Game Mechanics as Videogame Genre Identifier. Abstract. Keywords: Genre; Video games; Dynamics; Game mechanics; Genre dominant

Transcription

1 Reearch Article Global Media Journal Game a Videogame Genre Identifier Bezchotnikova Svitlana * and Bezchotnikova Alina Mariupol State Univerity, Mariupol, Ukraine * Correponding Author: Bezchotnikova Svitlana, Profeor, Mariupol State Univerity, Mariupol, Ukraine, Tel: +38 (0) ; bezchotnikova@gmail.com Received date: Feb 16, ; Accepted date: Feb 21, ; Publihed date: March 1, Copyright: Svitlana B, et al. Thi i an open-acce article ditributed under the term of the Creative Common Attribution Licene, which permit unretricted ue, ditribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and ource are credited. Citation: Svitlana B, Alina B. Game a Videogame Genre Identifier. Global Media Journal, 16:30. Abtract Contemporary genre ytem of video game i formed by the video game indutry and it i divided into group quite freely. Thi tudy determine the genre dominant of a video game on the bai of the analyi of theoretical literature, the finding of the developer of the gaming indutry and on the bai of the analyi of video game, which are world leader in ale. It i hown that uch tructural video game unit, a dynamic and component, do not reveal an etablihed connection with the category genre and vary from one gaming project to another. The only contant parameter, preented in video game, i mechanic that are repeated in popular project of one genre, identifying the face of the genre, and it etablihed core. Comprehenive methodology analye of 2017 tatitic data of the online digital ditribution platform of computer game Steam ( VALVE company) and Blizzard.battle.net ( Blizzard company) and game mechanic lit of the American company-developer of ocial game SCVNGR (SCaVeNGeR) gave the opportunity to ee repeated core mechanic in the videogame project of the mot widepread genre. Keyword: Genre; Video game; ; Game mechanic; Genre dominant Introduction Being very relevant the problem of video game typology, at the ame time, remain a a little reearched one. It due to the relatively young hitory of tudying thi phenomenon a well a due to rapid development of information and communication technologie. The genre a a type of ociocultural convention i a traditional form for variou type of communication - written, oral, digital, and artitic. Unlike literary and journalitic genology, the ytem of video game genre i baed on individual cientific invetigation and attempt made by game indutry expert. Mot game magazine and pecialized portal are trying to develop their own claification of video game according to the context in which the reource operate. Variou video game claification are baed on different approache and technological tage of the development of the genre ytem, o they can be enriched by variou refinement according to different criteria. For example, according to the following criteria: the number of player (a ingle-player game, a multiplayer game, a ma one); or the type of reception (verbal, viual, auditory, multimedia); or the platform type (conole, computer, mobile, multiplatform). Genre of video game were formed by the developer on the bai of popular cheme of game tool, with the addition of new technological approache and creative olution, o yntheized form that combine everal genre are the mot common. That wa the way to form the group of imilar video game, which varied round a repeating cheme. Apperley, the reearcher of the Univerity of Melbourne, wa right pointing out that the modern genre ytem of video game i formed by the video game indutry and it i divided into categorie quite freely. Conidering the video game a a new media form, the author touched on the important problem of finding the contituent genre characteritic of video game. Thu, he joined the dicuion between the adherent of the naratological approach toward the analyi of video game and the adherent of ludology [1]. Thi problem remain relevant until now. The Objective of the Study To determine the genre dominant of a video game on the bai of the analyi of theoretical literature, the finding of the developer of the gaming indutry and on the bai of the analyi of video game, which are world leader in ale? Methodology To make the reearch we ued a comprehenive methodology, namely we ued the method of decription, of comparion, of analogy and of extrapolation on the bai of tructuralim approache, which were complemented by the analyi of the ample of rating game project while uing the Thi article i available from: globalmediajournal.com 1

