Visual Style and Gameplay World The in game world is digitally created for the purposes of anyone playing a game such as an RPG or something along the lines. The game developers would create a world, similar to real life in terms of making it realistic. This means by making the game come to life with the graphics that they use. A good example of this would be the game developers Bethesda. The have recently remastered their most popular game ‘Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim’, because the game was such a huge hit, it was only available on the old generation consoles, the remastered has improved the graphics of the game, making such changes as the how the water flows and the density of fog and rain, and also the overview of the world too . They have created it so that the players can tell the difference between the two games. Skyrim is a massive open world sandbox game, meaning that the game is yours to take control of and you can decide what to do. With the world being so open, it leaves an infinite amount of opportunities within the game. Now if we compare Skyrim with a game like FIFA 17, it all changes. This year FIFA 17 have teamed up with Frostbite so players look more realistic than ever, and the world and stadiums and the whole visuality of the game is more realistic. EA/Frostbite and Bethesda work hard so that their gamers enjoy a world where gaming can come to life, and they do that realistically and virtually.
Terrain Computer games have featured terrain since the earliest 3D graphics. graphics. However, representing representing the real world has not been a priority; they are usually "fantasy" "fantasy" worlds. Even when the the real world is the subject, an extremely limited area or view of the world is used, with no geographic framework. Even worse, technology technology is usually usually created for a game and discarded or lost soon after. Nonetheless, because so much time, energy and money has been spent in the game world over the years, it is worth looking at their terrain. Skyrim’s terrain is immensely detailed, as you
play the game and and explore the world, world, you can see in the foreground and background as you explore the open worlds of the game. Now in FIFA 17, we have the official stadiums of the Premiere League teams and a collection of other larger teams. This means the stadium and what’s around it such as the environments and the terrain of it means that the game is more realistic.
Architecture The primary function of architecture in games is to support the gameplay. Buildings in games are not analogous to buildings in the real world, because most of the time their real-world functions are either either irrelevant, the real-world real-world activity that the building serves isn't meaningful in the game, or purely metaphorical. Rather, buildings in games are analogous to movie sets: incomplete, false fronts whose function is to support the narrative of the movie. Movie M ovie sets create context and support suspension of disbelief. Gameplay in non-social games consists of challenges and actions taken to overcome them, architecture supports the gameplay by helping to define the challenges. The architecture is Skyrim is what brings it all to life, whether it be the buildings or the sights, it all builds up to create a world in which gamers can immerse themselves in. Bethesda go into some incredible detail when it comes to the architecture because they want their game to be as realistic (in terms of graphics) as possible.
Now in FIFA 17, the architecture is mainly the stadiums, but other places can be seen in the mode ‘The Journey’, which is a new mode which adds a completely different look and gameplay to the FIFA franchise. This includes includes new architectural architectural environments such as homes, locations and football related buildings.
Objects When you have created a game with development software you have an empty and static world. Think of it as an empty house - just a bunch of rooms and a backyard. You have to put objects in that world and there are two types of objects: static and dynamic. Static Objects: These are objects that don't do anything and could be anything like a picture
on the wall, a plant or a stairway. Dynamic objects: These are things that do something and they could be the character, a
monster, an NPC, a waterfall, a door that opens or any number of things. should always draw out your games and levels on paper before you start on the computer. Objects in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, objects that, once collected, are added to the inventory. Upon collection, items are sorted into specific categories, to help organize them and distinguish them from others. All items can be added to a list of "Favourites" that function like a hot-key system. Once an item has been made a "Favorited," it is listed in both the Favourites category and its original category. Below is a list of the categories of objects you can find in Skyrim: Weapons - necessary for defence as well as offense; follow the link for a complete list Apparel - Includes armour, shields, jewellery, jewellery, and daily clothing. clothing. Potions - consumable potions that have mostly positive effects on the player and poisons that have mostly negative effects on enemies. Scrolls - a magical document that will cast the named spell when activated food - an item that that may be eaten eaten to improve health, health, stamina, or magicka magicka Ingredients - items collected mostly from plants and animals for use in creating potions Books - includes most written material
Keys - Some eliminate the need to pick locks on the chests, doors, containers, etc. in the immediate area. Miscellaneous - includes the following: Precious Gems Ingots Leather Strips Lockpicks Maps Ore Quest Items Soul Gems Torches Unusual Gems
In FIFA 17, there aren’t really that many
objects, but there are enough to make a crucial change to the game. First off you have the ball, which you can get in various different designs. Then you have the other interactive objects such as the nets, corner flags, grass, and and the kits. The ones you can’t interact with are the fans, cameras, commentators, substitutes, cameramen, and ball boys.
