Date: 25/09/2015

HND Computing & Systems Development

Unit 39: Computer Games Design & Development
Assignment 1 Understand Computer Games
Development
By
Adam Neal

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Understand Computer Games Development by Adam Neal

Contents
Introduction..3
Different Types of Computer Games and Platforms.4
Characteristics of User Interaction...7
Impact of Computer-based Gaming...10
References.14

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Introduction
Gamer Zone operates in Peterborough and sells games for all major platforms. The
managers at Gamer Zone are considering producing new elements to their games.
They would like research to be carried out on computer games development and
have requested a professional report containing appropriate findings. These findings
should include a critical comparison of the different types of computer games and
platforms, an evaluation on the characteristics of user interaction and an impact
assessment of computer based gaming.
Before delving into these topics, the report will first look into the history of computer
games development. The first games created offered little entertainment value, and
their development focus was separate from user experience in fact, these games
required mainframe computers to play them. OXO (or Noughts and Crosses) for the
EDSAC (Electronic Delay Storage Automatic Calculator) computer became one of
the first known video games in 1952. The game was developed by Alexander S.
Douglas who programmed the game as part of his Ph.D. thesis on human-computer
interaction for the University of Cambridge.
The games platform the EDSAC computer was an early British computer based in
Cambridge. This gave Douglas the perfect opportunity to prove his findings by
programming the code for a simple game where a player can compete against the
computer. The actual program for the game was read off of Punched Tape (aka
Input Tape), a strip of paper with numerous holes punched into it. The placement
and number of holes would be read as code by the EDSAC, and translated onto a
oscilloscope's cathode-ray tube readout display as an interactive game. (Wikipedia,
2015)
Douglas' project was a success and became the very first video game and graphical
computer game, but it was also one of the very first (albeit primitive) applications of
true artificial intelligence. The computer's moves in reaction to the players moves
was not random or pre-determined, but entirely made at the computer's
discretion. OXO is often overlooked for its accomplishments in artificial intelligence
as the study of AI didn't become a valid science until 1958 when scientist John
McCarthy coined the term. (Cohen, 2015)
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John McCarthy, an American computer scientist pioneer and inventor, was known as
the father of Artificial Intelligence (AI) after playing a seminal role in defining the field
devoted to the development of intelligent machines. The cognitive scientist coined
the term in his 1955 proposal for the 1956 Dartmouth Conference, the first artificial
intelligence conference. The objective was to explore ways to make a machine that
could reason like a human, was capable of abstract thought, problem-solving and
self-improvement. He believed that "every aspect of learning or any other feature of
intelligence can in principle be so precisely described that a machine can be made to
simulate it." (Childs, 2011)
In video games, artificial intelligence is used to generate intelligent behaviours
primarily in non-player characters (NPCs), often simulating human-like intelligence.
The techniques used typically draw upon existing methods from the field of artificial
intelligence. However, the term game AI is often used to refer to a broad set
of algorithms that also include techniques from control theory, robotics, computer
graphics and computer science in general. (Wikipedia, 2015)
In 1952, Arthur Samuel of IBM developed a checkers-playing program that took the
novel approach of learning by playing against itself, and the program was able within
just a few days to compete well against strong players. Games like chess and
checkers were a logical choice for early AI experiments, because board games are
usually games of perfect information, meaning that the entire state of the game is
easily accessible to the computer. Also, such games are usually not trivial search
problems with well-defined paths to solutions, since they involve an opponent which
adds an element of uncertainty to the equation. Thus, computer board games
emerged as a natural test bed for new AI algorithms and areas of academic research
and in modern times remain as such. (Middleton, 2002)

Different Types of Computer Games and Platforms

The first part of this report will critically compare different types of computer games
and platforms. An analysis of the key issues of game type, with specific emphasis on
genre, for example action, role-play, adventure and skills based will also be included.
Video game genres are used to categorize video games based on their gameplay
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interaction rather than visual or narrative differences. Video game genres is defined
by a set of gameplay challenges and are classified independent of their setting or
game-world content, unlike other works of fiction such as films or books. For
example, a shooter game is still a shooter game, regardless of whether it takes place
in a fantasy world or in outer space. (Wikipedia, 2015)
A popular game genre in recent times has been action games. An action game
requires players to use quick reflexes, accuracy, and timing to overcome obstacles.
It is perhaps the most basic of gaming genres, and certainly one of the broadest.
Action games tend to have gameplay with emphasis on combat. Action games take
place in either 2D or 3D from a variety of perspectives. 2D action games typically
use a side view or top-down view. The screen frequently scrolls as the player
explores the level, although many games scroll through the level automatically to
push the player forward. In 3D action games, the perspective is usually tied to the
avatar from a first-person or third-person perspective. However, some 3D games
offer

