Some after GDC09 thoughts about \nemotions in games. The game design challenge: My First Time presented by Eric \nZimmerman. Participants: Steve Meretzky, Heather Kelley, Sulka Haro, Erin \nRobinson
2009-04-15 17:33:39
I was pretty shocked when Erin Robinson was telling me that \nbringing emotions into games is an easy thing.
I don't think so. \nEspecially if i look to the known emotions in games I do not see many different \nkinds of emotions. Fear, maybe hate but not love, anger, rage, violent emotions \nall the time and that goal emotion "Yeah I'm a HERO" - not subtile but \nboring.
We had learned so far that we might make the player care for his \navatar, because he (and not she is in the focus) is the avatar. Do you remember \nthe Tamagotchi? Yes, you do. Another game about care, but it is parental \nwelfare. A game and a handheld console that provides the major theme of \nlove.
We can use sounds and music for transporting emotional \nvalues,
so we can use the artwork. We can even use the story and the \ndialogs, but does this full fill our intention
of different emotions in \ndifferent games. The usage of (one) emotion(s) as the basic game \ntheme.
When ever you try to build emotions into games do you ever thought \nabout the core game mechanics?
So what basic emotion delivers a FPS Ego \nshooter? I know that's a rhetoric question - a Prince of Persia, Street \nFighter, Halo 3, ... , Bejeweled, Click 3 away, Hidden Object Game, Sports game, \nwhat ever we made so far.
Still there is Tamagotchi. One game in a \nmultiverse of many more. But the basic emotional driver is still care. A \ndifferent kind of but still it is.
So what emotions we can deliver? Care, \nhero stuff and what more?
What is the basic emotion of a puzzle \ngame?
Heather Kelley's and Erin Robinson's game proposal was a quite \npure and poor casual games collection. Nothing that you would expect emotions \nbeing involved. The emotion had been driven through the graphical artwork. It \nlooked like hand drawn plan of a 15year old teeny girl. Her dream catching \nbattle plan for the first sex event.
Steve Meretzky achieved emotions \nthrough the story. He shared his experiences. The story is a tough driver! He \ndelivered with the story even catharsis in the end. Something like love, \nfriendship, understanding.
Sulka Haru finally made a social You share \nyour emotions game. Is sharing providing aq different mechanic? Care versus \nshare.
I don't think so. \nEspecially if i look to the known emotions in games I do not see many different \nkinds of emotions. Fear, maybe hate but not love, anger, rage, violent emotions \nall the time and that goal emotion "Yeah I'm a HERO" - not subtile but \nboring.
We had learned so far that we might make the player care for his \navatar, because he (and not she is in the focus) is the avatar. Do you remember \nthe Tamagotchi? Yes, you do. Another game about care, but it is parental \nwelfare. A game and a handheld console that provides the major theme of \nlove.
We can use sounds and music for transporting emotional \nvalues,
so we can use the artwork. We can even use the story and the \ndialogs, but does this full fill our intention
of different emotions in \ndifferent games. The usage of (one) emotion(s) as the basic game \ntheme.
When ever you try to build emotions into games do you ever thought \nabout the core game mechanics?
So what basic emotion delivers a FPS Ego \nshooter? I know that's a rhetoric question - a Prince of Persia, Street \nFighter, Halo 3, ... , Bejeweled, Click 3 away, Hidden Object Game, Sports game, \nwhat ever we made so far.
Still there is Tamagotchi. One game in a \nmultiverse of many more. But the basic emotional driver is still care. A \ndifferent kind of but still it is.
So what emotions we can deliver? Care, \nhero stuff and what more?
What is the basic emotion of a puzzle \ngame?
Heather Kelley's and Erin Robinson's game proposal was a quite \npure and poor casual games collection. Nothing that you would expect emotions \nbeing involved. The emotion had been driven through the graphical artwork. It \nlooked like hand drawn plan of a 15year old teeny girl. Her dream catching \nbattle plan for the first sex event.
Steve Meretzky achieved emotions \nthrough the story. He shared his experiences. The story is a tough driver! He \ndelivered with the story even catharsis in the end. Something like love, \nfriendship, understanding.
Sulka Haru finally made a social You share \nyour emotions game. Is sharing providing aq different mechanic? Care versus \nshare.
