Running Head: GAME DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY 1. Justin Sobczak IT March 3, Game Design and Technology

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1 Running Head: GAME DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY 1 Justin Sobczak IT March 3, 2014 Game Design and Technology "By placing this statement on my webpage, I certify that I have read and understand the GMU Honor Code on I am fully aware of the following sections of the Honor Code: Extent of the Honor Code, Responsibility of the Student and Penalty. In addition, I have received permission from the copyright holder for any copyrighted material that is displayed on my site. This includes quoting extensive amounts of text, any material copied directly from a web page and graphics/pictures that are copyrighted. This project or subject material has not been used in another class by me or any other student. Finally, I certify that this site is not for commercial purposes, which is a violation of the George Mason Responsible Use of Computing (RUC) Policy posted on web site."

2 GAME DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY 2 Introduction In the United States, and countries all over the world, many children and adults alike have sat around and enjoyed the fun of playing a video game. Most people, however, fail to really understand what goes in to creating, marketing, and protecting the game which beings them so much enjoyment. The technology itself began, as most things do, with a few simple ideas and a few simple products, and it has continued to expand and mold into more complicated and amazing possiblities. A person can really be struck with awe when they see how these awesome technologies work. As this world of lights and sounds has grown, so has the need for better security to protect from others who may want to steal designers work, which is where the legal system and ethics come into play. Game designers have an endless universe of creative useablities, and can make technologies and worlds we can only dream of, which must, at all costs be protected from those who would take unfair advantage of what others have already done. What is Game Design? Game design is the designing and building of different games for people to play. The creaters who make these virtual realms are obviously called game designers, which in itself is an extremely broad discipline. Often times, the workers in this field are very good with computers and are creative enough to make the impossible come true, generating a world beyond belief. There is a group of people who work together to make this happen, each having a job and work they need to get done for the project (What is Game Design, n.d.). Generally, the people who are creating these games tend to be college educated, but there are no specific requirements that someone has to have to work in the field (Lebedev, n.d., videogamedesignschools.org). Game

3 GAME DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY 3 design is an artform that presents endless possiblities for designers and players alike to explore places they previously could only imagine. History of Game Design Gaming has a brief, but interesting history within our society. In the early 1950s, A.S Douglas started the world of gaming by making the first ever game that could be played on the computer of the timeperiod. From then on, there was a firestorm of different inventors, including William Higinbotham, Ralph Baer, Nolan Bushnell, and Ted Dabney, who over the years created a multitude of different games with various computers as the new technology came out. Some of these different games included Spacewars and Tennis for two, with Computer Space being the start of the arcade game era. In the 1970s, new companies began to form to create games, including one by Bushnell and Dabney, called Atari. This company produced a famous game called Pong in the mid-1970s. From then on, there was an onslaught of new gaming technologies, including the first ever take-home system by Magnavox in 1972 (Bellis, n.d.). This system was the first in what would be a long line of new gaming developments and would lead to technologies such as the XBOX, Playstation, and eventually the futuristic Ninendo Wii. The Ninendo Wii When the Ninendo Wii came out in the mid-2000s, it was an instant hit with kids and adults alike all over the world, beginning a new era in the world of gaming. There is an interesting history that goes into the device, not to mention the complexity, yet simplicity, with which the device itself actually works. The company began to work on the Wii in the early 2000s, and after a long journey of different issues and conquests, the final product we know and love today was released in 2005 (Goldsborough, 2008). Many people, however, do not really

4 GAME DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY 4 know how the technology works. According to livescience, The remote also contains a pivotal accelerometer that senses movements on the x-axis (side-to-side), y-axis (up and down) and z- axis (front-to back), and registers the strength of forces that are applied on the remote (How Does the Nintendo Wii Remote Work?, 2012). The Wii was an integral part of the world of game design; opening up a huge realm of possiblities that only make the future of the game design field bright. Making a Video Game Just like when Hollywood creates movies or artists begin working on their masterpieces, game design requires the makers to follow a process of steps in order to fullfill their goal. First, the group that is making the game has to propose and draw out different thoughts for what the game will be about and what type of people or creatures the game will include. This is generally done through what is called a storyboard, which is the same thing a movie producer uses to draw out the actions and shots of a movie (Crosby, 2008). The makers also must have an idea of the different types of people who will play their game, whether it is people who are very good or others who just use it as a leisure activity and do not play much (Fullerton, 2008, p.92). Also, it is important for the game creators to keep notes on everything involved within the game, such as how certain aspects work, so they will not forget anything. After all the creative parts of the game have been taken care of, it is time to move on to the technical part of the process. Next, the people making the game have to find computer programs that will work best for them, depending on what genre of game they are trying to make and how skilled they are in the craft. There are a large number of these available, with some examples including Mugen, RPG Toolkit, and RPG 95. If the game is very intricate and involved, such as the Grand Theft Auto series, then the designer will have to use computer codes to create it (Crosby, 2008).

