Abstract
The goal of this project is creating a scripted game design show, to be released episodically for free on the Internet, so that any interested person can access all of the lessons. The goal of this project is to provide an easily accessible introduction to the concepts and execution of game design. The plan is to use the Flash animation software in combination with video capture software to illustrate the points made in each scripted episode. At the end, what will have been created is a pilot episode that introduces the goals of the show and gives an introductory lesson in game design concepts.
Keywords:
Game design, animation, video capture, educational, pilot, script, level design, kinesthetics, series, episode, Flash, writing, industry
Game Design Show: PolyGhost
Using animation to open up the world of game design
Joseph Diaz, writer and animator
University of Advancing Technology
July 2014 - January 2016
Background Information and Prior Art
According to financial advisory company Gartner, the games industry continues to grow, with international revenue totaling ninety-three billion dollars in 2013. Based on this information, it is safe to conclude that there is sufficient demand for game designers. There is also certainly a supply of people who express interest in the field; thus, this show would be worthwhile in helping them decide whether they would like to pursue game design as a career.
Similar game design criticism and teaching shows do exist, but they span many different styles of delivery, and do not synthesize information in the same way that is currently planned for PolyGhost. The YouTube channels that provide definitions of game design concepts, such as ErrantSignal or TheCynicalBrit are generally focused on game criticism, and tend to explain game design concepts from a preferential rather than an objective viewpoint. On the other hand, the shows that focus on game design examples, such as Sequelitis or Extra Credits, often explain the game design aspects of a specific game, rather than using games as examples of specific teachable concepts. It is important to note that Extra Credits does produce a series which addresses specific teachable concepts, but these episodes are discrete in nature, whereas PolyGhost will also have an overarching background storyline.
For PolyGhost, the plan would be to present the information in topically cohesive episodes, where all examples used in each episode would center on a single topic, rather than centering on a specific game. A similar teaching service, Gamestar Mechanic (funded by the MacArthur Foundation), presents a clearly planned pedagogical method for teaching the user about game design. However, the difficulty with Gamestar Mechanic is that it can only be used on a paid basis, and therefore is not accessible to everyone.
(See Appendix for sources).
Project Description and Innovation Claim
The plan is to use animation to present a clearly progressing series of concepts in an entertaining manner, and to make the show freely available on the Internet so that anyone interested can learn as they please. The show will be 2D animated in Flash software, and all scripting, voice acting, animation, video capture, and editing will be done by me. The tone of the show will be comical and lighthearted, while still maintaining a clear focus on one game design related concept per episode. Each concept will be accompanied by both animated and real game examples, as well as an explanation of the execution and purpose within a game. The goal is not to criticize games, but simply observe how they are constructed.
The show will be completely free and available online. A free show of its type, which focuses on concepts rather than specific games, does not exist as of yet. As someone who has benefited greatly from the existence of such shows in other subject areas, it is worthwhile to educate and entertain anyone with the time and interest to learn. The intended users are anyone high school age and up who has an interest in games and the facets of game creation. Since this will only be available online, obviously having some facility of use and knowledge of the Internet would be required. However, because it is free, anyone with access to the Internet should be able to access this show as well.
Usage Scenario
The typical users of this project would be would be people who have a genuine interest in game design, but perhaps do not have the means to explore that interest in ways that require making purchases, or are not yet overly familiar with the games industry. With this show, they can learn basics and decide for themselves whether they want to pursue game design in a more serious fashion, such as subscribing to a service like Gamestar Mechanic, taking accredited classes, or purchasing game design software. Since the show would likely be distributed on YouTube, users (i.e. watchers) could also participate in content discussions with other users. Providing educational materials that are widely accessible to all types of people is always good, as it encourages and opens more doors to people who may not have considered the possibility before.
Evaluation Criteria
The most effective method of determining the success of the pilot episode would be showing it to randomly selected groups of people and then surveying them and analyzing the results. The survey could ask questions like, “On a scale of 1 to 5, how clearly was the concept presented?”, or “Would you continue watching the series?”. The groups could be separated into those who do and do not express an interest in game design, to ensure that those with no interest in game design do not confuse the results of those who do. Production would obviously be limited by time and resources, so the survey would not be a perfect random sample, but it would be an adequate indicator of usefulness and interest in the project.
YouTube view count, analytics, and comments could also provide insight. If the count is low, or if it is highly disliked (as measured by the “Like/Dislike” feature), that would be an indicator that changes must be made. However, this is also an imperfect measure because many videos go completely unnoticed and have no significant view count to speak of. Only about one in ten viewers of a YouTube video will actually leave a rating, so it would take a great number of viewers to achieve any kind of useful like-to-dislike ratio.
Project Logic Model
Goal: The barrier to entry when it comes to the field of game design can be inordinately high, and this game design show aims to break that barrier down by providing free educational videos reviewing the game design industry and concepts.
