Rules and Addiction

Rules 

Rules are placed within games so that players know how to play the games. Having rules in a game will allow the developers to set boundaries in order for the player to know what is right and what is wrong within the game. Game designers have to set the rules before starting there game as it will state what the characters will be able to do, how objects and components will be able to interact with the characters and players. So rules need to be set so that all the components can work together which therefore make a successful game. Rules will allow the game to know what to do when they are activated or broken as well. Different games have different rules for example in FIFA 15, if the player fouls the opponent then the opponent will receive a foul or a penalty. On the other hand, in Grand Theft Auto 5, if the player kills a civilian then they will get a 1 star so they will be watched by the police. 

Addiction 

Addiction is the state where the player starts to trapped within the game world or to something which is mentally or physically habit forming. There are some main reasons why players start to get addicted to the game. One reason is that players may start to become immersed to the game world because it starts to look more life like and allows some players to escape from the real life and do things that they are not able to do in the real life like fly, shoot enemy's or even more. Another reason is that players get addicted to the competitive aspect of the game and get a little adrenaline rush. For example people get addicted to if FIFA 15 which allows players to get a high after winning a tough game and start to enjoy the feeling and end up playing more than they expected. Video game designers will aim to make there game addictive as they will want players to play there game constantly and it shows how popular the game will be. 

         

Mechanics

There are three main types of game mechanics which are Inventory, Scoring and Win Conditions. 

Inventory 

Inventory are placed within games in order for the players to see the items that they have collected along the journey of the game and it also gives information on how the player will be able to use them throughout the game. For example in Grand Theft Auto, the player is able to see what weapons they have picked up along the game and they have the choice of using one of them. Another example is on FIFA 15, you are able to see how many coins that player has in the club so that they could purchase new players to bolster there squad/team. 

Scoring 

Scoring is used within a game so that the player knows how well they are doing or how well they have done. This is really important to have in a game as this shows the player how well they are doing and how well they are doing compared to there opponents. Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare is an example of a game that uses scoring as when the player is playing online and gets a kill, that would be one point for the team. Another example is Candy Crush where the player gets points for how many candy's they get rid of. 

Win Condition 

Win condition is placed within a game to show the players in the game who the winner is once the game has ended It is important to clearly show who the winner is as then the players would know so that they can either celebrate if they won or learn from the mistakes they made in the game. An example of a game that has good win conditions is FIFA 15 as it clearly shoes who the winner of the match is by the amount of goals they scored at the opponents net. 

Game Settings

With ever game there are certain settings that can be adjusted to allow the game to be unique and different so that it can be attracted by there target audience. There are different types of settings in video games which are Physical, Temporal, Emotional, Ethical and Environmental.

Physical settings

This is where the current story in the game is taking place. For example, if you were playing a horror game then the setting will be dark and bleak so that it can fit in with the theme. Also this allows the player to be immersed to the game world. Game designers have to use the appropriate setting because if they don't, it will not make sense for example, if you are playing a horror game then you do not want it to be bright and happy as it will not connect with the player and they wont be immersed to the game. 

Temporal Setting 

This is the time the game is set. It is important that the game designers decide what time period the game will be set in before making the game as it has to be correct or else it will look wrong. For example, in Assassins Creed it is important that the game is set in the late 1800's so as it based on the French revolution. If it is not set in the late 1800's then the player will not be able to be fully immersed to the game. 

Environmental Setting 

This is the setting that will affect the weather conditions. For example in a horror game, the weather will be dark, rainy and have thunder. However in some games the weather condition can change for example in FIFA 15 there can be different types of weather conditions in different matches so it can be raining, snowing or be sunny. This makes the game more realistic as when it is snowing, on FIFA 15 the ball will start to skid along the ground and you will be able to see the marks of the players on the pitch when they slide. Also the environmental condition may also effect the gameplay as on FIFA 15 when it is snowing, players and the ball will slip and slide more than on a sunny day.

Emotional Setting 

This is the setting that will affect how the player will feel while playing the game. It is important that the game designers make a character that the player will be able to get an emotional attachment to as it will ensure that the player will enjoy the game more and feel more immersed to the gameplay and the gameworld.

Ethical Setting

This is the setting that allows the player to do things in the game world. For example, in Grand Theft Auto the player may be pushed into stealing a car or having to murder someone in the game. This is important for the game designers to notice as it will allow them to set an appropriate age rating of the game for example putting swearing and killing in a game that is rated 3+ will not be good as people will start to complain and the game will be less popular.

