Honours Project Podcast: We Love Technical Issues

Yup, that's right, we all have them, technical issues, almost worse than having relational or marital issues. Today I speak about my technical woes in Unity and how I managed to or did not manage to overcome them. You can listen to it bellow:

Podcast: We Love Technical Issues

Aesthetics are 'NOT' just Visuals/Graphics

Properly Defining Aesthetics within Gameplay (My Mistake)

After my proposal was marked, Robin suggested that Aesthetics should incorporate the whole rather than be explained simply as visuals. I had made this critical mistake within my research, perhaps not a mistake, but an overlooking of something important, and this caused my whole project to change along with the title.

FROM:

Systemic and Aesthetic Significance

TO:

Game Aesthetics: Visual and Systemic Significance

Further Analysis

So what does this change entail? 

Well, it basically means that using the word aesthetics as a parallel to the systemic, was boxing the aesthetics as the same level as the systemic, but in terms of game and within the game study sphere, this is not correct. Game aesthetics are the very thing that incorporates all of the aspects such as systemics/mechanics, visuals/graphics and sounds.

I originally thought that based off the MDA framework by Hunicke et el, that because mechanics follow dynamics followed by aesthetics, that creating a framework which focused on the MA would be a fast track way to get the meat of the results. Now I realize that there is no guaranteed way to produce such fast track results without a lot of testing and quantitative results. This proposed for me to focus solely on the aspects which I started to seek after, which is a games graphics and gameplay. Rather than referring to graphics as aesthetics and boxing the term, I now decided to put both terms into the whole of game aesthetics.

A series called Extra Credits which was made by the people who run Penny Arcade explain the term Aesthetics in regards to play in a simple yet effective way:

Aesthetics are the end by product of the mechanics and dynamics being played out within a game. As it was stated in the video, the MDA framework has been a great way to visualize and study the design of games and the interaction with the user.

A further video which helped me to understand the concept of game aesthetics even further, was another Extra Credits video on the topic of Graphics vs. Aesthetics:


They argue within the video that aesthetics are holistic and that if you value graphics over aesthetics, you can be left with an empty experience. I certainly was not intending to focus on graphics alone, I understood that systemics are equally important, although having this obfuscation when relating to aesthetics was limiting the potential of my research area.

Application of knowledge

After being corrected by Robin, I started to research the topic in more depth myself and found academic reports that also shared the same viewpoint in relation to games.

An academic article called 'Making sense of Game Aesthetics' aptly discusses the topic of game aesthetics and how they are often limited and referred to as the games graphic style or named with negative associations  such as 'Eye Candy'.

It can be read here: http://www.digra.org/dl/db/09291.00352.pdf

The articles opens with:

"In recent years, game studies scholars have brought an expanded conception of
aesthetics to bear in the study of digital games. Far from being limited to speaking
about the visual presentation of games and graphic styles (with the negative
associations of “eye candy”), game aesthetics has become a perspective that allows us
to examine the overarching principles and qualities of the gameplay experience. Our
aim is to contribute to a fuller picture of what games can hope to become.

Although some of us root our work in a consideration of aesthetics as practiced
historically, our perspective draws upon a range of critical and creative practices
drawn from cultural theory, art history and fine art practice, visual semiotics,
psychology and interaction design, We hope to supplement aesthetics’ traditional
strengths in discussing the senses, emotion, pleasure and the aesthetic experience,
with arguments that allow us to consider embodied play, tangible interfaces, and
creative player activity.

Game studies is an emerging discipline that draws upon many scholarly practices, but
one thing we share is taking pleasure in play. This panel will accordingly seek to
demonstrate the breadth, power and relevance of current approaches to game
aesthetics by inviting scholars whose work engages aesthetics to examine a single
game of their choice in depth. The games we have chosen for analysis are dot.hack,
Flower, Hitman and Okami."

Studies like this seem to imply that focusing on graphics alone or on external factors alone within a game lose the quality of what creates depth and emotion within the experience. This is precisely why I ventured into the territory in the beginning, to help clarify what aspects of games bring that certain amount of depth.

Another academic articled named "What we talk about when we talk about Game Aesthetics" discusses the same concept of aesthetics being a separate entity and also states that by defining aesthetics simply as a graphical style, it put's it into a similar catorgory as a singular art form and takes away the games own definition as a medium.

It can be read here: http://www.digra.org/dl/db/09287.17350.pdf

The article explains:

"However, within a game industry context, this
particular approach to game aesthetics—relating games to
other art forms—tends to mire aesthetics discourse in
graphics style analysis [18], or returns us repeatedly to the
ultimately unproductive question “are games art?” As has
been demonstrated numerous times in design fora (such as
Gamasutra) recently [5, 2, 36], this question tends to
founder upon individual interpretations of the current, very
open definition of what constitutes an artwork (see Kelly,
above), rather than upon failure to appreciate the artistic
qualities specific to digital games."

