‘Games are inevitably complex
entities demanding constantly changing inputs and responses from the player.
Given that Call of Duty is more demanding than Word, how do the designers
enable such complex interactions relatively ‘intuitively’? Are these interactions
in fact intuitive at all?
Game engines can handle complex
physics simulations, but have traditionally been hindered by the limitations of
screen/keyboard/mouse interaction. What effect could the rise of the Wii and
the new generation of motion controllers have on game design? What about the
impact of 3D technology?’
In a traditional solo video game you're
actually interacting with the designer.
In a newer video game, you're interacting with other people through situations devised by the designer.
In a newer video game, you're interacting with other people through situations devised by the designer.
Interacting with the designer: (Often called PvE, Player vs. Environment)
Puzzles
Talking with NPCs
Collecting information
Avoiding obstacles and hazards (which may behave sentiently (with intelligence) or not)
Stealth
Con them (bluffing)
Blast/smash them
Clever other methods (drive cattle in front of you)
Dodge/avoid
(Cutscenes–but no interactivity)
Interacting with other people:
Negotiation (persuade or dissuade)
Direct Conflict (PvP, Player vs. Player)
"Beating them to the punch" (in races, collection of objects, as well as in attacking)
Kill-crush-destroy opposing entities
Physical contests
Cooperation (typical of group RPGs)
Trading
Bidding against/auctioning
Drafting (selecting the best set of useful items, getting something before someone else does)
Anticipation of what someone else will do (could be tied to
“beating them to the punch”)
"Bragging rights"
Telling bad jokes, charades, drawing pictures, and many other kinds of party game activities
Acting/pretending (lying) (bluffing)
Being annoying
Indirect interaction (you cause forces other than yours to do something to harm another player's)
"Bragging rights"
Telling bad jokes, charades, drawing pictures, and many other kinds of party game activities
Acting/pretending (lying) (bluffing)
Being annoying
Indirect interaction (you cause forces other than yours to do something to harm another player's)
As shown there are numerous way in which
a player can interact indirectly with the designer and
ultimately the game enabling these interactions so that the player can
experience all of the above in an intuitive manor takes a great deal of time
and effort to produce. Designers can choose to go don't he already well
established routes like the Xbox and PlayStation controllers we know today or
the humble keyboard and mouse, but with more and more small time developers
taking the next step in these some what usually overlooked fields, more and
more developers are beginning to take note and to want to be part of this new
movement. Companies like Oculus and Sixsense creating prototypes and now fully
fledged consumer products that have inspired many to re think the way we can
interact with games.
Oculus are a company devoted to the
pursuit of creating the worlds best VR –virtual reality- device that can place
you quite literally so far as your vision and hearing is concerned, into the
game world, no longer will you be limited by the size of your computer screen,
the Oculus Rift lets players intuitively move in three dimensional space. being
able to lean and look in every which direction opens up dramatic new
possibilities for the games industry and developers.
Sixsense is also working to push the boundaries
of player, game interaction, creating products like the Razer
Hydra –which also identify the point that bigger companies do want to help make
this a reality with names like Razer taking ideas like this on board- which
can also be used in conjunction with the oculus to give an almost full
immersive and intuitive experience where the player is free to look and move in
3D space.
Now with both products there still is the
limitation as to actual player movement, by which I mean walking or running.
But once again another company has that covered.
The Virtuix Omni is the first –when combined with
the oculus rift- virtual
reality interface for moving freely and naturally in your favorite
game.
The device allows for complete immersion
while still creating an intuitive environment for the player.
Applications of natural movement in
virtual reality stretch far beyond gaming: training and simulation, fitness,
virtual tourism, virtual tradeshows and events, meet-ups and multi-person
adventures, virtual workplaces, museums, VR architecture, VR concerts… The possibilities
for all of the mentioned above are limitless.
External References
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