Characters A player character or or playable character (PC) (PC) is a fictional fictional character in a role-playing or video game whose actions are directly controlled by a player of the game rather than the rules of the game. The characters that are not controlled by a player are called non-player characters (NPCs). The actions of non-player characters are typically handled by the game itself in video games. Video games typically have one player character for each person playing the game. game. Some games offer a group of player characters characters for the player player to choose from, allowing the player player to control one one of them at a time. Where more than one player character is available, the characters may have different abilities, strengths, and weaknesses to make the game play style different.
In past The Elder Scrolls games, character creation was where the player decided their class, which would shape their character's strengths and weaknesses for the whole of the gaming experience ahead. With Skyrim, the class system has been removed, and character creation determines very little about the capabilities of a character. The only aspects which the player will choose are race, gender, appearance, and name. The process is thus centred almost entirely on the aesthetic aspect of character creation, which has been greatly improved over past games. Players can now edit facial features in much greater detail, and add decorations like war paint, facial hair, battle scars, wrinkles, and dirt coverage. The biggest character in FIFA 17 has to be Alex Hunter as part of ‘The Journey’. Alex Hunter
is a 17-year-old male from Clapham, London. Hunter's grandfather is former English striker Jim Hunter (20 goals in the 1966– 67 67 season). Under his grandfather's guidance, Hunter has decided to play as a footballer in the Premier League. Some characters who aren’t as major are the potential cover sta rs and official ambassadors
of the game. The people include Marco Reus, Eden Hazard, James Rodríguez and Anthony Martial were announced as the official ambassadors of the game. After a global cover vote conducted by EA Sports, Reus emerged as the winner.
Non Playable Characters (NPC) A non-player character character (NPC), sometimes sometimes known as a non-person non-person character or non-playable non-playable character, in a game is any character that is not controlled by a player. In video games, this usually means a character controlled by the computer through artificial intelligence. In traditional table top role-playing games, the term applies to characters controlled by the game master or referee, rather than another player.
The term non-player character is also used in video games to describe entities not under the direct control of a player. The term carries a connotation that the character is not hostile towards players; hostile characters are referred to as enemies, mobs or creeps. In video games, NPC is sometimes expanded as "non-playable character" or "non-player class". In Skyrim NPC (Non-Player Character) is a generic term for all humanoids (of various races), other than the player, that are encountered while playing Skyrim. The difference between NPCs and other creatures is somewhat blurry in Skyrim. One key difference is in trapping their souls: NPC souls cannot be trapped into ordinary Soul Gems; only Black Soul Gems or Azura's Star (Black) can be used. Classes are still used by NPCs, despite being unable to be picked by the Player Character. There are many named NPCs in Skyrim. These people are all listed on the People page. All quest-givers, trainers, and merchants in the game, as well most of the people in cities and towns are named characters. Some named characters are deemed to be Essential ("unkillable"). If these characters are attacked, they will fall to their knees and surrender when they near zero Health. After a few minutes, they will rise up with full health, and will reengage the player or enemy NPCs until the latter parties are dead or out of the area. Protected characters, on the other hand, can be attacked and killed by the player but not by NPCs (however, a bug means that poisons can kill even Protected characters). Most NPCs can be killed, but there may be consequences later. In FIFA 17, the NPC’s are people like the referees, crowds, manager and everyone to do with the beautiful that isn’t the players. Sometimes they can be a bit buggy or out of hand when things go wrong, and there is no way of stopping the glitches unless you do a hard reset of the game, which can be quite annoying. Feedback Interface Feedback interface is one of the most interesting factors, it has more impact on a player’s experience. I have chosen Fable 2 for Visual and auditory and tactile (physical sensation). In particular, when your hero goes on his/ her travels they are not always warned of danger and when they are in an area of danger.
You get warnings but this can be visually, by audio or from a physical sensation. Visually, the camera angle changes and zooms out from your character view to the area view and the area gets overshadowed and becomes dark and you will see red musky light around enemies, however the map also shows when danger is alert. Through audio, is when the music changes from this continuous soft nursery rhyme style song then switches to grim styled music building up tension, your dog "barks" as a warning sensing danger or their might be a trademark sound for the enemy depending on who you’re going to be in combat with. Physical sensation, is the most thrilling experience for instance if the area quakes or when in combat and you get shot, hit or lose life the controller will vibrate making it feel real. So a games designer has clearly thought about these things to make the gameplay as real as possible. A games website states "We like to feel that we're accomplishing something, so our every action should have consequences in the world and should be remembered by state change of objects in the world. This gives us direct evidence that our actions have meaning and consequence to the world we inhabit. The state changes we see also help us remember our actions and give us progressive guideposts on the way to achieve the eventual goal. (01:00)" In result, when you have fought or killed an enemy a "horn" sounds indicating the user has completed or won. These are indications to danger within the game giving feedback to the user through all these ways. 2D 2D computer graphics is the computer-based generation of digital images —mostly from twodimensional models (such as 2D geometric models, text, and digital images) and by techniques specific to them. The word may stand for the branch of computer science that comprises such techniques, or for the models themselves. 2D computer graphics are mainly used in applications that were originally developed u pon traditional printing and drawing technologies, such such as typography, cartography, technical drawing, advertising, etc. In those applications, the twodimensional image is not just a representation of a real-world object, but an independent artifact with added semantic value; two-dimensional models are therefore preferred, because they give more direct control of the image than 3D computer graphics (whose approach is more akin to photography than to typography).
