Culture

Fan culture

This is where fans have an impact of the production of a media product most likely an instalment of a franchise. Just to name some big franchise in media there are: Star Wars, The Lord of The Rings, Indiana Jones, James Bond and the Marvel universe. These franchise owe a lot to the fans as a lot of these wouldn’t be famous or then a franchise without it’s cult following. The fans have had a big impact on a lot of the decision of some of these franchise like Stars Wars episode a fan of franchise is now the director of its next instalment. For game a good example is ‘Half Life’ with fan creating films, art, and costume about ‘Half Life’. One fan even created a modding engine where the fans can create what they want within the ‘Half Life’ engine which has added to the franchise experience.

In my opinion the fan culture is such a big part of the gaming media and has helped a lot of franchise continue. I feel that the fan culture has had an influence on producers with setting up events like comic con and mcm expo with the fans get to meet the makers of their loved franchises. It also brings a lot more customers which is a big pulse. 

Cultural competence

This is the cultural differences of different countries and areas in the world other than our own. These cultural differences can often been showed in media products. Now the understanding of the different cultural product is becoming easier as global interwork gives all culture more access to anyone else’s.

For example there is a game genre called Role Play Games and there is a cultural between Western RPGs vs. Eastern RPGs. For western RPG there are games like ‘Mass Effect’, ‘The Elder Scrolls games’ and ‘Fallout’. While eastern RPG has games like ‘Dragon Quest’, ‘Persona’ and ‘Final Fantasy’. The cultural there are a lot of differences between these genres like East RPG are more about puzzles and very heavy on story, while western RPG are more about the exploration and fighting mechanics. This shows that two different cultures have different focuses when creating a game.

In my opinion having the ability of seeing and playing a product from a different culture is a great and unique experience as not all of it makes sense in my eye and the style and techniques are different to something my culture would do. This adds extra depth to the product.

Audience Theories

Uses and Gratifications theory

This is where the audience goes to a media product and expects some gratification from doing so. This shows that the audience do question and analyses  media text to gain something from them. For example people may go to playing a game like ‘Gear of War’ to release stress. The player expects this game to release stress by the participation of it. The player may get disappointed if this game doesn’t give the gratification the player is waiting for. Other examples may include watching a horror and wanting the gratification of being scared. Reading the news and wanting the gratification of being shocked or informed.
"the nature of the "active" audience; the role of gratification orientations in mediating effects; the social origins of media needs and uses;" (Blumler, J. 1979)

In my opinion this theory relates to a lot of games, I know myself I go to video games for the gratification of escapism and I do best at game what have made me forget I’m playing a video game. Compared to games what haven’t immersed me I often get bored and give up.  

Passive consumption

This is where the audience responds passively to a media product. This means by if passively theory is correct when all of the audiences respond in the same way. Just like what I said about hypodermic needle model. Everyone will respond to the assassin’s creed message the same way and no one will question its logic. This could be shown in video games like the end of ‘Deus Ex Human Revolution’ at the end you have to decide one choice from four choices. If passive consumption is in fact true then the product will sway the audience to one choice and everyone will automatically decide that choice.
"A passive consumption is when the audience doesn’t engage or question the media message but just accepts it" (bentley, a. 2013)

In my opinion this theory has a degree of truth to it. I do passively watch types of media like the news; I have sometimes just accepted what they’re told and respond in sadness if the news story was sad. On the other I have found a graph which shows that people did choice differently from each other in the ‘Deus Ex Human Revolution’. In the end I believe that in games we are more active than passive as we are participating in the experience.

