MIDTERM Guidelines

The Point: Write out a more convincing game review that uses more concrete evidence (stuff that's in the game, theories and concepts about what makes a game do what it does, etc.) to make its argument and statement that a game is one that must indeed be played. (As always, ANY game, not just video games, is a candidate for your analysis).

Some guide questions to help you guys in this:

On First Glance:
-What exactly was the game trying to be? What is the Core Concept that it is shooting for? What Aesthetic Goals does it wish to satisfy?
 --And what features/systems have been specifically included into the game (according to ads, trailers, demos, the tutorial level, etc) to help in fulfilling said core concept and aesthetic goals?

Upon Actually Playing the Game:
-What is the actual resulting experience that you got? Did it match the originally intended core concept or aesthetic goal? why or why not?

-Which features and systems improved the experience of the game? How were these features helpful? How would the game change if these features/systems were removed?

-Which features and systems did NOTHING to contribute to the intended Concept or Aesthetic Goals? Which features and systems actually distracted from, or diluted, or worsened the intended experience? Would the game be better if they were removed or replaced with another system, how so?

Your Conclusion:
-To which audiences would you recommend this game to?
-To which audiences would you NOT recommend this game to?
-Overall, would you recommend this game? Should it be hailed as the BEST GAME EVER, or should it burn in hell?


Oh, and feel free to not follow this guide, make up your own guide questions/outlines for your analysis. Also, feel free to use other concepts/theories that were not covered in the class. Just remember to LIST DOWN YOUR SOURCES.


Short-bond printed submission. No minimum page limit, recommended max page limit of 5 pages. DEADLINE for all classes is FEB 26.
(for the tue/fri classes, I will be in 1115 in the morning 730-1130, and 818/817 in the afternoon 130-530.)
Submit your stuff personally to me please, so you can confirm yourself that I indeed got your paper. Any other means (pigeonhole/email/facebook), and it WILL get lost.


That be all for now. Don't forget to add your comments in the experiment posts, and good hunting!