3D Three-dimensional Three-dimensional computer graphics (3D computer graphics, in contrast to 2D computer graphics) are graphics that use a threedimensional representation of geometric data (often Cartesian) that is stored in the computer c omputer for the purposes of performing calculations calculations and rendering 2D images. Such images may be stored for viewing later or displayed displayed in real-time. 3D computer graphics rely on many of the same algorithms as 2D computer vector graphics in the wire-frame model and 2D computer raster graphics in the final rendered display. In computer graphics software, the distinction between 2D and 3D is occasionally blurred; 2D applications may use 3D techniques to achieve effects such as lighting, and 3D may use 2D rendering techniques. First Person In video games, the first person refers to a graphical perspective rendered rendered from the viewpoint viewpoint of the player's character. In In many cases, this this may be the viewpoint from the cockpit of a vehicle. Many different genres have made use of first-person perspectives, ranging ranging from adventure adventure games to flight flight simulators. The most notable genre to make use of this device is the first-person shooter, where the graphical perspective has a heavy impact on gameplay. Third Person These games are closely related to firstf irst person shooters, shooters, which also tie the perspective of the the player to an an avatar, but the two genres are distinct. While the first person perspective allows players to aim and shoot without their avatar blocking their view, the third-person shooter shows the protagonist from an "over the shoulder shot" or "behind the back" perspective. Thus, Thus, the third-person third-person perspective allows the game designer designer to create a more strongly characterized characterized avatar and directs the player's attention as in watching a film. In contrast, a first-person perspective provides the player player with greater immersion immersion into the game universe. This difference in perspective also affects gameplay. Third-person shooters allow players to see the area surrounding the avatar more clearly. This viewpoint facilitates more interaction
between the character and their surrounding environment, such as the use of tactical cover in Gears of War, or navigating tight quarters. As such, the third-person perspective is better for interacting with objects in the game world, such as jumping on platforms, engaging in close combat, or driving a vehicle. However, the third-person perspective can interfere with tasks tasks that require fine aiming. Scrolling A side-scrolling game, game, side-scroller or 2D is a video game in which the gameplay action is viewed from a sideview camera angle, and the onscreen characters generally move from the left side of the screen to the right to meet an objective. These games make use of scrolling computer display technology. The move from single-screen or flipscreen graphics to scrolling graphics, during the golden age of video arcade games and during third-generation consoles, would prove to be a pivotal leap in game design, comparable to the move to 3D graphics during the fifth f ifth generation. Aerial Top-down perspective, also sometimes referred to as bird's-eye view, Overworld, overhead view or helicopter view, when used in video games refers to a camera angle that shows the player and the area area around them from above. While not exclusive exclusive to video games that utilise utilise parallel projection, it was at one time time common in 2D role playing playing video games, games, war-games and construction and management simulation games such as SimCity, Pokémon, and Railroad Tycoon, as well as in action and action-adventure games such as the early The Legend of Zelda and Grand Theft Auto games.
Context Sensitive The primary reason for introducing context sensitivity is to simplify the user interface. Advantages include: include:
Reduced number of commands required to be known to the user for a given level of productivity. Reduced number of clicks or keystrokes required to carry out a given operation. Allows consistent consistent behaviour to be be pre programmed or altered by the user. Reduces the number of options needed on screen at one time.
