Monday 13 April 2009

Projects and Essays

I've received the marks for the Flash Postcard [we got a B11 or B12, I can't remember at this second] and the 2,000 word essay we had to write on how digital games have exploited their technology of delivery to produce a play experience unavailable in pre-digital games [I got a B11], and it's looking good so far.

Next up we have the Maya Project and the Second Essay [ooooh, ahhh], and then that's it for the first year.

The Maya Project - Primitive Theatre

You are asked to produce a character animation sequence of strictly no more than 2 minutes in which primitive character constructs communicate a nuanced and expressive performance of an emotional scenario of your own creation. The piece should feature no dialogue, though sound must be utilised to emphasise the emotional registers of the piece. Pay particular attention to the lighting, colour and compositional elements of the piece, through a clearly structured pre-production process. The use of camera will play an integral part in the construction of meaning.



I'm now working with Kieran, with Daemon working with Scott, so we can experience what it's like working with different types of people. As a result, elements from our projects will probably be merged to create something new. The characters Kieran and I have brought to the table to develop are Seth and Igor, and the scenarios we come up with will centre around an interaction between them.

The Second Essay - 2,000 words

Isolate one key element of a game. This can include, but is not limited to, any of the following:

- A specific game mechanic, which might be thought of as a cycle of exhange between user and software to create a change in the game state
- The user interface (including the HUD)
- Narrative structure and its organisation
- Structures of progression
- The specifics of level design unique to the game in question
- Systems of reward/punishment

Your game analysis essay is not an appreciation ("I enjoyed this because") but an analysis of the details of how the design affects the experience of the user ("how does this function/operate to produce event or meaning?"). It should be supported with reference to the published literature, and must go beyond industry publications to include scholarly work.



At the moment, I don't know what I want to write about. Maybe the fact the you can be a girl in Pokemon Crystal version on the GameBoy Color. Or maybe I'll just go check out the books in the library and see what interests me.

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