Blog Exercise 10
In her paper "The Puppet Master Problem: Design for Real-World, Mission Based Gaming", Jane McGonigal suggests that "the success of the puppet master challenges our assumptions about the kinds of action and interaction that qualify as gameplay, reveal dramatic interpretation to be a viable game mechanic, and demonstrate the value of a dramaturgical perspective for pervasive game design." Discuss how these ideas could be applied to designing elements of narrative and gameplay in interactive media systems.
Firstly, I think designers can consider integrating more real aspects of the physical world into gamespace into interactive media system. This confers a greater sense of real-world participation for the players, and also more immersive roles as “gamers”.
I came across this ‘Wearable Environmental Media Project’ by Japan’s Keio University, which I found quite applicable to gameplay here. These wireless sensing devices serve as potential complementary roles to stationary media systems, adding mobility and real physical-space-out-there for the user. This adds to the pervasive factor. Also, the integration of a real-time, real-space (physical) environment makes the spacial interaction in a game more real.
To make it less virtual and more real, designers can leverage on history, geography, or ancient folklores as back-stories to the game, then let the players take on investigative or live role-playing character persona. ‘The Songs of North’ is an interesting example.
Secondly, designers can consider making social use of space. A game where social interaction is vibrant gives an extra layer of meaning and depth- for the game function as not just a game but a social arena to promote real life interactivity. An interaction across cultural borders can also add depth to gameplay, like The Amazing Race!
I guess games can be such that the instructions or goals are first made explicable to players, like in the Puppet poweplay- "Gather in x location, at y time", then design the game such that a lot of communication between social groups is needed. Or structure it such that a mob mentality is needed, such as a game outcome influenced by popular votes. Or even, such that the game cannot be completed without different skills/knowledge from different cultures, where people from different cultures can willingly come into interaction to play this game.
How about a minimized game interface for the players? Designers can be creative and choose media systems which require little mechanical input from the user (think Internet-abled handphone). This shifts most of the cognitive load of gameplay to the community of players who will then need to work together via communication to decide on the next move.
Thirdly, consider giving a more dramatic, broader game play mechanic, where players are free to interpret the game designers’ action scripts. This way, the sense of "fun" will be brought in by the players. This matters, because the games are played by them, not the designers, who can by no means tell how fun their game is to the players when they design it. Talking about such applications, I think it is already existent in games like the reality TV gameshow, ‘Win, Lose or Draw’. It's interesting to note that even in a simpe game like Pictionary or 'Win, Lose or Draw', the player can choose to intepret how to play out the given word, and his actions may be intepreted differently by the guessers too.
To sum things up, I think the applications are many but the practicality of actual implementation on interactive media systems sets the limits.
Firstly, I think designers can consider integrating more real aspects of the physical world into gamespace into interactive media system. This confers a greater sense of real-world participation for the players, and also more immersive roles as “gamers”.
I came across this ‘Wearable Environmental Media Project’ by Japan’s Keio University, which I found quite applicable to gameplay here. These wireless sensing devices serve as potential complementary roles to stationary media systems, adding mobility and real physical-space-out-there for the user. This adds to the pervasive factor. Also, the integration of a real-time, real-space (physical) environment makes the spacial interaction in a game more real.
To make it less virtual and more real, designers can leverage on history, geography, or ancient folklores as back-stories to the game, then let the players take on investigative or live role-playing character persona. ‘The Songs of North’ is an interesting example.
Secondly, designers can consider making social use of space. A game where social interaction is vibrant gives an extra layer of meaning and depth- for the game function as not just a game but a social arena to promote real life interactivity. An interaction across cultural borders can also add depth to gameplay, like The Amazing Race!
I guess games can be such that the instructions or goals are first made explicable to players, like in the Puppet poweplay- "Gather in x location, at y time", then design the game such that a lot of communication between social groups is needed. Or structure it such that a mob mentality is needed, such as a game outcome influenced by popular votes. Or even, such that the game cannot be completed without different skills/knowledge from different cultures, where people from different cultures can willingly come into interaction to play this game.
How about a minimized game interface for the players? Designers can be creative and choose media systems which require little mechanical input from the user (think Internet-abled handphone). This shifts most of the cognitive load of gameplay to the community of players who will then need to work together via communication to decide on the next move.
Thirdly, consider giving a more dramatic, broader game play mechanic, where players are free to interpret the game designers’ action scripts. This way, the sense of "fun" will be brought in by the players. This matters, because the games are played by them, not the designers, who can by no means tell how fun their game is to the players when they design it. Talking about such applications, I think it is already existent in games like the reality TV gameshow, ‘Win, Lose or Draw’. It's interesting to note that even in a simpe game like Pictionary or 'Win, Lose or Draw', the player can choose to intepret how to play out the given word, and his actions may be intepreted differently by the guessers too.
To sum things up, I think the applications are many but the practicality of actual implementation on interactive media systems sets the limits.
posted by cpf at 8:05 AM
2 Comments:
Wow, lots of very interesting ideas... but you're right, practicality of implementation, particularly for commercial games, is probably the biggest barrier for moving forward...
Architectural consultants in Dubai
Architecture firms in Dubai
Post a Comment
<< Home