Disadvantages include: Context sensitive actions may be perceived as dumbing down of the user interface - leaving the operator at a loss as to what to do when the computer decides to perform an unwanted action. Additionally, non-automatic procedures may be hidden or obscured by the context sensitive interface causing an increase in user workload for operations the designers did not foresee. Full Motion Video A full motion video (FMV) is a video video game narration technique that relies upon pre-recorded video files (rather than sprites, vectors, or 3D models) to display action in the game. While many games feature FMVs as a way to present information during cut scenes, games that are primarily presented through FMVs are referred to as full-motion video games or interactive movies. Beginning in the late 1990s to early 2000s, video game trailers began to be produced as they became more mainstream. Used to entice viewers to go out and play the game, game trailers are very useful. The content and production process is similar to that for movies, movies, complicated by by the need to convey the way the game plays. The trailer for Aliens: Colonial Marines, Marines, for example, example, featured graphics graphics that were of a higher standard than the game that was eventually sold. Hideo Kojima, a game creator cr eator strongly influenced by Hollywood movies, edits the elaborate
trailers for his own games from a special studio in his office. Gameplay
Interaction Model Interaction model is the way that the player is controlled and represented within a game and how the player interacts with the world in the game. There are two different types of interaction models. These include Avatar Interaction and Omnipresence Interaction. Avatar Avatar interaction model are used in video games when the player’s only interaction in the game is through an avatar within the game, which is normally through the character or characters in the video game. First Person and Third Person video games usually use this model as a base to create their game. The Uncharted series is a prime example of using the avatar interaction model as you are usually playing as the protagonist (Nathan Drake) and you are controlling c ontrolling his actions such jumping, running etc., also navigating the game world through the protagonist and engaging in the obstacles that you may be facing during the game. Developers use this model specifically to make players more attached to the characters and become more involved and immersed in the game. Omnipresence Omnipresence interaction model is usually associated of having control over the character(s) inside the video game and certain game world features such buildings etc. Game genres which use this kind of gameplay are that of Strategy and Simulation games. A good example that use this interaction model is the Sims series. They allow players to have full control of each character and what what activity they might might be doing whilst whilst making building building and architecture such as rollercoasters and theme parks to improve the city in the game. People like this type of game as is it let them be creative and unique, also create their own little world.
Single player Single player video games are when the game is played only by one player against the computer’s AI throughout the course of the game, whereas single player mode is a specific section of the game where it is designed for one player to play the game although in modern video games, other players can play alongside you simultaneously in the single player mode. During the early stages of video games, single player mode was vastly successful as it was simple for designers to create as it usually focused on having one character to play as. It was also highly influential in the development of video games as it became the core element in the making of video games and further enhanced different modes that can be incorporated in video games such as multiplayer mode. The most common genres to feature single player modes are; action-adventure games, platform games, first-person first-person shooters shooters and many more. Here Here is a little clip of some popular popular single player video games that has sold for millions and popular till this date. There are quite a few positives and negatives about single player video games, I am going to state a few, such as playing the game without relying on anyone to complete an objective, as sometimes players with a different skill level may hold you back from progressing further in the game. You may feel that completing the “campaign” by yourself feel like a more deserved victory than having a companion to help you out. However, if you get stuck on a certain mission/level and you do not know how to overcome the mission you cannot get help from another player to help you complete the mission, which may make the player stop playing playing and resent the the game overall. Multiplayer Multiplayer video games consist of more than one player in the same same game world which which aren’t controlled controlled by AI but rather by other players at the same time. This type of game allows players to work alongside each other to complete a common goal/objective or go against each to compete for the winning spot for instance, Call of Duty multiplayer modes, players are
put into two separate separate teams which is made up of other other players then try to defeat the opposing team using the items (weapons, grenades) that are available to them. There are different types of Multiplayer Games some are; Co-Op and Massive Multiplayer Online (MMO). Co-Op is a feature in video games that allows players to bring in other players during a single player mission, or play with other players on the same console in a specific game mode i.e. Co-Op or Split Screen. Internet access is usually not needed for this game type. Games that implement implement Co-Op mode mode are Battlefield, Call of Duty and Mario Kart just to name a few. A split screen is normally required when playing in co-op mode mode as each player player can have their view of their character which could restrict the view for each person as they may not be able see the surroundings around them, although they can quickly help each other if one player is overwhelmed by an enemy they can quickly figure out where they are and help them out. Massive Multiplayer Online (MMO) games usually consists of a large number of players in one game game world in different servers. Final Fantasy, League of Legends and Dungeons and Dragons are some popular examples of Role playing games (RPG) that are in MMO format, these became became popular due to the accessibility within the game that allows players to communicate communicate and play together together as a community which make gamers become more immersed and make friends with new people. This could could be seen as an advantage of of MMO type games however, an internet internet connection is needed to run the games as without a constant internet connection, the player become offline in the middle of an important mission/event and be costly to them i.e. may lose certain credits or seen as a failed mission by default. Narrative A Narrative in a video video game usually usually in video format, tell us the the story line of of the game. Normally found at the start of the game campaign but also can be embedded throughout the campaign. Video game designers use narrative in video games to interest and engage the gamer, as games with story lines that have no thought behind may bore the gamer and not carry on further within the game. An advantage of using narratives within game, give the game a more in-depth in -depth look on the game, making it more interesting. Although weaknesses of this is that some narratives
within the game take up gaming time which can be a burden on some people as they may have a restricted playing time, or just really eager to go on to the next part of the game. A video game that has a really interesting story line is The Last of Us: Remastered. Game Setting Game settings can be found within every game which can be adjusted according to the player’s personal personal preference on how to play the game. game. Developers create create games dependent dependent on the games plot and expand on that. They look at different aspect of the games such as, physical settings, settings, temporal settings, settings, emotional settings and ethical ethical settings of the game. Physical When creating the physical settings settings of the game, the developers make the game world suitable to the games storyline by deciding where it will be placed and how the character will interact and adapt to that setting. For instance, football game in a basketball court will be considered as irrelevant. This will be made to make the gamer more immersed in the video game and look forward to carry on playing later on. Temporal The temporal setting setting of the game will be taken into consideration during the creation of the game, as the time period of the game is crucial part of the game on making it more chronologically accurate as it will give the game realism and depth. For example, Assassins Creed: Creed: Unity, was based based on the French French revolution so the era of the game should be set in the late 18th century otherwise it will make no sense which could make the gamer stop playing.