2 ytematization of the data. We alo ued the linguitic method of the emantic correlation in giving the definition. Subject of the tudy and ampling technique The ubject of the analyi i game project, which are the world video game ale leader in They are identified by the tatitic data of the ditribution platform, the online digital ditribution ervice for computer game Steam ( VALVE Company) programme. It i ranked firt in the number of active uer in the world video game market, obtained through the help of application programming interface Steam API; a well a by the data from the video game ditribution platform Blizzard.battle.net, ranked econd in term of the number of active uer in the world market in 2017 ( Blizzard Company; Store.teampowered.com and Battle.net). The popularity of video game will be determined by the criterion - the number of download (from 1,5 million to 44,5 million). Theoretical Dicuion Depite the lack of the etablihed genre video game ytem, there i a need in the development of uch a ytem. It i required by marketer, advertier, game critic and computer game developer for tudying tate and expectation of the game proce audience. Such a genre ytem i alo required by the audience, who, judging by the product packaging of the genre marking, can imagine the characteritic of the game. However, the genre definition i often complicated for many reaon: different ource mark the ame genre, imilar in content, with the help of different name, uch a 3D-hooter, 3D-Action, FPS, TPS, action or action film ; very often the video game genre themelve are a combination of everal genre cheme, for example, the video game Ma Effect combine the feature of uch genre a a hooter and a role-playing game, Heroe of Might and Magic combine the feature of a trategy and a role-playing game. In general, it i difficult to determine ome game by a genre, for example, Grand Theft Auto (GTA). Depite the fact that there are no clear genre definition of the genre of computer game, yet there i a claification of the mot common one. Typically, the genre of the game i determined by the deign of the developer and include a tandard et of tool. A popular genre claification (popular in Englih-language cientific and reference publication) i the one propoed by profeor Ernet Adam, the founder of the International Aociation of Video Game Developer and the game deign conultant, who highlight the following ten genre of video game: action, trategy, role-playing game, port game, road imulator, deigner and management imulator, adventure, life imulator, puzzle, on-line gaming [2]. Andrew Rollingz and Morri Dave, the Britih video game developer, the author of the work Deigning and Game Architecture ditinguih even game genre. To thoe mentioned above adventure, action, trategy and imulator they add uch genre a a puzzle, an educational game and a fun [3]. Summarizing the experience of the profeional community, A. Kirizleev, the developer of video game, propoe to divide video game genre into three large group according to the criterion the nature of the action that are performed in the game. Thee are Game of communication, Game of action, and Game of control. The author call group characteritic a the entitie, among them: learning, puzzle, communication, the hero, reearch, collection, evaion, detruction, competition, driving, care, development, control, tactic, and planning. Game of communication The key action are getting information, communicating and learning the world. Game of action The key action are movement in pace, ue of weapon and equipment. Game of control The key action are order, management, and ditribution of material good [4]. We can alo ee no le intereting generalization of the experience of the gaming indutry in the article Genre of computer game preented on the educational portal Academic. The author of the article believe that, depite the fact that the claification of computer game i not completely ytematized, there i a certain conenu of the developer on the main genre, which combine a large number of genre varietie. Among thee, they call thirteen poition, united by different criteria. They are: action, hooter, fight, arcade, imulator, trategie, war-game, adventure, quet, puzzle, role-playing game, a well a multiplayer and ma online one that can be determined by another criterion the number of player. A erie of game with combined genre form i defined by the title of the main genre, but when it i formed by genre diverity a the bai for gameplay, then genre are converted according to erie on the cover of the game, for example, Grand_Theft_Auto or Space Ranger [5]. The genre dominant i the main one when defining the genre in the potmodern heterogeneou ocio-cultural pace. According to thi dominant a game, a a unit of ma communication pace, can be typified. Hence, we can aume that genre of videogame are both the ubject and the object of the influence in the ytem of ma communication and ma culture. Thi approach to the typology of computer game correlate with the approache to the analyi of genre of journalim, fiction and cinema art. Profeor Jan Bogot in hi work Video Game Rhetoric emphaize the fact that video game are not only a way of entertainment, but they are alo meage about the 2 Thi article i available from: globalmediajournal.com

