Game design
Literacy Lesson 1
Introduction to game design: history, purpose and audience
Introduction
Watch the video for an introduction to the lesson.
Understanding the tasks
Rating the tasks
This lesson contains a few activities. Each activity will have one or more tasks. These tasks have been given a rating.
Some of the tasks in this lesson are must do. These are important to help you understand the introductory ideas or skills.
Have a go at the should do tasks and reach out to your friends or teacher if you need some advice. These will usually take a bit longer to complete than must do tasks.
Could do tasks will probably take you some extra time and might need you to get creative or problem solve. We strongly encourage you to try these.
Activity 1 - What do I know about games and gamers?
Task 1 - Reflection
You may already know a lot about video games. You could consider - What do I need to learn to become a game designer and coder? What skills will help me develop and design my own game? What do I need to know about my game’s audience?
Open the KWL Games and Gamers Google Slides.
Click on the image to open a new tab and view the Google Slides.
Click on the Use Template button to create a copy for you to edit.
Record what you ‘Know’ about this topic in the KWL chart.
You might include: the titles of some of your favourite video games, the type (genre) of games you prefer. You should also consider who plays these games. What do you know about gamers?
Complete the ‘Wonder’ column on the KWL chart.
This week you are going to design and develop your own video game. You could think about what you might need to learn to help you become a game designer and coder to develop and design your own game. What might you need to know about your game’s audience?
Note: We will be completing the 'What I learned' column later in the week.
The language of gaming - developing word consciousness
Throughout the week you will read, hear and view specific language related to gaming and coding. It is important to notice these words and how they are used. We call this ‘noticing’, word consciousness.
Choosing the most precise word allows an author to communicate more effectively to:
Noticing these precise words when reading will help to build your understanding of gaming and coding. It will help you to understand how to use the most appropriate language when you communicate.
Task 2 - Slang, jargon and acronyms
Read the information in the Slang, jargon and acronyms Google Slides below.
When you feel confident that you understand slang, jargon and acronyms, check your understanding by completing the interactive below.
Use the blue Check button and arrow at the bottom to move from question to question.
Activity 2 - History of video games
Note: While we have linked to videos in this activity, any other pages or other material linked to beyond these videos are not endorsed by the department.
Task 1 - Purpose and audience
The purpose of any text is to entertain, inform or persuade different audiences in different contexts.
Video games are also a form of ‘text’. Just like books they may have different purposes and target a range of different audiences.
Watch this short video, A (Very Brief) History of Video Games, to learn more about the history and evolution of video games.
Then complete the interactive quiz below to check your understanding.
Use the blue Check button and arrow at the bottom to move from question to question.
A (Very brief) History of Video Games
Duration: 3:32
Task 2 - What's in and what's out?
The following graphic text ‘The rise of gaming Revenue – Visualized’ can also help us understand the changing popularity of video games over time. This graphic shows the revenue from the development of video games (from arcade games in the early 70’s through to cloud and VR games in development now).
We can make an educated comparison between revenue and popularity. It makes sense that the games which made the most money were the most popular games at the time.
There is a lot going on in this page. Let’s read it from left to right and find some information on changing game popularity.
Click on the hot spots for more information.
Then complete the interactive quiz below to check your understanding.
Use the blue Check button and arrow at the bottom to move from question to question.
Want to learn more?
If you would like to learn more about the history of video games, the following short video will show you just how far games have come over the past century. It may surprise you to discover who made the first games, their original purpose and their target audience.
A brief history of video games
Duration: 4:45
Activity 3 - Video games in Australia
Task 1 - Playing video games in Australia
Clearly games are becoming more and more popular. In Australia, the Digital Australia 2022 ‘Connecting to games’ research revealed a lot about how Australians played games in 2021.
Read through the following graphic.
Then complete the interactive quiz below to check your understanding.
Use the blue Check button and arrow at the bottom to move from question to question.