Environmental The environmental setting is the condition the character the game is playing in, which usually affects the weather the game is playing in at the the very moment. For instance, in Need for Speed, the weather can alter depending on where the character (Car) is on the map, for example driving in the desert the weather is usually hot in the day whereas during the night it is humid and cold. This feature is included in games to give games more realism and
natural feel, games such as FIFA play in real time conditions where it if it’s raining the players usually slide along the grass grass more longer when when slide tackling tackling for the ball, which which affects the overall gameplay. Emotional The emotional setting of the game affects the character’s emotion and body language in the game. This setting is important to include in video games as this feature improves the realism of the game, this can be clearly seen through cut-scenes in games where the main character’s father dies and you will feel you will have to avenge the father through the protagonist of the game, this makes the player more immersed and emotionally attached in the game. Ethical The ethical setting in the game is usually set by how the game is played and what in the game you can do that limits the game into a specific age bracket. For example, in Grand Theft Auto V you are usually encouraged to steal a car from a civilian in the game world or violently shoot enemies within the game. This certain feature makes it inappropriate for children who are under the age of 18, as the content is very explicit for children to be witnessing and may imitate the actions in to real life. This matter is usually resolved by setting a PG rating on the game suitable for a specific target audience. Goals Goals within a game is usually the objective that the player have to complete in order progress along the game. There can be multiple goals that the player has to achieve to go on to next level, which are usually associated as mini objectives that the player to do such as collect x amount of items. Optional objectives are similar to side missions, where it’s not necessary to complete in order to complete the overall game but it’s beneficial as they allow the player to gain access to more items, shortcuts, currency etc. Games that usually have
this type of objectives are adventure games. Uncharted is a prime example of different types of objectives to complete as you may be asked to find a specific artefact to get a reward. Challenges Challenges are similar to mini objectives as they are a pathway to lead to a Main objective. The length of challenge may vary within games, for instance a short term challenge can be a “kill X”, where x can be an enemy, a medium challenge may be, is “collect X amount of items”, where it may take a few minutes to collect the items that might be scattered around the game world, and a long challenge could be get 100% on all challenges. A game that includes all different types of challenges is Assassins Creed, as they feature a kill mission, collect a certain amount of “packages” and 100% on all Sync(s). Rewards Rewards are usually collected after a certain of challenge or mission has been completed successfully. The reward can vary from currency to increasing a certain attribute. This is common within games as it helps the player improve and carry on further in the game. It also gives the player an incentive for them to play more and complete the game. Game developers have realised that not having this feature will make the game boring and repetitive as players may think that all they are doing is just doing missions without any purpose.
Player Actions There are two different types of player actions done in video games. First of all, there are the action that the player can do when controlling a character/object within the game, the movements are usually more advanced than just walking left and right, r ight, there are jumping, crouching, sprinting, punching, and kicking kicking and so on. The other type, is how the character(s) are controlled via a game controller. For instance, if you analyse two different games such as Grand Theft Auto (GTA) and Super Mario, you will clearly notice the difference in movements and how you will apply certain actions. In Super Mario, the actions used are very basic, where the most advanced action is sprinting where two buttons have to be pressed down simultaneously. Whereas, in GTA you can fly, drive, swim, shoot and more within the game. This shows a development in Video Game character actions. There are numerous ways in which the gamer can control the characters in the game. A few examples are; a gamepad, a joystick, a steering wheel and motion sensors. The gamepad can be connected to the video game console wired or wireless, it enables gamers to have easy control over the video game as multiple buttons can be pressed to perform different actions and movements. Motion Sensor in video games is a new take on how a video game can be controlled as they can control or perform actions with the use of their body movements, a device such as the “Kinect” used with the XBOX 360 and ONE consoles, has an inbuilt camera in the Kinect K inect device which detect the player’s physical movements and translate them to inputs in the game. Rules Rules are placed within video games for the player to understand on what and what not to in the game for the character to progress within the game without getting killed for instance. It also set boundaries in the game so that the player can’t cheat in a game or alter the game on how it’s played so they gain an advantage over someone who is playing the game within the rules of the game. Games such as Call of Duty is often hacked by people who want to gain a significant advantage in the game by coming invincible or having unlimited ammunition which is not allowed and usually
monitored and banned by the games administrator. Game developers put in these certain rules and regulation in the game so the game is balanced and fun to play in single player and multiplayer. Difficulty and Balance Balance in video game terminology refers to the concept of a character or level that is not too overwhelming or too weak/easy that it will make the gamer carry on playing and not complain complain about the difficulty of the game.
