Emotions and Quasi-Emotions
My favourite game design article this week hails from Kotaku instead of the usual Gamasutra.
Chris Bateman, who worked on Discworld Noir and has written some game-writing books, explores the differences between stirring emotions representationally (cutscenes, characters, story) and functionally (gameplay). The former has been experimented in many fictional media such as songs, comics and films, which is why I'm more interested in the second one.
Arguably evoking emotions representationally is weaker, hence the need to attach "quasi" to the word emotion. Quasi-emotions. Meaning that it just *resembles* real emotions. For me it's like being happy for a friend who just got married (ok, half-happy 
), which pales in comparison to the happiness you obtain if you yourself get married. Similarly, when Aerith died in FFVII, you felt sad... for her. For her friends. But if your actual friend died, it'd be a different story altogether.
Ok, so is this emotion or quasi-emotion I'm feeling in my pants right now?
It may seem silly to compare both game and real-life scenarios. I admittedly read the article with skepticism at first. Who cares if it's quasi or non-quasi right? Don't play word games with me, Mr. Bateman! But the more I read, the more I agreed with their differences. As the article suggests, the anger you felt when you died at Seth for the umpteenth time in SSFIV is real (sigh, Makoto...). More real, simply because it's more personal. You're not riding on the fictional train to angerland, you're experiencing the actual thing.
Goddamn this #$*(#$ @*#(@# yin-yang piece of #@*!
Games are definitely no stranger to fictional quasi-emotion grinding. Ask in any game forum "What is your most emotional moment in gaming history?" and most would answer in relations to story, events or character. But how about the functional side of things?
After reading the article, it makes me wonder how many game designers are putting this to good use. Sure, they stir triumph, anger and frustration in their games, after all it's all part of the ride between borderline boredom and frustration, any game design course can tell you that. But is it part of their grand scheme of things? Like the game designer *intended* to evoke such emotions (not quasi-emotions) so that it'd be used in a later part of the game? Do they have, like, a psychological flowchart of the game?
How about you? When was the last time a game rustled up your leaves?
Random Inspiration: Ironing Wrinkles
[ Running out of ideas lately? Welcome to Random Inspiration, a series dedicated to bringing out awesome ideas using inspiration from the simplest objects and mechanisms around you. A picture of said object will be posted in hopes that it could start a loooooooong idea train chain of wonderful game concepts! ]
Takahashi Keita is a great man. Sure he only made Katamari Damacy and Nobi Nobi Boy, but that's enough to show the genius in him. From sculptor to game designer in an instant, he aims to create a playground instead of just a game.
As you know, Katamari Damacy is a game where you roll a ball and pick up stuff. As the ball gets bigger, you can pick up bigger stuff. Just finished Katamari Damacy Tribute for the PS3 last week. Though Takahashi wasn't involved in its production, the essence of his ideas is still there. Definitely recommended for fans. 2nd last level is awesome sauce!
Anyway, apart from being inspired by famous sculptors and artists, Takahashi was also inspired by this common school activity in Japan:
I don't remember sports day being this fun.
Tamakorogashi, or Tamakoro for short, is a common game played during sports day in Japanese elementary schools. It encourages teamwork and the goal is really simple: to bring the ball to the finish line. I'm pretty sure the thought of students slipping and rolling with the ball crossed Takahashi's mind!
This is just an example of how great ideas can come from the simplest things.
That said, it's idea generating time! (sung to the tune of the Peanut Butter Jelly song)
This idea crossed my mind ages ago: a game based on the simple mechanism of ironing out wrinkles. Since then, the iron has evolved into a sophisticated piece of machinery.
- It can generate steam and spray water from its reservoir
- Can double as vertical steamers to iron clothes without the board
- You can set it to one of the various degrees of heat, recent ones even come with auto-detection of material
- It has some sort of cord control (or even cordless!)
- Recent Japanese irons can even remove the wrinkles on your face!
Ok I lied about the last one. But it could be a great game mechanic, no?
So what say you? Would love to hear your game concept ideas based on this mechanic!
One-Click Challenge: Strategy Game
[ This post is part of the One-Click Challenge series where we take complicated gameplay mechanics and downsize them to a simple one-click interface. No arrow keys, just a stupid little button! Only holding and pressing the button is allowed. It's a fun experiment to see whether the essence of gameplay can stay with its interface stripped! ]
Thanks so much for your feedback on the previous idea. This blog is just in its baby stages and it needs you to make the project successful, so let your ideas loose and invite others to join in the fun!
Ok first things first, I suck at strategy games. I actually rock in Chess (or at least I used to). Maybe I'm just bad at micro-management and number crunching. I started relatively late with Starcraft and got beaten to a pulp many times. When I play, Big Game Hunters become Short Game Hunters. And I'm the one hunted.
But even with my eyes filled with tears as I remember my photon cannons being hacked on by a horde of zerglings, there's no doubt about it; strategy games are fun. Heck I even created one myself!
Remember this game?!
Taking a step ahead of your enemies with your ComSat and watching them suffer. Utilizing the terrain in Advance Wars to surprise your competition, and to be surprised back. Shouting at your comrades with swear words (I tend to prefer the Chinese ones). It's all part and parcel of the thrill of playing a strategy game.
However, a lot of us take this thrill for granted. In all strategy games, you have the luxury of choosing the unit and/or selecting moves for them. But what kind of strategies can you formulate with just one giant button?
I'm thinking that some resource usage need to be automated. Resource here is not only limited to gold/vespene gas, but could also apply to unit movements. I'm personally against the idea of automatic toggling, where a cursor automatically goes through a list of things and you press the button to stop. That kinda defeats the purpose of this challenge.