3 urrounding world, which need a critical attitude toward them [6]. Thu, the quetion of how thee meage are formed arie. The cientit ugget uing literary and technical theory to analyze video game. In fact, the author applie a tructuralit approach, which allow combining the method of literary criticim and of hard cience, to conider literary and journalitic work, film, and video game a a configuration ytem repreented by a et of interrelated unit of meaning. Now we return to the olution of the problem poed by Apperley a to the earch for the contitutive genre characteritic of videogame, which will allow, on the bai of the characteritic found a a genre-baed criterion, developing a video game genre ytem according to the baic principle. Being baed on the cientific dicuion (decribed in Apperley work) between the adherent of the naratological approach to the analyi of video game and the adherent of ludology, being alo baed on the tructuralit approach to the analyi of video game, propoed by Yan Bogot, we emphaize that the methodology of the reearch of a video game a a play proce (gameplay), which i baed on the rule, i more modern than the naratological approach, when a computer game wa conidered a a text. Thi fact i logical in the light of objective precondition the tranition from a verbal civilization to a viual one, to a proce of contant modernization of videogame in the condition of dynamic development of information and communication technologie [1]. Thu, in order to olve the problem of genre typology in the context of our tudy, it i important to identify the genre dominant, which we undertand a a contitutional feature or a concept of the genre of a video game, according to which the mot common type can be ordered. It i important to keep in mind the fact that under the tructuralit approach, when a genre' peculiarity of video game i determined not on the bai of the plot, but on the bai of the play proce (gameplay), the identification of the nature of the interaction of tructural unit require the uage of additional characteritic. A video game, a a et of element, conit of uch unit a the hero, the plot (narrative), the etting and the main motive mechanim the rule of the game and the game mechanic. But the hero, the plot and the etting are preent not in every video game, unlike the rule of the game which are provided by the game mechanic, creating an intereting and pleaant impreion of the gameplay. Miguel Sicart, the Danih reearcher, point out that in the practice of video game, mechanic and rule are often conidered a the ame or mechanic are conidered a a part of rule. Being baed on the analyi of video game Rez, Every Extend Extra, and Shadow of the Colou, the cientit how their differentiation. According to the author, the mot ignificant i the ontological eparation between the mechanic and the rule; thi eparation lie in the fact that the rule are normative and the mechanic are performative, which enviage the implementation of the action [7]. Jee, the developer of entertainment project in Dineyland, the profeor of the Carnegie Centre for the Entertainment Technologie at the Univerity of Mellon, in hi claical work on the theory of video game The Art of Game Deign, defined game mechanic a the core of the video game, the keleton from which the game i built in the art of the game deign [8]. Explaining the complexity of the problem of the claification of game mechanic, Jee highlight two level for tudying thi phenomenon. The firt one i in the mere interpretation of game mechanic in the functional apect a game rule. The econd one i in undertanding thi unit of gameplay a a mental model, the tructure and mechanim of influence of which are connected, both with the conciou, and with the ubconciou, inacceible for tudying [8]. Carlo, the Italian cientit, believe that gaming mechanic i an intrument that a player need to interact with in order to engage in gameplay (Table 1) [9]. Table 1:, mechanic, component. Loyalty Appointment Free Lunch Moral Hazard of Game Play Avoidance Virtual Item Ownerhip Pride Privacy Statu Social Fabric of Game Achievement Behavioural Contrat Behavioural Momentum Cacading Theory Communal Dicovery Companion Gaming Contingency Countdown Information Cro Situational Leaderboard Diincentive Endle Game Envy Epic Meaning Extinction Fixed Interval Reward Schedule Fixed Ratio Reward Schedule Fun Once, Fun Alway Interval Reward Schedule Lottery Meta Game 3

