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Photography

Blog #12

Barthes, R. (1980). Camera Lucida: Reflections on Photography. Hill and Wang. Available at: https://doi.org/10.2307/293004

The Legacy of Roland Barthes’ Camera Lucida in the Anglo-American World Roland Barthes’ Camera Lucida is considered one of the key works in attempts to comprehend the philosophical and the emotional aspects of photography. In this context, Barthes articulates the concepts of ‘studium’ and ‘punctum’ as different levels on which images communicate to their viewers. For them both however, there is some emotional response which is personal: studium encompasses the economic, cultural, political and historical reading of a photograph, whilst punctum encapsulates that ‘prick’ or sensation ‘a scar’ which leaves the viewer. I am intrigued, however, with Barthes’ ideas about photography as a documentation and a form of personalization at the same time. His ideas explain as to how photographs may address the sameness of the issues but also create a sense of particularity, within different viewers. This indeed emphasizes the potential of photography to represent both the individual and the universal worlds.

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Immersion In Games

Blog #11

Brown, E. & Cairns, P. (2004). A Grounded Investigation of Game Immersion. CHI ’04 Extended Abstracts on Human Factors in Computing Systems. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1145/985921.986048

Immersion is one of the many things that make games enjoyable and hard to forget. Brown and Cairns identify three levels of game immersion: engagement, engrossment, and total immersion. Their research indicates what audio and visual effects, as well as the mechanics of the game, can contribute to the feeling of ‘being in the game’. The most interesting part for me, however, is how they state that the degree of immersion is relevant to the type of game and its platform. For instance, games like The Last of Us and God of War, which do focus more on storytelling, provide an emotional involvement through the narrative, whereas Elden Ring focuses on an environmental immersion through exploration of the game. These sorts of dynamics are critical for building a profile of a creator’s design and the ways in which it encourages interaction with the game. If you ask anyone who has played these games, they’ll tell you how emotional and intense you feel during key cutscenes of The Last of Us, or how engaging and exciting it feels to discover new parts of the Elden Ring map.

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Augmented Reality and VR

Blog #10

Milgram, P. & Kishino, F. (1994). A Taxonomy of Mixed Reality Visual Displays. IEICE Transactions on Information and Systems, E77-D(12), 1321–1329. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1162/pres.1995.4.2.218

Augmented reality and VR are probably the strongest forms of immersive media you can find. Think about it: What can possibly give you a stronger feeling that you are actually in the world of the media you are consuming than wearing a device that, quite literally, allows you to see the world that you imagine? You can even interact with certain elements, depending on the quality of VR. The work of Milgram and Kishino aims to focus on keeping effective, engaging experiences balanced with realism. Perhaps what is the most impressive aspect in all of this is that AR and VR can transport you into the world of education and social interaction; not just games and media. One of the most popular games is” VR chat” in which you can create an avatar based on any of your favourite characters and interact with other people through proximity chat. There are also VR platform games like Half-life: Alyx, which is a VR version of the classic game Half-life.

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Politics In Games

Blog #9

Frasca, G. (2003). Simulation versus Narrative: Introduction to Ludology. In M. Wolf & B. Perron (Eds.), The Video Game Theory Reader. Routledge. Available at: https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203961246

Games have always been political, both explicitly and implicitly. As Gonzalo Frasca showed in his essay on ludology, games can implement models of political systems, ideologies, and conflicts because they are interactive simulations. Unlike narrative, which presses the audience along a set path, games enable players to explore and play with political scenarios in a haptic sense. What caught my eye in this study is how interactivity makes games uniquely suited to explore complex political issues. There are examples within games that showcase power dilemmas and societal structures, such as Papers, Please and Civilization. Games such as those allow players to think more critically and develop more empathy when making decisions.

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Identification

Blog #8

Mulvey, L. (1975). Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema. Screen, 16(3), 6–18. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1093/screen/16.3.6

Identification in media studies refers to the psychological process whereby the audience empathizes or aligns with onscreen characters. Laura Mulvey's seminal essay Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema explores this through the lens of feminist film theory, focusing on how identification is often structured around the male gaze. An example of this was shown in one of the presentations: Megan fox in Transformers. The work of Mulvey challenges creators to rethink how characters are framed and how audiences relate to them. One notices the way in which Mulvey's analysis teeters around identification as reinforcement or transgression of power relations: for example, games where the player can be anybody and, as such, allow players to fight stereotypes and build empathy, whereas the media that show narrowness of vision could alienate or marginalize some audiences.

