by Annie | Game Design
Everyone who knows me knows that I love ketchup. I put it on everything from eggs to sloppy joes, and, occasionally, corn as well. Ketchup can spice up just about anything. And as I found out today during my level design class, so can SketchUp. For those of you who haven’t yet heard of SketchUp, it’s not quite a condiment. SketchUp is Google’s 3D modeling software, and like most other Google-produced tools, it’s quite powerful. Within seconds, you can turn a rectangle into a box and a box into a house with windows and doors. Need a 3D car? No problem. Just create a few boxes and modify the edges. Then add a few cylindrical wheels, and you’ll soon be zooming along. While SketchUp doesn’t allow you to walk around in an environment, the tool is perfect for level design. The shapes, edges, and vertices are all so easy to manipulate, making virtual architecture a snap. Within the next couple of weeks, I will be creating a level in SketchUp, complete with 3D architecture, characters, and obstacles, so stay tuned! In the meantime, here’s a quick look at what you can do with...
by Annie | Game Design
There’s no doubt that games will effect change on a global scale and fundamentally transform the way we learn. The question, though, is how. And when. I’ve seen games in which players explore the human body from the inside, games that change players’ nutrition and exercise habits, and games that challenge players to minimize dependence on oil. Games can be fun and serious at the same time. Here’s a closer look at serious games and their potential. Now, seriously, go play some...
by Annie | Game Design
Just this week, I’ve written 4 papers, taken 1 midterm, created a detailed perspective drawing, and analyzed numerous games and movie scenes. And this is supposed to be the “easy” term. Now into the 4th week of my first term, I can honestly say that I still love it. I leave the house at 8am each morning and usually get home after 10pm, but most days I end the day with more energy than I have at the beginning of the day. I’ve heard that a year at VFS should be viewed less as school and more as industry experience – an extended interview, if you will. All the assignments are designed to hone specific skills and lead to specific goals. Not one assignment thus far has made me feel like I was wasting my time. Here’s an in-class assignment I did today in my visual storytelling class in which we were discussing visual communication through comics. This comic was created in under 15 minutes, and I think it essentially sums up my expectations for my experience at VFS within the next several months: start out clunky and intimidated, go through several bumps, gain a few bruises, and come out sleek and molded, ready for the next...
by Annie | Game Design
Spending your extra money to buy pink tractors and virtual chickens? You’re not alone. Zynga, the social games giant that created FarmVille and Mafia Wars, has over 200 million players a month, giving it a broader audience than its rival Electronic Arts. Zynga’s expansion has been largely due to the growth of social games and micro-purchases on Facebook. In fact, 20-30% of Facebook traffic is now driven by games. So before you scoff at virtual harvesting, take a minute to think about what makes such games so popular and why Zynga might become the Google of the game...
by Annie | Game Design
Like vampires, zombies have mystified the masses for ages. But who knew that you could fight off zombies with pea-shooters, mushrooms, and other veggies? Plants vs. Zombies, released in 2009 by PopCap Games, has been a huge hit for casual and hardcore gamers alike. Even my mom loves it, laughing in delight as the zombies’ heads pop off. But why? What contributes to the game’s broad appeal? Here are a few conjectures: 1. Approachable theme Enhanced by well-polished graphics, the theme of the game is approachable by audiences of various ages and backgrounds. Using veggies as weapons provides a new twist for hardcore gamers and a familiar topic for younger audiences. 2. Simple mechanics A tower defense-style game of sorts, Plants vs. Zombies doesn’t require players to manipulate a variety of buttons to engage in actual combat with the zombies. Instead, players choose strategic placements for their plants with the click of a button, watching the battlefield from above and reinforcing their defenses when necessary. 3. Universal concept Everyone is familiar with the exchange of money and goods. Even toddlers understand that people must acquire money, then choose how and when to spend it. Preying on this universal concept, Plants vs. Zombies provides a new medium with which to earn and spend currency. Players must earn sun power to plant more veggies in order to defend their house from zombies. And who wouldn’t want to do that? So if you haven’t already, you should definitely consider taking on the role of veggie commander, defending your house and brains against the approaching wrath and hunger of the zombie...
