1. Game Characteristics and Genres
The Hopeless Task of Classifying Computer Games
Introduce the idea of a MOO
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2. Characteristics
A number of variables that for which each game has a particular value set
Projection
How is the game viewed by the player?
Time
Number
Location of the software
Path
Open world or directed
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3. Projection: How is game viewed?
Text
No graphics
Two dimensions
Only an X and Y dimension
First person, three dimensions
Player cannot see self or behind them
Third person, three dimensions
The player may see themselves and their immediate surroundings
Isometric – Equal measure
Contrasted with perspective
Two and half dimensions
2D to appear like 3D
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4. Time How is time handled Take turn Pseudo time Real time
Time is insignificant
Pseudo time
Time is compressed or expanded to the player’s moves
Real time
Things happen whether player is ready or not
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5. How Many Players? Single Two player Multiplayer Massively multiplayer
Usual for games that are not networked
Two player
May be on a single computer or on network
Multiplayer
Approximately up to 20 to 50
Client server or peer to peer connections
Massively multiplayer
Could be hundreds or thousands
Client server
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6. Location Almost all games have software on the player’s machine
Has the software been installed?
Run through a browser or other common client
Does this software communicate?
Peer to peer?
Client and Server
Does the other machine actively participate or merely store results
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7. Open World
Any virtual world game that gives the player freedom to go anywhere
This is generally limited to first and third person games
Excluding even some of these, such as racers
Does not have to be 3D
AKA
Free roam
Sandbox
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8. What is a genre?
Webster: a kind, a sort or a type said of works of literature and art
For convenience we classify games into types for comparison purposes
How do we compare football and chess, both of which are games?
The following is one possible list of categories
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9. Genres Shooter/Fighter Bat and Ball Fighting Simulation Racer
Collector
Video Pinball
Puzzle
Strategy
Adventure
Video Board game
Fighting
Simulation
Role Playing Game (RPG)
Platform
Sports
Arcade Adventure
Rhythm-Dance
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10. Shooter/Fighter Game play is all about shooting and not being shot
Objects
Opponents
Swords etc. may also be used
These are usually fighting back
Success is measured in length of life or objects destroyed
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11. Bat and Ball Using a mouse or other controller hit an object
Defend an area from the object
Hit the object to a goal
Pong is an early example
Need graphics, but fairly simple ones
Many examples are Freeware or Shareware
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12. Racer Player is driver on a course
Object is to have a good time or better time than opponent
Straight line courses are easier
More turns and obstacles increase the difficulty
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13. Strategy
Player has multiple units or a unit with multiple capabilities
Object is to defeat an opponent
Not real time but moves in a take turn fashion
Board games such as chess and go
Star Trek text game
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14. Sim Simulate some complex system
Most famous are the Electronic Arts Sim series
Sim City etc
Resource management is the crux of the game
Predecessors include Lunar Lander and Oregon Trail
If sufficiently complicated these may be used for training
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15. Computer RPG Players explore a large enclosed area
They gain experience and engage in combat with other players or bots
Often turn based rather than real time
Derived from the non-tech Dungeons and Dragons
MUDs and MOOs are the software
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16. Arcade Adventure An RPG with good graphics
Player interacts in real time with a graphic reality
Usually there is a puzzle to solve involving the exploration of a dungeon
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17. Computerized Equivalents
Computer equivalent to a conventional game
Video Pinball
Sports
Video Boardgame
Video Cardgame
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18. Combinations These categories are not exclusive
We will see combinations of any of these categories with the characteristics
We may also discover/develop a game that does not fit in this system
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19. Odds and Ends I Collector Platform games are a derivation Fighting
Object is to collect a certain number of things while avoiding certain hazards
Pacman is an example
Platform games are a derivation
Jump from platform to platform
Donkey Kong and Mario Brothers
Fighting
Simulating boxing or martial arts
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20. Odds and Ends II Puzzle Rhythm-Dance
Solve some type of graphical puzzle
Graphics without a representation of reality
Tetris
Rhythm-Dance
Perform actions on a controller in time with music
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21. Assignment Generate a document and mail it to me
Contains a list of games you have played
Should include:
Name
Category
Cost
Due prior to next working day
I would like to discuss this next class time
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22. Alternative Classification
Action
Adventure
Casual
Educational
Role Playing
Simulation
Sports
Strategy
Roger Pedersen’s Genres
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23. Action
Typically real time games where the user needs to be involved in a second by second basis
Many arcade games
First person shooters
Racing
The story telling is often confined to the splash screens
Unreal Tournament is an example
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24. Adventure
A series of problems are presented that the player must solve
Zork from 1977 is early example
Before good graphics text based adventure games were very important
They faded when graphics made them appear boring
They have re-emerged with good graphics
Often a component of an action game
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25. Casual Computer implementation of an existing game This includes:
Board, card, dice games
Game shows
Not limited to these
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26. Educational Any game that disguises learning in a game format
Must be engaging enough that the students want to play, yet have enough educational value to be valued
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27. Role Playing Games
Player assumes a role and with this role comes a goal
Dungeons and dragons was the paper predecessor
Game play often lasts longer than others
Must be a storyline as well as problems to solve
Often played in groups
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28. Simulation
A complex real world scenario that can be experienced without great cost or danger
Typically two flavors:
Vehicle
Flight simular
Management
SimCity
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29. Sports Games A game that simulates a sport Two point of views
Football, baseball, soccer
Fighting
Two point of views
The manager
The player
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30. Strategy The winners form strategies that best their opponents
May be real time or take turn
The view is a distant third person
Usually the entire arena
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31. This Year
We will focus on two similar but quite different first person games:
Unreal Development Kit
Minecraft
Your term project will likely be in UDK
Other possibilities exist
Subject to negotiation
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32. Quake III Arena Quake and its derivatives and competition
First person shooter
Real time
Single or multiplayer
Bots substitute for other players when needed
A strategy is needed
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33. Lambda MOO Not actually a game
A server that can enable a variety of games and non-games
Text based
May be real time or pseudo time
May be massively multiplayer
Game goals are a function of the programming
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34. Unreal Development Kit
First person open world
Real time
Single or multiplayer
Realistic graphics rendered nicely
Bots substitute for other players when needed
A strategy is needed
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35. UDK
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36. Minecraft First person open world Real time Single or multiplayer
Very coarse graphics
Bots substitute for other players when needed
About 60 million copies have been sold
Who here has not played this game?
Why is this so popular?
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37. Minecraft
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38. UDK and Minecraft Either of these have uses other than games
Both are programmable
Or we would not be interested
Both have been used to generate machinima
Both have educational use beyond game design
Minecraft has a quantum physics mod
Both lean toward certain genres but could be used for any
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39. Discussion What type of game does Minecraft naturally lean towards?
How would you do a board game with Minecraft?
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40. Assignment On the website there is a link to emulated DOS games
Find four different games that represent four different genres on this site
Play each of them
Write up a one page Word document that:
Gives the name and genre
Gives a screen shot of the play
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