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Ocular-Centrism

Blog #7

Jay, M. (1993). Downcast Eyes: The Denigration of Vision in Twentieth-Century French Thought. University of California Press. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1525/9780520915387

Ocular-centrism is the very pre-eminence of vision as the sense through which the world has been understood and conceptualized. Martin Jay's Downcast Eyes explores how twentieth-century French theorists critiqued the privilege of sight above the other senses in the Western tradition. This critique provides a new perspective on the role of vision in contemporary media and culture. What I found most interesting, though, was how this idea relates to digital media today. Video games and virtual reality experiences depend a great deal on the fidelity of the visual experience to transport people into virtual worlds. But as Jay's work suggests, if there is too much focus on vision, it might inhibit other ways of more immersed involvement. This is a sentiment that I personally agree with. Many video games seem to focus a great deal on graphics, fidelity, and visuals. Incorporating sound, touch, and even smell into digital experiences can resist this ocular-centric bias and expand what media is capable of.

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Media Convergence

Blog #6

Jenkins, H. (2006). Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide. NYU Press. Available at: https://doi.org/10.18574/9780814743683

Convergence, in the present age, refers to the point of interaction between traditional and digital media, as Henry Jenkins explains in his text, Convergence Culture. In this piece, Jenkins highlights how convergence changes the techniques of storytelling, the ways of incorporating the audience as well as the production of culture. The use of several films, video games, comic books, and websites in the Matrix series for example, helped create an intricate transmedia that encouraged active audience participation. In this particular reading, I think the most important issue for Jenkins is the issue of participation. Nations are not simply consumers of products; they are active catalysts who are contributing towards the changing nature of the media. And there are a number of notable cases, like YouTube, or, quite recently, TikTok. The audience on these platforms have created more than their creators intended them to, which made these creators adjust themselves to the content type that these platforms now offered the most.

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Media Specificity

Blog #5

McLuhan, M. (1964). Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man. MIT Press. Available at: https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/9780262134646.001.0001

The distinct knowledge of any medium is said to be media specificity and how these qualities determine the manner in which the stories are narrated or even how the texts are read. This is particularly evident in McLuhan’s work titled Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man where he spends quite a long time developing this idea and stating that ‘the medium is the message. In other words, the audience perceives a medium according to its external shape and structure. This text reminds us that knowing the basic features of a medium can perhaps provide an alternative area for creativity. Hence, the reason why a novel is different in both circulation and stimulation from a film’s audio and visual aspects. In the same manner, in contrast with cinema or literature video games offer a different interactivity. These comments of McLuhan tend to suggest that the creators should take advantage of the features of their medium rather than make it an imitation of other media.

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Gesamtkunstwerk

Blog #4

Wagner, R. (1849). The Art-Work of the Future. In W. Ashton Ellis (trans.), University of Nebraska Press (1993). Available at: https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt1ddr8k7

Richard Wagner’s idea of a ‘total work of art’ or Gesamtkunstwerk continues to be one of the major ideas in cross-disciplinary artistic. As Wagner argued, music, theatre, visual art as well as dance could form a singular integrated whole. His ideas set the scope for what would later develop in multimedia, cinema and video games, among many. The most interesting aspect of this study, is the fact that Wagner's idea from the 19th century holds true today, especially in the context of digital storytelling. Many aspects of a video game come together to form an engaging, compact experience. Aspects such as the visuals, the story, the mechanics and how the game works. You can apply the same logic for theatrical productions that are on a much bigger scale, or even artistic pieces that go for an aesthetic that is “all-encompassing”.