This was the first time that I reflected on the topic of asking whether 'games are art?' or not could be 'unproductive', as I was one who liked to ask that question myself. Although from critically thinking about that question and how often it is asked, I realise that it is quite an unproductive affair due to there being no strictly defined term for art itself, so how can video games join that same unclear definition? Also, when would we know that games have become art? when they are in exhibitions? (they already are) when they are sold for a high price on auction as art?... It's almost certain that it can prove to be unproductive if there is no solid outcome in progressing with this debate.

Many of these discoveries have enlightened and extended my knowledge and will be documented to help share the profundity of certain found research.

Honours Project Podcast: My Critical Framework

Another podcast, this time on the topic of my critical framework and how I came about developing it. Having one which is properly back by research and carries significant academic purpose is crucial. More about this bellow:

Podcast: My Critical Framework

Supervisor Meeting 5

I recently had another meeting with my supervisor, this one felt as though things within my project are starting to come to and end, which for the most part is true as we reach the month of April. My game is now fully running and the artwork has been replaced and polished yet again. I have also figured out some technical issues within my game, so things are certainly looking positive at this stage.

Dayna was fairly pleased with the progress of my game and he also had a brief look at my critical framework displayed in my presentation and said that it made sense and the ratings given for the games also seemed appropriate, so things are certainly starting to take shape.

Here is what we discussed:

Meeting Agenda:

·        Show the pitch presentation number 4 which is the last presentation.

·        Discuss next actionable steps for the game.

·        The new framework that you created to get some feedback.

·        Show how you rated Tiny Wings and Thomas was Alone asking for feedback on the ratings of the games.

·        Show the updated game and seek ideas for further polished development.

Progress Report:

·        The critical framework has been presented and is of high quality.

·        The game is progressing smoothly after a slow start.

·        The case studies of Tiny Wings and Thomas was Alone are shaping up nicely.

·        The dissertation has been reworked due to some necessary changes due to the direction also being changed.

Agreed action points:

·        Have a draft of the dissertation done by the first or second week of April at the latest.

·        Start preparing for your showcase, thinking about printing business cards from Moo.com.

·        Try to sketch out and document your ideas and your progress.

·        Expand on your case studies of Tiny Wing and Thomas was Alone.

Pitch Presentation No.4

Summary

My last presentation of this year was a useful experience in which I could see my prject finally taking off as I finally have a game up and running. It certainly isn't perfect, although as an artist with no programming experience I feel quite pleased with myself and the end result.

The presentation went well and Lynn said that I "presented very well as always" which is always encouraging to hear as a student. I feel that after each time I give a presentation, I improve every time. Just before a presentation I am extremely nervous and dread going up there, but once you just stand up and start speaking and are confident in what you are talking about, then there is no need to fear and you just talk with passion about what you have been up to and share your thoughts.

I talked about Dayna's previous framework which had inspired me to speed up the process of the creation of my own framework. Through a lot of academic research and with the assistance of the MDA framework which I discussed earlier, i was able to create my own framework.

It is named the Mechanics and Aesthetics framework, which displays the traits of what create the subjective aspects of a game in an objective way. 

Here is the framework applied to Tiny Wings, evidently, the challenge and feel are aspects which it excels at. This was rated after a few short plays and an in depth case study will take place later.

The main meat of the presentation was the updated creation of my game: Destony which is now running. I played a video of the game running during the presentation and people seemed to like it. You cannot yet collect the white block, although this feature will be added in the future.

Feedback

General feedback was very positive, Lynn suggested that I create blinking eyes for the blocks to make them more interesting. Ryan wasn't so sure about the direction of my project anymore as it has changed a lot since it's inception. Although despite that, the feedback was very positive and they said to just keeping going and polishing the game and the theory coming up to the final hand ins and exhibition.

Appraisal:

• Great that you have the game working.
• The art has significantly improved and is easier on the eyes. 
• You present very well as always.
• Your theory is really strong behind your game, it would be nice to see how you can package that in the end product of your game and showcase.

Constructive Criticism:

• Make sure you know how you will package the whole concept and theory at the end of the semester.
• Create blinking eyes for the blocks to make them more interesting.
• It would be interesting if you could use that framework on a game which actually scores high on freedom so that the results can be more varied.

Coding Issues: Block Collision

Why Coders get paid more than Artists?

Yup, I said it. Yes, I am an artist and have been one since I was around 5 years old  or maybe younger. I have been drawing since I can remember, but now I am programming or at least trying to and I have come to realize that it takes a lot of creativity, arguably more than art itself.

With art, you can almost literally produce anything and it is considered Art as long as the purpose was for it to be admired or critically appraised. With coding, it a whole different ball game, the level of creativity is on a of mental exhaustion is on entirely a different level. Coding in most cases, takes far longer than the art process, particularly with a 3D game engine. I have to admit that I have many times unappreciated the efforts that coders go through. I think it's a trait many of us artists share, who think that because coders lack a certain visual understanding, that they cannot really appreciate what we do, although through coding myself, I feel humbled by anyone who codes and takes it seriously.

