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Genres, classification, typology

Genres, classification, typology. Miguel Sicart Computer Game Theory Spring 2005. What are today’s problems?. How can we classify games? What does a certain classification mean? How does genre “trouble” affect game research? How does genre “trouble” affect game design?.

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Genres, classification, typology

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  1. Genres, classification, typology • Miguel Sicart • Computer Game Theory • Spring 2005

  2. What are today’s problems? • How can we classify games? • What does a certain classification mean? • How does genre “trouble” affect game research? • How does genre “trouble” affect game design?

  3. What kind of games do you like?

  4. How would define the following games? • Half-Life 2

  5. Halo 2

  6. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

  7. The Sims 2

  8. World of Warcraft

  9. Pong

  10. Adventure

  11. MUD

  12. Old Problem with New Incarnations

  13. A Classical Game Classification: Roger Callois - Man, Play and Games (1958) • Agon (competition) • Alea (chance) • Ilinx (vertigo) • Mimicry (simulation)

  14. But if we go to www.gamespot.com what we see is ... • Action • Strategy • Role-Playing • Driving • Adventure • Simulation • Puzzles • Games for Kids

  15. What’s then the importance of classifying games - basic questions • What do these genres mean? • Who chooses the genres? • How do the genres affect the research? • And the market? • Is this really important?

  16. Break Time

  17. The trouble with genres - Theory • Let’s keep in mind GameSpot’s typology, and the examples we saw at the beginning • Why don’t they match?

  18. Unidimensional is not good • Unidimensional genre classifications are often: • Inconsistent • Overlapping • Vague

  19. A Summary of Limitations • Unidimensional typologies are: • accumulative (action+adventure+RPG) • not representative • they ignore the nature of games and their medium (remember convergence) • Academically, they are trouble - can we fix this problem?

  20. Two takes on game classification: Jesper Juul & Espen Aarseth

  21. Juul:Games of Emergence vs. Game of Progression • Games of Emergence: “simple rules combining, producing variation” • Games of Progression: “serially introduced challenges”

  22. Emergence vs. Progression:how does this help? • This is not exactly a game genre classification, • but it says a lot about the dominant features of a game, • therefore it can help understanding the way its genre is constructed. • Baldur’s Gate and EverQuest are not the same kind of game, despite both being classified usually as RPGs • Clear, easy to grasp and multi-purpose (theory and practise) definition

  23. Emergence vs. Progression: Problems • It is not a typology of games • It only explains certain structural properties of games • There are some borderline cases of emergent and progression games • It does not tell anything about conventions and traditions

  24. Espen Aarseth:A Multidimensional Typology of Games • If the problem was the unidimensionality of the cathegories, • this bottom-up, multidimensional approach is the solution!

  25. How does multidimensionality work? • Systematic mapping of the differences between games: • take two games X and Y • describe their differences • generalize them • place them in a system that explains them • repeat process with as many games as you can • Establish metacategories: emergent vs. progression; persistent worlds (EQ) vs. microworlds (CS)

  26. And the result is • 15 dimensions, 30 variables • grouped under Space, Time, Game Structure, Control, Rules • 55296types of games

  27. Problems of the multidimensionality • Too many categories: are there really more than 55296 games? • It is actually very broad, which might not say anything of value about the games. • And it does not respond to the broadly used definitions.

  28. So, is there any solution?

  29. Maybe not

  30. The trouble with genres: praxis

  31. Actually, there is not a big problem: users and journalists know what they are talking about. • In a blurry way, classic, popular genres are very clear. • And it also helps selling products ... • So what’s the problem, then?

  32. Lack of Innovation

  33. Double Coding • Theoretical knowledge and study of games’ genres is required to research in games. • Knowing the problems and limitations of genre typologies can encourage creativity. • An example: Grand Theft Auto II vs. III/VC/SA

  34. Exercise • Make groups • Choose a game and try it. • Describe (to us) its genre the way you believe is more precise for: • A game magazine • A game company • Your little brother • Play it afterwards trying to find as many “classic” genres as possible (f.ex. Halo as racing game, RTS, FPS, game of progression)

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