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2D and 3D shadows

Blog #3

Li, T., & Zhang, X. (2022). Klaus: A study on the application of light and shadow based on Gestalt psychology. International Journal of Frontiers in Sociology, 4(5), 70-74. https://doi.org/10.25236/IJFS.2022.040513

Shadows are integral to 2D, as well as 3D environments. However, their portrayal differs as a result of their nature. The study helps us understand this further by giving examples, such as how light manipulation can give the illusion of 3D space which enhances the visual spectacle of any medium. Simple shading is usually what is used to achieve shadows in 2D, which is a substantial contrast to 3D. 3D deploys more complex techniques to simulate shadows, such as using atmosphere effects and surface geometry. Li & Zhang argue that techniques such as light manipulation can enhance how viewers perceive spatial relationships within an image in 2D.

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Cinema

Blog #2

Bordwell, D. & Thompson, K. (2019). Film Art: An Introduction (12th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1036/filmart-12th

Always considered one of the most influential art forms, cinema has continued to influence ideas and cultures around the world. A great guide which further enhanced my understanding of technical elements of artistic cinema is Bordwell and Thompson’s Film Art: An Introduction. I found many interesting elements in this text, particularly the bond between form and content. A great example in that the text uses is the choice of specific camera angles and how it may affect the tone and mood of a scene. This ranges from action packed movies such as The Avengers, to eerie and silently terrifying films such as Stephen King’s “IT”.

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Animation

Blog #1

Williams, R. (2001). The Animator’s Survival Kit. Faber & Faber. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-5566-3

It is fair to acknowledge that new technologies and methods have an impact on the animation industry and practice. Yet, the great works that were produced decades ago – including the concepts, principles and techniques contained in them – are still as applicable today as they were in their own time. In this regard, Williams’ authoritative text, The Animator’s Survival Kit, contains the essentials for any animator who desires to master at least some of the basic principles of animation. The book focuses on such aspects as squash and stretch, timing, and anticipation, which are the common tools used by animators. However, to my surprise, Williams discussion, in almost every part, oscillates from hand-drawn techniques to 3D and animation making principles, which according to him, are equally important. For example, “follow-through” dynamics and “overlapping action” seem to be important in developing an animation. It is these techniques that assist an animator in producing sequences which give the audience some degree of emotional effect, regardless of the medium. My background, knowledge, and experience in graphic design made me take an interest in this particular book. Williams’ teachings seem to be very relevant not only for animators who might be dabbling with new technologies such as virtual reality, AI generated animation but for traditional animators composing Mills too.

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Critical Analysis

Fields, T. and Cotton, B. (2012) 'History of game monetization', in Fields, T. and Cotton, B. (eds.) Social Game Design. Morgan Kaufmann, pp. 21-22. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-240-81766-8.00003-8.

Critical Analysis: The Evolution and Ethical Implications of Game Monetization

The evolution of monetization in video games, as explored by Fields and Cotton in Social Game Design (2012), presents a compelling narrative on how the industry has adapted to shifting economic models and consumer expectations. I chose pages 21-22 specifically, as they delve deep into different monetization methods that are used in the time of the paper’s publication. T. Fields and B. Cotton are the authors of the chapter. They collaborated on the book Social Game Design, which they also edited. They have collaborated together in many different works. Tim Fields came to the game industry in 1995 as a producer, project manager, design lead, and business developer. He has assisted small studios as well as top publishers such as EA and Microsoft lead teams that create great video games. The genres he has worked in comprise shooters, sports, racing and RPGs, and these were developed by teams and talent from North America, Asia, Europe and the UK. Brandon Cotton has more than 10 years of experience in game industry in a range of technology, platforms and game types. He also designed games socially and online and now is a founder, head of design, and programmer of Portalarium. He has professionally constructed games for NCSoft, Ubisoft, and Microsoft and graduated with a Computer Science degree at the University of Texas. The link referenced is from a chapter from their book "Social Game Design". The book was published by Morgan Kaufmann, who is a well-known professional academic publisher when it comes to technology and gaming-related topics. The DOI link provided will direct you to the digital publication of the chapter.

The authors analyse various monetization strategies, ranging from the first, typical one-time purchases to contemporary practices like microtransactions and subscription models, which are a lot more common today. While their discussion captures the monetization landscape of 2012, it remains strikingly relevant today, reflecting trends that have not only persisted but intensified, which we will dive into in this analysis in greater detail. This analysis examines the authors' insights, critiques their approach, and contextualizes their arguments within the current gaming ecosystem. Personal experience with games I have played will also be added in when necessary.