Gamers with different skills may believe the game may be too easy or hard, so developers have embedded into most games a difficulty setting, which the player can determine the balance of the game which it will be playable for the gamer, thus affecting the gameplay and can be altered throughout the game, if the AI becomes too challenging/easy challenging/easy for the player. player. At the start of any game, the difficulty of the gameplay will be quite easy for the player as they are usually introduction to the game on how to play, what different moves and buttons to help you advance in the game, which then gradually increase in difficulty as the game goes on, for example the wave of enemies increase in numbers and become stronger in terms of health and accuracy of attacks, this keeps the gamer immersed in the game making the objective more challenging. Some examples of difficulty used in video games are FIFA, Call of Duty and Street Fighter. The use of difficulty in FIFA is usually dependent of the skill of the gamer, as they may increase the difficulty to make the AI controlled team more difficult to play against and break down to score and win. Game Mechanics Games with a first-person perspective are usually avatar-based, wherein the game displays what the player's avatar would see with the avatar's own eyes. Thus, players typically cannot see the avatar's body, though they may be able to see the avatar's weapons or hands. This viewpoint is also frequently used to represent the the perspective of a driver within a vehicle, as in flight and racing simulators; and it is common to
make use of positional audio, where the volume of ambient sounds varies depending on their position with respect respect to the player's player's avatar. Games with a first-person perspective do not require sophisticated animations for the player's avatar, nor nor do they need to implement a manual or automated a utomated cameracontrol scheme as in third-person perspective. A first-person first-person perspective perspective allows for easier aiming, since there is no representation of the avatar to block the player's view. However, However, the absence absence of an avatar can make it difficult to master the timing and distances required to jump between platforms, and may cause motion sickness in some players. Players have come to expect first-person games to accurately scale objects to appropriate sizes. However, key objects such as dropped items or levers may be exaggerated in order to improve their visibility. Inventory Inventory in video games usually players to store and carry items freely freely along with them throughout the journey of the game. game. A number of games have different capacities on how much they can store items, for instance in Call of Duty, you are limited to carry two different weapons and grenades. The items you pick up or buy in the game is usually usually stored in some kind of “bag”, where it can be stored and scrolled through for later use. Scoring Scoring is usually a point system within the game to see how much you have gained throughout the game and/or level. There are different types of scoring system such as Exp. points, Killstreak, Goals/Points (Sports) etc. This is usually a record of how well you are doing in that specific game and how much you need to go on to the next level, for instance to level up in Battlefield you have to get X Amount Experience Experience points to go on on to the next next level which usually gained by playing different types of games modes.
Win Condition Win Condition within games is usually calculated by the amount of points or health each battling team have, it can also be determined by how far you have progressed within the game for example when you complete a story mode in Mortal Kombat after you defeat the Final Boss, it will end with a short cut scene finishing with a screen stating “You Win”. However, within that final battle you have another win condition where it will say “Finish Him!” or “Excellent”,” Perfect” if playing Street Fighter, stating that you have won.
Feedback Feedback Interface is the information provided by the game which allows the player to see their progress during the the game. There are two two separate types of feedback interface, simple interface is the minor helpful information such as duration left (timer), health remaining, and how many wins. Whereas advanced feedback is the visual effects in a certain move, Power bar and the recent move that has been applied. These are just a few examples. In every game there will be some type of feedback interface in the game to state what is currently happening or what is needed to advance further on. Above I have used Street Fighter as an example of feedback interface in a video game. The time counter for instance, is a common example in all types of games, which shows how much time you have left to complete task or the game to finish. Another Prime example is the Health Bar, in this case Vitality Gauge is a general interface in most games as it helps the user see and estimate how much life he has left to complete the level or be alive to defeat the opponent. This aspect of the game makes it a vital part of any game. Game Structure When Designing the rules and the mechanics of gameplay everything needs to be considered and information needs to be passed on to programmers on how different parts interact and how the overall flow of the game happens. happens. A flowchart is used to clearly structure structure the design of the game and show how it works.
