The readings for this week discuss the topic of “fun” in games, what is fun and how is it defined when it comes to game design, the reading also discus the social aspects of gaming and how that is linked to “fun” and game interactivity. below I have included some highlights and thoughts from each reading piece.
Social context and its influence on the experience of games
This
reading discusses the social nature of games and how social context can
influence the user’s experience. The study summaries that use of games in social
contexts had a higher enjoyment factor than the latter. The study also has its limitations
and further understanding of the social processes and its experiences on
gameplay is required. This study has proved useful for this module especially regarding
the game design element, it is now beneficial to know that adding in a social
aspect such as a group play, or multiplayer option game can improve the user enjoyability
of the game
A theory of fun for game design
This was an educational Video Which outlined the theory of fun regarding game design. Some important points to take away from the video are as follow; the fun factor of a game comes from the possibility to provide a space for learning and also a space that will grab our attention and challenge us, this is further explained using Nicole Lazzaro’s 4 Keys to fun
Another element
that adds to the “fun” of a game is the provision of a sense of engagement, this
comes from having a challenge in the game that will rise in proportion with the
individuals abilities
This last reading provided information required for gamification Design, The reading can be summarised into the following:
- Fun
is categorized as subjective- meaning it its personal, what may appear fun to one
person may not appear the same to another, this is why gamification design is necessary
when it comes to making a game fun
- Fun can be categorized and refined based on cognitive learning, fun and learning are often interlinked
These articles
all provided a useful piece of information regarding and gamification design.
When It
comes to designing the game for this module, these factors for implementing fun must be considered.
Hello Karen, This was a good read, and it's so crazy how much the word "fun" actually means and how it's different for all of us as we all enjoy different things in video games. I think that's awesome and leaves a lot for a game designer to consider, which again brings it back to putting yourself in the players' perspective.
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