Overview of Fields and Cotton’s Analysis

Fields and Cotton provide a thorough breakdown of monetization techniques in the first paragraph. Games were often free or available at nominal costs (In the UAE, which was where I lived, it costed about 10 DHS or 2.16 pounds for one PS2 disc). They trace the trajectory toward more complex systems like premium models, microtransactions, and subscription-based services such as Amazon prime. The case studies and examples presented—though reflective of their time—offer a foundation for understanding the industry's current dynamics.

One particularly striking observation is the authors claim, in page 21, that many games were once freely available, especially in the burgeoning days of online gaming. This sentiment resonates with people like me who remember a time when creativity and gameplay took precedence over profit maximization and prioritization. The authors argue that monetization, while necessary, risks alienating players if implemented without balance or transparency.

Monetization Today: Amplification of Trends

Fields and Cotton’s analysis, particularly in page 22, is prophetic in highlighting how monetization strategies would grow to dominate game design. The price of modern “Triple A” games starts from 60$, up to 80$ depending on the game. The prices have spiked up massively when compared to games back then. In addition, games incorporate extra monetization techniques, such as DLC (downloadable content), microtransactions such as loot boxes, season passes, and most recently; battle passes. Each of these monetization layers seek to drain the player’s wallet as much as possible, alongside the price of the game.

The central theme in the reader is the most common monetization method as of recently, which are microtransactions. They allow players to purchase advantages, which push players from having a “They are an optional feature” mentality, to a “I need to buy this if I want to win” mentality”. Of course, there are games that have microtransactions that are only cosmetic and do not provide a competitive advantage. However, the amount of games that adopt the opposite mentality has been increasing as of late. Losing to someone because they have an advantage over you is frustrating, and game developers know that. They want to exploit that as much as possible to earn money from players. Fields and Cotton’s observations about monetization techniques are even more relative today, with games such as FIFA employing such aggressive microtransaction systems. Those systems provide players with unfair advantages over others.

Ethical Concerns and Player Backlash

Fields and Cotton briefly touch on the ethical dimensions of monetization in page 22, but the topic warrants deeper exploration. Monetization in 2024 involves practices such as loot boxes, in which players continuously pay for random items and rewards. “Overwatch” was a game that was criticized a ton for employing this system, so much so that they completely changed it in Overwatch 2. This system has been criticized for sharing many similarities to gambling. This has gotten to a point where there are countries that banned these practices, such as Belgium and Netherlands. This shows that certain monetization techniques are not just a financial strategy; they are an issue that raises questions regarding ethics and morality.

Games nowadays have teams that are dedicated to increasing profits by gathering data regarding spending habits of players. They know that tactics such as scarcity, reward loops, and urgency cause players to have a feeling of “FOMO” (fear of missing out), which will urge players to spend more on microtransactions. I think an element of discussion that needs to be addressed within Fields and Cotton’s research is how these systems affect children. Children could develop bad habits growing up as a result of these morally questionable techniques. The psychological impact present here cannot be overlooked. A great example of this is Call of Duty, which is a game that is played by many children. The publishing company for Call of duty, Activision, released documents of data and information that showcase that skill-based matchmaking (a system they have deployed as of recent years), increases player retention and increases microtransaction sales.

Balancing Creativity and Commercial Viability

Fields and Cotton acknowledge that monetization is vital for sustaining the industry in the first paragraph of page 21, particularly in a competitive market where production costs are soaring. Indeed, there are games which are masterpieces that require a great amount of resources and money to create, such as Red Dead Redemption 2, so this is a take I would agree with. With all that being said, the question then presents itself: Is creating a great game an excuse for questionable microtransaction techniques?

The reader critiques monetization for overshadowing gameplay, and this critique aligns with player sentiment today. Many gamers feel that intrusive monetization disrupts immersion and enjoyment, reducing games to vehicles for profit rather than a creative outlet for developers. Fields and Cotton could have delved further into the tension between financial pressures and artistic vision, exploring how monetization impacts game design, storytelling, and innovation.