Speaking of someone I respect, and someone who was a big help for me during my game development process. That someone was Alastair Low, who also has a blog on his 4th ear development: http://alshonours.blogspot.co.uk/

Alastair was the one who got me kick started with Unity a while back as we would meet up every Friday at 10am to work on our honours together. The work sessions we had were always quite productive and it was an inspiration to see how focused he was and to try and take notes from his highly productive work ethic. I suggest any student to meet up with like minded people and do the same.

He made this for me for my birthday which was very kind of him.

 Block Collision Issue

One of the Friday work sessions with Al, we encountered an issue. This issue was basically that the white boxes within the game would not destroy on collision with the main character. Alastair tried to help me with this and tried replacing certain code for the collision using JavaScipt, but nothing was working.

The white box and the character.

This is the JavaScript of collision script that we tried to use and it didn't work. We actually tried several different versions of scripts, may of which had worked for Al and for other unity members but it didn't work for me.

After a few hours of frustration, we looked out for some coders to try and help me with my issue and low and behold after 3 different programmers came and helped me, one programmer named Alan Roberston finally figured it out, that JavaScript basically didn't work and that using C# (the above code) works and finally the problem was solved and the coding battle had been fought and won with the help of Abertay coders. 

Honours Project Podcast: Graphic Design

Another honours project podcast, this one in particular discusses the topic of  Graphic Design, it's relevence in my personal development and it's importance in everything design based. You can listen to it bellow:

Podcast: Graphic Design

Surrounded by Rectangles: Thomas was Alone Analysis

Play-testing a Narrative Platformer

Play-testing TWA was a satisfyingly pleasant experience. I admittedly judged the game from an outside perspective looking at the graphics alone and the graphics can easily be overseen without coming to understand the minimalist approach.

Excerpt from Dissertation:

Case Study: Thomas was Alone

Thomas was Alone was also created by a single developer, namely Mike Bithell for the PC in 2012. The game is a minimalist 2D platformer in which you begin the game as a small red rectangle, called ‘Thomas’. Thomas is an AI program who is part of a larger system within the game. The creators of the AI did not anticipate that Thomas would develop an adventurous personality of its own. You travel through the system discovering portals and after learning how to jump you are enabled to make it through each portal to progress to further levels. The objective is to guide the characters through each bordered level to reach the portal, as you progress through the game you are assisted by a group of other quadrilaterals of all shapes and sizes as well as their own unique abilities. 

Thomas was Alone is often primarily revered for its simple and extremely effective systemic ability, particularly the brilliance of a single jump mechanic (Kotaku). As well as this, the great story telling, well executed gameplay as well as lastly the minimalist appearance which could often be seen as a negative but is really what brings this game into unique and intriguing territory (IGN, PC Gamer UK, Telegraph). The game manages to create a memorable experience of the least distinctive characters and minimal graphics in a game which drives a narrative experience out of simple coloured rectangles. The mechanics of the game are simple, yet is a case of extreme polish of simplicity which presents this game as a worthwhile study.

Challenge 4/5: The balance of challenge and skill within Thomas was Alone is almost refined to perfection as each level gets progressively more difficult, at the same time, there are not many levels that cause frustration or too much repetition. None of the emerging ideas are over-exploited and each level gives you significant space to take a breather and refresh (TWA IGN). Once the familiarity of the pace of movement and jump are figured out, the game becomes a quality experience filled with alternative thinking and playfulness as time becomes irrelevant. Despite these perfections, at some point there are moments in which having to change character constantly or trying to move the slower and less able characters can birth impatience. Generally, the game has a very well thought out design and flow filled production. 

Freedom 4/5: There is a particular amount of freedom within Thomas was Alone as you are bound to the constraints of your often limited environment, although there are several different options available to you. A key part of that particular option is within the option to choose several different characters throughout the game which open up an interesting amount of freedom. Characters which can jump higher, move faster, float on water, define gravity or create a bouncing pad. These all create such a diverse sense of freedom within the game as well as the environment and puzzles being broad and some solvable in alternative ways.

Retention 4/5: The balance of playability and depth within this game is vastly developed. Your attention is caught by each triggering scenes of the professional in game narration appearing as it subtly hints and guides your character throughout each level. There are ten different level themes and each theme holds ten levels, the game can take up to three to four hours to complete which is an abundant amount to keep the user entertained. The main game mechanic, which is undoubtedly the jump mechanic holds a level of smoothness and a sense of satisfaction which can keep one entertained for hours. The only thing possibly holding back the game’s playabilty is the irregular point of slight repetition when you have to move along a vast amount of characters to progress through the game, although this is a small complaint within such a sophisticated and enthralling game.  

