. However, a disadvantage of including narratives is the fact that it will indefinitely slow down the players progression, as they will have to wait until it is over in order for them to continue playing. 

FMV

FMV, which stands for Full Motion Video, is real life video footage used within video games and allows gamers to see what current mission is going to based upon. They are pre rendered movies which have been pre recorded into the game's engine. FMV is used within games as it allows the game designers to use their skills and use full motion animation for the cut scenes which enhances the visual style of the game as the cut scenes quality improves drastically; for example, the new call of duty 'Advanced Warfare', uses the actor Kevin Spacey to play the role of an army general, which more or less looks like an animated movie. The downside of including FMV during a game is that the transition between game play to the FMV is very noticeable and may take time to load up.

Cut Scenes

A cut scene is is a movie sequence which has been coded and created to be rendered in order to fit in within the game's engine. It is a scene which develops the storyline and is often shown after the completion of a mission, or is something important has happened which may divert the storyline, This may sometimes limit the performances and the limitation of what can be created within a cut scene. However, they have much smoother transitions than FMV and looks more professional. Cut scenes are often used to smoothly transmit the movie scene along with the playable area of the game, this will in turn keep the gamer immersed into the game as they will not have to wait every time it loads. A game which uses a lot of cut scenes is adventure games such as Assassin's Creed for example. this game uses a cut scene after every successful mission completed. Cut scenes are often favoured over FMV, due to the fact of that doesn't take time to load, not very noticeable transition and still has a good visual style. 

Characters report

Characters Report

A character is a fictional person who is introduced into a video game; characters represent the video game and are the things that are controlled on screen. Main characters are those who are playable by the gamer. It is extremely crucial for games to have well designed both characters and main characters as visual style is a crucial factor in order to keep the players interested and engaged into the game. The importance of having a good main characters is vital; main characters effectively decide the course of the game, they are able to create an emotional connection between both you (the player) and the main character, making the player more immersed into the virtual gaming world. A few examples of popular main characters are Drake from 'Uncharted', Ezio from 'Assassins Creed' and my personal favourite is Joel and Ellie from 'The Last of Us'. The reason 'The Last of Us' became such a success was the purely because the relationship between Joel and Ellie. Joel and Ellie's mission was to travel across country to find a cure for a epidemic. What makes them popular as main characters is the fact that they have heart to heart moments which makes the player feel what they are feeling and helps them become immersed into the game as there has been an emotional bond created between the player and characters. Moreover, this gives the player an insight as to what each character is feeling rather than perceiving it from one perspective. The can allow the player to create stronger bondages with characters as you may understand one character's view over another's. A few more examples of games which use more than one character is Grand Theft Auto 5, Heavy Rain and Assassin's Creed Brotherhood.

NPC's

NPCs is abbreviated for Non Playable Characters. These are characters which are placed into the game, however you cannot use them to play with. There are two types of NPC's. The most common non playable character is the enemies of the video game. They role of these characters are to prevent the player from completing their missions and achieving their goals which have been set. An example of an enemy in a game which are non playable were the guards in Assassins Creed which try to stop you from assassinating the Templars or the infected zombies in The Last of Us which try to kill you by biting you.

The other type of NPC is a friend/team-mate. These characters solely exist in order to assist the player in completing every objective and mission there is to complete. An example of a non playable comrade are the soldiers in Call of Duty which help you kill the opposing army or the fellow assassins who help you to complete missions in Assassins Creed: Brotherhood.

Every single games which is created will have a Non-Playable Character; this is because it is important that video games don't make the games too easy for the player and also the game world may seem empty as there is no one to challenge you. There is a significant importance for there to be strong NPC's for a game to become a success. This is simply due tot he fact that the better the non playable characters, the better the game world will appear to the player, as you can start to really appreciate some characters, however it will also make the player dislike some, making them really want to defeat these enemies.

Video Game Perspective

Introduction

The term perspective means is how a video game is viewed and how one can interact with the game. Visual perspective is extremely important when considering to design/create a video game. It is vital when deciding how the world of your game will be viewed and how your characters will look. This must be decided before any of the design work is applied as it has a major roll on effect to the design of the main character(s) and the non-playing characters. It will also affect the terrain, architecture and other objects that will be included into the game world. 