The Player Perspective

What makes Fields and Cotton’s discussion overall particularly engaging is its resonance with players’ lived experiences, such as myself. The reader’s personal reflections, such as frustration with microtransactions, highlight a shared sentiment among, I would imagine, many gamers. These first-hand accounts add depth to the analysis, emphasizing how monetization strategies shape player perceptions and engagement.

Moreover, the reader’s observation that games use monetization “to creep into any popular game” underlines a growing dissatisfaction with industry practices. This sentiment is only heightened in recent times, as games such as Overwatch, which is loved by many for its creative character design, is yet again criticised for having a morally questionable microtransaction system. This only drives more of a wedge between the companies desire to earn profits and players goodwill.

Moving Forward: Ethical Monetization

Fields and Cotton’s work serves as a foundation for envisioning ethical monetization practices. The gaming industry has evolved so far that it has outgrown the music and film industry. If you told any person who plays games this information a decade or more ago, they would have called you insane. Because of this, it is important to price items and games clearly, put non-intrusive ads, and make sure that microtransactions are purely cosmetic and do not provide a competitive advantage. Furthermore, indie games have risen in popularity immensely. Games such as Celeste are a great example of how you can create an incredible experience with innovative gameplay and stellar storytelling without abusing microtransactions. This is an aspect that I feel should have been praised by Fields and cotton more.

Conclusion

Fields and Cotton’s analysis of game monetization in Social Game Design remains an essential resource for understanding the economic and ethical complexities of the gaming industry. Despite their work being published in 2012, it has aged gracefully as this has become an even more contentious topic. We as players have to criticise practices made by companies that prioritize profits at the price of a good product. Of course, balancing profits and other factors in the game is a daunting task, but the solution is not to utilize predatory practices. Discussing such matters helps us move forward and learn more about how companies can earn money while simultaneously earning player goodwill.

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Readers

Fields, T. and Cotton, B. (2012) 'History of game monetization', in Fields, T. and Cotton, B. (eds.) Social Game Design. Morgan Kaufmann, pp. 21-35. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-240-81766-8.00003-8.

The author goes in detail about how monetization works in video games. They discuss different techniques and ways games have monetized certain aspects, such as the game itself, microtransactions, subscription-based services, and more. They talk about how monetization has changed from back then to now, using the example that a lot of games were free, often found in the Internet. I would say that despite this being in 2012, it holds true now more than ever. Now, there aren’t as many free games, with the common price of “Triple-A” games being 60-70 dollars. This topic immediately caught my eye more so than the other topics covered in this article, as I have seen many monetization techniques used by games that I play that I am not a huge fan of. Microtransactions are a very common method that is used by companies nowadays, and I see it way too often to not talk about it. It is something that constantly creeps its way into almost any game that seems to catch even a modicum of popularity.

Haigh-Hutchinson, M. (2009) 'Camera fundamentals', in Haigh-Hutchinson, M. (ed.) Real Time Cameras. Morgan Kaufmann, pp. 21-74. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-311634-5.00002-1.

The author talks about how camera angles impact the way that players view or feel the game. They juxtapose game cinematography with film cinematography, noting that the important difference is that in games, the camera angle can greatly impact the player’s perception or how their character is controlled. The angle has to be non-intrusive or block too much of the screen, so that the player can see what is happening in the game. This holds up today, even though the article is from 2009 but with a few key differences. If you look at old games such as Mario and Sonic and compare them to even recent Mario and Sonic games, you will see that the camera angle techniques used in both are different, but not completely. I have studied a bit of photography before, so I wanted to know what this article had to say in regards to camera angles. Of course, camera angles are important, especially in different video game genres. Racing games need a certain angle so that the player can see their model (the car), but also be able to see in front of them so that they can move accordingly and not be obstructed.

Isbister, K., (2006). Focus on the player. In K. Isbister, ed. Better game characters by design. The Morgan Kaufmann Series in Interactive 3D Technology. Morgan Kaufmann, pp. 41–46. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-1-55860-921-1.50011-9.