Reception study

This theory is the bipolar opposites to the ‘Hypodermic Needle Model’ as it about the audience being an active participator of the media product. "A branch of modern literary studies concerned with the ways in which literary works are received by readers." (Oxfordreference.com. 2016) .This can mean the audience member interpret a media product in different way to other members in the audience. The reason why audience interprets the meaning differently is because of the individual’s background and experience. For example in ‘Mass Effect 3’ you have the choice to be in a sexual/romantic relationship with a person of the opposite or same sex. As individuals have different ideals about sexuality and their own experience which have shaped them. This will affect their choice in this matter. For example a person may choose to have a sexual relationship with a person of the opposite sex in this game because religious doctrine or cultural up bringing that may not have the positivity view of homosexuality. 

In my opinion this theory is truth and does input the media in many ways like the example in ‘Mass Effect 3’ if it only allowed for same sex relationships then people heterosexuals may feel left out. The Reception study helps accept different belief in the audience and how to not be so one sided

Hypodermic Needle Model

The audience accept anything that the media says. They are powerless to make their own decision. Believing any ideology and mythology it shows us.
"Hypodermic Needle Theory is a linear communication theory which suggests that media messages are injected directly into the brains of a passive audience. It suggests that we’re all the same and we all respond to media messages in the same way."  (Lamb, B.2013)

 For example in a game called ‘Assassin’s creed’ the main message of this game is ‘nothing is true and everything is permitted.’ If Hypodermic needle model theory was true then it is spreading the message that there is not truth and it is all just permitted. This throws everyone’s religions and theory out the window because this media produce said what they believe is false. On the other hand this could apply to young children and mentally unstable people are more impressionable and are more likely to believe what the media says and brainwashes them.

In my opinion this game hasn’t changed my opinion as I am able to decide if this is true or false. I think this theory limits games to an indoctrination tool instead of a looking glass into how people view the world.

Bibliography 
bentley, a. (2013). Passive or Active Consumption. [online] Media Fort. Available at: https://mediafort.wordpress.com/2013/07/01/passive-or-active-consumption/comment-page-1/ [Accessed 27 Apr. 2016].

Blumler, J. (1979). The Role of Theory in Uses and Gratifications Studies. volume 6.

 Lamb, B. (2013). The Hypodermic Needle Theory | VCE Media, VELS Media, Media Arts, digital literacy, media education, filmmaking. [online] lessonbucket. Available at: http://lessonbucket.com/media-in-minutes/the-hypodermic-needle-theory/ [Accessed 27 Apr. 2016].

Oxfordreference.com. (2016). Reception theory - Oxford Reference. [online] Available at: http://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/oi/authority.20110803100407730 [Accessed 27 Apr. 2016].

Famous designers

Toru Iwatani 

A game designer who's most famous work is 'Pac-Man'. The game came out in 1980 for arcades. The game has become a cultural hit with iconic design and simple but effective game mechanics. 

Toru Iwatani was influenced by the amount of aggressive games there were in the arcades and wanted to change that. He wanted to introduce a wider audience into the arcade as “In the late 1970s, there were a lot of games in arcades which featured killing aliens or other enemies that mostly appealed to boys to play,” - Toru Iwatani (Peckham, M.2015A). So he plan to create a game for couples to enjoy while at the arcade. To change the atmosphere of these arcade rooms into a place for all the family. “My opinion is that Pac-Man became popular with everyone" (Peckham, M.2015B). 

A massive influence he had was making games appear to a larger audience and opened out new possibilities for game designers to expand on the topics that they base there game on.  "Now, for the first time, you had women in arcades, and you had kids...Pac-Man prompted designers to experiment with a broader range of characters, environments, and stories in their games." (CHAMPAGNE, C.2013). Looking at this companies like nintendo who's goal is to make games that suit a wider audience with cute looking characters and simplistic game mechanics. They won't of have the success if it wasn't for Toru Iwatani plan to bring a wider target audience to the game industry. 

Bibliography

CHAMPAGNE, C. (2013). How "Pac-Man" Changed Games And Culture. [online] Co.Create. Available at: http://www.fastcocreate.com/1683023/how-pac-man-changed-games-and-culture [Accessed 26 Apr. 2016].

