MYP - Computer Technology - Game Making Module - Investigate Stage -

This trimester we are going to look into Computer Games. We will look at what makes a game, a game. What makes a game a good game. MUST DO: 1.) MAKE a COPY of this document: 2.) RENAME your document 3.) SHARE your document with wayne.voogt@cedarschoolbvi.com to EDIT Thinking back to the Podcast, according to their investigation on RadioLab what are the two basic principles to any game? 1. One thing that you need in a game are rules 2. You need creativity in a game

Why is number 1 important to any good game? Without rules, players could do whatever they want to help them gain an advantage, and rules level that playing field.

Why is number 2 important to any good game? You need creativity in a game, otherwise, you wouldnt have a game at all because creativity makes things like the court or field and how many players and things like that.

READ the following article: http://www.thegamesjournal.com/articles/WhatMakesaGame.shtml List what makes a good game according to Wolfgang Kramer? Originality Freshness and re playability Tension Target groups and consistency of rules Uniformity Creative control No early elimination

Winning chances Surprise Equal opportunity No kingmaker effect

HAVE YOUR SAY: Do you agree with the list above? If you agree, why do you agree? If you do not agree, why not? Which points would you take away, what other points might you add to his list I agree with the list because these points do make a better game, for example: without things like winning chances the game would not be exciting, if there is early elimination in a game then the game is shorter and not all players get an equal chance.

List three (3) classic computer games you know (if you dont know do research): 1. Pong 2. Tetris 3. ...Pacman

List three (3) of your favourite computer games: 1. Gta series 2. Call of duty series 3. ...Tekken series

Do research online & List at least 10 traits/characteristics of a good computer game? I have listed 3 basic ones for you, but look into game play, strategy etc. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Easy to start playing Clear instructions Easy help function Levels that get harder as you progress Build up of tension Interesting characters and storyline Interesting storyline

8. Gameplay that flows smoothly (not a lot of glitches or bugs) 9. Unlockables/upgrades 10. Flexibility in the story (example: if you are trying to get to the top of a building to save or kill someone, you can get to the top in different ways) List your resources below: (Use the MLA citation method) Koster, Raph. "What Makes a Good Game?" SERC. NSDL. Web. 13 Dec. 2011. <http://serc.carleton.edu/introgeo/games/goodgame.html>. "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 - Xbox 360 - IGN." Microsoft Xbox 360 Games, Cheats, Walkthroughs, News, Reviews, Previews, Game Trailers & Videos - IGN. IGN, 8 Nov. 2011. Web. 13 Dec. 2011. <http://xbox360.ign.com/objects/069/069475.html>.

The genre of my game will be a platform - arcade game. The game will be created for Mac. Story time: You have chosen your overall topic, now its time to think of a story:

Story time!! All the ideas for your story must be to educate 1. Give your character a name that matches your genre: Characters name: - D.O.C 2. Give the world/area or place your story happens a name? - Citopolis 3. Why is your character in this world? (Tell your audience) - The Character is trying to fly through the different cities to collect as many stars and pieces of gold that he can.

4. What is your character, or the player, trying to do? (Be specific, break down each detail so that it will help with your programming) - The character has to go through the different areas, avoiding enemy characters to try and get to the different city doors, with as many stars and pieces of gold (points) as he can. He will achieve this by piloting a spaceship through the areas. 5. What are his/her obstacles? - The characters obstacles will be gaps and ledges in the world, as well as enemies. 6. There need to be 3 stages to your game, your character will have 3 lives: a.) What happens on stage 1? On stage one the character will be dropped in the first city setting, he will have to avoid the enemies and be able to obtain different amounts of points throughout the level. He will arrive at a door at the end of the game which he will have to enter to go on to stage two. b.) What happens on stage 2? The character will be dropped in a new city. This stage will be harder then the previous one, the enemies will be more abundant. Points will still be available, the actual setting will become more of a challenge, with obstacles such as ledges and gaps. A harder enemy will have to be fought at the end of the level to move on. c.) What happens on stage 3? The character will be dropped in the final city. This city will be the hardest. The character will have to use different strategies to avoid various enemies. Points will be harder to obtain. The setting will have more obstacles. Another door will appear at the end of the level, to win, the character will have to pass through the door to win the game. d.) What happens when the game ends?
(is there a Game Over screen? What happens if you complete the game? Is there a Well done screen? Is there a High Score screen? Is there a screen explaining the story and how you saved the day!?)

If the player completes the game, a screen will come on, explaining the fate of the character and the score that the player received. A game over screen will appear if the player is defeated, which will display his score from that level and a game over message.