Immersion 5/5: The immersive quality of Thomas was Alone is what really sets it aside from being a simple platformer to being a highly acclaimed independent game. All throughout the game you are guided by well-placed text and a professional narration which does an incredible thing, it creates sympathy for characters that are nothing more than rectangles. Showing that the power of the story and its display can elevate even the most simple games into something spectacular (TWA IGN). The visuals of the game are simple yet yield a fine amount of polish and attention to detail and composition which might even suggest that such sophistication was designed with a graphic design background. With further inspection, it is noticeable that each level is slightly slanted which furthers the creative illusion. Also on almost every level, a 2D dynamic shadow is subtly casted upon your character and environment further refining the rich experience. From the rain, particle effects and the deep and involving sound, the game is an immersive master piece proving minimalism can create an equally moving perceived reality.       

Value 4/5: The perceived value that the game gives the user is meticulously subtle within its execution. The amount of value a player can gain from a simple jump mechanic is remarkable. As the character jumps, there is an illusion of squish and stretch along with a very fitting jumping sound which give the jump that extra added value. One of the most rewarding aspects are when you complete a level and enter a portal as your character turns white and is animated which indicates the feedback of change and a goal being completed which is highly satisfying. Arguably, the most rewarding experience is when you finally solve the painstaking puzzles and begin to feel elevated in your own intelligence. Although, the only disappointing factor in terms of value was the ending scene of the game which seemed somewhat short and unfulfilling, although overall the game is bountiful in rewarding the player. 

Feel 5/5: The feel of the game is evidently polished and designed with the player being prioritised. From the simple yet brilliant jump mechanic feels immensely satisfying despite the character only being a rectangle. The rectangular characters are in perfect harmony with the square looking environment, even down to the particle effects, water splashes as well as background animation. The feeling of every character you play is varied and provides a well-rounded sensation. Every level and character conforms to the same equalled brilliance of each previous level, yet only expanding. The whole experience seems to mesh together complimenting the sophistication and minimalism of the game creating such a rich, elegant and sustainable familiarity.

	RATING
CHALLENGE	4
FREEDOM	4
RETENTION	4
IMMERSION	5
VALUE	4
FEEL	5
TOTAL (Mean)	4.3

Table of results for Thomas was Alone

In conclusion of Thomas was Alone and its overall game aesthetic, it is not as clear as first assumed that the game excels mainly in its systemic value, as the visual side, although minimal, is of extreme polish. From looking at the data chart, it can be seen that the immersion and feel score maximum points proving that less could potentially mean more. Despite this, it can be said that the systemic significance of the game is also of very high value as challenge, freedom and retention also score very well which displays that Thomas was Alone is a certainly well designed and encompassing almost all the successful aspects of systemic and visual significance needed in designing an extraordinary game.  

Supervisor Meeting 4

I recently had another meeting with Dayna showing the progress of my game, it was finally at a stage in which i was happy to actually have something up and running without too many glitches. Dayna liked the progress that was made and also suggested that a few tweaks could be made and that the story of the game would be the focal part of the game that would separate it from other platformers.

We also discussed the aspect of the game being made in Unity3D even though it is a 2D platformer, and whether I should let the objects rotate on all axis or just the Z so that it would only look 2D. Dayna also suggested that when you collect the white block and nice effect coming from the object would also be a good implementation to create an interesting/eye catching effect to help the mood of the game be felt.

Here is what we discussed:

Meeting Agenda:

·        Showcase the game running in Unity and discuss further development.

·        Discuss next actionable steps for the game.

·        Discuss new relevant research which could be potentially used for the dissertation.

·        Further discuss dissertation structure.

Progress Report:

·        The game has developed well into a polished outcome.

·        The dissertation has been planned further.

·        The critical framework is close to being finished.

·        More sketchbook work has been done.

Agreed action points:

·        Finalise the critical framework and discuss why the framework was built/created.

·        Show development of the mechanics within the game and how you have thought out why these mechanics exist in regards to your project aim.

·        Continue to write the draft of the dissertation and show any progress made.

·        Prepare for your final presentation.

·        Sketch out the game development inspiration or implementation.

·        Decide whether it is a 3D or 2D object orientated platformer.

Standing out from the Crowd (Exposition)

Posters that 'Stand Out'

Another large part of the exposition set up is the actual content. What you put inside an exhibition and the theme or style you present is also very important for the overall look. So I thought I would do some research into what actually stands out in terms of a poster and how much it can influence or change your presentation when you have an eye catching poster.

Bellow are 50 examples of stunning posters which stand out or have originality within them that set them aside from the crowd.

http://www.smashingbuzz.com/2010/05/50-stunning-poster-advertisement-ideas/

I saw this pink poster which was made in illustrator using vector graphics, you can tell the difference between vector images and raster images. The face has been painstakingly drawn out in a tonal form and applied against a pink background which pops the image out significantly. The text is also a nice touch and it being white bring another area of contrast.

Done by the same artist as above, this poster also has a great feel to it and the vector image yet again brings out the woman's face with such clarity and the gold font compliments the green and lighter background quite effectively.

