workshop ddb magyarország
TRANSCRIPT
What is Game Design?
Game design is a process of:
Imagining a game // Defining how it works // Describing the elements that are going to be part of the game (concept, art, foundation) // Passing these data on to the team that will produce it.
-Source: Fundamentals of Game Design
Game key-components:
Core mechanics: the kernel of the game, the challenges and actionsInterface: how the player interacts with the gameStorytelling engine: the immersive screenplay itself
Source: Fundamentals of Game Design
Initial thoughts
Johan Huizinga's magic circle
Real World:
- Questioning- Fear- Uncertainties- Responsibilities
- Dreams- Immersion- Narration- Catharsis- Challenge
Magic circle:
- Experience- Meanings
"Everything is a game, war is a game, politics are a game, life is a game, everything is a game. Games are interactive means to tell stories, games are how kids learn the rules"
Jesper Juul, Digital and Culture conference at Brown University, 2001.
Potential market (or: why study games?)
In the last 5 years the game industry has grown more than any other in entertainment.
In the United States, a third of the population connected to the web has a videogame console at home.Source: NIELSEN/NETRATINGS
In 2006, games have outdone cinema revenues. (source: Jupiter Media Metrix)
Today, over 200 million people play casual games frequently on the web. Out of the US$41 billion that the game industry makes, US$2.25 billion come from casual games.(source: http://www.casualgamesassociation.org/faq.php#casualgames)
Halo 3 (Microsoft) made 130 million dollars on its launching, more than any superproduction makes on its premiere.
Combining the online play hours of Halo 2 in 2005 and 2006 we come to 184,137,245 hours, that's over 21 thousand years!
Star Wars game "Force Unleashed" has sold over
1.5 million copies in the first week.
Games have overdone cinema revenues and are now the third industry in the world, being beat only by weapons and automobilistic industries.
Advertising in games will grow from US$120 millions (2004)
to US$850 millions in 2010. .
Games like Rock Band and Guitar Hero have been pointed out as great income sources for artists and brands (the announced "products" include from characters to famous brands).
According to The New York Times, MTV (Rock Band producer along with EA Games) has sold over 15 million tracks online for the game, while Guitar Hero Aerosmith Edition is a huge success, even helping their catalog sales. Other bands are coming along with the success, like Metallica and AC/DC.
The game market represents the biggest growth in online entertainment. Players are between 18 and 35 years old, being 57% male and 43% female, playing an average of 13 hours a week.
In 2008/2009 there were over 100 million people playing online.
Advergames
Strategy for marketing communication that uses games, mainly electronic, to advertise brands and products. That includes a large range that goes from games that are developed specifically for advertising purposes, to common games that have ads in its interface.
The internet is a great environment to use this tool.
Mobile media (cellphones, ipads, iphones) are already being tested by companies that chose this marketing strategy.
IN-GAME ADVERTISING: it's just a replica of the real world ad brought into the virtual world, using banners, posters, radio spots and billboards. SSX3, the snowboarding game from Electronic Arts, shows Honda and Seven-Up billboards.
PRODUCT-PLACEMENT: it's about putting the product into the game context. The characters in the game Devil May Cry wear Diesel pants. In Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell - Pandora Tomorrow" the character uses a Sony Ericsson p900 smartphone to solve missions, the player literally lives the virtual experience of using the device. In Worms 3D, from SEGA, the characters drink Red Bull in order to jump higher.
Cases
Wii game will use system made by Google(http://meiobit.com/meio-bit/google/jogo-do-wii-usar-sistema-feito-pelo-google)
And-Kensaku will be a collection of mini-games in which the player will be awarded points by indicating what terms will show more results. For example, between "cute teacher" and "serious teacher", for which would Google show more results?
Notice that the Google suggestion wasn't by chance. The search data system will be provided by the Mountain View company, and the game disc will come with 10 thousand words (however, it will be possible to connect the console to the web and download more terms and games).
ARGs
Defining Alternate Reality Games (ARGs)
"(...) a fictional genre that unites real life, treasure hunting, live-action, games and online communities. These games are an intense series of puzzles involving websites, clues in newspapers, phone calls from other characters and much more."
Dave Szulborski, author of "This is not a game, a guide to ARGs"
Companies are already using mechanics of this tool in their communication strategies.
Conclusion
Game is publicity/promotion.Game is a brand experience.
Game is an advertising space for companies.Game is a search tool.
Game is an interaction tool.