What's the button for, then? Maybe it can be used to tilt the balance between movement and attack range. Hold the button long to move further, but at the end of your move your attack radius becomes smaller. Direction is of course linear, I'm thinking of an intense strategy game variety of Congkak.
Well that's just one idea. What's yours? 
The Interface As Your Enemy
Zynga is smart, so very very smart.
This idea came up while I was playing Farmville.
You see, if you have a large farm in Farmville, you're screwed. Sure you can make a loads of cash and show off your Zelda haybale stack, but you gotta do the 3-step plow-plant-harvest cycle for every single plot of land, over and over and over again.
The carpal tunnel farm of doom.
You would've thought that Zynga could come up with a less cumbersome interface, right? Nah, they came up with something even better. You see those colourful vehicles above? They're not there for some tractor exhibit (now there's a thought Zynga, add some show girls to your market); They help you cut your chores by a quarter of the time. Instead of just one plot at a time, they can either help you plow, plant or harvest your farm in 2x2 grids, up to 3x3 grids.
Now here's the catch. Every time you use the vehicle, it gobbles up fuel. To obtain fuel, you either use real-life cash (no thanks!) or, here it comes, visit your friend's farms and fertilize their crops. Or get them through gifts. In other words, the more neighbours you have, the more likely you'll be able to replenish your fuel. This is one of the many viral aspects of the game, which helped Zynga obtain 82 million active players in less than a year!
Take note that as a player, all you get at the end of this reward cycle are better interface tools. In terms of in-game core assets and resources, nothing is affected. Ok maybe a little, the amount of time you save by using the vehicles could be used to grow the seeds, but it's only a few minutes saved. And there's also that achievement thingy. But apart from that, you can play the entire game without the vehicles.
Are powerups considered resources to ease the HCI? Don't think so.
I've been taught to not let the interface be the enemy in my years of advertising and game design, but to think that it could enrich gameplay, or at the very least increase game addiction is relatively new to me. Of course, powerups like speed and jumping skills are also in a way "improving the interface" but they influence the reward cycle and level design rather than just being mere interface tools.
Instead of having a game where we have villains to kill or explicit puzzles to solve, how about overcoming interface issues as part of the game challenge? Maybe the mouse cursor isn't moving properly or the screen is blurred out. You can also look at this by thinking on behalf of handicapped people, e.g. colour-blind people, so only certain colours are available on-screen.
Any ideas or stumbled upon a cool implementation of one? I'm sure interface designers could come up with some awesome stuff here. Imagine having to irritate the user with a horrible interface while they beg for more. Yowza.
Alright that's the first idea shoutout for bonkify! Contribute some cool ideas and share this site with the world by clicking any of the sharing sites below!
It’s time to bonkify! (i.e. Welcome!)
Welcome to the brand spanking new bonkify! website, a little semi-brainstorming semi-professional blog idea that I cooked up in a matter of days lol.
Sources of inspiration are aplenty but if I had to mention one, it's that I've always hated people who keep great ideas to themselves. I mean, come on man, this ain't the 80s! We don't have to put our finger into that little ring to dial a number anymore nor risk cutting our finger to open a can of Cola, we have the *nuaaaaa* Internet! Nowadays there's no single game idea in existence that can be so great that it could take the entire industry by storm. A good game is only 5% idea (heck, maybe even less).
I'm only a humble game designer. The irony is that great game designers don't only study game design. Breathtaking ideas, even game ideas, are contributed by people from all walks of life: sculptors, psychologists, architects, even criminals (hey didn't you watch Prison Break, sheeez).
This is where you come in, another great mind from another walk of life. This site needs you, or it will DIE!
My objective is rather simple: I want ideas to grow, from little buds to bouquets, all the way to the second big bang. Nothing like a mind map where EVERYONE gets involved. Two minds are better than one, so why not two million right? (one can dream...)
And mind you, it's not for my benefit, it's for everyone. You can contribute and you can steal, no problemo. I'll plant the seeds, you help water them, then just about anyone can harvest its fruits. (Sorry played too much Farmville lately). I'll leave everything else up to you guys, hope this site will be a blast!
Be a fan of bonkify!
Bonkifying Friend Link: Simply Games!
- From iOpixels - Streamline Studios Presentation at LKW September 2, 2010
Recent bonks
I intend this site to be a little tank where I pour in my game design ideas and thoughts, stupid or otherwise.
I come up with an initial theme, you bonkify it, others bonkify yours, the whole thing blows up, everyone gets inspired. No matter who you are, you're free to take any idea by whoever as you please. Pretty simple really :)
Lazy to read? Just look under this bonkify!this logo for the idea shoutout.
(Yes I'm aware of the cultural nuance of the word bonking, let's just call it a mere coincidence *ahem*)
Upon feasting your eyes on this site, you will hereby be known as The Great Thinker and abide by the following rules:
"I" as in me, the site author. Admit it, you know I suck.
Yes, your ideas are better than mine. Share 'em! Be it in one line, one paragraph or one thesis, anything's fine!
Just coz you rock doesn't give you the right to laugh at other ideas. Add your own. More ANDs, less BUTs.
People tend to protect their idea like their life depends on it. There's MUCH more to a game than just ideas you know. Give your ideas, watch them grow, be inspired.
I call this, the whole point of the site.
I'm a Malaysian lost in Tokyo, doing something called game design or something or other. Also worked in digital advertising for 4 years and the education line in 3. Created Ballistic Wars and The Last Canopy. Having a blast now but am gonna do more crazy stuff real soon!
I always believed that games, albeit having a primary target audience, should cater to wide variety of people: hardcore, casual, explorers, role-players, graphic whores, social butterflies, perfectionists, etc. I've been told that I have a knack for looking at things from many perspectives, but you don't have to take my word for it ;)