Games Addiction When players become hooked to the game they become Addicted, as it is very unhealthy can have a negative impact on the mind and body of the gamer. Gamers are usually become addicted due to being too immersed in the game as its realism make the gamer feel that them in the game world, also the fact that the game have unreal features that the gamer may not be able to do in real life such as flying, shoot guns, deal drugs etc. Competition within video games can also make the player attached to the game as they believe that playing more will make them better and beat everyone they face. Video Game developer developer may purposely purposely make the game addictive as as they want their their game to be the most played video and more popular in comparison to the competition. Anyone who has experienced it knows knows all too well – video video game addiction is real. Although gaming addiction addiction is not yet officially recognized as a diagnosable disorder by the American Medical Association, there there is increasing evidence that people of all ages, especially teens and pre-teens, are facing very real, r eal, sometimes severe consequences associated with compulsive use of video and computer games. Video games are becoming increasingly complex, detailed, and compelling to a growing international audience of players. With better graphics, more realistic characters, and greater strategic challenges, it’s not surprising that some teens would rather play the latest video game than hang out with friends, play sports, sports, or even watch watch television. Of course, all gamers are not addicts – many many teens can play video games games a few hours a week, week, successfully balancing school activities, grades, friends, and family obligations. But for some, gaming has become an uncontrollable compulsion. Studies estimate that 10 percent to 15 percent of gamers exhibit exhibit signs that meet the World Health Organization’s criteria for addiction. Just like gambling and other compulsive behaviours, teens can become so enthralled in the fantasy world of gaming that they neglect their family, friends, work, and school.
If you or a loved one shows signs of computer or video game addiction, this website is for you. Here, you will find up-to-date information and resources that will help you assess whether gaming has gone from an entertaining pastime to a full-blown f ull-blown obsession. From signs and symptoms to advice for parents and treatment options, this site offers advice and solutions to help bring compulsive gamers back to real life. Symptoms of Video Game Addiction in Teens Although it hasn't hasn't been given an "official" diagnosis, addiction-like behaviours with computer, video, and Internet gaming have noticeably increased among both teenagers and adults. Like any addictive behaviour, there are signs to look for if you suspect your teen might have a gaming addiction. Your teen need only exhibit two or three of these symptoms for his behaviour to be considered "addictive." •Preoccupation: Someone who is addicted to computer, video, or Internet gaming often
exhibits an unusual preoccupation with the game or computer when he is away from it. The teen could seem distracted, irritable, or disinterested and may talk about the game almost constantly. •Downplaying Computer Use: It's common for someone with addictive, computer-related behaviours to downplay the amount of time she spends in front of the TV or computer. The person may make excuses, saying saying she "needs" to be online, online, or may outright lie. •Lack of Control: A person who is addicted, or at risk of becoming addicted to gaming, is
unable to control the amount of time she spends on the computer. She may go online with the intent to spend 15 or 20 minutes, but will keep extending the time until several hours have passed. •Loss of Time: Along the same lines, lines, a person may sit down at his computer, again again with the
intent to spend only a few minutes, but completely lose track of time and suddenly find that several hours have passed. It is not unusual for someone with a gaming addiction to play through the night and only realize how much time has passed when the sun begins to rise. •Negative Impact on Other Areas of Life: Because the person spends so much time on the the computer or video video
game console, other areas of life are neglected. He may grow distant from friends and family who had previously been close. Homework may go unfinished, causing grades to slip. In more extreme cases, the teen may even neglect personal hygiene, hygiene, choosing to play play video games rather rather than taking a shower. •Hiding from Negative or Uncomfortable Feelings or Situations: Some people become addicted to gaming
because they use it to self-medicate. When confronted with situations or feelings that are uncomfortable (feeling sad, arguing with a friend, or getting a bad grade), the person may "hide" in the game as a method of avoidance. •Defensiveness: When confronted or asked about his time spent gaming, a person may become defensive. Denial is often an indication that something is wrong, especially if the person seems unconcerned unconcerned that friends friends and family feel feel neglected or left out out of his life. •Misuse of Money: Someone who is addicted to video, computer, or Internet gaming will spend a disproportionate amount of money on computer-related items. The person will seem to be continually upgrading hardware, software packages, and accessories. This becomes an
even greater problem if the person spends money that should be used for bills, groceries, and other necessities. •Mixed Feelings: As with any addiction, use of the "substance" – in this case, the video game –
initially causes euphoric feelings, but that euphoria is quickly followed by guilt. Guilt may be felt either over what the person is doing while online or simply the amount of time he is spending at the computer. Signs of Gaming Addiction in Adults When the topic of video game addiction comes up, most people immediately immediately picture a 13-year-old boy absorbed in his Sony PlayStation or Xbox. But gaming addiction also affects adults. From the executive to the stay-at-home mom, the compulsive use of video, computer, and Internet games causes thousands of adults to ignore important work and family obligations. Many adults feel overwhelmed by their responsibilities. responsibilities. These days, it’s not hard to understand why. Adults are frequently called upon to balance demanding jobs, the needs of spouses and children, and problems with ailing parents or friends in crisis. Everyone Everyone needs time to relax, unwind, unwind, and take their their minds off real life. life.
