Comparative Studies of popular computer games' design principles

1. Comparative Studies of popular computer games' design principles Re-Volt VS Mario Kart Wii Tong Chun Kit 08543688d Wong Wing Fai 08504417d Lung Wing Kiu 08549400d Kwan Kai Hong 08603063d

2. Re-Volt

3. Mario Kart

4. Player groups and characteristics Re-Volt Mario Kart Wii All ages, gender and demographic groups Targeted on teenagers and kids More friendly to females Multi-languages For both hard gamers and casual gamers • All ages, gender and demographic groups • Targeted on teenagers and kids • Multi-languages • For both hard gamers and casual gamers

5. Reinforcement – Stimulus Re-Volt Mario Kart Wii Love driving Attack enemies and escape the attack from enemies Using driving skills and driving boards • Control a cool and popular RC car • Attack enemies and escape the attack from enemies • Using driving skills and driving boards

6. Reinforcement – Challenges Re-Volt Mario Kart Wii Player begin from the last Easy challenge get small reward Difficult challenge get big reward Do extra missions gain special reward • Player begin from the last • Easy challenge get small reward • Difficult challenge get big reward

7. Reinforcement – Rewards (Re-Volt) • Modes • Racing unlock: Complete the first in the race to unlock • Mission unlock: Collect items to unlock • Rewards • Cars • Tracks

8. Reinforcement – Rewards (Mario Kart Wii) • Modes • Racing unlock: Complete the first in the race to unlock • Mission unlock: Collect items to unlock • Event unlock: Play all tracks once to unlock • Rewards • Cars / Motors • Tracks • Items • Characters

9. Reinforcement – Difficulty • Depend on the player car performance • NPCs will use cars with similar capabilities.

10. Reinforcement – Strategy Development Re-Volt Mario Kart Wii Car selection Character selection Items collected Driving skills Cooperate missions • Car selection • Items collected • Shortcut • Driving skills

11. Reinforcement – The concept of Luck • While player pick up the item • Randomly assign a weapon or an item to player • All players can collect items • Some powerful items are more difficult to get • Worse player have more chance to get a more powerful item

12. Reinforcement – Satisfaction • Begin as the last and complete as the first

13. Cognitive Dissonance • Conflict with a person’s believes and attitudes • Players drive “dangerously” to win • Intentionally crash other players to make them lose

14. Cognitive Dissonance • They don’t drive like that in real world • Creates dissonance • Solve dissonance by changing thoughts • Players think they are in a game not in the real world, it’s different! • Use unrealistic design in the game to let players distinguish from real world

15. Theory of Regret • If the player complete the second in the race, he will win the race • If the player can complete the race earlier one second, he may get any rewards • Players may occur some unfortunate events or mistakes, e.g. player’s car crashed to the wall or be attacked by the enemy car • If the player goes wrong direction or path, he will probably lose this match

16. Cognitive System – Cognitive Skills • Both games has an easy learning curve • They have to learn • Track environments • Using the pickups tactically/skillfully • Players need to multitask when playing • Puts great deal of load to cognitive system • Tasks: • Drive fast without crashing • Pickup items • Attack

17. Cognitive System – Motor Skills • Transform cognitive skills to motor skills • Thoughts -> key presses • React very quick like reflex action to win • Examples • If the road is moving right, right key needs to be pressed • Avoid obstacles • Get back to track as fast possible after crash

18. Cognitive System – Memorizing • Short term memory • Where the items placed • Where each player is • Who is heading • Long term memory • Shortcuts • Crashing mistakes

19. Cognitive System – Coordinating Re-Volt Mario Kart Wii Easy to control Approximated simulation physical environment Less demanding player skills • Hard to control • Realistic physical environment • More demanding player skills

20. Cognitive System – Attention Design Re-Volt Mario Kart Wii • Screen elements designed according to needed attention

21. Cognitive System – Attention Design • Attention shifts not as many as RTS games • Focused mainly in driving • Attention shifts are different according to situation • Last position or behind most players • Avoid crashes • Pickup items • Attack • First position • More focused in driving • No opponents in front to attack

22. Cognitive System – Attention Design • Attention duration should also be considered in design • Players in different environments have different characteristics • Play mobile game while waiting for bus • Easily distracted and lose attention • Can’t expect long continous attention • Gameplay lasts for minutes • Play console game at home • Dedicated time • Less distraction • Gameplay lasts for hours • Above is reflected in the design in the racing games

23. Cognitive System – Interference among game knowledge • Experience in playing games generally • How to drift the car • Pass through the curves with the minimum speed reduction

24. Cognitive System – Visual Transformation • Transform what they see on the screen into an imaginary 3D space • Camera/Viewport have to be well designed • Ease visual transformation by player’s brain • In Mario Kart Wii/Re-Volt • Camera at the back of car • Predictable • Left side of screen is left side of car • Going into the screen is the front side of car • Easy to understand

25. Social and Cultural characteristics – Cultural difference Re-Volt Mario Kart Wii Fictional & unrealistic style Cartoonish color scheme • The style of the game elements are more realistic • Most of them are come from the real world

26. Cognitive System – The concept of Fun(Physical fun) • Experience a simulation of driving in the real world. • Enjoy driving in high speed

27. Cognitive System – The concept of Fun(Social fun) • Both Re-Volt and Mario Kart Wii support multi-players mode and allow many people to compete with each others or cooperate to win a battle or defeat a boss.

28. Cognitive System – The concept of Fun(Mental fun) • Both Re-Volt and Mario Kart Wii share a similar Mental fun • Pressure build-up and release • Aimed by other players behind • Being over taken by other players/ cannot desert other players

29. Cognitive System – The concept of Fun(Mental fun) • Mario Kart Wii also provides another source of mental fun • BGM • The players’ emotion may be driven by the BGM of tracks, special BGM for different event and voices of the characters

30. Cognitive System – The concept of Survival • Both Re-Volt and Mario Kart Wii share a similar survival concept • Familiarize with the controlling technique of different cars • Familiarize with the tracks • Familiarize with the weapons characteristics

31. Other design elements – Play mechanics • Both Re-Volt & Mario Kart Wii have Intelligent NPCs • The collision response simulation is quite different

32. Other design elements – Interfaces design (Re-Volt) 5. Item collected 2. The total time, last lap time and best lap timeelapsed 1. Current place 3. Distance between front car 4. Distance between back car 6. Car speed 7. A direction sign

33. Other design elements – Interfaces design (Mario Kart Wii) 2. The total time elapsed 3. Item collected 1. Current place 4: Mini-map

34. Other design elements – Graphical & Game elements design Re-Volt: toy-feeling Mario Kart Wii: fictional & unreal Characters & cars design (cartoonish & fictional, original from other Mario series) Items design (original from Mario series) Animated 3D characters (cheering, stunning) • RC cars design(antenna, electric motor, batteries etc.) • Items design(fireworks missiles, bowling balls) • Tracks design(supermarket, museum, ship)

35. Other design elements – Audio and Music Re-Volt Mario Kart Wii BGMs and SEs present in the game Different track has different BGMs Some special BGM will be played when some special events occur • No BGMs • Only SEs present in the game

36. Other design elements – Control Schemes Re-Volt Mario Kart Wii Support Wii remote only, Wii remote with Nunchuk or Wii Wheel • Support keyboards and joysticks • Control keys can be changed base on players’ preference

37. Other design elements – Game Modes • Similarities and differences in game modes

38. Conclusion • How to apply the learnt theories into the analysis • Realize that minor gameplay characteristics may affect the gameplay a lot