Introduction

 Who’s in the class?  Class structure  Introduction to content

 Two sections  Split the small class activities  Single lecture  Specifically  9:05 – 9:30 Section 1  9:30 – 10:20 Lecture  10:20 – 10:45 Section 2

 Non-computer Game Designs  Game Critique  Research Presentation and Paper  Game Development  Teams  Any platform  RYO only in limited cases  Paper Design for Final Exam

Computer games Board games Card games Parlor games Sports games Miniatures games Role-playing games Alternative reality games

PLAY GOAL RULES

 What’s the difference?  Games: restrictive rules, limit-testing strategies  Toys: fantasy and free play.  Children  captivated by versatility of toys  Adults  lose interest in toys  Create games around toys  tactics, strategies, results (Schiesel 2008)

are an activity have rules have conflict have goals involve decision making are artificial are safe are outside ordinary life provide no material gain are voluntary have uncertain outcome are a representation are make believe are inefficient have closed systems are a form of art

 Play  “work consists of whatever a body is obliged to do, and … play consists of whatever a body is not obliged to do.” Adventures of Tom Sawyer  Pretend  The Magic Circle (Huizinga)  Goal  Challenges  Win, Loss, Termination  Rules  Meanings, gameplay, sequence of play, goals, metarules

 games with a serious purpose beyond entertainment  built for serious purpose  used for serious purpose

 Education  Training  Social change  Health education  Pain control  Rehabilitation  Business  Art

 2009 US revenue $19.7B ($21.4B ‘08)  Software $10.5B  Hardware $9.2B  Movies: $10B  Subscribers  World of Warcraft: 12.5M subscriptions  Second Life: 1B hrs Sept 2009

 Online gamers  middle income ($35,000-$75,000)  age  Casual gamers  76% female  71% 40 or older (47% 50 or older)  46% college graduates (14% adv degree)  53% income $50,000 or more  67% married (53% at least one child )

44%: card, puzzle, arcade, word games 25%: family-oriented games 19%: RPGs, MMOGs CAVEAT: lots of contradictory stats