There are four main types of perspectives used within video game designs, these are:

• First person (e.g. Battlefield, Destiny, Call of Duty)
• Third person (Uncharted, Last of Us, Assassin’s Creed)
• Aerial (Micro Machines, Clash of Clans, Sims)
• 2D & scrolling view (Super Mario, Crash Bandicoot, Street Fighter)

First Person Perspective

First person perspective allow you to view the game world through the main characters field of vision. This can vary from a viewpoint inside a cockpit of a plane, inside a vehicle of a racing game or the main type which is looking through a player’s viewpoint in a first person shooter. Call of Duty for example, allows you to view through the main character’s field of vision and allows you to see and experience what your character is going through, meaning that you are fully immersed into the game. furthermore, there are extremely old first person games, such as Doom, in this the graphics is not as detailed, much more simple and doesn't require as much data as Call of Duty for example. these are shown in the videos below:




Advantages

One of the biggest advantages of experiencing a first-person shooter game, is the realistic feel of the game. The realism of the game allows players to become immersed into the game, as every action that is taken place, making the player feel like they have performed these actions. First person games have a more narrow view of the game world, but a more detailed sight, therefore when doing stealth missions, such as assassinating an enemy or creeping along a dark alleyway becomes more nerve wrecking.

The fact that first person games present such a narrow viewpoint, this is felt to help players shoot with better accuracy as you are more aware of where you are aiming with your character; with or without the presence of a cross hair. Aside from the mechanisms of the game, first-person shooters help the players' mental agility. Through looking at studies, it has been found out to help improve players' reaction time when switching between everyday tasks; improving basic skills such as multitasking, driving, and navigation skills.

Disadvantages

Although first person shooters allows players to immerse into the game, there are cons to this type of perspective. First-person shooters have a number of drawbacks. One of the main disadvantages of playing first person games is that there is a significant lack of field of vision. Although this perspective makes game play look more realistic, the field of vision is very limited, thus creating a tunnel vision effect; making your character to become more vulnerable to attacks from the back. Also, field of vision become even more limited when when hiding behind objects.

Another setback from playing first-person shooters is that sometimes players may find it difficult to control their character(s). The importance of the sensitivity of the movement of your character and and control layout is significant, as it determines how you control your character. Moreover, if the sensitivity of the movement of the character is too high, this may result in people becoming prone to motion sickness. This will in result cause them to experience nausea when playing a first person shooter, especially if playing online, as you will have to react move quick to avoid enemy fire.


Third Person Perspective

Third-person is a perspective in which the player can visibly see the body of the controlled gamer. The camera angle for third person games are mainly placed from an aerial view behind the character. Furthermore, third person perspective allows you to view more of the terrain and allows you to see enemies at all times, even when under cover. Third person games either place the player on the left hand side of the screen and may be fixed behind the character; as a result, not being able to see the characters face. Whereas most third person games place the character in the centre of the screen where you are able to pan the camera around them, e.g. Uncharted, Assassin's Creed or GTA.

Advantages

There are many perks to playing third person games. One of which is that characters are easier to control. This is because you are able to see more of the terrain and have a better ideology of where the player is moving and placing movements in context. This also allows you to spot enemies better,even when under cover. Third person games have better cover mechanics as the character can hide behind objects without losing their field of vision of the area. 

Third person games also allow you to have better awareness of everything that is around you, specifically what's behind the character. Moreover, first person shooters have a more narrow view, thus making them more vulnerable from attacks coming from the sides and from the behind. In addition, running and jumping is easier as you can accurately judge the distance in the third person. The fact that you can see the character, this means that graphics will ultimate be more detailed as you see him/her constantly; enabling players to see close combat and watch their character apply their best fighting moves in order to defeat the enemy. This adds an extra element of entertainment.

Disadvantages

To all the benefits that third person gaming has, there are also negatives. One of which is that the player is not fully immersed into a game compared to first person shooters. The player may not feel fully involved as the action is somewhat happening at a distance. Likewise, third person shooters are less realistic than first person shooters as the person's point of view is not centred on the character's point of view. Another major nuisance is the awkward camera angles that are in the game; whilst it may be easy to take cover, the camera angles may make it difficult to see enemies or could block your view entirely in certain spaces.

Aerial

Aerial is a bird's eye viewpoint which is an elevated view of the character from above. This camera angle is used in video games that shows the characters and the area around them from above. it is most often used in 2D role playing video games and simulation games. An example of a game which consists of an aerial viewpoint is pokemon.

Advantages

Aerial viewpoints enable the whole of an area to be observed, rather than just a part of the scenery. Aerial viewpoints also provide a current pictorial view of the ground that no map can equal. Furthermore, this bird's eye vision will allow the gamer to see a significant amount of the terrain compared to a first or third person point of view. It allows you to see enemies from areas that are not visible on other perspectives, such as an enemy hiding behind a wall or and enemy coming from attacking from behind. 

