Game Invaders

CLIVE FENCOTT, PhD, is a freelance writer and researcher in new media. For many years, he taught and researched the theory of computer games at Teesside University in the UK. He also worked in the games industry. Dr. Fencott has authored over fifty publications, including the successful textbook Formal Methods for Concurrency.MIKE LOCKYER, BSc, PhD, is a Professor of Web Services at Teesside University, where he has taught for over twenty-five years. He has published over thirty journal papers, successfully supervised more than ten PhDs, and is currently involved with developments in web services and rich client applications.JO CLAY completed a multimedia master's degree at Teesside University, under the supervision of Clive Fencott, before joining the games analysis team. As a gamer herself and apprentice semiotician, Jo assisted in the development of the Game Invaders method for application in computer software.PAUL MASSEY, CEng, MBCS, CITP, is a senior lecturer in computing at Teesside University, where he teaches and consults on databases. Paul believes databases are central to most IT systems and applies techniques (such as data mining) to a range of disciplines (such as games analysis and decision support).

“Intermediate game designers and students wishing to analyze video games will find this a helpful resource.  Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and graduate students in game design and related programs, researchers/faculty, and professionals/practitioners.”  (Choice, 1 June 2013)“Overall, Game Invadersis both a useful and needed theoretical handbook for undergraduate students interested in thinking rigorously about computer games or for game designers who need a stronger theoretical foundation moored in agency and interaction.”  (International Journal of Communication, 1 May 2013)

• Preface ixAbbreviations xiPart I Why Do People Play Games?1. You Are the One 3Tools to Think With 5Getting Started 8Summary 122. Genre 13What Are Genres? 14What Are Genres For? 16Genre Maps 18Computer Game Genres 19A Theory of Computer Game Genres 21Summary 25Further Reading and Tasks 263. Activity 29The Story of Activity Groups 29An Overview of Activity Profiles 33Three Driving Games 35Calculating Genres 38Summary 43Tasks 444. Pleasure 45Aesthetics and Computer Games 47Spacewar 51Zork 52Pac-Man 56Comparative Aesthetics 57Summary 59Tasks 605. Two Rail-Shooters 61Star Fox and Rez 61Activity Profiling and Genre Theory 63Applying Aesthetic Theory 65The Method of Game Analysis 67Tetsuya Mizuguchi, Rez, and Beyond 67Summary 69Further Reading and Tasks 706. Why Don’t People Play Games 71What Do We Mean by Games? 72Resident Evil 73Why Not Ask the Players? 75Emotional Models of Play 76Player Types 79Demographic Research 81Why Don’t People Play Games? 82Conclusions 83Part II What Is a Game?7. Just an Ordinary Day 87The Glass Vial 89Unrealisms 90Perceptual Opportunities 91Sureties 92Surprises 93Attractors 93Connectors 95Rewards 97Getting It All Together in SinCity 99Perceptual Mapping in SinCity 100AS-OceanFloor 103Summary 108Further Reading and Tasks 1098. Big Bad Streets 111Driver School 111Sureties 113Surprises 114Driver and SinCity Comparisons 119Summary 122Further Reading and Tasks 1239. Time to Visit Yokosuka 125Shenmue 125Genre and Activity Profile 126Aesthetics 128Shenmue POs 129PSAS and Cut Scenes 131Interactive Storytelling? 133And On With General Aesthetics 134Summary 135Further Reading and Tasks 13710. Meaning What? 139Semiotics and Signs 140Pac-Man’s Signs 143Icons, Indexes, and Symbols 144Denotation, Connotation, and Myth 146Syntagms and Paradigms 148Codes 151Making Up Pac-Man 154Filling Gaps 155Summary 159Further Reading and Tasks 16111. All Work and Play 163The Work of Meaning 164Signs of Interaction 167The Mechanics of Interaction 170The Inside-Out Code 176Where Is the Player? 178Summary 180Further Reading and Tasks 18112. Big Game Hunting 183Semiosphere 183The Code of Interaction 185The Myth of Interaction 189What Is a Game? 191How Do You Get Out of Here? 192Big Game Hunting 194Glossary 197List of Games 203Bibliography 205Index 207