The Plan

My goal for the current semester is to complete a professional portfolio website for graduate school as well as a Web Design & Development company website. I have the necessary skills to complete these tasks, but I plan on learning more web programming and database implementation in order to create dynamic and flexible websites. I will be taking courses through Lynda.com on MySQL and PHP with MySQL during this semester, and I hope to learn enough to not only expand my skill set, but also more efficient and flexible methods of website creation.

Web Design & Development is an ever changing field, and I would like to hit some personal limitations and overcome them in one way or another. For instance, on my Portfolio, I will attempt to create a system that can handle multiple types of media so that I can easily keep things up to date as I continue to work in the field. I have a large amount of work I would like to accomplish with my project and I hope that I am able to create sites which show the amount of experience I have.

Gaming Invasion: Level 2

Welcome to the beginning of Level 2 of Gaming Invasion. In this level, I will explore some of the games that I have been playing lately due to the smart phone game explosion! The introduction of downloadable games for cellphones has created a whole new genre for game designers to explore, and with any new genre, a challenge for innovation. I will focus on two games in particular, 7 Little Words & Cut the Rope. Before getting into the objectives of the games and dissecting them, I feel like I should cover the limitations associated with cellphone games.

The most obvious limitation to a game using a cellphone as the console is the display size. Unlike with the now more traditional console based games using a television for monitoring, the average game must work with a screen around the size of an ipod, or smaller, in order to reach the majority of potential consumers. Of course, Nintendo released the Gameboy many, many years ago, but unlike a self contained system like a Gameboy, game designers are challenged to design games that can operate on multiple interfaces. In other words, Nintendo always knows their games will be played on their system whereas cellphone games must be compatible across a variety of phones, operating systems, and tablets in order to be successful. User interface is also very important, and cellphone games cannot overload the phones processor or resources to where it destroys the phones general functions or battery life. These are just a few of the many challenges faced by cellphone based game design.

The first game I'd like to review or dissect is the amazingly simple game (which is free) 7 Little Words. The concept is extremely simple, and borrows ideas from crossword puzzles, but it puts a new twist that makes it very fun. The game lists 7 clues, and then 20 "blocks" containing 2-3 letters. The object is to figure out the 7 words using the blocks which can only be used once each. It is an amazingly simple game, but I do love it for its simplicity. I do not have to devote my direct attention while playing the game as there is no real-time aspect. I can take as long as I want to guess a word. I find myself generally playing this game the most while performing some other action like attending class or having a conversation. I love this game because I actually learn new words when playing it and I can multitask while playing it.

The second game I play a lot is called Cut the Rope, and it is a bit more complex, but it is still simple enough to figure out within a minute or two at the most. The object is to make a piece of candy, attached to a string, hit 3 stars and then "deliver" it to a frog. Yes, it sounds very ridiculous, but it is very addictive and challenging. I'm not going to get into all of the variables, as it becomes more and more complex as you progress through the game. What I love about this game is the real-time strategy required to play it, and the fact that it is highly entertaining and you honestly feel a sense of accomplishment when you beat a level you've been stuck on for a while.

I cannot even imagine where the cell-game genre will be in the next 6 months or year, but it is a new and very exciting genre of game design. Even my mother plays games on her phone.

Games in Class vs. Pick 3

In class this past Thursday, I played two games, Trigger and Ticket to Ride. I found Trigger to be much more challenging than one would anticipate due to the constant use of negatives and double negatives in the questions. It was a very different game but I enjoyed playing it. My group barely had time to play Ticket to Ride because we had to refer to the rules online as the hard copy was missing from the game box. It seemed to have a good amount of strategy requires and I would like to play it again.

These games I believe fall into the "fun" category if you will (with a touch of education). They definitely have more teaching potential than the games we created during our Pick Three assignment. Trigger could be easily modified to a specific subject, and use more factual questions pertaining to that subject. For example, they could be historical facts, and the player would not only have to be the first to answer, but if the statement was false they would have to answer why it was incorrect. I really can't say how educational Ticket to Ride could be because of the very little playtime we had with the game.

