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Small Changes, Big Results: Redefining a PC Franchise for the Nintendo Wii

Learn how a lead designer adapted a popular PC franchise for the Nintendo Wii, discovering the power of tactile interaction and building a thriving player community. Discover the design principles behind successful games and how to evoke desirable emotional responses in players. Get insights into game mechanics, dynamics, and aesthetics, and explore the art of storytelling in gaming.

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Small Changes, Big Results: Redefining a PC Franchise for the Nintendo Wii

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  1. Small Changes, Big Results Redefining a PC Franchise for the Nintendo Wii

  2. Hello! • AI/Games • GDC Workshops • Sims EP Team • Lead Designer: Wii!

  3. Let’s Chat • Franchise Analysis (1/3) • Designing to New (1/3) • Takeaways (1/3)

  4. MDA

  5. What is MDA? • Formal Vocabulary • Common Language • Flexible, Extensible Not a Methodology

  6. Rules Behavior Fun How Games Work

  7. Mechanics Behavior Fun In other words… The rules and concepts that formally specify the game-as-system.

  8. Mechanics Dynamics Fun In other words… The run-time behavior of the game-as-system.

  9. Mechanics Dynamics Aesthetics In other words… The desirable emotional responses evoked by the game dynamics.

  10. Mechanics Dynamics Aesthetics Design Perspective   Player Designer

  11. Mechanics Dynamics Aesthetics Player Perspective   Player Designer

  12. The Sims

  13. Mechanics • Manage Motives • Work for $ • Spend $ to Build/Buy • Objects & Social = mood ++ • Get promoted!

  14. Mechanics

  15. Mechanics • Manage Motives • Work for $ • Spend $ to Build/Buy • Objects & Social = mood ++ • Get promoted! Events, object & social failures

  16. Dynamics • Motives vs. Fun vs. Work • Social for Goals • Lothario • Miser • Slacker • Keeping up with the Jones’ • Plate Spinning/RTS Compulsions

  17. Aesthetics • Groundhog Day • Fixably Broken • Unique Successes and Failures “How funny! Should I fix it?”

  18. Success! • Millions of units sold • Player community thrives • Houses • Objects • Sims • Stories!

  19. Q: More? • Controls (more to balance) • Tools (more to shape) • Information (more storytelling)

  20. A: Storytelling • Dream… or Nightmare? • Romance… or Feud? • Real… or Fantasy?

  21. Storytelling • Dream… or Nightmare? • Romance… or Feud? • Real… or Fantasy? Life!

  22. The Sims of our Lives • Aesthetic: Lifetime • Dynamics: Generations • Mechanics: Aging, Wants & Fears

  23. Aesthetics First • Aesthetic: Lifetime • Dynamics: Generations • Mechanics: Aging, Wants & Fears Play to Tell Your Story!

  24. Fan-tastic!

  25. Aesthetic… Verbs • Savor • Experiment • Create • Achieve

  26. Wii Ho! • New Context • New UI • New Game

  27. First Impressions • Aesthetics • Tactile • Clean Lines • Family-oriented

  28. First Impressions • Dynamics • Active • Expressive • Communal

  29. Mechanics? • Consider • Core Activities • Tactile world • New Look • Simple but powerful tools

  30. A New World • Comfortable pace • Savor • Create • Clear goals • Achieve • Experiment

  31. MySims • Core Cycle • Explore (Look what I found!) • Build (Look what I made!) • Exchange (Look what they did!)

  32. Achievement? • Growth • More Sims • More Buildings • More Levels

  33. Collect Town Growth Build + Customize Socialize Sim Needs Exchange

  34. Look What I Found! • Mechanic: • Open world, hidden goodies • Dynamic: • Explore and discover • Aesthetic: • World, not a Set

  35. Look What I Made! • Mechanic: • Decomposable/Recomposable • Dynamic: • Design + Build things • Aesthetic: • You control it!

  36. Look What They Did! • Mechanic: • Reactive/Responsive Sims • Dynamic: • Individual and Group Expression • Aesthetic: • Comic, clockwork world

  37. Takeaways

  38. It’s all about Tactility • Controller lets players • Touch the world • Poke the systems • Build a community for their Sims

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