Remediation

Remediation Notes:

Remediation can be defined in different characteristics in new digital media, Immediacy and Hypermediacy.

Immediacy:

• Immediacy aims itself at the viewer to forget that they're watching.

• This happens in films or photorealism. Photorealism is great example of the techniques  that are used in the industry.

Hypermediacy:

• Hypermediacy draws the audiences to its constructed nature without trying be unknown like hiding it.

• Examples of this is the web and modern video games.

Remediation:

• Remediation offers a range of conventions, examples of conventions being used between different media's is photorealism as it is not used to preserved the medium of photography.

• Remediation takes place when it is needed on a new medium to develop unique contents, such as in games, films, TV shows and other media's.

Bibliography

• Caillois, R. (1961) Man, Play and Games. 2nd Edition. United States of America. The Free Press of Glencoe, Inc.

• Gonzalez, C. (2013) Learning to Stand in the Other's Shoe: A Computer Video Game Experience of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. Social Science Computer Review.

• Gustafson, J. (1990) Design a Character. The Reading Teacher. 86-87.

• Schell, J. (2008) The Art of Games Design: A Book of Lenses. 1st Edition. United States of America. CRC Press.

• Shanahan, I. (2003) Bow, Nigger. always_black.

• Triantafyllakos, G. Palaigeorgiou, G. Tsoukalas, I. (2010) Fictional Characters in Participatory Design Sessions: Introducing the Design Alter Egos Techniques. Interacting with Computers. 165-175.

Narrative and Games

Narrative in games is quite important to the game and the industry. Narrative can be used to draw players in and to create a sequel of the game in order to expand upon the original game. Game developers have used different solutions with the narrative of games, changing the player experience in a way to give the player to make choices of their own that will affect the narrative. An example of a company that uses these methods is Bioware and their games such as Mass Effect 1, 2 and 3, and Dragon Age: Origins and Dragon Age 2. In these games the player when interacting with another character or gameplay, the player is presented with number of choices with will change the affects of the narrative and gameplay.

Notes on narrative:

• The narrative does not have to be in the game itself but can be shown in the levels or cutscenes.

• Games can weave the narrative into gameplay.

• Other games will give the player total control of the narrative such as Electronic Arts The Sims, the player will control their characters giving them limitless ways to change the narrative and how the game flows.

New Games Journalism / Old Games Journalism

Old Games Journalism:

• It focusses on detailed descriptions of mechanics and the game itself.
• Removing any experience of the game such as gameplay.

The article is type of article that you will read on websites, a great example of this is a website that known by many; IGN (uk.ign.com). Articles like these focus on telling the reader about the game and what to expect without letting the reader know to much about the game such as the story or any spoilers that could end the experience there and then.

New Games Journalism:

The article I used for this was Bow, Nigger by Ian Shanahan, always_black. "Bow,Nigger"

In the article Ian talks about his experience playing Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast (A first and third person action shooter, developed by Raven Software and published by LucasArts and Activision; Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast). He begins with his personal experience in the game, such as the gameplay. Instead of going into detail of the games mechanics and his thoughts on it.

Conclusion:

From what I've read Old Games Journalism is more of way to find out information about a games, whereas New Games Journalism is a read where the readers will gain a experience from an actual player and there thoughts on it. My opinion I would read more Old Games Journalism to help me find out more about the games to help me buy the right one I would like.

Gender and Games

Notes on Gender and Games

• Video games are more focus on men, surveys have shown that the population of people who play games are men and only a small percentage behind me are women.

• Games have been expanding every year introducing new audiences, men and women. But when it comes to market, the game industries focus more towards men.

• Women seem to prefer to play more casual games. Casual games such indie games have a low budget and others compared to big 'Named' games such as Halo. Whereas Halo games are a big number of female players.

• The new population and rising of women gamers is new to the gaming industry as they have only focused on the men. But this isn't a bad thing, the games industry have noticed this and are taking advantage of this.

• The games industry advertisement towards men will soon be towards men and women. Soon gaming will be a big mix gender entrainment, instead of seeing gamers as nerds.

A Popcamp Case Study

Notes:

Pick up play
Unlikely to punch you
Overmuch for failure
Accessible
Family friendly

= Complexity is Hidden
- under a gradual learning Curve: where new things are gradually introduce
- Patterns: if the player keeps getting the same pattern in the game, the play will most likely get Bored.

Pacing:
- Attention
:-
- Repetition
:-
- Relaxation
:- Movement Impetus = The will to move forward and progress the game. Giving the player independent Decisions.
:- Tension = Sounds and the Environment can get the player gain tension. Making the player feel week.
'ILLUSORY FEEDBACK LOOP'
:- Threat = it's a mechanical part of the game that makes the player challenge themselves. 'Sense of Real peril the Player is in'.
:- Tempo = The Intensity of Play. Time between each significant Decisions, Very quick Decision making. The more choices you have the slower the decision you going to have.

Don't Be a Vidiot

Notes:

- Costikyan talks about the games industry and how we keep getting the same similar games in are stores.

- Games Designers are limited within the industry to show imagination, this is why there so many similar games filling the store shelves.

- Some games have creativity and great ideas behind them within the industry and have pushed the industry to it's boundaries. Games likes Doom were the ones that expanded the industry.

- Costikyan uses the term Vidiot (Video Idiot) which he describes games designers who only focus on the video games industry, limiting their imagination to what exists now.