On this page I collect different things, views and methods on how to get into game design or how to get good results in game design. I also learn here, because I am get myself into game design at the moment – besides having made some games or prototypes in history.
Why are there so few interconnections between application design and interaction design of games? I got a link from mo. to an interesting reading that fired up again the topic into my head. The article from Laura Alter is about ‘How to create a sticky user experience‘ and it gives some good points to start with.
“I suppose it’s not hard to make the leap that game developers are the kings and queens of sticky.”
Laura Alter
The high times of using game mechanics on application design are still about to come. Information through the internet is highly available and the fun of using an application can be a key issue to success. Development and programming of applications is getting more easy with lots of cool tools to support development and millions of possible features to support the user can become quite complex. Similar we can find in games: they have in part very complex control and navigation structures while the gamer at the same time learns the complex control structure gradually simply by playing the game. Good games start simple and then add complexity for the user to power up and master the area of activity.
And there we are in the Web 2.0 zone, where much applications also start out very simple and grow complex over time. A good basis for building such applications are agile software development strategies – mandatory for contemporary web-development and at least online application design. Go and read this overview article on how game mechanics can make your application more fun. Recommended reading on Digital Tools is miniature gardens and micro/macro scales to support the user and re-use of content, procedural vs. handcrafted gamedesign.
There have are lots sources on the topic of Agile Software Development. This kind of software development is the Zen of writing applications, games and websites. But where do I start?
Basics
There are a lot of websites, books and blogs dedicated to that topic. I just collected some essential reading on the web to get a first understanding of the concept of agile software development. First I recommend to grasp the model of iterative and incremental development to get an idea of continuous design and constant improvement.
A must have is the Agile Manifesto that really really provides the basic thoughts. Then you should take a quick look on two essays from Scott Ambler: Becoming Agile and Remaining Agile.
Dig Deeper
Now you’re done. You have a basic understanding on agile. If you want to dig deeper, than read about Extreme Programming (XP) or Agile Architecture Modelling.
There is also related reading on Digital Tools:
At the excellent weblog Lost Garden I found an article considering handcrafted game elements vs. procedural game design. The topic is about the re-use of content to minimize redundant work and to maximize the meaning of the game elements and therefore the gamers experience. One basic thought is that you have too keep the re-use of game elements as high as possible to reduce unnecessary development steps and to keep the whole process agile. My latest experience of intensive re-use of game elements like maps was the game Metroid Zero Mission on the Game Boy Advanced. It’s absolutely a good illustration of the re-use of elements, in this case the game maps.
“The more handcrafted, throwaway content that you have, the less agile your development process will be. This dramatically increases the chance that you will fail to converge upon enjoyable gameplay. It also dramatically increases the chance that you’ll fall back on conservative game mechanics because the act of trying something new is too bloody expensive.”
Please have a read of the whole article. It’s is definately worth the time. It also delivers links to literature and tipps to ask yourself if your content creation is at a meaningful level.