The glow of the purple arrow create such an intense focus within this photo and the detail and lighting of each character compliment the dynamism of this piece.

The 'Big' Question... A1 or A2?

A question that I have been pondering for quite sometime now, is whether to use A1 or A2 for my main poster of the game. I decided to get practical and set up a replicate experience of what the showcase might look like. Getting the right measurements of 7 foot by 4 foot, I then set up two ties and a measuring tape to replicate the experience.

As you can see from above, the A1 compared to the A2 is quite a significant leap of size.

Due to this, I decided that it would be best to stick with A2, especially considering that a computer would also need to be installed in between, this seemed like the smartest option.

Business Cards that 'Stick Out'

Another topic which I take great interest in terms of being creative and trying to stand out is the way you design a business card. This is essential, as it is the only thing that the people visiting your work will take away with them and I feel it is common that they will forget about a lot of the work they have seen, particularly who's work was who's. By having a business card, it reminds them exactly who it was that they spoke to or the work that they saw during the exhibition. 

Bellow is a link to 50 incredibly designed business cards:

http://designshack.net/articles/graphics/50-incredibly-clever-business-card-designs/

The concept of a film set prop as a business card, this is really smart.

Creating a business card that is also an art isle is a great way of saying what you are creatively capable of. It could also be put up at that person's house work desk.

Cards with a bottom rounded corner to create the shape of a glass with milk or water. A creative execution of physical form.

A business card that folds up into a standing business card. The contrast of the three colours red, white and black caught my eye here. 

Bellow is a link to 51 uniquely designed business cards:

http://webdesignledger.com/inspiration/51-unique-business-cards-that-will-make-your-mind-explode

A business card within a business card, I think I will create something similar as this is really eye catching and smart.

A card that connects with design and colour. The simple use of black, green and white work really well here.

A card that is able to glow in the dark, I feel this would come in handy when networking at night.

A card with a hidden meaning of greeting someone or revealing a company name. I like the use of black, red and white here.

A business card that is partly see through and shaped like a motherboard, this I feel is taking the concept to another level of perfection and design innovation.

Honours Project Podcast: Using Unity

The 3rd installment of my podcast, I tried to keep it weekly, although I don't see the point in pressuring myself to keep to that and just make them when I have time, as I feel it's an important addition to directly convey my thoughts. This podcast sheds light on my decision for choosing Unity and my current experience.

So here it is:

Podcast: Using Unity

Developing a Critical Framework

A Means to an End

In order for this project to bring some academic fruits, there needs to be some tangible results or some useful for academics and students alike to benefit from.

Excerpt from Dissertation:

Critical Analysis

In order to create a valuable method to review games for their systemic/visual worth, a framework to compare these aspects of a game needed to be created. Several opinions, academic sources, media reports, industry books were examined in order to compile a list of key words and themes that were agreed on being the foundation for effective game design. Amongst these sources, certain academic papers with prominence within game design established the main backing for the overall framework due to their collated certitude of evidence. Through this research, a new proposed framework was created, consisting of challenge, freedom, retention, immersion, value and feel.

Certainly the MDA framework has most indefinitely proven to be a useful approach to designing and analysing gameplay for many designers, although it does not specifically address what creates the mechanics or aesthetics which the dynamic user interacts with. We can attempt to decompose the MDA of the storytelling and user experience, but the semantics of the terminology can often get in the way of focusing on how a game’s design can be realistically improved or altered. Due to this, a few researchers tried to create a new framework which fills in these gaps called the DPE Framework (Design, Play and Experience). This framework was created to cater for a more specific cause and expands on the MDA framework by adding four different layers of depth. Those layers involve: learning, storytelling, gameplay and user experience (The DPE Framework). Just like the created DPE framework, this study intends on creating a specific framework for the cause of systemic and visual significance within game aesthetic.

The systemic separated into challenge, freedom and retention, as the visual was represented by the immersion, value and feel. Although they were separated, it is important to note that the visual and systemic cannot be fully separated within game assessment. They exist as a point of clarity in game assessment, although are not in separation of a game. Complete separation of the two brings a disconnection to what a game is, for a game encompasses both aspects, art and interactivity, and if only one is considered in review, it is moving away from the concept of a deeper question and emphasis upon attentiveness, absorption and wholeness of a game incorporating the immersive and the ‘flow’ like qualities a game can bring. Simply put, the systemic and visual will be classed separately in the sense of a whole, rather, it is important to utilise the framework with the overall game aesthetic in mind (What we talk about when).

To create this framework, a list of all the key words that were often mentioned were made into a list. The
larger words represent more popularity and the smaller words represent less. It is instantly obvious that challenge and immersion were at the core of games aesthetics as they were so commonly mentioned in so many articles, studies and books. Through this, it was notified that the foundation block for the systemic was challenge and for the visual it was immersion.

