Design Lab 5: Game Media   [ Monday 6pm - Rm 908]

instructor: Jonah Warren
email: jonah AT feedtank DOT com
url: http://www.feedtank.com/2005/gamemedia/

GAMES AS FORMS OF REPRESENTATION



  1. RELATIVE STRENGTHS OF REPRESENTATION IN DIFFERENT MEDIA

    MEDIUM PHOTO STRENGTHS
    PAINTING static visual representation
    SCULPTURE static physical representation
    WRITING abstract concepts, narrative
    FILM / ANIMATION moving visual representation, narrative
    VIDEO GAMES representing action / interaction


  2. EARLY GAMES AS REPRESENTATIONS

    GAME PHOTO SIMULATING CORE MECHANIC
    TENNIS FOR TWO tennis lobbing (determining trajectory)
    COMPUTER SPACE space avoiding and shooting
    PONG tennis blocking
    GRANTRACK racing driving (turning and accelerating)


  3. TRANSLATION OF ACTION ACROSS BANDWIDTHS



  4. DIFFERENT REPRESENTATIONS OF THE SAME GAME: PING PONG

       INTERACTIONS    Ping Pong Haptic Pong TV Pong TableTennis 3D Pong Pong
    move left cont. cont. cont. cont. cont. cont.
    ---- right cont. cont. cont. cont. cont. cont.
    ---- forward cont. cont. cont. cont. ---- ----
    ---- back cont. cont. cont. cont. ---- ----
    swing back cont. cont. cont. cont.(lr) ---- ----
    ---- forward cont. cont. cont. cont.(lr) ---- ----
    ---- up cont. cont. (lr) ---- cont.(lr) cont. ----
    ---- down cont. cont. ---- cont. (lr) cont. ----
    ---- angle cont. ---- ---- ---- ---- --
    look up cont. ---- ---- ---- ---- ----
    ---- down cont. ---- ---- ---- ---- ----
    ---- left cont. ---- ---- ---- ---- ----
    ---- right cont. ---- ---- ---- ---- ----


  5. DIFFERENT REPRESENTATIONS OF THE SAME GAME: PAINTBALL (WAR / HUNTING)

        INTERACTIONS     Paintball Police 911 Quake III Wolf. 3D Berzerk Tank
    move left cont. ---- discrete discrete discrete discrete
    ---- right cont. ---- discrete discrete discrete discrete
    ---- forward cont. ---- discrete discrete discrete discrete
    ---- back cont. ---- discrete discrete discrete discrete
    shoot aim cont. cont. ---- ---- ---- ----
    ---- trigger discrete discrete discrete discrete discrete discrete
    ---- reload cont. ---- ---- ---- ---- ----
    dodge duck cont. cont. (lr) discrete ---- ---- ----
    ---- jump cont. ---- discrete ---- ---- ----
    ---- step l cont. cont. (lr) discrete discrete ---- ----
    ---- step r cont. cont. (lr) discrete discrete ---- ----
    look up cont. ---- cont. ---- discrete ----
    ---- down cont. ---- cont. ---- discrete ----
    ---- left cont. ---- cont. ---- discrete discrete
    ---- right cont. ---- cont. ---- discrete discrete