Dr. Scott Nicholson. Level up! game design programs in libraries, abqla2015
- 1. LEVEL UP! GAME DESIGN PROGRAMS IN LIBRARIES SCOTT NICHOLSON SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF INFORMATION STUDIES
- 2. LEVEL UP! GAME DESIGN PROGRAMS IN LIBRARIES SCOTT NICHOLSON (@SNICHOLSON) WILFRID LAURIER UNIVERSITY – BRANTFORD, ONTARIO PROFESSOR, GAME DESIGN & DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR, BRANTFORD GAMES NETWORK & BGNLAB
- 4. NOT SOMETHING NEW Charlotte Mecklenburg
- 5. OVERVIEW • Why Game Creation? • Digital Game Creation • Analog Game Creation • Partnering with Schools • Introducing the Community • Mini Game Jam
- 6. WHY GAME DESIGN? • Theoretical Background: Constructionism (Seymour Papert) • Comes from Constructivism • Constructivism: Learners create their own knowledge • Constructionism: New ideas developed when an external artifact is created and shared • Benefit: Long-term retention
- 7. WHY GAME DESIGN? • Design is an active and creative process • Authentic and situated learning of: • Technical writing and Programming • Creative writing and Storytelling • Mathematics and Economics • Psychology – Motivation and Building Empathy • Procedural and Reflective Thinking • The Scientific Process and User Experience Design • Artistic and Sound Design • Design is addictive!
- 8. WHY IN LIBRARIES? • All the benefits of playing games • Bring in people, engage them with each other and library resources/staff • Artifacts of Creativity • Motivation to learn and explore • Diverse groups engaging deeply • Literacy (digital, traditional, gaming)
- 9. Let’s Play! Get into groups of three. Two of you play Tic-Tac-Toe while the other observes.
- 10. How do you play Tic-Tac-Toe? - What is the playfield and components? (If this were a board game, what would the pieces be?) - What are the goals? - What are the rules?
- 12. Time to Play! Find another group and teach them how to play. Play each other’s designs. Reflect upon - The similarities - The differences - Choices made Decide which you would risk $10,000 to produce and discuss. Consider the user!
- 13. STRUCTURE FOR GAME DESIGN PROGRAMS • Overall Concept • Outcome – How will the game affect the players? • Can be set by you or have groups determine and then vetted • Constraints • Time for Creation • Format/Materials • Time for Play & Complexity • Additional constraints (theme, mechanism) • “May not be” constraints (no asking questions) • Prevents reuse of prior games
- 14. ORGANIZATION • Groups or Solo? • Different time formats • One session • Intensive (Global Game Jam) • Over months • Importance of playtesting! • Emphasize gameplay over look • Demonstrations
- 15. DIGITAL GAME CREATION • Game creation toolkits • Scratch – MIT, designed for 8-16 • Gamemaker, - Yoyo games, Older • Sploder – Web-based, basic • Twine – Text-based interactive fiction • Xbox - Kodu • Xbox One – Project Spark • PS - Little Big Planet, Level creation tools
- 20. DIGITAL GAME CREATION • Consider game experience for player • How will player be changed? • Storyboard first – what will happen? • Game Design Document • Playtest by others is critical (observed interaction without direction)
- 22. CHALLENGES IN DIGITAL • Schmups and Platformers • Don’t drop rocks on player’s heads • Computers needed • Focus too early on graphics and sound • Loss of connection between desired outcome and gameplay • Paper prototypes -> Develop game mechanisms first • Focus on one level before moving on • Something playable is important
- 23. ANALOG GAME CREATION • Board and card games • “Paper Prototypes” • Paper, posterboard, index cards, Playing cards, dice, chips, cubes, card sleeves • Educational supply store • Storytelling games • Scavenger or Puzzle hunts • ARGs (Reality is Broken)
- 24. CHALLENGES IN BOARD GAMES • Tend to be Roll and move or Abstract strategy • Many other mechanisms out there: Auctions, trading, cooperative, wagering, pick-up and deliver, set collection, investment, area control/voting • 1 die = random, 2 dice = probability • Alternates to roll-and-move: Cards from hand, fixed number of spaces • Player’s actions representative of theme
- 25. WORKING WITH SCHOOLS • Game creation as pedagogical tool • Used after students learn a topic • Focus on finding the game in the topic • Player experience should come out of topic, not mechanisms of the game • Teacher involved in the planning process with student groups
- 26. INVOLVING THE COMMUNITY • Open house to demonstrate games • Invite press, local game stores, students from gaming programs • Bring in speaker from gaming industry • Career paths in programming, art, music, writing, math and physics • Engage with larger events • International Games Day @ Your Library (Nov. 21, 2015) • Tabletop Day (Mid-April) • Global Game Jam