After challenge and immersion were decided as the pillars of the systemic and visual, the next two that instantiated a common place were freedom/choices and the value/reward. The attribute of choices or freedom can often be linked with the systemic choices available. It was mentioned as a core factor by many academic and proffesionals as the deciding factor of what makes a game interesting and can also be related to discovery from the MDA framework (Totilo, Pete, Ton Francis, Rollings & Morris, 2004). The attribute of value or reward is often displayed as visually rewarding as an image representation. It was also cited several times and is the aspect that brings a sense of fulfilment to the user and motivates them to persist with playing and is the result of goals being accomplished (Serc.edu Gaming reward systems, two paths to motivation, Pete).

The last two which were appropriately selected were feel/sensation and playability/retention/depth. The feel of a game is often mentioned by many in regards to how a game plays and the beauty of the interaction itself, which is more often by visual or audio feedback (Tom francis, Game Feel). Similarly within the MDA framework, sensation is mentioned, meaning sense-pleasure which ties closely with the feel experienced during a game. Lastly, the retention, playabilty or depth of a game is also often mentioned when describing how much longevity a game has and is essential in wanting the user to keep playing and is an essential driving force of any successful game mechanic (Kramer, Pete).    

Thus, the main six attributes for the framework of game aesthetics were formed, which consisted of systemic: challenge, freedom and retention as well as visual: immersion, value and feel. From this framework a data chart was created to boldly note a game’s assessment. It is important to mention that the singular words formed for this framework are not the sole definition of how a game will be rated, although within each word is a question of how well balanced that aspect of a game is. It is this ‘balance’ within a game, or the ‘merihari’ as commonly said in Japanese that differentiates a hit game from a mediocre game.

Challenge: To rate the effectiveness of challenge, it is imperative to think of this aspect in terms of the theory of ‘flow’ and how well it is achieved if it is at all achieved within the game. How well is the challenge and skill balanced? Is it blissfully engaging and does time fly by naturally? Or Is it frustrating to play? Or mundanely repetitive or bring?

Freedom: To assess the freedom, first and foremost, it is a sense of having ownership within the game to explore, discovery, experiment and progress. The question of balance here is within freedom vs. clear regimented goals or procedures. How much of the game can you effectively impact and change? How many choices are available to you? How flexible is the game? How flexible is the game mechanic and if executed differently, how varied is the result?

Retention: To judge the retention within, it’s a matter of sufficiently pinning down the gameplay so much so that it leaves the user wanting more from their experience as it keeps their attention. The retention is a balance of playability and depth within the game. How much content does the game have to keep the player interested? How fun is the main game mechanic and does it get repetitive?

Immersion: To evaluate the immersion of a game, the first thing that needs to be assessed is the weight of perception within the user’s illusion of reality. The execution of the created fantasy and story told throughout the game. How well does the game submerge you into its own world? How well do the visuals make you believe that you are there? How emotionally connected do you feel to the game?

Value: To rate the value of the game, it is essential to think about the rewards you receive form playing the game, whether they be tangible or intangible. From the value a simple game mechanic gives from the rewarding feeling of seeing a glow or sparkly after an action is taken, to the value the game gives you in feeling that you had or are having a valid experience. As you play, do you feel rewarded? Do you feel you are having a worthwhile experience? How does the game make you feel once you complete it?

Feel: To attribute the feel of the game, many factors needs to be considered, the feel particularly are the aspects within the game that make your own interactions feel convincing and pleasurable. The balance that needs to be considered is within the harmony of the visuals as well as the harmony of the player interaction. Is there harmony or dissonance within the art style (circles with circles, and sharp objects against sharp objects)? (The Aesthetics of Game Art and Deisgn) Do you feel that the game plays well? Is the overall user experience pleasing?

Industry Specialist Personal Q&A

Asking a Professional Concept Artist

I have a friend named Lorenz Hideyoshi, who is from Germany and his artwork has been featured in the Artist Expose book, he has over 650,000 views on his Deviantart and he has done work for game companies and movie companies alike.

You can find his work here:
http://www.hideyoshi-ruwwe.net/
http://hideyoshi.deviantart.com/

I have known him for a few short years and really admire his work ethic and his talent. As a budding artist who wants to improve his visual ability and close his skill gaps, I asked him a few questions, here is the following conversation:

Personal Q and A session

Ritatsu Thomas

What does it take to be a concept artist?

What do you like most about your job?

What do employers look for in a concept artist?

If you have a bit of time I would greatly appreciate it if you could answer them, thanks a lot

Ritatz

Lorenz Hideyoshi Ruwwe

hey Ritatsu,

Sure I can answer your questions:

- I think that being a concept artist mostly means having the ability to think up and portray original designs, may it be characters, vehicles or worlds. Since the term includes the word 'concept' it is a concept artist's main goal to come up with interesting ideas that are based on real life but essentially are new things that don't exist yet. In order to bring them to life realistically and authentically, thus believable, it takes artistic, technical skills. You could say that concept artists are not artists per se but craftsmen who use their drawing and painting skills as a means to present a concept. They are not paid for expressing themselves but rather for their ability to envision objects and places that cannot yet be found in the real world. In a production pipeline, concept artists deliver the ideas/designs that will be taken to another level, for example a movie setting or characters and vehicles in a science fiction or fantasy movie/game.