context-sensitive

perspective

that

is

controlled

by

an artificial

intelligence camera. Most of what the player needs to know is contained within a
single screen, although action games frequently make use of a heads-up display that
display important information such as health or ammunition. Action games
sometimes make use of maps which can be accessed during lulls in action, or a
mini-map that is always visible. (Wikipedia, 2015)
Action games are very popular amongst children, however some of these action
games can be considered to be violent. Most of the bad effects of video games are
blamed on the violence they contain. Children who play more violent video games
are more likely to have increased aggressive thoughts, feelings, and behaviours, and
decreased prosocial helping, according to a scientific study (Anderson & Bushman,
2001). The effect of video game violence in children is worsened by the games
interactive nature. In many games, the user is rewarded for being more violent. The
act of violence is done repeatedly. The user is in control of the violence and
experiences the violence through their own eyes (killings, kicking, stabbing and
shooting). This active participation, repetition and reward are effective tools for
learning behaviour. Indeed, many studies seem to indicate that violent video games

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may be related to aggressive behaviour (such as Anderson & Dill, 2000; Gentile,
Lynch & Walsh, 2004). (Raise Smart Kid, 2015)
The content of certain video games can encourage kids to read and to research.
Strategy type video games such as Age of Mythology, Civilization, and Age of
Empires may spark a child's interest in world history, geography, ancient cultures
and international relations, especially if parents are alert to opportunities. To quote
researchers David Shaffer and James Gee, "When children have parents who help
turn Age of Mythology into an island of expertise, tying it to books, Internet sites,
museums, and media about mythology, cultures and geography, the children pick up
a wide range of complex language, content and connections that serve as
preparation for future learning of a highly complex and deep sort." What's more,
these games often allow children to design and exchange maps or other custom
content, helping them acquire creative and technical skills while having fun. (Olson,
2015)
Various gaming platforms can be used to play different game genres. A gaming
platform refers to a system thats used to play games on. You could class most
computers as gaming platforms as well as gaming computers. Xbox 360s, Ps3s and
Wiis are also classed as a gaming platform. A PC is likely to be the strongest out of
any platform, because of the intense graphics it offers but it is however the most
expensive to replace and to upgrade. Video game consoles like the PlayStation and
the Xbox are all-in-one entertainment machines, but their most important part is their
ability to play games. Although many gamers will say that computers have the best
graphics, new gaming technology is birthed on consoles. Also, some of gamings
biggest franchises are only available on consoles. Finally, consoles tend to be futureready devices, as manufacturers know that youll be using them for at least six years.
This means that over the next few years, new peripherals and technologies will
supplement the consoles. (Tennant, 2015)
The computer was once a dominant platform for kids who wanted to play video
games. But those days seem to be evaporating. Smartphones and tablets are now
the most popular devices used for gaming among children in the age range of 2 to
17, according to a report released recently by the NPD Group. The report, titled "Kids
and Gaming 2015," found that 63 percent of kids said they play games on a mobile
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device. The family computer was once the device people predominantly used to surf
the Web, play games and find information. But PC sales and demand have been on
a downturn the past few years as smartphones and tablets have become go-to
devices. Gaming console sales remain strong, based on NPD's data. But the time
spent by kids actually playing on consoles is flat as more of them pick up a mobile
device to get their gaming fix. (Whitney, 2015)
One of the reasons for the emergence of video games on smartphones and tablet
devices is their ability to allow users to easily and efficiently play online and integrate
with social media. As two of the most well-known social successes, Facebook
currently boasts over 750 million daily active users and Twitter has more than 100
million. Whats interesting is the rate at which games are fast catching up. Candy
Crush is probably the best example with nearly 100 million daily active users and still
growing. Its hardly surprising. Games are an inherently social media and, with the
relatively new power of mobile devices accommodating better and better games, it is
likely that we will see this trend continue. (Game Sparks Technologies, 2015)

Characteristics of User Interaction

The second part of this report will critically evaluate the features, advantages and
disadvantages of user control. Physical interaction methods and immersive
technology promise to challenge game user interface design, allowing for a stronger
connection between the avatar and character as both engage in similar actions at
the same time. Technology provides an opportunity for deeper levels of interaction
with the addition of audio and haptic elements. Game user interface has a key
advantage (or disadvantage from some perspectives) in that players are often
engaged with the narrative and/or game mechanic enough for them to learn new
interaction patterns, or forgive bad ones. This is likely the reason so many games
have bad user interface, as testing needs to encompass the core game mechanic
while user interface is seen as secondary. (Stonehouse, 2010)
When playing games on devices that use touchscreen the user can touch the stylus
to the screen as input. Touching a point on the screen and then immediately
removing the stylus from the screen is known as tapping the screen. This technique
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is used for a variety of reasons including selecting from a menu, exploring an