Trigger had some great Player vs. Player interactions, in that you had to be the first one to slap the "target" as well as be correct. As a penalty for answering incorrectly, you would lose a card. Cards essentially kept you in the game, so it did become very competitive on a Player vs. Player basis. There was a ton of Player vs. Game Interaction, in each round, a question was read from a card and a player would have to slap their hand down, their right hand for true, and their left hand for false. The Player vs. Game interaction was somewhat competitive as well because it required you to think on your feet and respond as quickly as possible to the questions, which in some cases, were very confusing to answer as either true or false.

In general, I find Player vs. Player interaction more fun as opposed to Player vs. Game interaction. In my opinion, when a game becomes competitive, a game becomes fun. The actual game is essentially a forum or grounds in which the competition takes place. The game must be clear, concise, and easy to pick up in order to be truly enjoyable. My favorite board games can usually be completely understood after the first game. I really find it annoying when it takes hours to grasp the rules and/or goal of a game. I'd rather do something constructive than "study" a game in order to "have fun" playing it.

Educational Mini-Game Review x4!

Free Rice! is a fun little Quiz game that rewards the player with the donation of Rice through the World Food Programme. The game doesn't seem to have a specific target age group, but I would guess somewhere around the over fifteen crowd due to some vocabulary words that are not used very often until the High School/College level. The designers are attempting to teach the player meanings of word, basic interface interactivity, and that a single person can make a difference in the world. The last point, of course, is more conceptual, but nevertheless does not take anything away from the user experience. I feel the game is successful through an education standpoint in that it teaches you definitions to words you may not regularly encounter. I would say the game could be improved by have different quiz categories, but on second look I noticed you can change the quiz topics to different subjects. 4/5.

Pirates of the Preamble, oh my . . . A quiz based game with the premise that Pirates have buried the Preamble to the constitution in ten separate states. It asks questions dealing with civic knowledge and the constitution in order for you to find the missing pieces of the Preamble. Interesting premise, horrible game. I believe this may be helpful in a High School Civics or American History class, possibly, but some of the facts are really pointless and obscure. History buffs may enjoy it, but I had to restart about 6 times before completing the 10 questions. It could be improved by creating some type of meaningful play/reward other than just seeing a piece of the Preamble appear on the side of the screen. Oh yeah, the Pirate "accent" was also incredibly annoying. 1/5

Medical Mysteries is a game designed for people who care about science, obviously, and playing spinoffs of classic games in a "scientific" setting. I'd imagine the target age group would be High School and up, and it attempts to teach the player the different types of agents that can cause illness/disease, that this information is crucial to learn because of the premise, and that it is important to shoot the right cure at infectious agents falling from the sky. Yeah, I am being completely serious, I hated this game, and I feel like they ripped off George Lucas' droids. 1/5

INNOV8 2.0 (Created by IBM) is an educational simulation game comprised of 3 mini-games. Smart Traffic, Smart Supply Chain, and Smart Customer Service. I played Smart Traffic, in which you help a city lower congestion and pollution levels by using Business Process Management. The target age group put around the College level because it takes a good bit of logic and reasoning in order to balance different planning goals. The concepts being taught are action/reaction based and the delicate balance between cost and efficiency with traffic control. I really loved this game and I'm going to continue playing it! 5/5

Non-traditional Comics

Today I read two non-traditional comics that were both very interesting. Both used different techniques and were a browser based experience. I am uncertain of the title of the first (in another language) so I'm just going to refer to it as Twitch. The other comic I read was Scott McCloud's The Right Number, Part 1, and Part 2. I believe both of these works, although very non-traditional should be referred to as comics. No, panels are not laid out on a central page, but there is a consistent panel to panel type experience.

