Game Balance Concepts | A continued experiment in game design and teaching. An interesting article that covers something close to my heart; the idea of a game economy. Where the value of in-game rewards is balanced with give-aways and promotions that are used outside the game. For example if you get 1,000 coins for winning a five minute game, but then give a million coins for returning the next day the whole coin value (game economy) in the players mind is distorted.
Category Archives: Game
Game bugs that became features
A few years ago I worked with a developer who called himself “Norwegian Bastard” and he refused to accept any errors he made and referred to them as bugs, they were “unwanted” or “undesired features”. After a few weeks of this I had to agree with his self-imposed nick name. But when I came across this article on Quora on bugs that became features I couldn’t help but think of him.
My favourite one being “In the original Space Invaders the level got faster as you killed more aliens. This was actually not by design but a by product of the graphics rendering being processor limited. As fewer elements were shown on screen the rendering got faster.”
End game interactive narrative
I saw this posted to the Interactive Narrative Linkedin group. The project is a nice addition to a TV series. An online adventure that uses Facebook – you see one of your friends kidnapped then you help solve the crime. The detective and characters from the show address you directly. The puzzle solving is very simple with lots of hints and help built-in. The puzzles follow the familiar assemble photo’s, look at a computer desktop, click on objects in a room. But the drawing of images from you Facebook friends, although an old trick, is nicely done and has a touch of humour. Overall this is pitched perfectly as a quick enjoyable adjunct to the TV show. It makes me wish Facebook connect had been around when we made the ARG Jamie Kane and the online drama Signs of Life for the BBC.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFaFcYFkFVc]