A Romantic Approach to Game Design
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The document presents a romantic approach to applied game design, emphasizing the importance of narrative in creating games that address complex issues beyond entertainment. It discusses the transformative potential of games in health and social contexts, highlighting the need for designers to engage with narratives and foster dialogue with users. The author critiques traditional concepts of fun in game design and advocates for deeper engagement through storytelling to enhance player experience and impact.
A Romantic Approach to Game Design
- 1. A romantic approach to applied game design Presented at IIDD 2015 Pietro Polsinelli @ppolsinelli
- 2. WHAT DO I DO? 2
- 3. Take a problem, a message that is complex. You want to inform people about it. 3
- 4. To talk to people about it you can use media. Videogames are one pervasive media. 4
- 5. Contrast the idea that games are “just” about “fun”. 5
- 6. “fun” is a term that lacks explicative capacity 6
- 7. Game design is not a single method. My model is not rewards / random reinforcement but … 7
- 8. Understanding the complex relationship between playing, learning, fun, and simplicity. 8
- 9. My work is navigating this complexity trying to respect its nature while creating simple games. 9
- 10. Romantic* approach to game design. Non reductionistic. * As suggested by © Daniele Giardini 10
- 11. My idea of game design is as the reign of Goethe, not Newton https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theory_of_Colours 11
- 12. APPLIED GAMES: WORK DONE / IN PROGRESS 12
- 13. Games are applied when their subject matter is far from the entertainment field. 13
- 14. My method is: Search (transform) a narrative and turn it into gameplay of some kind. Narrative, not (just) data or rules. 14
- 15. Pull out the story from the field specialist. 15
- 16. Bringing out the narrative is also creating the narrative. In narrative details you can find new game design solutions. 16
- 18. Help people that are evolving towards a chronic desease by influencing behavior and disrupting this evolution. NDA 18
- 19. How can technology change my health? By measuring? By competing? Tending towards a chronic condition, I’m already in a fight, just don’t need more. But need, need there is.
- 20. How can I change the story of my way of living? Medecine is aware of the power of storytelling. A game can move you, just like a good book or movie.
- 21. Customer thinks (s)he knows what “game” means.This is a problem. 21
- 22. What is bizarre is that it is the same doctor that explained me that learning, being informed about this disease influences the cure. 22
- 23. Applied game design elicits a dialogue between designer and customer, both evolving knowledge #noestimates 23
- 24. Designing Games for Health RE-DESIGN
- 25. Sunday, June 21, 2015 Category, competition, avatar, war, reward, levels Vs. Inclusive, mentor, path, story, transformation A language change. 25
- 26. Ian Bogost: gamification is bullshit. 26
- 28. Redesigned by including negative feedback, turning avatar to mentor, building an AI.
- 30. Sunday, June 21, 2015 … to develop and implement a game infused e-learning tool to promote early access to services with neglect and abuse for young people on the move in Europe Mission. 30
- 31. EU project: deal with these matters harmonically and effectively across EU. 31
- 32. Pick a mod, just change the labels ... 32
- 33. Collateral story gets in the way of play. 33
- 34. Designing Games for Social Impact RE-DESIGN
- 35. Kids becoming aware and capable of dealing with situations of neglect and abuse. 35
- 36. Build up of awareness defines the game mechanics Not just a secondary narrative 36
- 37. Game loop: shit happens.
- 38. Deal with it and keep your universe together. 38
- 39. Your identity, your self is complex stuff. 39
- 41. Game mechanics: 1. Keep up with your daily routines 2. React to situations 3. Solve the secret 41
- 42. 42
- 43. Sunday, June 21, 2015 Profile and story.
- 44. Sunday, June 21, 2015 Situation: sleeping out choices
- 45. Sunday, June 21, 2015 THE SECRET: A narrative tool.
- 46. Why this could work? Not teaching through secondary narrative. The experience is the core of the game play. 46
- 48. UNESCO Gaming Challenge: selected with We Are Muesli and Daniele Giardini 48
- 49. So ...
- 50. Games are a mature and pervasive media Games can articulate a wide range of non trivial ideas and emotions Good games can’t be done taking shortcuts 50
- 51. My twitter stream is mostly dedicated to game design @ppolsinelli A blog on game design designagame.eu 51