environment, or using items and abilities. This type of interaction has become
increasingly popular with the emergence of game playing on mobile phones and
tablet devices. An advantage is the touchscreen enables the user to interact directly
with what is displayed, rather than using a mouse, touchpad, or any other
intermediate device. Users must be able though to accurately select targets on
touchscreens, and avoid accidental selection of adjacent targets, to effectively use a
touchscreen input device. This could be challenging for someone with maybe a lack
of hand co-ordination. The designs of touchscreen interfaces must reflect both
technical capabilities of the system, ergonomics, cognitive psychology and human
physiology. (Wikipedia, 2015)
Another popular user control tool amongst modern day gamers is headsets. Gamers
can now connect online and play with or against people from around the world whilst
communicating simultaneously through interactive headsets. Users can actually use
voice recognition software to help them control their video games also. For example
a gamer can say a command by voice and different mouse and keyboard actions are
then executed. A recent gamer due to repetitive stress injury wanted to limit his use
of keyboards and mice and was able to do this using games which are based solely
(or almost entirely) on speech recognition. I use VoiceAttack and it has literally
changed how I use and think about computers. It's changed my gaming, it's changed
my work, and it's changed my general habits. When I'm playing Mass Effect I can
command people to move and do specific things where I'm looking, when I'm playing
Divinity I can say "focus" and the camera snaps to wherever I am. A quick "save" in
any game is way faster than finding F5.
People have used a mouse to control their computers ever since the machines
became mainstream enough to invade the home. But now there is a new batch of
hands-free technology that claims to be more intuitive, accurate than fun than the
handy hardware, which was invented around 70 years ago. A start-up called Thalmic
Labs, based in Waterloo, Ontario in Canada, is about to release a smart armband
that lets people control their computers by using hand gestures. The Myo band can
do this because it contains sensors that measure the motion and electrical activity in
the wearers arm muscles. From this information, it can interpret certain hand
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gestures as well as movements to execute the relevant instructions on a computer

screen. This is different to some competing controllers, such as Microsofts Kinect,
which relies on a camera to monitor someones movements. (Griffiths, 2014)
Improvements in accessible gaming for disabled people havent always kept pace
with those technological strides and while for the non-disabled player the world of
gaming is their oyster, it's not so easy for disabled gamers to experience virtual
reality. According to computer game accessibility specialist Ian Hamilton, more than
20 per cent of gamers say they have a disability. These are significant figures
considering that 15 per cent of the UK population has a disability. But it makes sense
when you consider that people with disabilities have just the same reasons as
anyone else to want to play games, plus sometimes additional ones such as therapy,
pain relief, or a reduced number of recreation options. Disabled gamer Stacey Riley,
whose impairment makes it difficult for her to move her legs and right arm easily,
says that gaming can be intensely frustrating because of her slow reaction times.
Broken Sword was my favourite game but one of the updated sequences required
quick movements and a lot of running. I just couldnt do it so I had to ask a friend to
complete it for me, save the level and send me the file back just so I could reach the
next stage. Wheres the fun in playing a game if you have to hand over control to
someone else?" The solution to making gaming more accessible while preserving
the element of challenge lies in removing the unnecessary barriers from the game
rather than removing all barriers. Enabling subtitles, slow-moving text and easyreach controls are just some of Ians recommendations. (Makoff, 2012)
There is no intrinsic quality of the video game that attaches it to a particular gender,
age, language or culture. The entire medium is on the brink of achieving mainstream
status. However, if games continue to be designed without proper consideration for
all types of user, the market will never be able to fully grow beyond the confines of
the avid gamer: those few who are willing to endure any and all of the unreasonable
demands today's games might impose. As humans, it's in our nature to play games.
The only problem is, when video games are concerned there's a necessary
additional interface that comes between the game and the player. While the function
of this extra layer of interface is to enable interaction in the first place, its overall
haphazard implementation has resulted in the alienation and intimidation of potential
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players. Even among avid game players, emotions like confusion, frustration or
anger are frequent experiences. The very idea that video games can cause such
feelings in the player is an absurd one. Only when game designers are prepared to
treat the interaction between human and video game as a formal discipline will this
medium be able to develop into an activity that everyone can truly enjoy. (Shirinian,
2012)