Peckham, M. (2015A). Pac-Man's Creator Says the Game Was Feminist. [online] TIME.com. Available at: http://time.com/3892662/pac-mans-35-years/ [Accessed 26 Apr. 2016].

Peckham, M. (2015B). Pac-Man's Creator Says the Game Was Feminist. [online] TIME.com. Available at: http://time.com/3892662/pac-mans-35-years/ [Accessed 26 Apr. 2016].

Goals, Challenges, Feedback and Rewards

This is a simple but essential aspects of game design. The goal is what the player is trying to achieve and involves varies challenges or obstacles that the player faces while trying to achieve the goal. This can include collecting a certain number of items to unlock the next level or a side quest within 'Lego Lord of the Rings'.

The feedback is the output results of the players input, this will help to understand if the player has collected an object they needed to complete the goal. This will include the lowering of the health level when injured( 'Half life') or feedback through hints on where to go, eg 'Tomb Raider'

Then the reward is what you get in return for completing the goal. This can include praise/ thanks for completing the quest or points for getting others to help you out, eg in final battle against the reapers in 'Mass effect 3'. Prolonged play was often used as a reward in the old acarade sytle games such as 'Pacman'. Another reward could be an additional power,e.g at end of cave character gets new dragon shout in 'skyrim'. (Schell, J. 2008 )



Bibliography 

Schell, J. (2008). The art of game design. Amsterdam: Elsevier/Morgan Kaufmann, p.190.

Mechanics

The game play mechanics are rule based systems which allow the player to explore the game environment, governing the level of interaction possible by the player. Setting clear rules on what is possible through feedback from the environment. eg you can't jump up a high wall. (Koster, 2005)

This is an example of a constitutive type  rule, which are the underlying formal rules of the game when the artwork is stripped away. These are the base rules that allow the interaction and movement of the player or character within the game.  The input commands of the player through the controller are displayed as the output within the game,  eg 'x' button equals jump or left hand stick controls the movement of the player. ["Game mechanics are the core of what a game truly is. They are the interaction and relationships that remain when all of the aesthetics, technology, and story are stripped away"  (Schell, 2008)]

The game play mechanics covers a range of subjects:-

1. Space - Mechanics defines the varies places that can exist and their interaction with each other within the game.
2.Objects - The mechanics define the characters, objects, and any collectable things within a game anything that can be manipulated or changed, eg breakable objects in red faction. These objects  all have attributes they exhibit which are either static such as the maximum health of a character, or  exhibited such as current state, for example when the character is shot its health will be less than the maximum.
3. Actions - These are the mechanics of what button or combination of commands from the controller do to the character ( output).
4. Rules - This is the most basic or fundamental mechanic governing the space, objects, actions and their consequences. Basically making possible all the other mechanics stated above.
5. Skills - The mechanics of the skill allows advancement within the game providing greater or more difficulty within the game adding continuing challenge and interest for the player. For instance in 'Shadow Colossus'  you learn how to kill ever increasingly bigger creatures learning from previous experience( (mental skills). Or in 'crash bandicot' you get additional abilities when you collect enough gems ( physical skill).
6. Chance - is the mechanic for introducing uncertainty within a game. e.g In card games a dealer shuffles the pack producing a random hand.

bibliography

  Schell, J. (2008). The art of game design. Amsterdam: Elsevier/Morgan Kaufmann, p.130.
  Koster (2005) A theory of fun for game design

Endogenous Value

‘Endogenous Value’ is term used to describe when something in the game is given an actual value to the player.

This value can be either 
Economic, this mirrors the material wealth of the world, having 'money' to purchase new goods, eg. new weapons in 'Ratchet and Clank'.

Emotional, this is where an object is valued more because you have won it through a test or quest. but can be where you put in extra effort to undertake a loyalty mission for a squad mate in 'Mass Effect 2' which allows them to survive longer in the game.

