Semiotics

This is the study of meaning in signs and images. "The semiotics of the game are the meanings and relationships of the various symbols that the game employs." (Adams and Rollings, 2014). Semiotics have many different uses and can depend on what cultural meaning of an image or colour. For example in the image below which is titled 'colours around the world' it shows that the colour red in the western world represents love, action and danger. Whereas with fair eastern cultures it represents prosperity, fortune and vitality. This just shows the vast differences between the meaning of a colour between to culture. Looking at the image below with the title ' Semiotics: Decoding the Hidden Message'. This splits images with meaning into three sections. Looking at the icon of a gun is is a graphic image of what a gun looks like and this graphic image doesn't have a direct meaning but it can imply meaning in the right context: It could represent violence. The dollar symbol you have to learn the meaning. The symbols means nothing unless you understand that it represents the dollar. The smoking cigarette is a direct link the action of smoking a cigarette. It has no hidden message other than representing smoking a cigarette.  "a sign represents something other than itself, we take the representation as the meaning of the sign. The smell of smoke (sign) represents the concept of "fire,"." (Tekinbaş, K. and Zimmerman, E. 2003)

In video games semiotics are used through out it's design. The use of colours to represent a health bar. The screen going colour to represent the western idea of red and danger. The graphic images of guns to display gun select menu. Index symbols in game maps. Books in Role Playing Games are icons of quests. Red barrels in shooting games means that they are flammable and will explode if shoot at. 

(Teachertoolkit.me, 2014)

(Stathoyiannis, Vlachos and Zakkas, 2013)

Semiotics in games normally have a standard icon like red bar for health but in 'Dead Space' the health bar is displayed along the characters spine. The image below shows how they presented the health bar. The impact of this in the game is a nice change from the normal red bar and made it so that the screen won't have anything in the HUD. The change was still understandable as when the character is hit the meter decreases and begins to turn red. 

(Andrews, M.2016))

Then a game that has too many symbols in it's HUD have become rather confusing. Looking at the image of 'Mass Effect' before it shows a number of different icons that present an upgrade but there is too many different types of upgrades that it is hard to show what icon means what upgrade especially that there isn't any letter to describe what that icon means. Then there is 'Daggerfall' there a fourth of the screen that is covered by the HUD and I feel that it is limiting to the experience as it is ugly and cluttered with icon's that I don't know what they mean. The health bar is green which is  confusing for me as a player as my eyes are drawn to the health bar which I think is health. 

(Hamilton, K. 2012)

(Imp Daggerfall.2016)

Looking at semiotics in culture and in video games it is important for the audience to understand what the semiotics represents so it can have an impact and relation on the viewer. It is important for game design that the icons used are relate to the regional audience you are designing for. It is also important that the player will learn the meaning of the icons very quickly by not overloading them with too many icons to remember. In games like 'Dead Space' it is nice to see games that break for the traditional representation of health and added it's own twist but is still understandable what it represents. Overall icons are there to make the gameplay experience easier and more visually pleasing with little to not text and easy to understand icons which are remember-able and pleasing to the eye. 

Bibliography

Adams, E. and Rollings, A. (2014). Fundamentals of game design. 3rd ed. Berkeley, CA: New Riders.

Andrews, M. (2016). Gamasutra - Game UI Discoveries: What Players Want. [online] Gamasutra.com. Available at: http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/4286/game_ui_discoveries_what_players_.php?print=1 [Accessed 4 Mar. 2016].

Hamilton, K. (2012). [online] Kotaku.com. Available at: http://kotaku.com/5888170/the-first-mass-effects-user-interface-sure-was-terrible [Accessed 4 Mar. 2016].

 Imp Daggerfall. (2016). [online] Elder Scrolls. Available at: http://elderscrolls.wikia.com/wiki/Imp_(Daggerfall) [Accessed 4 Mar. 2016].

Teachertoolkit.me, (2014). Can semiotics be used to improve teaching and learning? by @TeacherToolkit | | @TeacherToolkit. [online] Available at: http://www.teachertoolkit.me/2014/01/26/can-semiotics-be-used-to-improve-teaching-and-learning-by-teachertoolkit/ [Accessed 4 Feb. 2016].

Tekinbaş, K. and Zimmerman, E. (2003). Rules of play. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press.

 Stathoyiannis, Y., Vlachos, G. and Zakkas, S. (2013). Color Perception by Culture - iNFOGRAPHiCs MANiA. [online] iNFOGRAPHiCsMANiA. Available at: http://infographicsmania.com/color-perception-by-culture/?utm_source=Pinterest&utm_medium=ZAKKAS&utm_campaign=SNAP [Accessed 5 Feb. 2016].