In this lesson you'll leave with the right mindsets. Namely, with The Business Mindset and The Game Designer Mindset as 'reality checks' are presented for both. Finally, we proceed over the highlights of the course in The Tao of Game Design. After that, Mr. Emrich moves from "The Sage on the Stage" to "The Guide on the Side" while you playtest and develop each other's Graded Course Project games.
This week also features the final exam. It is worth 35 points which focuses primarily on the material from weeks 7, 8, and 9 (including the required reading sections for those weeks on this web site) along with some review questions from previous lessons.
These links feature the supplemental material that you are responsible for knowing before the final exam (that takes place at the beginning of Week 11). Be sure to click on every link in this section!
Article: Conducting In-House Playtesting by Jeanne Collins
Play testing is usually accomplished in one of two ways: bringing in consumers and observing them while they use the product, or sending out beta copies of the game and eliciting feedback. This article examines the former. Learn what it takes to formally observe play testers as they play a game over the course of several days, and see what can come from the feedback.
This is strictly for those who would pursue a career in game design. One of the great gods in the pantheon of our hobby here speaks.
Online Book: The Art of Game Design by Chris Crawford
Even though this book was written in 1982, some principles never change. Chris Crawford is a legendary guru from his day. Read and learn.
Article: The Future of Game Design by Harvey Smith
Using the award winning and critically acclaimed game Deus Ex as an experimental foundation for discussion of these new design paradigms, come explore the theories that will bring about the renaissance of the next-generation of interactive exploration.
Bibliography: General Course References
This are no links to the games that we played and analyzed in class this week because we examined your original game designs and conducted some playtesting. Use the feedback from this week's lab session to polish your games before submitting them for their grade next week.