Forced - this is extra value attributed just for playing the game. Things that are hard to achieve generally have more value than those which are easy to achieve eg. a sword that has been won through defeating an enemy or completing a number of tasks has more value than just a single task, eg obtaining Mithral objects in 'Lego Lord of the Rings'.

When designing a game the questions you need to ask are "What is valuable to the player in my game? How can I make it more valuable to them? What is the relationship between value in the game and the player's motivation?"(Williams, A. 2015)

Bibliography
Williams, A. (2015). The Importance of Rules in Sports | LIVESTRONG.COM. [online] LIVESTRONG.COM. Available at: http://www.livestrong.com/article/485675-the-importance-of-rules-in-sports/ [Accessed 26 Apr. 2016].

interaction model and Camera model

An interaction model the form of which the player interacts with the game. The player can have many forms and ways of adding input to the game world. The player uses the controls to input commands, the commands are translated into actions and the out of the action is shown on the screen. "The relationship between the player's inputs and the resulting actions is dictated by the game's interaction model. The model determines how the player projects what she will, her choices, and her commends into the game." (Adams, E. 2014 A). Looking at this diagram it shows the relation between the player and core mechanics through interaction model and camera model. The interaction model is the way the player interacts with the game word and the camera model is the way the camera display the information of the game and it's world to the player.

(Adams, E. 2014 B)

Avatar-based - The player controls a character

The most common one being an Avatar in the game world. In 'The last of us' the player's input is displayed through the actions the character of Joel, when the presses the jump button, the output is shown with Joel jumping. Avatar based games don't have to have just human character representing the player's input. In the game 'Flower' the petals being blown with the wind. The player can control the to blow the petals whichever way the player commands. Having the interaction model Avatar based makes the experience personal for the player has they get to experience the game world through the character's experience or even see what they see through first person. The controls of the player will by most part what the player is able to do. Walking, running jumping, interaction with objects and using weapons. 

Omnipresent - Player is able to interact with  several different parts of the game world.

Another form of interaction model is being omnipresent. This means that you interact with many different parts of the game world at once like Risk where you can look at the whole map and move any of the armies unlike an Avatar which you are restrictive to one place at a time. This model is best for strategy games as you the player would be have to commands several armies at once. The impact of this to the player is that you become less involved with one character's story but the story of the battle as a whole. It is less personal but the player has more power over a larger world.

 Party-based - A Groups of players interacting with the game world

Party based interaction model follows the input of multiple players and their individual inputs on the game world. The focus of this model is to bring a group of player's involved together in a game world. A lot of party based games are with Motion Controller like the Wii or Kinect for Xbox. The impact on the impact is to be simple but engaging for all the group instead of Avatar based games which on the most part are single player. 

 Contestant - Player answers questions and makes decisions 

Contestant is taking the role of not control a character or game world but the answers the players can give to a question. Games with is model often follow similar set up to game shows like 'Who wants to be a millionaire' there is even a video game which is based on the show and uses the Contestant interaction model. The impact of this interaction model this the feeling of  challenge and achievement through knowledge based questions. Giving the player choice and reward for there right answer is what is at the core of Contestant model.

 Desktop - Player interacts with an interface tries to mimic a computer's layout.

Decktop based model is trying to mimic the inputs and outputs of a real computer would do but in a video game. This can be anything from a game within a game, a character going on to a computer or a whole game based on interacting with a computer. One example is Fallout series Pip boy, where the character interacts with he wrist device like we would interact with phones or computers. The impact of this model making the experience realistic to interacting with the technology of that game world.

