An Introduction To Games Design

Gameplay, to put it into a simple answer is the game istelf being played out from start to finish. With the obvious FAQ's coming up during the game. How much of the game can i interact with, what can i do in the game, how does the plot unfold. But gameplay involves more than just reaching those ending credits. Gameplay is the experience the player has as the game unfolds infront of them, becoming engorssed into the storyline and emotions of the characters. Does the atmosphere, music and actions of the character make u feel in the same situation as them? Does the look and feel of the game make you think you could actually be there? This all helps build a realistic and rememberable gameplay experience. So in short gameplay is everything that the game has to offer. And its just like baking a cake, you need to get the recipe right.

All of this makes the gameplay itself important to me when i play a game because the same linear game can become more tedious than enjoyable. I want to be engrossed in the atmosphere, emotions and plot of the game as the it all slowly unfolds inftont of me. I like to get into the game, and even though your on a fantasy planet with weapons and emenies that clearly dont actually exsist, the gameplay makes you think you are there and that its really happening. Although being entertained by the effects of blowing something up is breifly amusing, the same old linear thing being done to death has its limits.

I wouldnt say different games have different design principles. But rather all games of the next gen era are starting (or at least trying) to change the way games are thought and made so that the linear gameplay a lot of games can be brought down with doesnt happen. not so thinking outside the box but rather painting the box bright green then blowing it up. This is beacause a lot of games follow quite a similar design principle when it comes to gameplay. Man get thrown into game, man gets into battle with fast paced music and lots of visual effects, followed by exploration of vast landscapes/areas with, depending of what kind of genre it is, either calm or chilling music. This kind of style has become the normal for most games and has resulted in linear gameplay, which i think designers are now starting to get around in order to create a more upbeat and better quality gameplay experience. This has been shown in a few cases where designers have changed this by taking gameplay aspects which have went unchanged for years and turned them on their head, thus giving them new ways to be played. The Wii remote is one of the most obvious examples of this.

Again despite the fact i hate it, it does actually take something which we have used for years to play games with ( this being a controller) and revolutionised it so that someone can experience a completely different type of gameplay. A recent game which is think is a prime example of this is the Force Unleashed for Wii. This is beacuse the game gives people the chance to do someting that in all honest is completely new in the gaming world...the ability to weild the controller and frantically swing it infront of the TV as if it were a real lightsabre, and even if your not the biggest fan of star wars this added feature still gives the gameplay value an added extra bonus. This in turn beginning to set a new mould for what is much needed in improving what is important to gameplay in the next gen world.