5 GAME DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY 5 Benefits of Playing Games Game designers provide a great service to the world through the work that they do, bringing joy and thrills to children and adults everywhere. One benefit that is pretty obvious is that game design opens up a ton of job opportunities to people who are really creative and love what they do. Also, there is evidence to suggest that games help to make kids better rounded and smarter individuals, although some people would like to debate it, especially with the violent crimes that occur in real life around the world. Studies have shown, however, that children who play what are considered violent games, tended to be able to study situations and pay better attention to detail, learning skills taught in school much more efficiently. Through these developments, it was shown that people with this knowledge tended to be more proficient in the core areas of learning, such as math and science. Of course, even with the research, some people may still disagree, although that is really up to them (Granic, Lobel, Engels, 2013). Legal and Ethical Issues Game design, like any great work of art, always has its crooks who want to make an easy buck off of creations that are not theirs to sell. This, in turn, is where the legal aspect of game design comes into play. United States law itself protects a person s work, including any secrets about how a game was created and the rights to specific names, characters, and other details of a project. This type of protection is generally done through copyrighting details and patenting processes that are used. Trademarking aspects of the game or other areas is often done too in order to secure its safety. If someone then tries to use either of those without permission, they can be sued, as well as prosecuted. Some of these protections, however, are not easy to get and take a lot of effort, so the game creater must really know what they are doing (Rosenthal, 2009).

6 GAME DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY 6 Besides the legal issues, ethical concerns are another big portion of the game design field. One issue that companies that make games have to look at is taking care of its customers, especially the ones that do not know when to stop playing the games. Also, game designers have to look at problems that might come from the content that they have within their game, especially overly violent and vulgar material. Parents and adults, ultimately, have to keep their kids from playing games that they should not be exposed to. Another big issue in some games, especially the Grand Theft Auto series, is the racial cliques that inhabit them. Game designers, themselves, have come together to discuss these problems, but even then, the issues that plague these games are not simple to fix, and it may require a whole culture change in the real world, thereby creating one in the virtual (Becker, 2002). Security Issues of Game Design One problem that always has to be looked at is the concern of someone stealing a game designer s work, which is where the security and legal aspect comes into play. There are other, slightly less known, security risks that cause problems for game designers. One issue is that computer programs that are common on most computers can potentially get viruses or other malware if not put onto the system correctly. Also, hackers can infiltrate and steal a computer s information, or tamper with it so it will not work properly. This would then mean that any work a game designer was trying to keep secret could be revealed or stolen. Sometimes, it can actually be something simple, too, such as if different game creators use different types of computers, which companies tend to try to eliminate, using only one standard system (Mohr, Rahman, 2011). These, along with other security concerns, add to the challenges which people in the field must overcome to get their product out there.

7 GAME DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY 7 Conclusion The world of game design is a fast growing industry that continually invents new technologies and marvels for the world to enjoy. The creators of these games share a common fascination and passion for the artistry that this requires, and use their skills to create virtual worlds that normally one could only dream. Gaming has continued to take amazing leaps, as seen by the Ninendo Wii, and the continually growing technology that brings people into the games. Now, with all this greatness comes a danger, security threats are everywhere online and game designers have to be careful about how they go about their craft, making sure that they get the entire legal and virtual backup they can possess. Also, ethical issues come into play as well, as companies must try to balance what is entertaining without being overly vulgar or violent. Although there are a number of challenges, the rewards are endless, as the talented minds of today help create the new technologies of tomorrow, and game designers create endless possiblities through the places they draw. Game design is a field of dreams, and it just takes one person to take a step onto the field and create whatever can be imagined.

