Critical Play - Games of Resistance. Kevin, Jerry, Liu

Transcription

1 Critical Play - Games of Resistance Kevin, Jerry, Liu

2 Introduction to Critical Play

3 Defining Play Anthropologist Brian Sutton-Smith - fun, voluntary, intrinsically motivated, incorporates free will/choices, offers escape, and fundamentally exciting Separated into four categories: Learning, Power, Fantasy, Self Two Sides: voluntary, intrinsic, and important to class structure/socialization; and for ritual, communication, study play in natural settings. Playing together creates small communities and a sense of belonging and cures children of the hypocrisies of adult life, Offers narratives that negotiate risks of the real world, How they work out cultural/social norms Johan Huizinga - Function of the living, a free activity of standing quite consciously outside ordinary life Not serious, but shapes culture through ritual and custom Absorbs the player utterly into the magic circle, in a special time and place set aside for play...either materially or ideally, hedged off from the everyday surroundings

4 Defining Games A form of art which participants can make decisions in order to manage resources through game tokens in pursuit of a goal Key Concepts Is a system Artificial Has players Conflict Rules Some goal/ending state *Its story is linear, but the game itself isn t Example: Oregon Trail

5 So Exactly What Does Play Critically Mean? To create or occupy play environments/activities that represent one or more questions about aspects of human life Criticality can be fostered to question an aspect of a game s content or aspect of a play scenario s function that may otherwise be considered a given or necessary Characterized by examination of social, cultural, political, or even personal themes that function as alternates to popular play spaces. Those using it as an approach might create rules to examine a specific issue, and which are relevant to the issue itself. Main Challenge/Goal: Create complex, compelling environments using critical thinking to offer novel possibilities in games; creative person s interest in critiquing status quo about using play for a phase change

6 Designing for Critical Play

7 The iterative design Set a design goal - necessary for project Develop minimum rules and assets necessary for goal - a framework, such as tokens, characters, props, etc Develop a playable prototype - game idea is done on paper/acted out Play test - random people beta test it, examine any flaws, difficulties or dull sections Revise - players give feedback, which is used to improve the game Repeat - the process is repeated until it s completed

8 Similar to writing an essay, you start with brainstorming topic, make a rough draft, have someone proofread it, then edit and publish it

9 The critical play design Set a design goal/mission statement and values goals - sets goal for project, as well as one or more equally weighted values goals Develop rules/constraints that support values - creates framework that supports games values and play Design for different play styles - designer should design for subversion of the system and other means which play can emerge Develop a playable prototype - game idea done on paper/acted out Play test with diverse audiences - includes non-traditional gamers Verify values and revise goals - players verify the values goals emerge through play, and revise goals and add/drop options to support project values Repeat - process is repeated to make sure game supports the values it set out to frame and support; these two criteria for success must be measured in each iterative cycle *Mouthful to take in/compare, I know

10 Designing for critical play can work in mainstream games by suggesting new play methods. (Ex: Kingdom Hearts, with its different battle/skill systems) It can be used to question certain scenarios in a game, some may find it developing a character s growth, others may find it confusing or unnecessary If a designer or artist can make safe spaces that allow the negotiation of real-world concepts, issues, and ideas, then a game can be successful in facilitating the exploration of innovative solutions for apparently intractable problems

11 Critical Computer Games

12 Simulation Games: Main purpose is practice of real life situations

13 Multiplayer games: Potentially make new friends and practice teamwork

14 Narratives/Visual Novels - tell a story based on real life/movies & book