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?