Impact of Computer-based Gaming

The final part of this report will analyse the impact of gaming on society as a whole
whilst evaluating the psychological factors involved. Most people are fairly one-sided
on video games effects, choosing them to either be positive or negative. However
video games have a wide range of effects on society, and most of these effects can
be considered good and bad. Video games as a whole effect society in many
different ways. With so many people having such different, radical opinions on video
games, its difficult to find a common ground. However, its undeniable that these
games have had an impact on society and will continue to for many years.
(Mandawewala, 2010)
For most young people, playing games on a computer, video game console, or
handheld device is just a regular part of their day. Most are able to juggle the
multiple demands of school, sports, work and family life. Gaming becomes an
addiction when it starts to interfere with a person's relationships or their pursuit of
other goals, such as good grades or being a contributing member of a sports team.
Anyone who has experienced it knows all too well video game addiction is real.
There is increasing evidence that people of all ages, especially teens and pre-teens,
are facing very real, sometimes severe consequences associated with compulsive
use of video and computer games. (Video Game Addiction, 2015)
In 2009, an Ohio court sentenced 17 year-old Daniel Petric to 23 years in prison for
the fatal shooting of his mother. Petric had shot both his parents after they took away
his copy of Halo 3. During his trial, the court was told that Petric had become
addicted to the game after being left housebound following a jetski injury. In 2011,
Rebecca Colleen Christie was sentenced to 25 years in prison by a New Mexico
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court for allowing her 3 year-old daughter to die of malnutrition while she spent
hours playing World of Warcraft. Researchers have linked excessive gaming to
different personality factors such as impulsiveness, higher acceptance of violence
and lower social skills, gamers having trouble coping with their lives in general can
be vulnerable as well. Not only are people dealing with excessive stress and general
unhappiness in their lives more likely to become addicted to video games, but
gaming addicts are also more likely to be diagnosed with other disorders. These
related diagnoses can include attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD),
depression and anxiety.
But what other risk factors are associated with gaming addiction? Though
researchers have looked at amount of time spent online as a risk for addiction,
type of video game may be important as well. Not only are role-playing gamers more
vulnerable to addiction but so are shooter and strategy gamers. The motivation for
playing also seems to be a factor in addiction. People who game for fun or
socializing are less likely to become addicted than people who are caught up in the
need for status or simply to escape from the problems in their lives. If youre dealing
with real-life failure, escaping from that stress by playing games that give you a
sense of victory or control over your life can be a helpful way of coping. (Vitelli, 2013)
Negative impacts are joined by a number of positive impacts. Simulation games can
improve our hand-eye coordination and are used to train people to use high-tech
machines. Strategy games can improve our ability to make decisions in real life and
brain training games are used so people can learn whilst having fun. Shooting
games for example require the player to keep track of the position of the character,
where the character is heading, their speed, where the gun is aiming, if the gunfire is
hitting the enemy, and so on. All these factors need to be taken into account, and
then the player must then coordinate the brains interpretation and reaction with the
movement in his hands and fingertips. This process requires a great deal of eyehand coordination and visual-spatial ability to be successful. Research suggests that
people can learn iconic, spatial, and visual attention skills from video games. There
have been studies with adults showing that experience with video games is related
to better surgical skills. Also, a reason given by experts as to why fighter pilots of

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today are more skilful is that this generations pilots are being weaned on video
games.
According to researchers at the University of Rochester, led by Daphne Bavelier, a
cognitive scientist, games simulating stressful events such as those found in battle or
action games could be a training tool for real-world situations. The study suggests
that playing action video games primes the brain to make quick decisions. Video
games can be used to train soldiers and surgeons, according to the study.
Importantly, decisions made by action-packed video game players are no less
accurate. According to Bavelier, Action game players make more correct decisions
per unit time. James Paul Gee, professor of education at the University of
Wisconsin-Madison, says that playing a video game is similar to working through a
science problem. Like a student in a laboratory, the gamer must come up with a
hypothesis. For example, the gamer must constantly try out combinations of
weapons and powers to use to defeat an enemy. If one does not work, he or she
changes hypothesis and will try the next one. Video games are goal-driven
experiences, says Gee, which are fundamental to learning. (Raise Smart Kid, 2015)
Throughout time, humans have used games as a way to escape from the stresses of
real life. Primitive games involving dice were used as ways to think of other things as
well as to entertain. In todays digital age, games have evolved from simply using
dice to games with highly advanced graphics as seen online or on platforms. Games
have become even more popular than ever before in culture, and as a result have
become one of the main sources of entertainment and fun for many people around
the world. However, games have become more than just entertainment in todays
world. Games can be a whole new world, a culture within cultures. Video games are
changing the world, little by little, and are making life very different than what it was
centuries ago. Today, some games help to train pilots, others help children learn
new languages, and some even make people learn to be more social. But many still
believe that video games are detrimental to human lifestyle and culture, not
beneficial. Despite the negative stereotypes, gaming has been shown to have a
significant positive impact on society, as evidenced by case studies in the following
four areas: increasing the brains ability to learn as well as processing speed,

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socialization and teamwork, second language acquisition, and development of

dexterity and coordination. (Rglong, 2010)

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References
Wikipedia (2015), Video game development [online], Available from
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(Accessed 25/09/2015)
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Olson, C. (2015), 8 Reasons Video Games Can Improve Your Child [online],
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