Greg Pidgeon
Tuesday, January 25, 2005
Game Design: The Essence of Computer Games
Geoff Howard, a Game Theorist, believes the best place to start when designing a computer game is with the basic elements and essential keys of computer games.
He breaks a computer game down into 5 elements. Those are graphics, sound, interface, gameplay and story.
Graphics
Graphics consist of any images that are displayed and any effects that are performed on them. This includes 3D objects, textures, 2D tiles, 2D full-screen shots, Full Motion Video (FMV), statistics informational overlays and anything else that the player will see.
Sound
Sound consists of any music or sound effects that are played during the game. This includes starting music, CD music, MIDI, MOD tracks, Foley effects (environmental sound), and sound effects.
Interface
The interface is anything that the player has to use or have direct contact with in order to play the game. The interface is not as straightforward as the above definitions as it goes beyond simply the mouse/keyboard/joystick, which is only the first contact the game has with the player. The interface includes graphics that the player must click on, menu systems that the player must navigate through and game control systems such how to steer or control the pieces in the game. Half of a game's "AI" (Artificial Intelligence) is also related to interface.
Gameplay
Gameplay is a fuzzy term. It encompasses how fun the game is, how immersive it is and the length of playability. The second half of the game's AI is related to gameplay.
Story
The game's story include any background before the game starts, all information the player gains during the game or when they win and any information they learn about characters in the game.
Note: AI is a term to describe the behaviours of objects in the game to simulate their intelligence.
The full explanations can be found at www.lupinegames.com by clicking this link.
He breaks a computer game down into 5 elements. Those are graphics, sound, interface, gameplay and story.
Graphics
Graphics consist of any images that are displayed and any effects that are performed on them. This includes 3D objects, textures, 2D tiles, 2D full-screen shots, Full Motion Video (FMV), statistics informational overlays and anything else that the player will see.
Sound
Sound consists of any music or sound effects that are played during the game. This includes starting music, CD music, MIDI, MOD tracks, Foley effects (environmental sound), and sound effects.
Interface
The interface is anything that the player has to use or have direct contact with in order to play the game. The interface is not as straightforward as the above definitions as it goes beyond simply the mouse/keyboard/joystick, which is only the first contact the game has with the player. The interface includes graphics that the player must click on, menu systems that the player must navigate through and game control systems such how to steer or control the pieces in the game. Half of a game's "AI" (Artificial Intelligence) is also related to interface.
Gameplay
Gameplay is a fuzzy term. It encompasses how fun the game is, how immersive it is and the length of playability. The second half of the game's AI is related to gameplay.
Story
The game's story include any background before the game starts, all information the player gains during the game or when they win and any information they learn about characters in the game.
Note: AI is a term to describe the behaviours of objects in the game to simulate their intelligence.
The full explanations can be found at www.lupinegames.com by clicking this link.
:: posted by Greg Pidgeon, 9:23 pm