This is where video and computer games come in. For most adults, the occasional car chase or celebrity boxing match in a video game can relieve stress and provide an hour of light entertainment. But those who begin to play video games excessively may become so engrossed in the virtual fantasy world that they shirk their responsibilities and other interests. Here are a few red flags that may point to a bigger problem: •Lying about how much time you spend playing computer or video games •Playing computer or video video games results in intense feelings of pleasure or guilt that seem uncontrollable •Spending more and more time playing video or computer games to get the same enjoyment •Withdrawing from friends, family, or your spouse to the point of disrupting family, social, or
work life •Experiencing feelings of anger, depression, moodiness, anxiety, or restlessness restlessness when you’re not gaming •Spending significant sums of money for online services, computer upgrades, or gaming systems •Thinking obsessively about being on the computer or playing video games even
when doing other things In addition, adults addicted to gaming may have physical symptoms like difficulty sleeping, migraines, back and neck aches, dry eyes, or carpal tunnel syndrome. Video game addicts also may become so preoccupied with earning the high score or reaching the next level that they forget to eat, shower, shave, or take care of basic hygiene. If you are concerned that someone you know may be struggling with video or computer game addiction, the following are a few warning signs you may notice at home or at work.
At Home
One of the first people to notice compulsive computer or video game play is the addict’s spouse. Close friends and family members may be affected as well. When a video game
addict spends more time playing games than playing with the kids or talking to his spouse, marital and relational problems frequently follow. In addition to ignoring friends and family, the gaming addict may neglect household responsibilities responsibilities and chores in favour of “screen time,” and may lie to family members to avo id admitting he has a problem.
At Work
When a person is hooked on computer and video games, her work performance often suffers. In many cases, the gamer has stayed up all night playing ga mes like “World of Warcraft” or “Everquest,” and is too tired to complete her daily tasks. Her boss may find her asleep on the job or failing to complete assignments on time, which could r esult in disciplinary action or even termination. What’s worse, some video game addicts will go so far as to play games games during work hours, hours, using company company computers and equipment. equipment. Even when their lives are crumbling around them, gaming addicts put video and computer games above all else. As an adult, you you may not have parents parents or other authority figures monitoring your behaviour. If you notice some of these red flags in your own life, it is up to you to get help. If you have noticed any of these warning signs in a friend, family member, or colleague, lend your support and share your knowledge. There are dozens of counselling and treatment options available for those dealing with compulsive behaviours like video game addiction.
Treatment Options for Video Game Addicts An addiction to video games or computer computer games should be treated in much the same way as any other addiction. Like other addicts, gamers often are trying to escape problems in their lives. Video and computer games offer a particularly appealing escape to socially socially maladjusted teenagers, most often boys, who find it intoxicating intoxicating to become immersed immersed in a world completely under their control. “When they play, their brains produce endorphins, giving them a high similar to that experienced by gamblers or drug addicts. Gamers’ response s to questions even mirror those of alcoholics and gamblers when asked about use,” said said one addiction counsellor.
But there is another very real challenge when quitting an activity that occupies all of your free time and involves involves pretty much everyone in your social social network. Kids who are addicted to virtual reality have lost, or may never have had, the ability to comfortably communicate with people face to face. They’ve spent spent all of their their time interacting interacting in a virtual world world and are extremely uncomfortable when dealing with real people in real time. In an online world, there is time to edit what you say. There’s also very little risk when the person you are talking with is in a different time zone, let alone a different country. Shy or socially awkward kids are at greater risk of video game addiction than children who compete in sports or participate in group activities like afterschool clubs. Take away their computer or their game console and how will they spend their time? Helping them change will likely require some outside help. They need to build confidence in order to feel comfortable in the “real world.” As anyone who has quit smoking or been on a diet diet knows, it is much harder to quit when the object of your addiction is always in your face and when everyone you know is participating in it. It’s likely that a child addicted to computer games also has to use the computer for schoolwork. And their friends are likely all gamers as well. So how do you begin to fight the addiction? addiction? A therapist or treatment treatment program that that specializes in adolescents would would be a first place to start. For example, a summer camp or wilderness program will get your child out of his normal environment and into a situation where he is forced to experience reality. His time will be filled with activities that are designed to instil confidence, develop healthy passions, and foster social skills.