In this paper, the aspect of creating and designing a character is discussed. They talk about how it is impossible to create a character that fits into each and every person’s psychology, so a generalized result is often the most successful method to go with. Despite this book being published in 2006, this will forever hold true, as this is one of the main issues that video game designers have to confront head-on when creating a game, with the exception of games where the main character is not named or important to the gameplay. This holds true more than ever in story games, where a huge factor is the main character design and their personality. The player will be looking at the character, realizing smaller, finer details about them as they play more and more. As it is impossible to reach every player with a character’s design, designing a main character that appeals to as many people as possible is crucial for success.

Iuppa, N. & Borst, T., (2010). Determining simulation activity. In N. Iuppa & T. Borst, eds. End-to-end game development. Focal Press, pp. 175–186. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-240-81179-6.00015-8.

This paper talks about end-to-end independent games utilizing simulation. In this specific section, they mention that the U.S army asked them to create a simulation for their soldiers to practice operations and command. I find this topic interesting as it is somewhat similar to the concept of auto-pilot mode, in the sense that you create a simulation for a game and have the game be independent. There are games that use similar technology, such as Minecraft which generates infinite structures and area, of course with a set of defined rules by the developers. This concept is an interesting one as it coincides with the recent rise of Artificial Intelligence. To achieve the goal of this experiment, they used many different types of media, such as prerecorded videos, audio recordings, gigabytes of intel data, and more.

Lebowitz, J. & Klug, C., (2011). Making stories emotional. In J. Lebowitz & C. Klug, eds. Interactive storytelling for video games. Focal Press, pp. 107–116. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-240-81717-0.00005-0.

In this paper, interactivity is the main focus when it comes to game design. While there is no definite consensus on what makes a game “interactive” the paper goes on to say that there are aspects that make a game more interactive, such as visual arts. More importantly, they talk about the significance of connecting with characters. If the player comes to connect with the characters, they will eventually see the events of the game as if they are actually real. Of course, anyone who got really into a game, notably story-driven games will be able to testify that this is true. The difference between the player who is extremely affected, and mildly affected is worth a difference worth noting. However, the main point of interactive game design is to invoke an emotion even out of the most stone-faced person. Not every game aims to achieve this though, there are games that are just meant to be mindless entertainment.

Marks, A., (2009). Creating music for games. In A. Marks, ed. The complete guide to game audio (2nd ed.). Gama Network Series. Focal Press, pp. 227–267. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-240-81074-4.00008-7.

This paper talks about how music shapes emotion and feeling. It gives examples of you being happy when upbeat music plays, sad when a melodic soundtrack plays and so on. It goes on to explain that this is a form of emotional manipulation, where you can somewhat dictate the state of the player. Of course, all of this is only possible within the confines of the story and how believable it is. Music is timeless in almost any media, let alone video games so naturally this still holds up today. Many of the greatest video games of all time, such as Minecraft and Celeste have incredible soundtracks to accompany the gameplay which adds a lot to the experience. It is important to know when to play the right soundtrack for the mood, in order to further enhance the experience.

Newman, R., (2009). Cinematography for games. In R. Newman, ed. Cinematic game secrets for creative directors and producers. Focal Press, pp. 91–106. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-240-81071-3.00007-8.

This paper discusses the term “cinematography”, which is a term that you would be familiar with if you dabbled in the film industry. To simplify, it is the general process of camera work across a form of media. The author goes on to explain the “Five Cs” of cinematography, those being camera angles, continuity, cutting, close ups, and composition. This study is relevant today. However, the cinematography techniques that are being used today are vastly different from the ones used back in 2009, when this study was published. Lighting techniques and camera angles have gone a long way in video games, being improved upon heavily as well as improving and refining older methods to achieve the best cinematography possible. Personally, I think cinematography is most important in story-driven games. When it comes to other genres of games, it is important, but not as much.

Plass, J.L., Homer, B.D., MacNamara, A., Ober, T., Rose, M.C., Pawar, S., Hovey, C.M. and Olsen, A. (2020) 'Emotional design for digital games for learning: The effect of expression, color, shape, and dimensionality on the affective quality of game characters', Learning and Instruction, 70, 101194. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2019.01.005.

