Rob was exceedingly passionate, I think that's the right word, on just how important every small part of the course is, repeatedly stressing the need to pass every module to be able to actually obtain a degree after the three years. It seems harsh, but there's not exactly anything I can do about it, so why worry?
One of the things I hadn't expected about Games Design is just how philosophical certain aspects of it are, when I was looking at the course my expectation was leaning more towards the technical and rigidly structured idea. I actually enjoy listening to everyone's opinions on different interpretations on how to aproach the idea of a game and how to design one.
The game we iterated, I can't remember its name, was an elmination strategy game on a hexagonal board, where the aim is to shoot the other players and be the last man standing. Unfortunately, there were plenty of bugs and the rules, while they provided the opportunity for a game, were rather broken. Our iterations were focused on providing players with a more feasible and strategy based experience with less bugs. With the addition of several 'sniper towers' which a player could take possession of, I feel that we were reasonably successful, though there were a plethora of other things that could have been incorporated to enhance the game experience.
Bibliography
Browne, C. (2014). Evolutionary game design. SIGEVOlution, 6(2), pp.3-16.
Callois R. "The Definition of Play: The Classification of Games". in Salen K. and Zimmerman E. (eds). (2006) The Games Design Reader; A Rules of Play Anthology. MIT Press. pp. 122-155.
Costikyan, G. and Davidson, D. (2011). Tabletop. [Pittsburgh, PA]: ETC Press.
Oksanen, K. and Hamalainen, R. (2014). Game Mechanics in the Design of a Collaborative 3D Serious Game. Simulation & Gaming.
Silverman D. "Art Nouveau in Fin-de-Siecle France". in Lees-Maffei G. and Houze R. (eds). (2010) The Design History Reader. New York. Berg. pp. 75-81.
Schell, J. (2008) The Art of Game Design A Book of Lenses. Boca Raton. CRC Press.
Callois R. "The Definition of Play: The Classification of Games". in Salen K. and Zimmerman E. (eds). (2006) The Games Design Reader; A Rules of Play Anthology. MIT Press. pp. 122-155.
Costikyan, G. and Davidson, D. (2011). Tabletop. [Pittsburgh, PA]: ETC Press.
Oksanen, K. and Hamalainen, R. (2014). Game Mechanics in the Design of a Collaborative 3D Serious Game. Simulation & Gaming.
Silverman D. "Art Nouveau in Fin-de-Siecle France". in Lees-Maffei G. and Houze R. (eds). (2010) The Design History Reader. New York. Berg. pp. 75-81.
Schell, J. (2008) The Art of Game Design A Book of Lenses. Boca Raton. CRC Press.
Max Bovis Critical Games Studies
What is the title of the book (fiction) you are currently reading, or what is the title of the last fiction book you read?
- The last fiction book that I read was Oblivion by Anthony Horowitz, the fifth in a five part series concerning five people who are destined to fight the Old Ones, a mismatch of creatures from another dimension that seek to end Humanity and scourge the world of their blight. The story revolves around the leader of the five, Matt, who is the strongest, though all five together are required to defeat them.I would certainly endorse the series to anyone who is interested in fantasy novels.
What is the title/topic of the book (non-fiction) that you are currently reading, or what is the title/topic of the last non-fiction book you read?
- The last non-fiction topic I read about was a subject in physics known as Quantum Entanglement. Quantum Entanglement concerns two particles, usually photons, which are intrinsically linked on the quantum level, such that to change the state of one changes the state of the other so quickly as to be instantaneous, as no device has yet managed to record a time-delay between them. As such, the phenomenon can be described as the same particle going in two different directions at the same time.
What is the last live performance (music, drama or dance) you attended?
- In November 2012 I attended a live concert of the band Evanescence at Wembley with my friend from Westcliff High School for Boys Alex Dawe. We had bought standing tickets and arrived early enough to be standing only ten or fifteen feet away from the stage, so we were in the prime position. Evanescence came on at around 8:30 and didn't finish until midnight, and it was absolutely brilliant. A night that I will never forget for sure.
What is the title of the last film you saw at the cinema/online or watched on DVD?
- The last film that I watched was called Never Back Down, a typical feel-good American movie concerning the troubles of one angsty teen called Jake Tyler, a high school student with an anger management issue and who recently lost his dad to a drunk driving accident that he could have prevented. As such, he gets into fighting, and after being humiliated trains in mixed martial arts with a master who has his own sob story. All in all the film is a good mix of drama, action and awesome fight scenes.
How often do you read a newspaper? (Which one? Online or physical?)
- At the moment I don't read any newspaper, though I used to read the Sun daily. The closest I get to that at the moment is to read posts on Facebook from the New Scientist magazine or from the page I Fucking Love Science. Other than that, I don't read a newspaper.
Which art gallery/museum/exhibition did you last visit?
- I suppose London Comic-Con can be considered an exhibition, so that is the last place that I visited. Being a fan of many different anime, this was the second time that I had gone to the convention, making a day trip to London on the saturday of the event. It is always fun to see all of the different costumes that people create and show off, and the atmosphere is unreal. In short, it is an all round awesome experience.
How many hours a week do you spend playing video games?
- Personally I think that this is an unfair question, because the number of hours available is subject to change at a moment's notice, as well as the situation. For example, now that I have started university, I have found myself playing video games roughly five or six hours a week, whereas before during the summer holidays I was probably playing an average of thirty hours a week. So there, between five and thirty hours a week.
How many hours a week do you spend playing games other than video games?
- Well, now that I have started University, that had become practically non-existent, but before then I would say roughly ten hours a week. My brother and I often played football in the back garden or down the park for a half hour or an hour everyday, and my mum would challenge me to a game of Boggle every evening too (which I invariably won and scored in the hundreds at times.) Altogether, I would estimate that it added up to about ten hours a week overall.
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