Contextual Research Report - game design

Contextual Research Report -

I believe that one of the most important aspects of good game design is choice, because by allowing choice you are giving the player freedom to how they want to play out the game, you can either go in guns blazing or take a more strategic route that requires stealth or thought. It is also a great idea to consider story and interactivity when it comes to choice in game design because choice creates a meaningful experience that does not rely on luck or chance, the player is able to create their own journey through the game instead of following a linear path or a game of luck like UNO or Poker, by allowing this choice the game feels interesting and does not become boring quickly. Furthermore, linear path story games often allow for no change in approach and story is often considered more than interactivity or choice. I really enjoy making my own choices in video games, whether that be tackling an objective with a different approach or free roaming in GTA V when I do not feel like playing a main mission or side quest. Also, choice allows for an evolving story that shapes around the players playstyle. That is why choice is a big thing to consider when it comes to game design. This is supported by the following statements “When the story trumps interactivity it’s sometimes referred to as being on rails. Apps that exhibit this model of story typically give players very little choice over how the game goes. Often they’re required to simply move down a linear corridor for the entire length of the game, sometimes with small bits of “gaming” thrown in to keep it interesting.”, “The experience is more like a constantly evolving and emerging web, since as players go through them, the nodes and connections (the possibilities and choices) are changing.” (Burgun, 2013 22:23). This is further confirmed by the authors Brathwaite and Schreiber, who believe that: “Whenever the player is allowed to exercise choice in a game and that choice affects the outcome of the game, then designers are creating meaning. In order to create choice, there has to be another option that has meaning as well. Sometimes, however, the player has no choice at all. Consider a game like Monopoly. Once all the property is purchased, what choice is there beyond “roll the dice and pay"? The player fully understands everything he needs to know about Monopoly, and the outcome of any given game becomes predictable. That’s why Monopoly can become boring for people after just a few trips around the board.” (Brathwaite & Schreiber, 2009:4) By comparing both of these quotes I have found that choice is a very important factor to consider in game design because without choice the game has little meaning and the player will feel bored pretty quickly, without this choice the player has no freedom and the interactivity of the game depletes. I will implement this strategy of game design into my work because I feel that it is imperative to allow for an open game that can be enjoyed by a range of players no matter what approach they want to take or what choice they make in a mission, but so they can feel in control of how they want to play the game.

Other important aspects of game design to always consider are bosses, scaling difficulty and structure, because scaling difficulty allows the player to be eased into the gameplay experience and not feel as if it is a mission in itself to complete a game. Every player has ranging abilities so scaling difficulty is perfect for any player new or old to get into the game and increase the difficulty based on their preferences or ability within the game. Scaling difficulty is very prominent in Mobile Games, they will give a brief tutorial on how to play and then will give a few easy levels, if the player finds the levels too easy the difficulty will increase, if not then the difficulty will not change or the player will be given a hint to help them. This is supported by the quote “Ramp the difficulty gently. Minigames are meant to provide variety, not torture the player.” (Rogers, 2010:351). This is also supported by the quote, “The holy grail of game system design is to make a game where the challenges are never ending, the skills required are varied, and the difficulty curve is perfect and adjusts itself to exactly our skill level.”(Koster, 2004:130). Both of these quotes support the idea of scaling difficulty and I will implement this difficulty progression into my work, because I also believe that a game is only fun if the difficulty is parallel to the player’s abilities, with the exception of boss fights.