This paper talks about the effect of different aspects such as color and shape on the characters of a game. It presents multiple studies, covering color, expression, shape, dimensionality, 2D, and immersive 3D. The paper provided more insights into emotional design using a model known as EmoGBL. Of course, all these elements that are talked about in this paper heavily affect the perception and “feel” of a game. Color goes hand-in-hand with the theme of the game. A game such as bloodborne needs to have darker colors in order to adhere to the theme of the game. Shapes also influence the perception of certain characters. More round characters have found to be perceived as “more approachable”.

Swink, S. (2009) 'Game feel and human perception', in Swink, S. (ed.) Game Feel. Morgan Kaufmann, pp. 35-60. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-374328-2.00002-0.

In this paper, the author discusses the importance of understanding how humans perceive video game worlds. They emphasize how that leads to designing the feel of a good game. They incorporate a concept known as “Model Human Processor” which tells you all about real-time control and how it exists. The author, throughout the paper constantly questions real-time control and our knowledge of when it’s happening or not. What I found most interesting was not the actual main topic, but the questions that the author put forth to the reader: What if the player can offer new input at any time, but the game can only receive it at set intervals? Or what if the player gets locked out for a certain amount of time, unable to add new input until an animation has finished playing? These questions piqued my curiosity because I constantly find myself thinking how games could be improved if certain limitations could be removed. Even with this paper being published in 2009, it still holds true now, as game feel is a concept that many game studios struggle with, while others seem to do it seamlessly. Games such as Elden Ring have perfected the game feel, as evident by almost anyone who plays it.

Schell, J. (2008) 'The game begins with an idea', in Schell, J. (ed.) The Art of Game Design. Morgan Kaufmann, pp. 57-74. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-369496-6.00006-5.

This paper is perhaps the most interesting. It draws a diagram/flowchart that showcases to the reader how the process of creating an idea for a game goes. It starts from an idea that the creator came up with, then begins the process of thinking about the game mechanics, such as elements, themes, and many other aspects that accumulate into the game. An important thing that I felt was left out in the paper, is the experience of the designer themselves. The designer often comes up with an idea as a result of the games that they have experienced before. They often have seen a game mechanic, a story element, a certain theme or many other possible things that they wanted to expand upon and see come into fruition. Of course, the process of creating a game cannot include everything that goes into it within a mere flowchart, but that is an important element that I felt was left out. There are definitely more thoughts that are a part of the process of the “Idea creation” phase now compared to 2008, yet the core principle remains the same. The creator thinks of an idea that they have wanted to expand upon, and execute that idea.

Trefry, G. (2010) 'Matching', in Trefry, G. (ed.) Casual Game Design. Morgan Kaufmann, pp. 79-100. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-374953-6.00004-0.

In this paper, the author talks about matching and sorting games. They explain the importance of casual and accessible games, which matching and sorting games usually fall into. They give an example through the game “Bejeweled”. Stating that it is a game beloved by casual players yet a game scoffed at by hardcore players, who call it a game for “brain-dead casual gamers”. In all honesty, I disagree with the author here. Matching/sorting games that are aimed at casuals CAN also appeal to hardcore players. It’s just that the creators of the game have to find ways to make the game re-playable. There needs to be an incentive to come back to the game once the basic mechanics are figured out. If that goal is achieved, then the game can appeal to both fanbases. This paper is the most one out of all the papers that holds true today. The discussion of “Casual and Hardcore” gameplay is one that is constantly discussed in the gaming sphere, which is briefly touched upon when the author mentions the game “Bejeweled”.

Wyman, M.T., (2011). Half-Life 2. In M.T. Wyman, ed. Making great games. Focal Press, pp. 53–66. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-240-81285-4.10004-2.

In this paper, the main topic of discussion is the process of designing and creating a great game. Of course, many factors play a role in this, with the paper using many games as examples of stellar game design. This specific paper cites Half-life 2 as the star of the discussion. This is another paper that I chose because it ties to me. I have played the Half-life games, and even before reading what the paper had to say, I already knew why it is a fantastic game design-wise. The game incorporates intricate and thought-provoking puzzles that don’t feel tedious or cumbersome to complete, rather satisfying and rewarding. 12 years later from 2011, this is found to be relevant today with God of war: Ragnarök, another game that utilizes puzzle design very intrinsically.