8 GAME DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY 8 References Becker, D. (2002, March 24). Game Creators Tackle Ethical Issues. In news.cnet. Retrieved February 26, 2014, from This article was about the ethical problems that often plague certain games. This could be in a number of ways including being stereotypically insensitive or overly violent. The article finally talked about how game designers came together to meet to talk about how they could combat these issues. Bellis, M. (n.d.). Computer and Video Game History. In About.com. Retrieved February 26, 2014, from I used this article in order to find historical information on video games and how they have grown over time. The webpage discusses different games that have been created since the 1950s and the inventers who created them. Also, the article talks about how games evolved into what they have become today and how they inspired the take-home adventures people enjoy today. Crosby, T. (2008, July 18). How Making a Video Game Works. In Howstuffworks.com. Retrieved February 27, 2014, from This webpage was written about the process that a group or single person goes through in order to create a video game, from start to finish. I used this article so that I could give some background into how games are created and how game design stemes from this.

9 GAME DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY 9 Finally, the article discusses what is required to create more extensive games, as well as the technology needed to form these pieces of art. Fullerton, T. (2008). Game Design Workshop (2ndnd ed., p. 92). Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press. This article was used in order to discuss briefly how the different types of game players affect how makers create games. Basically, when a company designes a work, they must think about all the different types of people who might play this game, which in turn will determine what they will allow players to do. I used this source in order to help add onto what I was stating when discusses the game design process. Granic, I., Lobel, A., & Engels, R. (2008, July 18). The Benefits of Playing Video Games. American Psychologist Association, 69, Retrieved February 27, 2014, from This pdf online source was a section of a study done by the American Pschologist Association looking at how playing games actually helped people to perform better in life. I used this source in order to talk about the benefits of playing games, which included increased awareness and a more proficient look on life. In the long run, this study showed that kids who played video games actually did better in school as well. Goldsborough, L. (2008, August 21). The History of the Nintendo Wii. In articlesbase. Retrieved February 26, 2014, from

10 GAME DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY 10 This article was used in order to mention the history of how the Wii was created. The Wii is really the future of gaming, and it was important to discuss where the technology came from and how it was developed. How Does the Nintendo Wii Remote Work? (2012, March 30). In Livescience. Retrieved February 26, 2014, from The Ninendo Wii is the beginning of a new era of gaming, and this webpage was used to mention how the actual technology works. In this paper, a quote was pulled that really explained how the remote and console work. Mohr, S., & Rahman, S. (2011, October). IT Security Issues Within the Video Game Industry. International Journal of Computer Science and Technology, 3(5), 3-8. Retrieved February 26, 2014, from This online journal entry descibed the types of security problems that can cause danger to the game design industy. This source was used to describe some of the security concerns and give a general idea of what people should watch for when dealing in the field. One common issue that may cause problems is simply the fact that not everyone uses the same type of computer. There are other concerns, as well, especially with the threat of people accessing data they should not be getting. Rosenthal, D. (2009). Legal Issues for Game Developers. In Gamedesignconcepts.pbworks. Retrieved February 26, 2014, from Game%20Developers

11 GAME DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY 11 This source was used in order to find out the legal issues and concerns that arise within the game design industy, especially with people who want to steal others work. This article discusses the different types of processes in order to secure your work and ideas, including patents, trademarks, and copyrights. I used the article to help write about how legal issues that people in this industy face and how they are combated, although some of these government securities can be very difficult to acquire. What is Game Design. (2008). In internationalstudent. Retrieved February 26, 2014, from This webpage was discussing how college students can enter the field and gave an overview of what the industry is and the work environment in which a game designer will face. I used this source in order to find general information about what game design is and what the field is like. Also, this source was used in order to determine how game designers work, which is generally in teams, and how that work is divided up, which usually depends on what skills people possess.

WeekI. , of video games IND - Survey of peers on Interactive Entertainment

WeekI. , of video games IND - Survey of peers on Interactive Entertainment Games for Education 14 Article: Peppler, K., & Ka/ai, Y. (n. d.). What videogame making can teach us about literacy and learning: Alternative pathways into participatoly culture. GRP Genre Power Point