Camera models  

Camera models are way the information of the screen is being presented. Like a Camera for film it tries to captures what is going on in the scene and shows what the audience needs to know about this scene. Cinematography is the method of which films use to display there shot. "Cinematography is how visual elements of the movie are framed, lighted, and recorded on film" (CINEMATOGRAPHY 101,2014). There is a nickname for the video game version of cinematography it called: gamatography (Kelly, T. 2016 A). With "Camera models come in two types,static and  dynamic." (Adams, E. 2014 C) a static camera model is there the camera doesn't move and stands in the same position. Games like 'Binding of Isaac' have a static camera where stays in a top-down view of the action. While dynamic camera model moves with the character or allows the player to move the camera. One example is 'Heavy Rain' where the camera move and shifts with the players movement. They create interesting compositions to look at and the player is allowed to change the camera angle.

There are other camera models in games like: Fixed point, Rotating, scrolling, Floating, Tracking, Pushable and first-person. (Kelly, T. 2016 B). 

bibliography

Adams, E. (2014)A. fundamentals of game design. 3rd ed. Pearson Eduction, p.38.

Adams, E. (2014)B. fundamentals of game design. 3rd ed. Pearson Eduction, p.38.

Adams, E. (2014)C. fundamentals of game design. 3rd ed. Pearson Eduction, p.38.

CINEMATOGRAPHY 101: Ten Essential Lessons for the Noob Cinematographer. (2014). 1st ed. www.FilmSchoolOnline.com, p.3.

Kelly, T. (2016) A. Gamatography - What Games Are. [online] Whatgamesare.com. Available at: http://www.whatgamesare.com/gamatography.html [Accessed 16 Mar. 2016].

Kelly, T. (2016) B. Camera Comes First [Game Design]. [online] What Games Are. Available at: http://www.whatgamesare.com/2011/10/camera-comes-first-game-design.html [Accessed 16 Mar. 2016].

Flow Channel

Flow channel is method of determining the engagement of the player. This is where the challenge of the game and the skills of the player is in union together. so the player would feel anxious if the challenge is too high compared the skills of the player. Whereas the skills of the player is too high and the challenge is too low which results for boredom of the player. This diagram below a straight line between to skills and the challenge diagonal line to right. This may change from game to game like the flow channel for a game with the target audience for young children age 3 to 5. The line will be more horizontal with low level challenges and skills. Where games for Venetians of video games would want more of a challenge so the line will go into the anxiety triangle. 

(sala.2011)

The aim of a game design is to make sure the player is in a state of flow. For a state of flow you need:Clear goals,No distractions, Direct feedback, and Continuously challenging. "challenge that lies between boredom and frustration, for both of these unpleasant extremes cause our mind to change its focus to a new activity" (Schell,j. 2008) 

The one who came up with and researched flow was psychologist MihalyCsikszentmihalyi. Who even wrote a book called: 'Flow'.The book discussed "Positive aspects of human experience - joy, creativity, a process of total self involvement with life I call flow" (Csikszentmihalyi, M.2002). The effect of cognitive flow is a: "Extreme focus on a task. A sense of active control. Merging of action and awareness. Loss of self-awareness. Distortion of the experience of time." (Baron.2012).  

So when a game has goals, feedback, and challenge and the  Challenge matches the skills of the player then flow should be achieved. When in flow the player should experience a loss of self awareness and distortion of time. When this happens the player should have a sense of complete focus, joy and self involvement with the game. 




Bibliography 

Baron, S. (2012). Cognitive Flow: The Psychology of Great Game Design. [online] Gamasutra.com. Available at: http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/166972/cognitive_flow_the_psychology_of_.php [Accessed 16 Mar. 2016].

Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2002). Flow. London: Rider.

Sala, Toni. "Game Theory Applied: The Flow Channel". Indie Dev Stories. N.p., 2011. Web. 21 Jan. 2016.

Schell, J. (2008). The art of game design. Amsterdam: Elsevier/Morgan Kaufmann, p.121.

Visual style

The visual style has great importance in the game industry. It is the aesthetics of a game and how art style they are displayed as. The visual style and mechanics make up the game play of a game. A development team that focuses on the visual style is trying to "push the world of game art in purely visual terms without relying on the technology of interaction"(Solarski,2012) using "visual grammar and techniques" (Solarski,2012).  In a sense using visual arts to communicate with the audience and display what kind of game this is. The visual style should have an impact on the target audience of the game. For example a game might use the visual style of there cultural style of origins. Different culture will have different styles, symbolism and semiotics. 