4 Micro Leader-board Modifier Real-time v. Delayed Reward Schedule Additional Fun Once, Fun Alway Countdown Modifier Ownerhip Communal Dicovery Virtual Item Rolling Phyical Good Shell Game Variable Interval Reward Schedule Variable Ratio Reward Schedule Virtual Pride Obtacle Great Meaning Action Serie Reward Schedule Appointment Contingency Thi concluion again bring u back to the key, in our opinion, tructural unit of video game the game mechanic, which act a a contant of the tructure, in contrat to the relevant unit - the hero, the etting, and the narrative; thi allow u conidering it genre-valued. Summarizing the point of view given above, regarding the definition of a game mechanic, we emphaize that we will undertand game mechanic a a tool of gameplay, a gameplay mechanim for implementing the rule of the game. In the practical field, large companie developer of computer game, repeatedly attempted to decribe and ytematize the et, the log, and the lit of popular game mechanic. The one, the mot cited by video game developer, i the lit of the game mechanic propoed by the American company-developer of ocial game for mobile phone SCVNGR (SCaVeNGeR). The company, whoe audience ha reached 1 million uer, launched a Playdeck project from SCVNGR with it own generalization of a et of 47 game mechanic for public acce. It outline imple baic action uch a achievement, tatue, virtual good and more complex mechanic, uch a, for example, cacading information theory, which provide metered reporting in order to force the player to get into the tandby tate in guework and move forward on the cript in the earch of greater awarene. 47 widepread game mechanic, which are combined by the developer in a definite equence to get better reult and more engaging game experience for participant are preented in Table 2. Table 2: The Genre of action. The Genre Of Action BASIC Cacading Information Theory Companion Gaming Cro Situational Leader-board Diincentive Envy Epic Meaning Extinction Fixed Interval Reward Schedule Fixed Ratio Reward Schedule Lottery A we can ee, the lit of name of the game mechanic i not ytemic. Firtly, they do not alway accurately reflect the eence of the predicted reult. Secondly, they are ytematized not through a ingle principle. Thirdly, they have element of repetition. For example, cro-competition i a proce, loyalty and pride are nominative feeling, free lunch nominate the reult. At the ame time, the name of the mechanic uing the ytem of reward are repeated nine time rewarding for bliful productivity (6), a fixed interval reward chedule (19), a fixed ratio reward chedule (20), an interval reward chedule (23), ratio reward chedule (34), reward chedule (38), rolling phyical good (39), a variable interval reward chedule (44), a variable ratio reward chedule (45). Alo, the quetion i how the propoed mechanic will work outide the SCVNGR project. Scientific approache to ordering group of game mechanic are preented in the claical work on the theory of computer game and gaming by Jee [8], Ernet Adam and Yori 4 Thi article i available from: globalmediajournal.com

5 Dorman. In later development, namely in the theory of gaming by the American reearcher Kevin Werbach, the component of video game were decribed a a hierarchical ytem, which included the dynamic (general principle), mechanic (core procee), component (dynamic and mechanic pecification) [10]. We arrange the lit of popular game mechanic of the SCVNGR Company (SCaVeNGeR) according to K. Werbach theory (Table 2). Of the 47 poition lited in Table 2, ten game element, according to the characteritic, fall under the definition of a generalized apect of the gaming ytem that i not directly revealed in the game [10]. Some of them are named repectively, for example, progreion dynamic. Two element, a pecific ubject by definition, for example, free lunch, are the component of the game. The mechanic, in the narrow terminological ene of thi phenomenon, are 35 poition, which we can ue to work with experimental material. We hall identify the key mechanic for each genre, which, in our propoed concept, function a a genre dominant. We ll take the mot popular video game a example. The popularity of video game will be determined by the criterion - the number of download (from 1,5 million to 44,5 million). To find the mot popular game of different genre, we ll ue the open data of the ditribution platform Steam, a well a of the platform Blizzard.battle.net (the Blizzard Company). Concluion We can ee by the analytical chart that uch tructural video game unit, a dynamic and component, do not reveal an etablihed connection with the category genre and vary from one gaming project to another. According to K. Werbach, the dynamic are not directly revealed in the game. The only contant parameter, preented in video game, i the mechanic that are repeated in popular project of one genre, identifying the face of the genre, and it etablihed core. For example, the analyi of rating game project, marked by the developer a Action uch a, Team Fortre 2 ; Counter-Strike: Global Offenive ; Warframe ; Left 4 Dead ; Super Mario Bro, how that the contant et of mechanic for thi genre form are the mechanic, which enure dynamical action ( to the event, Modifier, Countdown ) and which are complemented by emotional upurge and optimim ( Fun Once, Fun Alway ). The eence of the action i in the peed of the player reaction, increaed emotional and brain activity, which i extrapolated to the viualized object involved in the video game. The contant et of mechanic i diverified in game project by the relevant