I think, therefore I am.
http://comp4431.wordpress.com/2009/07/20/journal-wk-1-why-are-you-here/
- Why are you doing this subject? What interests you about games? What kinds of games would you like to play? To make? What do you hope to learn?
- Think about the question: Why do so many games involve guns?
I’m excited! Not because uni has started again (why would anyone be excited about more gruelling assignments and stressful exams?), but because this semester i’ve taken a “different” type of course, on game design.
Why am I doing this subject? I love games. I grew up on games. I failed because of games. At one point all I wanted to do was develop games for a living, however after reading up alot about the industry, I think I’ll stick to making and playing games as a hobby. I would hate to get up in the mornings and go to work, dreading the thought of games.
On the topic of games, I enjoy playing all sorts of games. I’m really into sci-fi stuff, I love the thought of exploring galaxies and fighting aliens and saving the world, its exciting. I also enjoy some fantasy as well, but probably not quite as much (its always the same sort of stuff that gets explored in movies and games). Some of my fave games of all time include: quake2, mass effect, total annihilation, bioshock, bubble bobble (the original on DOS), mario galaxy (wii), I wanna be the guy (evil evil game) and probably a few others that i’ll slap myself for forgetting later on.
By the end of the course, i hope to gain an understanding of what it is that makes some games shine brilliantly above all others. At the moment I can’t quite put my finger on it, but I’m sure its not that simple. Its probably a culmination of things including great gameplay design, storytelling and fluid and smooth controls. Graphics doesn’t necessarily *have* to be on this list because there are some amazingly awesome retro style games that are brilliant to play and dont have the cutting edge of graphics technology. But then again, graphics can add new sensations and awe when used well. I dunno I will have to see.
An afterthought: why do so many games involve guns? i don’t think people are violent by nature. I think its more of an escapism sort of thing, doing something you can’t normally do and being in situations you don’t normally dive into. Its exciting to do something different and this might be part of the reason why so many games are based on running and shooting things down. There’s a certain satisfaction in blowing things up, and possibly a thrill in the chance and danger of BEING blown up.
In the end it doesn’t matter if a game is brilliant or not, as long as it sells and the company behind it makes a profit. Shooting games with big guns and evil nazis seem to sell, so the focus will be there.
If I had a choice, what sort of games would I make? I certainly enjoy playing first person shooters and rpgs. Probably some sort of combination of both – maybe an mmo first-person rpg shooter would be mad. A massively virtual World War with factions and territories constantly at war. Don’t think i’ve really seen a proper fps mmo before, so this might be interesting.