Goals, Challenges and Rewards

Goals

Goals in  video games are mini tasks within a game that enhance the gaming experience once completed. Video games include goals in order to enhance the gaming experience, which would evidently enhance the gameplay for the player so that the game won't get boring. Different games have different goals within them such as killing an enemy, collecting coins, completing a lap or even scoring a goal. An example of a game that has goals is Mario Karts where one goal is to complete a lap around the track within a race or trying to get ahead of the other players. Another Game that uses goals is FIFA 15 where the goal of the player is to score against there opponent so that they would have a higher advantage against them. 

Challenges 

Challenges are used within games to build on goals. There are three main types of challenges which are used within games, they are short, medium and long challenges. Short challenges are do not tend to take long to complete and are fairly easy for the player to complete. An example of a short challenge is to get 5 headshots on the enemy within Call of Duty: Black ops. Short challenges are used within games because it keeps the player entertained. The next type of challenge is medium challenge which tends to be longer than short challenges and are usually more of a challenge to complete. An example of a medium challenge is completing a mission in Grand Theft Auto or winning a match on FIFA 15. Medium challenges are used within games because they provide a more challenging objective for the player and also keeps the player entertained. The last type of challenge is long challenges. Long challenges tend to be the longest challenge to complete and are the hardest. An example of a long challenge is to win the trophy at the end of division 1 on FIFA 15. Long challenges are used within games because it keeps the player interested in the game and provides a purpose to it. 

Rewards

Rewards are used within games to enhance the experience of the game and also keeps the player interested. Rewards are provided after players complete a challenge or goal which will make the players go for the goals and challenges more meaning that they will improve there skills in the process. There are different types of rewards given to the player on different games and tasks within a game. Also there are short and long term rewards given by the game. Short term rewards are given after completing a short task such as completing a match on FIFA 15 with a reward of some coins to help players boost there ultimate team. Another example is in Assassins Creed, once you help a villager, you will be awarded with a new weapon to help complete the mission. Long term rewards are rewards that the player will achieve after competing a long task. An example of a long term reward is on FIFA 15 where you will achieve a trophy when getting enough points to win the division. Another example of a long term reward is completing certain tasks on certain guns so that they can receive some skins for there guns. Rewards are used within games because it keeps the players playing the game and to give the player some achievements to show that they are progressing and to show how good they are. If games did not provide awards then players would get bored and feel as if they are playing the game for no reason so they will stop completing goals and challenges as there is no purpose. 

Narrative | FMV | Cut Scene

Narrative

Narrative is the storyline within a video game that allows the player to go through an experience that the games providing. Game designers implement a narrative within their games because without it, the game may be boring as there will not be any real objective to playing the game. Also a narrative helps players as it in placed within missions so that player knows what is going on and what they have to do in the mission or it can be placed before and after you complete a mission to allow the player to get ready and to immure them into the game. There are many advantages and disadvantages to narratives. An advantage to using a narrative within a game is that it provides the gamer with a story and purpose to what they are doing or about to do. Also using a narrative within the game allows the player to be more immersed and feel more part of the game. A disadvantage with narrative is that it can slow down the gamers progress which may get annoying for the gamer. There are two main types of narrative which are FMV (Full Motion Video) and Cut Scenes.


FMV

FMV stands for Full Motion Video, which is a high quality video footage put into a video game and are usually quite long. They are usually pre-recorded and are played when the player reaches a certain checkpoint so that they can see what their current mission is going to be. FMV also are not based within the actual gameplay so it is based outside it which allows the designers to make a high quality full motion animation. An example of a game that uses FMV is Call of Duty as they provide one long high quality video at the start of the campaign to provide information about what is going on to the player and also another shorter on at the end of each mission to show the players progress. There are advantages and disadvantages of using FMV. One advantage is that it prepares the player for the mission and allows the player to get into the game even before doing anything. However, a disadvantage is that some FMV are around 2-5 minutes long, which may annoy players especially when there are no skip buttons to skip the video. Also another disadvantages is that it takes a couple of minutes for the FMV video to load and start which again may annoy the player and make them less immersed with the game.

Cut Scene

Cut scenes is a small clip that is coded and created to be rendered so that it can be put into the actual game engine. This allows the cut scenes to have a smooth transition and look more professional. Also this means that they can be used within a game and part of the story line. A game designer uses cut scenes as it can be smoothly transmit the movie scene along with the gameplay rather than waiting for a long video to load. An example of a game that uses cut scenes is Assassins Creed. Assassins Creed use the cut scenes may times but the main one was when the enemy was about to get assassinated. Cut scenes are preferred over FMV's because they don't take long to load so the player will not have to wait and ruin the experience and also it will not interfere with the gameplay.