Bosses are a great addition in any game because they test the players abilities and they represent a challenging obstacle in the gameplay that requires the player to use all of their built up skills. They also show a transition from easy, smooth gameplay to a very tense situation. If a player overcomes the boss fight then they are often rewarded with unique items, this helps with replayability because if the player now has a higher stat item then they are more likely going to want to replay the story on a new game plus with this new item. Also, structure can also come into effect when it comes to boss fights because they are often placed strategically throughout a game to lead the player into the next objective of the story, so bosses act as a progression marker in the structure of the game. Also, structure gives a game a set objective or objectives that need to be achieved before progression is made, this is often used in linear story games. This point has been supported by the quote, “the anticipation of a pending series of decisions is enough to hold her over. Likewise, the tunnels that sometimes lead up to boss battles serve to build player anxiety and narrative tension and thus sustain a state of flow.” (Brathwaite & Schreiber, 2009:87). However, the author Baur believes that: “It’s the opposite of running an adventure on the rails—telling the story in a linear fashion—because it’s all up to the players to decide what needs doing. Let them figure out how to approach the end boss, or for that matter, let them figure out who the end boss is. Well, not so fast. Just because an adventure has an open structure doesn’t mean it has no structure. All too often, a game designer will plop down a bunch of locations, throw some missions or quests on top, and call it a sandbox design. [...] A more successful approach to sandbox design offers hidden structure that is never imposed on the players”(Baur, 2012:180). Baur is stating that for a boss level to work structure needs to be put into place, but this should be done in the form of hidden structure, whereas Brathwaite and Schreiber are saying that structure needs to be in place to build tension and narrative, to prepare the player for the incoming boss fight. By analysing these quotes, I have found that structure is important, but choice also needs to be put into place to ensure that the gameplay does not become predictable. I also found that boss levels are important factors in any game and they are put into place to test a player's abilities and skills. I will implement structure into my work but allowing for a more open approach so the gameplay is not predictable.  

Bibliography:

Baur, Wolfgang. (2012) Complete Kobold Guide to Game Design [Book]. E-Book Available from: https://books.google.co.uk/books/about/Complete_Kobold_Guide_to_Game_Design.html?id=KjO9mAEACAAJ&redir_esc=y [Accessed 25 January 2024]

Brathwaite, Brenda and Schreiber, Ian. (2009) Challenges For Game Designers [Book]. E-Book Version Available from: https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/4726656 

[Accessed 25 January 2024].

Burgun, Keith. (2013) Game Design Theory: A New Philosophy For Understanding Games [Book]. E-Book Version Available from: https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=8lbOBQAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false [Accessed 25 January 2024]

Koster, Ralph. (2004) Theory Of Fun For Game Design [Book]. E-Book Available from: https://books.google.co.uk/books/about/Theory_of_Fun_for_Game_Design.html?id=jYdqQ4YdccYC&redir_esc=y [Accessed 25 January 2024]

Rogers, Scott. (2010) Level Up: The Guide To Great Video Game Design [Book]. E-Book Available from: https://books.telegraph.co.uk/Product/Scott-Rogers/Level-Up-The-Guide-to-Great-Video-Game-Design/15981700  [Accessed 25 January 2024]

Contracts & Working Conditions

Contracts & Working Conditions

Contract Types:https://joshcgblog.wordpress.com/2015/12/11/contract-types-within-the-games-vfx-industries/ 

Freelancing & Independent Contractor -

Freelancing is where a person picks and chooses work as they please and often work on multiple projects from a variety of clients. The freelancer has no link with a studio, so once the project is finished then work may not be present again for another month or until work from another client comes in. Freelancers in the gaming industry may offer a wide range of services, including game design, programming, art and animation, writing or they may have a more general skill set and be able to offer a range of services.This both comes with positive and negative points as the freelancer is able to be their own boss, time work around their life and schedule and they are able to do what they love without having to settle down in a company. However, some of the negatives of this contract type include work may not be frequent so finances need to be balanced if the freelancer has no work for a period of time. Often, one studio may lock the freelancer into a contract forbidding them from working on other clients projects because the studio doesn't want to lose the freelancers skills to a competitor, this may have a negative effect on the creativity of the freelancer as they are being restricted to what work they can complete.