by Annie | Game Design
Imagine you’re a parent (this is less of a stretch for those of you who already have children). Your child is growing up in a world in which people use cell phones to check email and rely on GPS narration to guide them through unfamiliar territory. And of course, the ubiquity of computer and video games is unavoidable. So, do you let your kids play them? Let’s face it. The game industry is growing. Computer and video games are published every day. Story lines are becoming more complicated, and gameplay mechanics are changing. Often, toddlers as young as 2 years old play computer games or iPhone games on a regular basis. Isn’t this harmful? According to Marc Prensky, the contrary is true. Kids can actually learn more positive and useful things from computer and video games than from school, depending on how teachers and parents moderate kids’ gameplay experiences. Think about how much attention and energy kids devote to computer and video games. Now compare that to the attention and energy they put forth in the classroom. I can assure you that there are as many kids catching Z’s in the classroom as there were back in the “old days” before classrooms had interactive white boards and computers. But why? What’s the draw of video games? For one, kids, just like adults, love challenges. Give a kid an overly easy assignment, and you’ll catch them throwing paper airplanes soon after, counting down the minutes until recess. Give a kid a challenging assignment with the proper tools and scaffolding to help them complete it, and you get a focused and...
by Annie | Game Design
Everyone knows that designing a game is pretty simple. All you need are gameplay mechanics, basic rules, and an objective. Designing a fun game, on the other hand, is a completely different beast. A couple of weeks ago, I was tasked with creating a list of 25-50 analog game ideas in order to create an original board game from scratch within the next 6 weeks or so. The first five ideas came pretty easily, but the rest felt like pulling teeth. Sitting outside on the balcony, I tried using everything in the environment for inspiration. Car zooms by – ah, racing game. Wind blows – hmm, leaf collecting game? Twenty-eight ideas later, I had a few decent ones. Now came the hard part: choosing an idea and developing it into a full-fledged game. I spent the better part of this past weekend drawing and staring at shapes, trying to imagine strategic moves and epic analog battles. My basic idea was for a spider web game involving prey capture and natural obstacles, like wind damage. Players would build the web, trying to capture prey while thwarting their opponents. Sounds pretty simple and fun, right? Not so fast. This is where play-testing comes in. Prototype after prototype revealed new and unforeseen challenges. Here are some issues I ran across: – Pieces bunch up when trying to capture the same prey. – Pieces spread out when trying to capture different prey. – Should prey placement be random? – How should players “build” a web? – How do you show the effects of wind on a board game? After a few iterations, I stepped back from...
by Annie | Game Design
Not sure if games are worthwhile? Well, according to Jane McGonigal, games have the power to transform the world, giving players the skills to solve large-scale real world problems. Don’t believe it? Take a look. She can be quite...
by Annie | Game Design
Maybe it’s the blog, or my love of reading, or my three-year break from student life, but I’ve discovered a new love for writing. Instead of dreading essay assignments, I now crave them. Just today, I completed two analysis papers within the breaks between classes, and I’m already hungry for more. Now, I can’t tell you whether or not my writing is actually any good; you’ll have to be the judge of that. I think the joy I get in writing is that I have a voice, a way to communicate my unique perspectives without any interruptions from others. I can shoot out all my thoughts, put them aside, then go back later and make them sound more coherent or add more humor. Writing gives me the freedom to share my writing when I please or keep it to myself without fear of judgment. As with many industries, game design is built around clear communication. Great game designers not only come up with great ideas, but they have the intellectual prowess to communicate those ideas effectively, both verbally and on paper. You might have the most innovative idea the world’s never heard of, but if you can’t tell people about it, it may soon become someone else’s great idea. So if you’re thinking about a career in the game industry, start first with a pen and paper. Jot down ideas for characters, for different levels…heck, you could even jot down what you had for lunch. Just write. The more you write, the better you’ll get. Think of it as leveling up, in the world of...