Twitch was far more experimental in my opinion, but it was a little over the top. Aside from the language barrier, it didn't seem to flow very well with the different sizes/framing done with panels. The audio/visual effects were interesting, but I feel that it was more about the effects than telling a story. Obviously if I spoke the language it would be a richer experience, but through visual images alone I feel like it could be summed up in one sentence. A girl sees a creepy looking guy with blood on him and he jumps towards her, the end.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Right Number from both a narrative and design standpoint. The panels were usually the same size, but sometimes they would be subdivided. It had a very interesting plot and I wish there were more parts that I could read. It used limited effects, but at the end of Part One when his eyes move it really emphasized the character's thoughts. Honestly, I loved this format because I am often times confused as to the order of reading with graphic novels. When a panel is presented by itself, I think it is much more straightforward, and I don't end up spoiling "what happens next" by glancing at the artwork on the page.

I believe The Right Number was highly successful while Twitch left much to be desired. It was not so much the format, but more the chaos created by having so many different things going at once. When I read a comic/graphic novel, I want to read a story and not see what someone can program through javascript. Definitely check out The Right Number because it is a very unique and interesting comic. I'd pass on Twitch.

Gaming Invasion: Level 1

Games are a great way to distract us from life. Virtually every person in their life has been told to "quit wasting your time playing games and be productive!" You may hear this every hour, daily, weekly, monthly, or once in a blue moon. I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that you've heard this phrase, or something to the same affect before in your life. Welcome fellow gamer to a multiple-level game entitled "Gaming Invasion". Ok, yes, you've probably called my bluff and I should've title it "Please Read My Blog", but it just didn't have the same ring to it. ANYWAYS, this is the first entry (aka level) in my blog series dedicated to explaining how far games penetrate into our lives. If you feel that you are exempt from this aspect, think again you ripe little n00b (slang for newbie, as in new to a game and inexperienced) because you are about to get PWNED!

Since this is only level one, I am going to stay away from any sort of technical terms and go for the easy kill. Life is a game. Cliche? Perhaps, but take a moment to think about it. Life requires planning (strategy), and the choices you make effect the outcome of your life. Yes, some choices, such as what to do with that five minutes after waking up may not effect your life goals. But, there is a real-time effect nonetheless. Actions create outcomes. Jumping off a porch while drunk may effect the next three months of your life, even if it seemed like such a great idea at the time.

If you are still reading at this point, I am guessing I managed to get your attention, and I will award you +3 karma points. Now, let's think real hard, make your brain work, and think of the physical controls you interact with, and the mechanism you use to create interactions. It's hard, I know, thinking requires effort, but here is the spoiler. You play the game! Your mental and physical actions interact with the world. There are some set rules, such as laws, sociological rules, and "world rules" also. Never forget, gravity is not always your ally! Gravity is great when you want to move a beer from a can to your red plastic cup, but it can definitely be a bitch when you decide to try and land a solo keg-stand! Stay alert, be prepared, trust no one. You may proceed to level two when I make my own choice on whether or not to write a second level. GLHF!

Meaningful Play?

This past Thursday in my Game Design class, we participated in a classroom game with very simple objectives. We were split into teams of four and given a pack of bendable straws and a roll of scotch tape. Our goal was to create the highest possible structure that could stand on its on for at least three seconds, and the team that won the game would receive candy during next class.

It was a very fun experience, and this composition has to do with whether or not we experienced meaningful play through the game/exercise. Rules of Play basically defines meaningful play as the relationship between action and outcome which are both discernable and integrated into the overall context of the game. In the case of the Straw Tower game, I feel that we did in fact experience meaningful play, and I was amazed at how such a simple concept could create so many different variables into account.

From a basic overview of the game, it has many elements which created a unique experience. It required communication and almost necessitated that one or more individuals on each team to lead the others in the creation of the tower, either by demonstration or by explaining something as simple as how to easily fit two straws together. Time was also a factor, so it was almost essential to divide the work among different people, with each person completing a specific task.

Through the scope of meaningful play, action and outcome were obviously easily visible. Taping and connecting straws together showed an immediate physical result, and it was also integrated into the larger context of the game. The decisions made during the beginning of the game effected the end results. If the base for the tower is too big, you run out of straws. If the base is too small, you end up with a potentially beautiful tower that immediately falls on its side, thus disqualifying you and preventing your team from winning the game.

It's amazing how simple, yet at the same time complex, a game can be created with such few rules and materials. Next time you feel bored at home or have some friends over, throw straws at them and try your hand at this clever game!