Objective 1: Teach in a clear and understandable manner.
a) Provide clear and understandable definitions of game design terms
b) Define and state a clear and obvious subject of the episode
c) Plan episodic progression with concepts that build on each other
d) Give objective explanations of concepts
Objective 2: Explain concepts objectively and thoroughly through examples.
b) Give simple analogies to facilitate understanding
c) Give simple animated examples when a visual is necessary but full game footage is not needed
d) Credit all outside sources of information
Objective 3: Have a fully animated and edited final product for release.
a) Write and record full script audio and edit all voice audio and sound effects
c) Create fully illustrated key frames and then create fully animated in-betweens
d) Combine audio and visual effects into one cohesive animation
Prototype Implementation
The prototype (as well as the final version) will be built using a combination of Adobe Creative Suite products. Audio assets and editing will be done using Audition, while drawings and animation will be created using Photoshop and Flash. In order to run the prototype, load the provided .fla file in Adobe Flash, or click the provided link to access the posting on YouTube.
The project in total will be comprised of two parts: the pilot episode, and example rubrics for further episodes. The pilot episode itself will be a combination of audio and visual assets, as well as the written dialogue. The rubrics and pilot episode script will be made available in a public document-sharing format, such as Google Docs.
Evaluation
As the project has only been viewed by UAT classmates and evaluators so far, unfortunately there are no YouTube analytics to base an evaluation on as of yet. However, another evaluation idea was suggested to me, which would be to direct YouTube viewers to a short survey which would ask them basic questions about their reactions to the episode.
Based on the feedback from UAT faculty evaluators, what the show needs most is to be defined more solidly, both in terms of where it is heading and how it differs from other existing media. One evaluator pointed out to me that the YouTube channel Extra Credits does deliver a similar format (now revised in Prior Art), so I need to more clearly define what would set PolyGhost apart from something like Extra Credits.
Unfortunately neither evaluator provided feedback on the lesson plans, so I think I will need to seek more external evaluation before moving forward with fully scripting the rest of the series.
As of February 13, 2016, there was no reply from the external reviewers who were contacted.
Project Completion Assessment
Based on the objectives outlined in the Project Logic Model section of this document, the project has met met the goals defined for the scope of this project (fully scripted pilot episode, fully animated pilot episode, completed future lesson plan). Below I will discuss what was successful or unsuccessful about each of these components.
The pilot episode is functional in that the animation is full and complete, the audio is understandable and well-timed, and the pilot introduces the topics for the rest of the series. However, I am personally not satisfied with the overall audio quality and voice performance, which I believe needs to be fully re-recorded. Some words are not clearly enunciated, and in high-quality headphones there are noticeable audio mistakes.
Although I had hoped to make four future lesson plans available, only one is currently available. I believe that the available plan is representative of the direction of the show, and thoroughly explains the topic. However, I did not think that the other drafts were of the same quality, so serious revision needs to take place before those will be released. For example, the progression of topics from one episode to the next needs to have a clear continuity, which is difficult to achieve since the scope of game design is so wide. Therefore, the lesson plans will need to go through several draft phases before they can be considered complete.
Because the project, in its full scope, is intended to be a multi-episode web series, there are a great number of next steps to be fulfilled before the project can continue. First, the full season (five episodes planned) should be fully scripted, so that the series can have a clear direction before it is released. The timeline for this would be approximately one month. After, the audio for new episodes would need to be recorded and cleaned, and only then could the animation process for a second episode begin. Further, because frame-by-frame animation done by hand is extremely detailed and time-consuming, and because I am working alone, I would need to seek funding, external assistance, or both, in order to keep the production timeline fast enough to satisfy an audience. Therefore, the most important next step would be to attempt to make arrangements with contacts and crowdfunding, so that the production would not be significantly slowed.
Appendices
Prior Art - Retrieved From:
Bain, J. (2006, January 1). TotalBiscuit, The cynical brit. YouTube. Retrieved June 28, 2014, from https://www.youtube.com/user/TotalHalibut
Edwards, R. (2011, January 1). DigressingNSQ. YouTube. Retrieved June 27, 2014, from https://www.youtube.com/user/DigressingNSQ
Floyd, D. (2011, January 1). Extra credits. YouTube. Retrieved June 28, 2014, from https://www.youtube.com/user/ExtraCreditz/videos
Franklin, C. (2011, January 1). Errant signal. YouTube. Retrieved June 30, 2014, from https://www.youtube.com/user/Campster/
Gartner Says Worldwide Video Game Market to Total $93 Billion in 2013. (n.d.). Gartner Says Worldwide Video Game Market to Total $93 Billion in 2013. Retrieved June 29, 2014, from http://www.gartner.com/newsroom/id/2614915
Hanson, A. (2011, January 1). Season 1 episodes. YouTube. Retrieved June 28, 2014, from https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=ELFebTfu2MPF4
Salen, K. (2010, January 1). Gamestar mechanic. Gamestar Mechanic. Retrieved June 28, 2014, from https://gamestarmechanic.com/