For this I am looking at two science fiction games with rather similar mechanics but very different visual style. I will be looking at Mass Effect and Ratchet and Clank: A crack in time. 

Mass effect is a Science fiction role playing game for the Xbox 360 released in 2007. The game's rating was 18 by PEGI. The target audience I believe is 18+ male in the western region and culture who have a middle class social statue. These people will be a Reformer  under the psychographics 4C's table. This game deals with themes of racism, sexuality, nature verses machine and time repeating itself.

Ratchet and Clank: A crack in time is a science fantasy action adventure platformer game for the Playstation 3 released in 2010. The game's rating was a 3 by PEGI. The target audience  10 to 14 year old males in the western region and culture whose's parents are a middle class social statue. These people will be a Explorer under the psychographics 4C's table. This games looks at themes of time travel, alternative timelines and redemption. 

 Style –

Art style- The retro-futuristic style from the first game was in vision by Chad Dezern who started as Environment Artist and is now the Studio Directo. Now the game artists are a team called ‘Creaturebox’. It uses typical conventions of a product designed from pre-teenagers. It uses bold colours and exaggerated characters and objects but a high standard of detail which is unusual for a children's game. The humour of character's are represented in the way they are shaped and what colour they are. The visual style also suggests that this isn't purely for children but adults will enjoy it as well because so focus on being simple and colourful but has complexity. Researching other platformer's  2010 I have found that there isn't many AAA platformer that came out and the ones that did were on the Nintendo. Super Mario Galaxy 2 had a completely different visual style with bring bold colours and really simple shapes which look like it's just for children even lower that 10. So the market is free for Ratchet and Clank to fill in and the visual style allows children and adults to enjoy. 

 Artwork- The art style of this has a gritty 80s sci-fi TV feel to it. The style is trying to emulate shows like ‘Star Trek’ and ‘Babylon 5’. A main part of Mass effect’s style is to make the technology to suit its race of creators. One man who inspired the style of the game was Syd Mead. Mead also drew for Alien, Tron and Blade Runner so he is key to the modern science fiction look.

The retro science fiction style was a massive call by to science fiction from the mid to late 20th century like Star Trek, 2001: A space odyssey, Blade Runner, author Isaac Asimov est. This was to both bring fans of those products and show them a relive of the classic science fiction and to show people would aren't similar with these products a new take on science fiction to the present moment. The art style used from Syd Mead related the style to other pieces of work so it wasn't so out of the blue. For a game to use Syd Mead style has never been done before. Compared to a lot of other adult targeted games which came out 2007 Mass Effect exploited it's unique clean futuristic space opera to stand out from the rest. Uncharted 1 visual style was lush and organic greens with jungles and water falls to appeal to audiences, Halo 3 visual style was more gritty with the colour palette  being predominantly blue and orange. So as a market stand point Mass Effect's visual was a way of relating to old classics of the genre and outstanding out from the other games at the game. 


Conclusion: 
Visual style give a theme to the game world. It creates a world or place for the gameplay to be set in. Giving a grounding to the game play, often enhancing the visual aesthetics of the game experience. Different visual styles can be used to attract different groups of people, even when it is the same genre. Mass effect creates a adult sci fi experience which tries to capture a 80's cult tv show. Whereas Ratchet and clank with its cartoon style attracts a younger audience with its bold colours and exaggerated features, ie the size of ratchets head compared to his body, or the use of insane weaponry.

Ultimately the visual style is dependent on the targeted audience, even if the actual audience is wider.  



Bibliography

Solarski, C. (2012). Drawing Basics and Video Game Art. New York City: Watson-Guptill, p.10.