Task 2 - Genre and audience - what games are we playing?
There are many, many, many types (or genres) of video games. The following graph from the Digital Australia 2022 Connected by Games survey reveals the most popular game genres in Australian households during 2021.
Click on the hot spots for more information.
Note: If you understand the meaning of the game genres and acronyms without resorting to Google, then you are very video game literate.
Task 3 - Genre and audience
The form or genre of the text also helps us to identify the audience.
'Candy Crush Saga' might be played by people who only have short amounts of time to spare, or who want a quick game on their mobile device, without the commitment (it is more likely played on a mobile device).
A Role Playing Game (RPG) may require more dedication from the player and is usually played on a PC as graphics are more important.
We can often work out the purpose and target audience of a text by reading a title/heading or looking at a cover or excerpt. We can do the same with video games.
Let’s have a look at this game cover from 2001.
Then complete the interactive quiz below to check your understanding.
Use the blue Check button and arrow at the bottom to move from question to question.
Task 4 - Game audit
We are now going to conduct a game audit. What types of games are played in your household? Who plays them? Age/gender? Where and when do they play them? Are there games played by everyone in the household and are others only played by some? Are there obsolete games in your household? Do any of your findings challenge your assumptions about gamers?
Open the WWWWWH Chart Google Slides.
Click on the image to open a new tab and view the Google Slides.
Click on the Use Template button to create a copy for you to edit.
Ask the members of your household these questions and record your findings.
Task 5 - Talk to an oldie!
What types of video games did members of your family/household/friends play ‘back in the day’? (Talk to an oldie!) Consider where they played them and what they played. Pay attention to see if talking about a particular game really makes their face light up.
When we think back to the games we played or films we watched we often have a sense of nostalgia. This will be something to consider when you modify your game to target a specific audience.
Note: I loved 'Galaga', but you had to go to the shop to play this arcade game. You also needed plenty of 20c pieces! Just thinking about 'Galaga' makes me nostalgic, this was about the time I first watched 'Star Wars: A New Hope'. If you research this game you will realise I am an oldie! (But I still love video games).
Want to check your written answers for Activities 1, 2 and 3?
Activity 1, Task 2:
Question 7 - Explain why parents who are new to Minecraft may think their kids are using an ‘alien language’. Include an example from the text to support your answer.
Hint: Try to use some of your new vocabulary in your explanation.
Suggested Answer:
When kids are playing video games they may use slang or jargon that is associated with that game. For example, ‘mods’, ‘creepers’ and ‘redstone’. This may seem like an alien, or unknown language, to parents who are unfamiliar with the game.
Activity 2, Task 1:
Question 4 - ‘The ATARI games didn’t have the more advanced graphics you could find in the arcade at the time and by 1983 the video game industry had tanked, making way for new companies like Nintendo and Sega.’
In this sentence, what does ‘making way for’ mean?
Suggested Answer:
As the video game industry had collapsed, there was room in the industry for new companies like Nintendo and Sega to ‘move in’ and replace them.
Activity 2, Task 1:
Question 7 - Where do you think games will go next?
Justify your response using evidence from the video or from your own understanding of gaming.
Suggested Answer:
Games will continue to change as technology improves and new gaming platforms are developed. For example, VR games may be the future of gaming as the hardware becomes cheaper to produce and more engaging.
Activity 2, Task 2:
Question 5 - Which gaming system led to a resurgence in console gaming?
Suggested Answer:
Nintendo Entertainment system
Activity 2, Task 2:
Question 6 - Why do you think that console gaming has kept its revenue steady, when other forms of games have declined?
Hint : read the fine print in the teal green section from 2001-2020.
Suggested Answer:
New consoles and games are released fairly regularly over 20 years, including X-box, Nintendo Wii and Switch. With each new upgrade people buy the new console and the new games, especially if the new games won’t play on the old machines.