by Annie | Game Design
My dad once tried to teach me how to play the game Go when I was in kindergarten. Staying home to work on his PhD thesis, he was easily bored, and seeing as how I was the only other person in the house, I was by default the most worthy opponent. On the most basic level, Go is a game of surrounding your opponent’s pieces. In fact, the Chinese name for the game literally means “encirclement game.” Taking turns to place black or white stones on grid intersections, you work to surround your opponent’s pieces, thus capturing them and removing them from the board. Sounds pretty simple, right? Wrong. Soon after starting, you’ll realize that Go can quickly become very complex. You and your opponent are simultaneously trying to surround each other’s pieces, making for an increasingly messy situation. Strategy, skill, and planning ahead definitely come into play, or else you’ll soon find the board slowly being taken over by your opponent’s color. Similar to poker, there are expert Go players, and Go tournaments can award prizes of up to a quarter of a million dollars. Never played? The best way to learn is to play. Beware: rules are easy to grasp, but the game is difficult to master. Ready for a challenge?...
by Annie | Game Design
I’ve recently rediscovered my insatiable love for Bejeweled 2. For those of you who have never played, the gameplay is quite simple. Given a grid of random jewels, you must switch adjacent jewels to create strings of 3 or more. Bonus events occur when you get 4 or 5 gems in a row. Pretty simple. Not rocket science. So why has the game been played and replayed hundreds of millions of times? What keeps people coming back to such a straightforward game? The answer lies in the psychology behind the game. While the gameplay may seem simple, the psychology behind it certainly isn’t. Here’s why: 1. Difficulty level Bejeweled may not require a PhD in pattern finding, but there is some level of skill required for the game. You have to practice in order to increase your skill in finding rows of jewels. With a learning curve in place, the player gets a sense of contributing to and earning the rewards, making them all that much more gratifying. 2. Randomness and unpredicability Sure you can control which jewels to move, but you have no power over the placement of the gems in the grid. The jewels appear in a random pattern, so gameplay is new and different each time you play. Because of this, you can’t predict the outcomes. This keeps you constantly guessing as your dopamine neurons are jumping up and down in elation, quite similar to the effect gambling has on your brain. 3. Cascading effects At certain points in the game, you might create a simple string of 3 jewels that sets off huge cascading effects,...
by Annie | Game Design
Because so many VFS classes are taught by industry professionals, people still very active in the field, several classes take place in the evening. This week, I have 6:30-9:30pm classes Monday through Thursday. The upside of evening classes is that they’re not in the morning. The downside, however, is that I have to bring both lunch and dinner every day to avoid high restaurant meal bills. Thus, Joe and I just spent about 3 hours cooking dinners for the whole week – Joe as the sous chef and me as the executive chef. Pasta, rice, sausage, bacon, greens, asparagus, cauliflower, chicken, potatoes, and lots of onions and garlic. We’ve certainly done enough slicing, dicing, sauteing, and dishwashing to last us several days. Looks like it’s going to be a tasty...
by Annie | Uncategorized
Coming into the VFS game design program, I knew that my class would be predominantly male, just like the game industry at large. I figured, maybe 5-10 girls out of a class of 30. Little did I know, the demographics would be even more skewed. There is only one other girl in my class. Needless to say, I was pretty intimidated at first. Most of these guys have logged hundreds if not thousands of hours playing games like World of Warcraft and Bioshock. They could probably play the games in their sleep, and I wouldn’t be surprised if some of them slept with controllers under their pillows. After the first day of classes, I was still a little wary. Sure, the guys seemed congenial, but could I really be friends with them? There were guys who joked about including boobs in every video game, guys who had already been involved in game development for years, and other guys who rarely said anything. As the week went on, I made an effort to get to know as many of the guys as possible. As it turns out, they’re all completely different. Some just graduated from high school, others are career changers, and they come from all corners of the globe. As the conversations piled up, gender started to fall away. Now, at the end of my first week, I know that I’m among an amazing group of people, both male and female. There are people here I could be great friends with, others that I might start a business with. Whatever the outcome, I’m confident that we’ll learn more than...
by Annie | Uncategorized
Sooner or later, games are going to take over the world. You might as well just face it and accept it now. You can turn practically any activity into a game. Take, for example, the to-do list game. Pretty cool,...
