by Annie | Oct 5, 2010 | Game Design
It’s my birthday. When I think back to a year ago today, I can’t believe just how different my life is. For one, I now live in Canada. CANADA. And I’m studying game design. How crazy is that? A year ago, I had just finished working with Clairvoyant Technologies to develop Pi’s Kingdom, a game targeting basic math facts for elementary school students. A year ago, I was preparing to start working with ARTSEDGE (AE) at the Kennedy Center to develop resources to help educators bring the arts into the classroom. It was from my AE cubicle that all this craziness started. At AE, I worked on a variety of projects, from writing and revising lesson plans to creating interactive materials to supplement lessons and Kennedy Center events. But my favorite projects were easily the games. I was tasked with creating a game to teach basic elementary music knowledge. What came from that challenge was Step Right Up, two carnival-themed games to teach basic rhythm and how to read notes on the staff. For these two games, I created the high concept and designed the mechanics, interface, and theme/art. Need to brush up on your music theory? Take a look at Quackin’ Rhythms and Whack-A-Note. Through these experiences, I realized the incredible potential of games in education. And, well, the rest is history. One year later, I’m here in Vancouver living my dream, and I’m excited about all that’s yet to...
by Annie | Sep 30, 2010 | Game Design
Cut-scenes have long been the bane of many gamers’ existence. Sure, gamers love story, but cut-scenes often interrupt gameplay, and thus many gamers skip them to get back to the interactive portions that make a game a game. In the end, cut-scene development money is wasted, and gamers end up bumbling through games confused and unsatisfied. So is there a solution? In a recent Gamasutra article, Andrew Vanden Bossche set two fundamental guidelines for including cut-scenes in games: 1. Words must never interrupt the game. 2. Words must never be skippable. Intrigued? Take a look at Bossche’s article, “Analysis: Skippable Cut-Scenes and How They Work in...
by Annie | Sep 28, 2010 | Game Design
Recently, we were tasked with adapting a game to a movie. After pondering some games with strong story lines, I decided to go instead with Minesweeper, the classic puzzle game that has provided countless hours of fun for PC users worldwide. The movie Minesweeper features Ethan, a cop who has devoted his life’s work to studying mines and tracking a particular criminal group known as the Planters. Flashbacks early in the movie reveal that Ethan’s father died from a mine explosion when Ethan was just a kid, thus providing motivation for his intense interest in mines. After a routine detonation exercise goes terribly wrong, Ethan questions his expertise and resigns from the force, sending his life spiraling out of control. At his lowest point, the police chief visits him, requesting his assistance with the latest lead on the Planters, who are planning to plant a massive mine field in the Vancouver harbor for a fireworks festival. Reluctant, Ethan hangs on to a copy of the Planters’ encoded map but promises nothing. Another flashback later that night reveals the map’s connection with Ethan’s late father, and suddenly, the numbers and symbols on the map begin to make sense. The map leads him to a warehouse where he confronts Simon, the leader of the Planters. After some questioning, Ethan realizes that he and Simon share more of a past than he could ever have imagined. Who would’ve thought that such a seemingly simple puzzle game could yield such a complicated story line? Sony and Paramount – if you’re interested, let’s...
by Annie | Sep 27, 2010 | Game Design
On my way back into town from a wedding this weekend, I decided to start sketching out some ideas for my next level design concept. Being on an airplane without internet access, I had to draw inspiration from the resources available to me, namely the various airport maps within the in-flight magazine. As I was sketching, I could feel the guy in the seat next to me eyeing my drawings curiously, checking my progress every so often to sneak peeks at room layouts, weapon placements, and ideas for cinematics. In that moment, as I saw myself through his eyes, I remembered what an incredibly fun and creative field game design is. Every day, I get to pull inspiration from movies, news, science, and the world around me to create entertaining interactive experiences. I’m in the business of creating fun, and what can be more fun than...
by Annie | Sep 24, 2010 | Game Design
All I can say is, it’s about time. Last week, Obama announced the National STEM Video Game Challenge, challenging game developers to promote interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) through video games. The competition includes two categories: a youth prize for middle school students and a developer prize for emerging developers. The games will target grades pre-K through 4 and will surely inspire many innovative ways to incorporate education and video games. Entries will be accepted from October 12, 2010, through January 5, 2011. Can’t wait to see the...
