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The Psychology of Effective Game Design. Jesse Schell Entertainment Technology Center Carnegie Mellon University. DisneyQuest. Head Mounted Display. CAVE - Computer Augmented Virtual Environment. Masters of Entertainment Technology at CMU’s ETC. Two year professional Master’s program
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The Psychology of Effective Game Design Jesse Schell Entertainment Technology Center Carnegie Mellon University
Masters of Entertainment Technology at CMU’s ETC • Two year professional Master’s program • About 80 students • 40% Art Students • 40% Computer Science Students • 20% Miscellaneous • Interdisciplinary teams creatingreal innovations for real clients
Are Digital Games important for Education? • “People who distinguish between education and entertainment don’t know much about either”- Marshall McLuhan • When people are having fun, they are more engaged. Can this translate to better learning? • Online games are becoming a core social experience • Children think of digital games as a way to play with reality • Film was the literature of the 20th century… • Will games become the literature of the 21st century?
Definitions • What is fun? • Just pleasure? • Pleasure with surprises! • What is play? • Just manipulation? • Manipulation that indulges curiosity!
Q1) Games are entered willfully. Q2) Games have goals. Q3) Games have conflict. Q4) Games have rules. Q5) Games can be won and lost. Q6) Games are interactive. Q7) Games have challenge. Q8) Games can create their own internal value. Q9) Games engage players. Q10) Games are closed, formal systems. What is a game? A game is a problem solving activity approached with a playful attitude.
What is a game made of? Aesthetics Mechanics Story Technology
How do I design a game? • Two key questions: • What is the player’s goal? • What is the player’s challenge?
Flow ∞(High) FlowChannel Anxiety A3 A4 Challenge Boredom A1 A2 (Low)0 0 (Low) Skills (High) ∞
Good ∞(High) FlowChannel Anxiety Challenges Boredom (Low)0 0 (Low) Skills (High) ∞
Better ∞(High) FlowChannel Anxiety Challenges Boredom (Low)0 0 (Low) Skills (High) ∞
Creating “balanced asymmetric risks” makes for challenging decision making. Low risk = Low reward High risk = High reward One More Tip
What can games teach best? • Systems of relationships, not easily visualized by description alone.
Hazmat: Hotzone for FDNY • Videogame tech for training first responders • “Lan Party classroom” • Instructor as “Dungeon Master”
Finally “Education and entertainment ultimately have the same goal: making memories.” - Michael Macedonia