by Annie | Game Design
If you’ve ever read Malcolm Gladwell’s bestseller Blink, you might be familiar with the power of thin-slicing, the ability to gauge the essence of something or someone within a very narrow period of experience. In the blink of an eye, say. Think about the last person you met. Chances are, you were able to tell within the first few seconds of conversing with them whether or not you could be great friends. That’s exactly what I’ve been doing with games. Game-slicing, if you will. Luckily, the VFS resource center is stocked with enough Xbox, PlayStation, and Wii titles to entertain me for at least a few thousand hours, so I’ve been checking out about 10 games at a time and playing each for about 15-20 minutes. The downside of playing games for such a short time is that I spend a lot of time getting used to the controls and aiming with minimal accuracy. But the upside is that I get to sample tons of games. So far, my game buffet plate has been filled with titles like Assassin’s Creed, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, God of War, Guitar Hero II, and even The Urbz: Sims in the City. If you have any suggestions for games I need to add to my list, feel free to let me...
by Annie | Game Design
Those of you who know me well might have been surprised when I declared a move to Vancouver to study game design. After all, I don’t have much game playing experience under my belt, and it was only recently that I’d even heard of such acronyms as MMOs (massively multiplayer online games) and RPGs (role-playing games), terms commonly thrown around by gamers in the know. I haven’t been completely engrossed in a game since Super Mario Bros. back in elementary school, as my allowance couldn’t quite keep up with the ever evolving consoles after that. Thus, I’m currently undergoing a baptism of fire of sorts. It’s now nearing midnight, and I’ve been playing or thinking about games since 7am this morning. Our class of 30 spent most of the day playing a team-based diplomatic relations strategy game, then moved on to a multi-game, multi-console tournament, which lasted until dinner time. A quick meal later, we rounded out the day by discussing pre-production techniques and trying to come up with effective pitches for medieval Japanese fighting games. Within the last 15 hours or so, some people completed open heart surgeries, prosecuted infamous criminals, or piloted trans-Atlantic passenger jets. Me? I played games. All day. And I loved...
by Annie | Other
I had my first experience with Canadian healthcare today. Well, not Canadian healthcare proper, but I was injured, and a Canadian cared for me and helped me regain health. I’d say that counts. On my way to school this morning, I realized that I’d forgotten to remove the lights from my bike last night. Dangerously close to being late, I frantically tugged at the lights, forgetting that they had release switches. Swearing under my breath, I managed to yank off the rear light. One down. The front light was a little more stubborn. I was about to give up when I decided to make one last attempt. One hard jerk later, the light was free, taking along with it a chunk of my left index finger. The chunk, while not huge (~4mm in diameter), was just large enough to draw a decent amount of blood, enough to stain my bike gloves and be annoying. Thus, without a band-aid handy, I alternated between gripping the handlebar and sucking on my bleeding finger during my ride downtown. When I arrived, I couldn’t find any staff members to beg for a band-aid, so I settled for the security guy. Figuring he would point me in the direction of a first aid cabinet or the student services office, I was shocked when he grinned with excitement and pulled out a duffel bag full of first aid supplies. “I’ve trained extensively for this,” he explained, eager to assess my injury. With purple latex gloves on, he carefully cleaned the wound, warning me of possible stinging, and followed up by applying a fresh band-aid. As...
by Annie | Game Design
Today was my first day in the game design program at the Vancouver Film School (VFS). Game design has long been a male-dominated field, which is clearly showcased in my class of 30 people: 28 guys, 2 girls. (So far, the one big bonus of the male-female skew is that there’s never a line for the ladies’ room. That’s gotta count for something.) Being a typical female gamer, I spend most of my game time with popular casual games like Bejeweled, Zuma, and Plants vs. Zombies. Thus, I spent most of my day thinking, “WTG?!” or, in other words, “What’s that game?!” as title after title were thrown out in casual conversation with most people in the room nodding in agreement and stroking their chins at the awesomeness of the games while reminiscing over hours of gameplay. Me? I spent most of the day nodding and smiling obliviously, secretly adding titles like Ocarina of Time and Mass Effect 2 to my to-play list. Never before have I heard of so many games I haven’t played all in a single day. Luckily, we have a “study hall” in the building (i.e., a games lounge stocked with PCs, playstations, Wiis, etc.). I’ll definitely be doing tons of “studying” within the next several months. Yes, be jealous. So after the first day, I’m definitely overwhelmed, but also tremendously pumped and excited for all that I’m going to learn within the coming months. Awesome people, great discussions, fun games – what more do you...