- What i like most about working as a concept artist is being able to present unique, fresh designs that others bring to life in a movie or game. You basically act as a creator who essentially invents a visual representation of an object or place that didn't exist before. On some occasions you can be lucky and a 3D artist will stick to your concept art as closely as possible so it looks almost exactly like you intended. I enjoy designing urban or natural landscapes mostly because they can immerse the viewer. You invite them to explore a world that you created and portrayed.

- I think it depends on the project you're working on. With the movie and gaming industry developing fast and requiring more and more complex concepts, unique artists have an advantage I think. Artists are often hired for a very particular and distinct look that shows through in all of their work. So an art director who is looking to achieve a very specific look might hire someone who he feels represents certain design cues the best.
Versatility and flexibility is probably also very important. Being able to quickly show the essence of a concept in a clear, understandable way. So artists who can realistically draw and render are obviously seeked out more often. Lastly, this business demands fast workers who can deliver under pressure and deadlines and also deal with critique which they can transform into improved concepts. I haven't worked full time as a concept artist yet so I don't know the exact circumstances in a production pipeline where you work closely with an art director all the time.

Hope it helps!

Ritatsu Thomas

Thanks so much for your answers Lorenz,

Can I rephrase question 1, I more meant 'how do you get a job as a concept artist?' like what skills or experience, or software you need? Thanks again bro,

Great answers by the way, I think full time concept artists have less freedom to a certain extent, they usually run with the IP of the company and have less creative headroom. Although I guess it does depend on the company and what they do. I really admire your work btw, 

Lorenz Hideyoshi Ruwwe

yo hey Ritatsu, sorry for the delay!

I think there are no requirements in terms of software. Everyone works with what they feel most comfortable with. But Photoshop seems to be the first choice for most digital artists these days. Having a basic knowledge with this program is usually expected. It doesn't hurt if you also have basic 3D skills. Everything is shifting towards digital although traditional media training shouldn't be neglected and is still very much part of a curriculum for concept artists I hear.
I got into the business without mastering in any degree and I know many others who didn't study anything but have developed into very successful artists often even surpassing the ones who took an academic route. Auto-didaction works mostly in this field because clients don't care too much about education. If your work looks good, they will hire you. With the internet and tons of tutorial resources everywhere you can easily pick up the skills yourself as long as you have ambition and dedication. For some others, working in a schooling environment seems to be a better option though.
I think in general it is important to be able to display a certain basic skillset to your hiring people. Good knowledge about anatomy, lighting, composition, color theory etc. But books and study can teach you those things. Mastering perspective in particular seems to be important when it comes to concept art. Solid drawing skills, clean design.

Hope this helps,
cheers bro!

Lorenz Hideyoshi Ruwwe

For example, check out this guy: algenpfleger.deviantart.com
He went from stickfigures to the level he's at now within 4 years which is insane. He enrolled in a school but realized it wasn't for him so he dropped out continuing to learn by himself. He's entirely self-taught, one of the best digital artists working today.

Ritatsu Thomas

Thanks a lot Lorenz, I cannot thank you enough  very very helpful. Thanks for taking this time to respond and showing that german guy's deviant, that's very interesting stuff and helps a lot, all the best! 

Lorenz Hideyoshi Ruwwe

alright, cheers! Glad I could help! 

Flying without Wings: Tiny Wings Analysis

Play-testing an Iphone game

In order to critically analysis Tiny Wings fairly, the game had to be played not for just 5 minutes, but for an extensive amount of time to value assess it's worth fairly.

Excerpt from Dissertation:

Case Study: Tiny Wings

Tiny wings was created by a single developer named Andreas Illiger for the IPhone back in 2011. It is a simple game in which you play as a bird who has always dreamt of being able to fly, although due to his tiny wings is unable to fly and dreams of flying all the time. With the help of the hilly environment, he is able to make his dream a reality by using the hilly terrain to his advantage. Gathering up speed as you slide down the slope of the hill and then using the upslope as a launching ramp into the air and at times clouds. You have to continually time your dips into the slopes perfectly in order launch yourself to keen flying throughout.

Tiny wings has a brilliant overall aesthetic display and is highly regarded by several game reviewing websites for having a fantastic art style and simple yet addictive game mechanic (TouchArcade, IGN, Gamepro). Tiny wings particularly excels in its visual ability to stand out from the rest of the IOS crowd which is part of the reason it has reached over seven million downloads to date. It has a very simple one-touch mechanic which causes the character to nose dive and force its weight to drive the momentum on the hills. The art style is full of visual vibrancy in it’s procedural generated watercolour-esque background and soft cute characters. The music and gameplay, combined with vibrant art offer a credulous experience.      

