Deep Meanings Behind the 5 Core Elements
In the same way that the game as a whole will be a composition of meanings, each of the five criteria chosen for any game will have implications of its own. These elements, just like the meanings of a text, are seldom devoid of a social and political agenda. Game designers frequently work to take advantage of the experiential nature of many games to convey through play ideas that would be very difficult to convey in other mediums.
For example, in the recent Play Station 2 title Shadow of the Colossus, one of the premises of the game is that of perspective or insight. In the game, the player takes on the identity of a prince who is intent on bringing his slain princess back to life after an untimely death.
In order to accomplish this, the player must defeat a number of Colossi, gigantic walking castles, which inhabit a pristine world. At the end of the game, the player finds out that the hero’s actions are, in fact evil, and, that in his obsession to bring the princess back to life, he is destroying a peaceful and beautiful race. Only by playing through the whole game, however, is this insight obtained by the player.
Constructive Criticism of Games
A fundamental part of the playtesting and iteration process in game design is the designer’s ability to give and receive feedback that will actually improve the game experience for players. Before this can happen, however, the designer must master an appreciative system of games or "developing an eye" for games.
One of the best ways to "develop an eye" for games is to compare and contrast games that are good versus games that are bad in the opinion of the designer community. In doing so, it is possible to reach certain analytic distinctions between games.
Another useful method to achieve an appreciation for games is to ask relational questions between the 5 central concepts discussed earlier (rules, goals, space, components, and core mechanics). Some sample relational questions are:
- Are the core mechanics of the game consistent with the space?
- Are the components chosen effectively taking advantage of the core mechanics of the game?