2. Reverse Engineering and Professional Reviews
Chapter 8
Reverse Engineering and Professional Reviews

3. Objectives
Explain intellectual property as it relates to video game development.
Analyze various aspects of a game, such as rules, gameplay, and longevity of design.
Describe techniques used by the video game industry to analyze games.
Conduct a critical review of a video game.
Compare the plot, interactivity, and reward system of commercial video games.

4. Reverse Engineering
Reverse engineering is the process of deconstructing an existing game to understand how it works
Competitors will purchase a new technology item, take it apart, and see how it works
This reverse engineering is done to quickly understand the unique selling point (USP) of the competition

5. Reverse Engineering (Continued)
A copycat game is one that has gameplay similar to another game on the market
As a substitute product, the game would satisfy the same need or want of the original
Characters within a game are copyrighted
This means they cannot be used without permission
If you copy a game too closely, you will be guilty of copyright infringement

6. Reverse Engineering (Continued)
Intellectual property is something original from someone’s mind or intellect—an original creation
Intellectual property is protected by copyright laws
Copyright protection also applies to the game discs
It is illegal to copy a game disc, DVD movie, or any other commercial media without permission

7. Reverse Engineering (Continued)
The most critical legal standing is ownership
When you are hired at a game design studio, you will likely be required to sign a contract
That contract will lay out the rules for what the company owns and what you own
A work-for-hire contract states
What you are expected to produce
The starting and ending dates of the work
What you will be paid

8. Reverse Engineering (Continued)
A confidentiality agreement is a contract that states you cannot share any information about the company or its products with others
A noncompete agreement is a contract that states you cannot create work that competes with the company
While you are employed by the company
For a certain period of time after you leave

9. Reverse Engineering (Continued)
Under US copyright laws as soon as a creative work is in tangible form, it is automatically copyrighted
Misusing or making unauthorized copies of a copyrighted work is called copyright infringement
Piracy is theft
An artist or game designer may want to protect work by making it hard to copy

10. Copyright Note
Goodheart-Willcox Publisher

11. Critics
Critics are people who evaluate a game to provide a summary and opinions about the key elements of the game
A good critic will have a strong background in gaming and programming to help understand the new game
Consumers often rely on game reviews from critics and friends when deciding whether or not to buy a game
The five-star rating system is an easy, visual way for customers to see what a critic thinks of the game

12. Critics (Continued)
Goodheart-Willcox Publisher

13. Bias Bias is an intentional slant in one direction
With bias, a critic will over-emphasize the positive (or negative) attributes of the game
An unbiased review is one not influenced by outside sources, such as the game manufacturer
Unbiased reviews are the best source of information for consumers

14. Key Game Elements for Evaluation
Each element of a new game is evaluated by the competition and critics to see if it establishes a USP
The quality of rules is how well the rules are explained to the user
If the rules are not well defined, a player will quickly abandon the game, feeling it is pointless or just too hard

15. Key Game Elements for Evaluation (Continued)
The user interface is how the player interacts with the game world
Intuitive controls are devices that take no explanation of how to use them
If a player has to press multiple buttons to create a single move, that is difficult to remember and not user friendly
Navigation is how the player moves in the game world

16. Key Game Elements for Evaluation (Continued)
The player must be able to navigate each level in the game world
In some games, navigation aids are provided to the user
Performance is how well the game operates on the game system
If the game does not operate well, the player will likely not play the game

17. Key Game Elements for Evaluation (Continued)
The gameplay is what the user experiences as the game unfolds
Gameplay is what keeps the player entertained
The artistry of a game is its visual appeal
The settings and backgrounds should be artfully created and set the mood for the game and levels

18. Key Game Elements for Evaluation (Continued)
Longevity is the length of time something can continue to be used
For a game, this means the length of time the game is popular and makes money for the game design company
The player interactions are what the player is doing and how the items and characters the player engages respond

19. Key Game Elements for Evaluation (Continued)
Plot is the main storyline of the game
From start to finish, the game should develop a plot and stick to the story until resolution
A reward is something positive provided to the player, such as an increase in score, added lives, or more powerful tools

20. Linear Sequence
Goodheart-Willcox Publisher

21. Do you rely on game reviews from critics or friends when considering whether to buy a new game? Why or why not?
Which of the ten key elements do you think would be the hardest for critics to evaluate? Which element would be the easiest to evaluate?