Signing up for a class titled “Game Design”, I automatically assumed that I would re-learn the same processes and eventually design a thoughtless game where the protagonist, a burly strong-man, defeats some ugly ogre to save a princess. Little did I know this class would open my mind to a new train of thought regarding game design. My horizons have been broadened, for the better or worse. Worse for the fact that I sometimes look at the games I play and wonder “How could this mechanic be made more accessible?” or “Why did they choose that design over this?” Now... Continue reading

My name is Chris Wiggins, and I was addicted to Harvest Moon 64. I’m not embarrassed of the fact, but many “hard-core” gaming buddies of mine would probably be had they played the game as much as I did. There was no killing, there was fishing; there were no guns, there were gardening tools; you weren’t apart of an elite tactical squad, rather, you hoped to marry and support a family. Harvest Moon 64 places the player in the shoes of a nameless boy who inherits a farm from his dying grandfather. You start with a plot of land, a... Continue reading

Our final game prototype is located here! Enjoy, and please check back for future updates! -The Jewish Mothers Continue reading

You can download our Formal Design Document here. If you just can't get enough, you could download our presentation here. Some more Level Design Pictures: Continue reading

Note: The text editor included with TypePad is HORRIBLE The Final Game Pitch PowerPoint can be found here. The team's Design Wiki can be found here. On the Wiki you can also access pictures from our paper prototyping session. Here is a summary of the PowerPoint: Overview Description: Interfaced (tentative title) is a puzzle-platforming game that challenges players to think outside of the traditional video game UI. Innovative puzzles will bend the way players interact with the game by making the interface itself interact and live within the game world, breaking the fourth wall in a truly unique gameplay experience.... Continue reading

Note: The text editor included with TypePad is HORRIBLE The Final Game Pitch PowerPoint can be found here. The team's Design Wiki can be found here. On the Wiki you can also access pictures from our paper prototyping session. Here is a summary of the PowerPoint: Overview Description: Interfaced (tentative title) is a puzzle-platforming game that challenges players to think outside of the traditional video game UI. Innovative puzzles will bend the way players interact with the game by making the interface itself interact and live within the game world, breaking the fourth wall in a truly unique gameplay experience.... Continue reading

While reading these assigned pieces, I found it difficult to step outside of the mainstream gamer that I am and attempt to understand the connotations and objectives behind the alternate movement games. There were, however, games that I could completely relate to (Spacewar, for example), but their births were of foreign decent compared to my own understanding of game development. One could almost feel bad, or should I say “intellectually challenged”, for enjoying the testosterone-filled, blood splattering kill-fests present in many mainstream games. But in the end, play is play, and essentially the goal of said games could be thrown... Continue reading

In the early 90’s, a time when I was still learning the ins and outs of my high-tech Nintendo Entertainment System, there existed a building less than a mile away that housed six-foot-tall wooden boxes exhibiting tube TVs, joysticks, buttons, and games – this place was called an “Arcade”. I often wish I was born a bit earlier so that I could have taken advantage of the experience this building had to offer. My fondest memories, however, are of the times when my dad would take me there and show me his expertise in foosball and Defender. Defender was a... Continue reading

During the High Middle Ages, the Holy Roman Empire was home to many devoted chess players. These medieval gamers came in all forms, ranging in social statuses as high as royalty to the lowliest city dwellers. Each participant had their own reason for playing, whether it was for war, love, boredom, pride, or even sin. That's right - sin. Aside from the fictional tales of chess as a weapon of war and personal strife, the game itself fought against the Roman Catholic Church for quite some time. Yalom mentions that “while the Holy Roman Emperors were privileging chess, even with... Continue reading