et of the mechanic and component that vary from one gaming project to another of the ame genre, a preented in Table 2. Video game of the genre Strategy (conidered on the example of video game Total War, Star Craft, XCOM: Enemy Unknown, Sid Meier Civilization V ) are characterized by the player development of planning kill, tactical and trategic action, and the collection and concentration of object and thing. The dominant mechanic of the game-trategy are a mall et Cacading Information Theory,,, and Bliful Productivity Reward a illutrated in Table 3. Table 3: The genre of trategy. The genre of Strategy Ownerhip Cacading Information Theory The genre of Role-Playing Game Statu Ownerhip Pride The genre of Adventure The genre of Puzzle Ownerhip Cacading Information Theory Diincentive Reward Schedule Fixed Interval Reward Schedule Fixed Ratio Reward Schedule Extinction Shell Game Epic Meaning Cacading Information Theory Companion Gaming Countdown Fun Once, Fun Alway Micro Leader-board Modifier Componen t Virtual Item 5

6 Fixed Interval Reward Schedule The genre of ole-playing game (RPG) i the richet in the et of contant gaming mechanic, the number of which, according to Table 2, ha 14 poition. Popular World of Warcraft, The Witcher Serie, and The Elder Scroll V: Skyrim have an exciting toryline, character, dialogue and a variety of et-up. Gaming project of thi genre are ometime referred to a interactive book. A ignificant role in them i played by the hero, with whom the player identifie himelf. The genre of role-playing game demontrate not only the richne of the game mechanic, but alo the diverity of the dynamic, repeated in popular video game of thi genre. Thee are Statu,, Pride, Ownerhip, which perform the role of the hero fabric for the implementation of certain action. In the project of Adventure genre ( Dihonored, Grand Theft Auto V, Portal 2 ) the hero interact with the game world, rich in variou game component and in-game metagame that form a challenge for the player, provoke excitement and adrenaline due to the mechanic that create obtacle ( Contingency, Cacading Information Theory, Diincentive, Companion Gaming ), require a quick reaction ( to the event ) and provide Bliful Productivity Rewarding. Genre of adventure and the action are often yntheized. The core of the Puzzle genre in the project Angry Bird Serie, Myteriou Houe, and Heaven i made up of the mechanic that provide repeat action ( to the event, Modifier, Cacading Information Theory, Countdown ) with the trengthening of the poitive reaction to the repeated action (mechanic Reinforce, Fun Once, Fun Alway, Companion Gaming, Micro Leader-board ), which, a a rule, tend to lead to award (mechanic Bliful Productivity Reward, Fixed Interval Reward Schedule, Ratio Reward Schedule ). Simulator of variou type (gaming project) Garry Mod, Robocraft, War Thunder are baed on the reproduction of action of a certain type of activity the collection of work equipment, management of technical equipment or certain type of practice. The repetitive et of mechanic that provide imulation i Behavioural Momentum, Behavioural Contrat, Reinforce, which, on a more generalized motivational level, i organized by progreion dynamic and urgent optimim. Sport video game are a cloe to real port game a poible. The video game Freetyle 2: Street Baketball, Race Room Racing Experience, Fihing Planet contain a very imple et of action a a repeating component Behavioural Momentum, Contingency, Bliful Productivity Reward with a contant, which erve a the main motivation of a player. It hould be noted that the only repeated element that wa found to be common to all the game project that we conidered i the dynamic of Achievement, which wa the main motivational intent that encourage people to play. Reference 1. Apperley TH (2006) Genre and game tudie: Toward a critical approach to video game genre. Genre and game tudie: toward a critical approach to video game genre... Simulation and Gaming - Sympoium: Video game 37: Ernet A (2010) Fundamental of game deign (2ndedn), New Rider, p: Andrew R, David M (2003) Game Architecture and Deign. New Rider Game, p: Kirizleev А (2016) Computer Game a an Art. Genre of Videogame. 5. Genre of Computer game. Vocabularie and Encyclopedia in Academic Ian B (2008) The Rhetoric of Video Game. In: Salen K, John D, Catherine T (ed.) The Ecology of Game: Connecting Youth, Game, and Learning. MacArthur Foundation Serie on Digital Media and Learning. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Pre, pp: Miguel S (2008) Defining Game. Game Studie V: Jee S (2008) The Art of Game Deign Morgan Kaufmann. Elevier Inc, p: Carlo F (2007) Gameplay and Game Deign: a Key to Quality in Videogame In: ENLACES (MINEDUC Chile) -OECD Expert Meeting on Videogame and Education, October, Santiago de Chile, Chile. 10. Kevin W, Dan H (2015) Gamification Toolkit:,, and for the Win, Wharton Digital Pre, Boton, p: Thi article i available from: globalmediajournal.com