Disadvantages

One significant disadvantage of playing a game with an aerial viewpoint is the fact that it is difficult to interpret items without symbols distinguishing the differences, e.g. buildings in a wooded area. In addition, the positions and locations between characters or obstacles are only approximated. This is also because the fact that there is a huge terrain, details of the area could be quite poor. #

2D Scrolling

2D perspective view is a game which is built on a simple platform which uses a 2D view from the side which shows the character moving through the game world. an example of a game which uses a 2D viewpoint is 'Sonic the Hedgehog' or 'Mario'. Games like these mostly consists of a player moving from the left hand side of the screen and defeating obstacles on the right hand side of the screen whilst moving towards the right. 

Advantages

The advantages of this type of perspective are that the game world wouldn't take as much budget or time to create compared to creating an open world game. 

Disadvantages

The disadvantages of creating a 2D scrolling game is the fact that these games are too simple and repetitive. This will result in players becoming bored with game, and ultimately stop playing it. Moreover, these games disallows players to see much of the game world and thus most levels will look fairly similar. 

Video Game Genres

Introduction

In this blog I will be explaining different video game genres which is listed below:

• Sports
• Adventure
• Action
• Simulation
• Strategy
• Puzzle
• Role Play
• Management
• Educational
• Viral Marketing

Sports

A sports game such as Fifa 15 try to mimic a real live sports, in this case it is football. Fifa contains many features, the main feature is playing a football match either against a computer or an opponent. Fifa also allows you to create your own team by buying selling players with Fifa virtual coins, this is called “ultimate team”. Fifa has many more detailed features, as it allows you to experience the atmosphere that is presented in world renowned stadiums around the world such as the famous Camp Nou, Bernabeu and Emirates Stadium.

Adventure

An adventure games allow you to travel and explore different worlds/locations in which you attempt to conquer the game. One example of an adventure game is Uncharted. The aim of this game is to travel around the world in search of ancient artefacts which cost a fortune and are located in dangerous terrains. Furthermore, adventure games are usually played in a third person perspective in order for you to see more of the terrain around you whilst exploring. 

Action

Action game is a video game genre that highlights the physical challenges, including hand-eye coordination and reaction time in order to defeat an enemy. Action games can range from shooters to combat games, these include games such as Call of Duty, Destiny, Tekken etc. Many of these action games share a similar design mechanism, of which your character must progress from one mission to the other, whilst achieving better abilities to complete the levels that become more difficult to. For example, a game like call of duty will give the player an option to get better and upgradeable guns in order to take down harder enemies; a combat game like tekken may need you to learn better fighting moves.

Simulation

A simulation game attempts attempts to copy various activities from real life experiences in the form of a playable video game for a range of purposes such as training, analysis, prediction. In these type of games, there is no specific goal or task you have to achieve, whereas players can freely control their character around the virtual terrain. This type of genre is mostly used for war games, business games and role playing games. One example of a simulation game is ipilot, this simulation allows you to control a virtual plane in order to teach you how to fly an aeroplane. 

Strategy

Strategy games are games that tests your decision making skills and planning in order to win a game against an opponent. It emphasizes strategic and tactical challenges. The outcome of a strategic game is solely based on the decisions you make. For example, chess is a game in which you can achieve victory by outsmarting your opponent in order to take down their king without putting you king under threat. 

Puzzle

This genre is fairly similar to strategy. Puzzle games emphasize puzzle solving. Puzzle games test your problem solving skills including, logic, pattern recognition, sequence solving and word completion. One of the most famous and popular puzzle game that has been played is tetris. In this game you must use the different shapes to complete a line.

Role Play
The aim of a role playing game is that players take on the role of an imaginary character in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out the roles of a narrative, this is either through literal acting, decision making or character development. World of Warcraft is a prime example as you create a fictional character and travel around a virtual reality trying to conquer.

Educational
Educational games are games are specifically designed to assist people in learning about a range of different things such as subjects, expanding concepts, reinforce development, learning about historical events/cultures or help them learn a skill as they play the game. This genre includes game types such as board, card and video games. Educational games are games that are designed to teach s skill in a more fun and enjoyable way. These games help to improve ones decision making and thought processing. Word Hunt is a perfect example of of an educational game, as it allows the player to think of a lot of words quickly to try gain as many points as possible.

Viral Marketing
Viral marketing is a technique in which they tempt websites or users to spread the advertisement through a marketing message to other websites or users. An extremely successful example of a viral marketing is Hotmail; a company which is owned by Microsoft that is designed to promote and advertise its service through their advertisers' messages.