Challenge 4/5: In review of how well Tiny Wings balances it’s aspects of challenge, it is clear that the general gameplay mechanic is a very simple one-touch function yet is adequately hard to master. As you begin the flight filled experience it is often hard to master the timing of when to stop touching the screen, as if you hold it for too long, it causes the momentum to wane. Often you can find yourself enjoying the vibrant and positive experience of the game as time swiftly passes by, a certain verification of being in the feeling of flow. Although despite the bliss of the simplicity of this unique mechanic, even after completing the two main modes of the game (day trip and flight school), it can be almost frustratingly difficult in defeating the AI within the game as even a few mistimed hill launches or set ups can slow you down significantly. Although the mechanic is very basic, it can present a means negative attachment if the learning curve is not concurred, although despite this, the challenging aspect of the game is undoubtedly vigorous and enrapturing.  

Freedom 2/5: The freedom in the game is fairly limited within the constraints of the set storyline and set purpose. The game is two dimensional with the bird being only capable of either nose diving or gliding through the air on default. The game only has two game modes, one in which you compete to achieve an array of goals such as hill ride 3 times consecutively, although the game generally lacks flexibility. Despite only being capable of affecting the bird’s ability to force its weight downwards, the choice of timing of when this is down is crucial in impacting your success within the game.

Retention 4/5: The replay value of Tiny Wings is praised as being ‘endlessly replayable’ due to its balance of great art and immersive experience as well as the addictive one touch mechanic which is hard to master (Touch Arcade). The game has quite an addictive one-touch mechanic that is so basic and inviting for even the less experienced game enthusiasts. The depth of the game is also sufficient to keep the users interest with four different characters in three different worlds consisting of five different levels and each level is different. The only gripe within the playability factor of the game is within the difficulty of the game as it can be really hard to predict when the next hill is coming in order to slide down and launch from it, which may lose the users interest after being frustrated with the level of difficulty as you progress. Overall, the levels of retention within the game are abundant and easy to submerge oneself and be absorbed within the experience.

Immersion 4/5: The immersive aspects of Tiny Wings play a huge role within the game’s visualised submission. The soft art style and subtle animations create a real sense of calm euphoric sensation of being in a harmless and safe place. The compassionate story of the small adorable bird who dreams of flying really bonds with the users. The fantasy of a positive and serene environment is created by the unique art style and the calming music as the game really immerses you into a new reality. The visuals are vibrant, with subtle animations of leaves and particles floating in the background. The immersive qualities of this game are evidently strong although the effect can seem to wear off after the scenery doesn’t significantly alter as you progress through the game. This is obviously not the intended purpose of the game although does limit the freshness of the illusion. Overall, the game establishes a very strong emotional connection with the imagery, that of calmness and positivity.

Value 4/5: The value that Tiny Wings gives you is somewhat humble although quite substantial in its subtle form. One of the simple rewarding visuals of the game are when you do three hill jumps in a row, you are given a starry sparkling boost which takes you high into the clouds, which is a bonus for those who are playing the game successfully. The main tangible reward that is given to the user is the reward of a fish for the first, second and third place birds, and if you fail the level and become fourth you are given a lesser reward of a shrimp as an alternative. This creates a sense of accomplishment when you continue to progress throughout the game. On top of the tangible fish reward, you are also presented with a new next after completing each world. In terms of the intangible, the feeling of value is consistent with the calming and dreamlike experience as you are immersed within play and there is a sense of satisfaction from every subtle animation to every new world. Although the feeling of completing the set of worlds leaves you somewhat unfulfilled as there is no ending sequence and playing with the other characters feels very similar to the first, despite this, the game successfully creates value for the player.  

Feel 5/5: The feel is arguably the most pinnacle aspect of the game and one of the core reasons for its success. The simple and approachable one-touch mechanic in combination with the visual feedback is so fitting and balanced that it certainly brings the interaction to life. The feel is separated from many other mediocre experiences by its overall polish and its own unique feel, an example of this are the frogs within the game who all croak a unique sound to begin the race. There is a certain amount of visual harmony within the game, notably; the characters are all of a rounded gentle disposition which linked perfectly with the curvy hills and creates a harmonious sensation. The game plays incredibly well and the simple, warm, positive, calm aspects all interrelate to create a pleasurable user experience.        

	RATING
CHALLENGE	4
FREEDOM	2
RETENTION	4
IMMERSION	4
VALUE	4
FEEL	5
TOTAL (Mean)	3.8

Table of results for Tiny Wings

In deduction of Tiny Wings and its overall game aesthetic ability, it is evident that as with the originally intention of choosing it for its visual significance, it is evident from looking at the data chart that the visual aspects of feel, value and immersion are certainly a strong driving factor in the games aesthetic success. It is also apparent that overall it is a fairly well balanced in offering a valid experience as the sense of challenge and retention are also well regarded. The freedom of the game is not as well stipulated within this game, but certainly do not take away from its overall aesthetic experience.