Activity 2, Task 2:
Question 7 - Based on this graphic text, what do you think is the future of gaming? Use evidence to justify your response.
Suggested Answer:
Mobile gaming will continue to surge in popularity, dominating the market, as in 2020 it was worth $85 billion, twice as much as PC gaming. This is because it will still be convenient and most people will still have a mobile device. VR and Cloud based gaming will probably increase in popularity and revenue, as most new forms of gaming with improved technology become popular very fast. E.g. Handheld gaming for the first 20 years. Console gaming will remain popular as their revenue has not changed much in 20 years, but arcade games and handheld devices look like they will disappear almost entirely from the market.
Activity 3, Task 1:
Question 2 - If 17 million Aussies play games for an average of 83 minutes per day, how would we work out total hours played per day?
Suggested Answer:
17 000 000 multiplied by 83 minutes divided by 60.
Activity 3, Task 1:
Question 4 - What is the average age of a typical gamer? Does this surprise you? Explain your response.
Suggested Answer:
35 – this surprises me as the stereotype for gamers is usually a teenager, or male in their early 20’s.
Activity 3, Task 1:
Question 6 - Based on your answer to the previous question, justify your three selections and why you didn’t select one of the other options.
Suggested Answer:
The fact that 17 million Aussies are playing games clearly shows gaming popularity, that is a huge number – I know that there are about 26 million people in total in Australia. As well as this, nearly 9 million households play and they have at least 2 gaming consoles, this also shows a huge number of Australians involved in gaming. The average age of a game player doesn’t tell me anything about popularity in Australia, nor does the fact that 22% communicated through games – this just tells me how some people used the games. Making friends through games is important, but it doesn’t actually show that games are popular.
Activity 3, Task 1:
Question 8 - We have considered the benefits of gaming during lockdown, according to this infographic, what has been the impact of pandemic lockdowns on gaming?
Hint: Look at the data (percentages) on the right side - only one specifically mentions impact on gaming.
Suggested Answer:
36% of people will spend more time playing video games after lockdown/pandemic than they played before. So, for gaming this has been a positive as people will be more engaged in video games in the future.
Activity 3, Task 3:
Question 3 - Look at these video game covers. Which do you think would appeal more to a younger audience aged 12 and below.
Justify your response by discussing all 4 covers.
Suggested Answer:
'Mario Kart' and 'Wii Sports Resort' would appeal more to a younger audience as the cartoon characters appear to be having a lot of fun playing the different sports. 'World Championship Sports Summer' doesn’t look as interesting or exciting – it has more realistic adult figures playing each of the sports. These figures don’t even have facial features, they are silhouettes, or outlines. 'Medieval II Total War' looks like a Strategy game that would suit an older audience, it is also rated M so it isn’t really suitable for an audience under 15.
Activity 3, Task 3:
Question 4 - Read the following cover for Empire Earth Gold Edition. What does ‘Gold edition’ suggest about this game?
Suggested Answer:
This gold edition includes three games in the 'Empire Earth' series. As they are ‘gold’ this suggests they are the best three in the series, or that all three are considered the best in their genre. Gold usually suggests the winner or the best, e.g. Olympic gold medal.
Activity 3, Task 3:
Question 5 - What does the ‘gold edition’ and the image of the three games, suggest about the intended audience?
Suggested Answer:
As this edition features 3 games in the 'Empire Earth' series the audience may be those who have already played one of the games. They are already familiar with the series and gameplay and likely to purchase/play more. It may also be designed to attract a new audience, by including the best, or ‘gold’ games in the series.
Handing in your work
Don't forget to hand in the work you completed today!
Your teacher will have told you to do one of the following:
Upload any digital documents you created and any photos you took of your written work to your Learning Management system (MS Teams, Google Classroom for example).
Email any digital documents you created and any photos you took of your written work to your teacher.
Make sure you keep any handwritten work you did in your exercise book or folder as your teacher may need to see these when you are back in class.