Contract Workers -

Contract workers work within a studio the same way as a part-time or full-time employee but they do not benefit from the company's benefits and bonuses such as a dental plan or paid holiday. The contract workers will work alongside full-time and part-time employees on the same project but once the task of the contract worker is completed the studio is more than likely going to lay off the contract worker as the contract worker has no stable position within the company. This is essentially like freelancing but the worker is within the studio and working on one project at a time, except freelancing seems to come with more benefits because contract workers are paid less money than that of studio workers. 

Permanent - Full-Time & Part-Time -

Permanent - Full-Time and Part-Time workers work within the studio and are employed by the studio unlike contract workers, so they benefit from company bonuses and fringe-benefits. The workers within these contract types have a binding contract with the studio so are more likely to have a stable job than those on a freelance or contract contract , although permanent workers are often subjected to crunch and layoffs. These layoffs and crunches are a result of long working hours, unpaid overtimes and increased workload. These crunches can cause a large amount of stress, but crunches are only often present before a product is ready to ship and after the product has been released to the public. As a result of these crunches, work morale and productivity can decrease leading to a larger number of layoffs. Full-time workers are guaranteed between 30 - 40 hours of working a week, whilst Part-time workers are guaranteed less than 30 hours per week, these guaranteed hours are more stable than a freelancer as work is always on a regular basis. Due to crunches these working hours can fluctuate.

Internships -

Internships are a very popular choice for college students or graduated students because they give an opportunity to experience life at a studio and gear the workers ready for their transition into the sector. Freelancers don't often get paid in money, but do get paid in knowledge and experience as having an internship can set you up for a future career within the studio if they like your work ethic. However, Internships are often very competitive to get and often require a large portfolio. Also, the internship may not allow the student to work on main projects but will only contribute to smaller side projects instead.

TT Games - Working Conditions & Crunch Culture

In a recent article about TT Games Studio and the working life at TT Games on projects, it was found that employees were being subject to abuse and blackmail “It was a very soft-spoken blackmail,” one former employee says. “‘If people don’t start doing overtime, there’s going to be problems,’” (Polygon, 2022). Following on from this, over 30 employees spoke anonymously to Polygon and it was highlighted that the poor working conditions, long hours and crunch started back in 2005 when the company was formed and continued throughout the years, but following internal company surveys, focus groups and questionnaires the crunch continued to grow, “in 2008, Warner Bros. held a companywide satisfaction survey to determine what people thought of the working conditions across the studios. According to two people who were working at TT Games then, the results were the lowest ratings Warner Bros. had received at the time” (Polygon, 2022). Overall the working morale at TT Games is very low and this has been fuelled by long working hours, un-achievable goals, extreme pressure from bosses and the company choosing to release a game every year. 

https://www.polygon.com/features/22891555/lego-star-wars-the-skywalker-saga-has-led-to-extensive-crunch-at-tt-games 

Rockstar Games - Crunch Culture

In an article written by Morson last year found that crunch culture is heavily intertwined with the working life at Rockstar Games, employees have almost no free time and often have to choose between work life and personal life. This leads to poor health and stress which can greatly affect the morale and productivity of the employees. “This crunch culture is deeply intertwined with the lack of work-life balance at Rockstar Games. Many employees reported feeling pressured to prioritise work over personal life, leading to burnout and mental health issues. The expectation of long hours and constant availability fosters an environment where employees struggle to maintain a healthy balance between their professional and personal lives.” (Morson Group, 2023). Another employee stated that they worked 100 hours a week to meet the tight deadlines and strict goals on the Red Dead Redemption 2 project. Furthermore, another employee stated it was like working with a gun to their head. ““It’s been nearly a decade since I parted from Rockstar, but I can assure you that during the GTA IV era, it was like working with a gun to your head 7 days a week. Be here Saturday & Sunday too, just in case Sam or Dan [Houser, co-founders of Rockstar Games] come in, they want to see everyone working as hard as them”

https://morson-group.com/2023/12/11/rockstar-gta-6-toxic-culture-tech/#:~:text=This%20crunch%20culture%20is%20deeply,burnout%20and%20mental%20health%20issues.