MakerS as innoVaTors Chapter 1 What Are Games I magine you are throwing a ball against a wall Would you call that activity a game While it may be fun it’s not really a game Now imagine throwing a ball into a hoop That’s closer but it is still not quite a game Now give yourself two points every time you get the ball in the hoop Draw a big box on the floor that you must stay within to score First person to score 10 points wins Aha That sounds like basketball which is definitely a game Is making a basket considered a game 4
Game DesiGn Most games have all of these elements rules outcomes and conditions for ending the game How did we turn throwing a ball into a game We added rules two points per shot and outcomes winning and losing We decided when those out comes would happen first to reach 10 points wins Most games have all of these elements rules outcomes and conditions for ending the game Some games have two of the three Together these elements are called the game mechanics When the 5
MakerS as innoVaTors It is often difficult to explain why some games are more fun than others mechanics are in place players can develop tactics and strategies Then all kinds of interesting stuff starts to happen Great game designers can mix game mechanics stories and art together to give players an awesome experience something really fun But what is fun This question may sound silly but no one knows what fun actually is People in the toy and game industry spend their whole lives trying to understand and predict how and when fun will happen but they still 6
Game DesiGn don’t always get it right For example in 1982 Atari created a video game based on the hugely success ful movie E T The Extra-Terrestrial Even though it cost 25 million to develop it is now considered one of the worst video games of all time Millions of unsold game cartridges were buried in a landfill because no one wanted to buy them The next time you play a game think about the emotions you are feeling Are you happy Excited Proud Something else Now try to figure out why the game is making you feel this way Is it the gameplay or the art Is it the story or the characters Is it everything What do you like best about your favorite games 7
