The Metaphysics of Game Design Questions

1. Wright talks about companies asking for advice on 'gamification'. What does "MSG" stand for in this context?

Make it Seem Gamelike. It means to turn some form of media into a implement to entertain through playing.

2. What does Wright mean by the idea of "Interdisciplinary Entertainment"?

He is stating that entertainment is polymorphic, meaning that movies, art, music, and games all have common attributes.

3. Technology, culture, Psychology are described as being different types of:

Platforms

4. Wright argues that "play builds models". What kinds of models is he talking about?

mental frameworks of how phenomena work

5. Will Wright talks about the following schema: - lightbulb joke schema       - classification schema       -causality schema       - false schema
Why are such schema important when it comes to working with interactive media and entertainment?

These schema explain the connections between models that people formulate about the world.

6. Wright describes how network culture has given rise to a world of "narrowcast" where everyone is a publisher but to a small narrow group. What is a good example of this?

Twitter, Facebook, Blogs

7. Using the example of the '20 Questions' toy, Wright argues that we are moving to a world in which the power of collective effort is playing a larger role online.
What is another name for this type of activity?

Crowdsourcing - harvesting info

8. What does Will Wright say about the future?

The future is unpredictable. If one person thinks the market will rise, then it may just bottom out.

9. Despite the rise of online distribution in almost every arena in digital culture, what two formats continue to enjoy sales, albeit in fewer numbers?

Compact discs (CD) and record LPs.

10. What did you find most useful from the Will Wright lecture on "The Metaphysics of Game Design"?

The lecture gave me insight on how game designers think about how to find ideas for making games. His association of cognitive processes with game design was a strong argument for researching the customer base before embarking on any game idea.

King of Kong Questions

1. Mitchell is unabashedly cocky and fond of self promotion, proclaiming himself the "Sauce King" of Florida for his successful line of homemade hot sauces. Next to his family, Mitchell considers his arcade scores his greatest achievements in life.
How typical are these types of values and attitudes among 'core' gamers and how important is it to understand these values if you are a game designer? What *are* these values, exactly?

"Cocky" and "egocentric" are common terms that describe core gamers because most of them share a competitive spirit that at times can overwhelm their sense of sportsmanship. Professionalism according to Ngo, does not run in the family of core gamers because gaming is rarely considered a true "profession" (unless it is a service provided to some game company or competition). It is important to understand their attitudes because it allows you to design the gameplay to suit their desires.


2. Steve Wiebe has been laid off as a Boeing engineer, and now spends his time as a science teacher. His friends and his wife, Nicole, describe him as a tragic figure who always comes up short despite being proficient at music, sports, art, and mathematics.
Is Weibe's 'tragic' aspect typical of core gaming 'types'?

If all they are concerned about is games and nothing else, then the absence of responsibility is tragic.

What role does self esteem (high or low) play in the culture of hard core gaming and such subcultures as competitive vintage or 'classic' game playing? How would you best describe the relationship between low self-esteem and videogame mastery?

Low self esteem sometimes makes videogames inviting because according to Ngo, it provides a universe away from the mundane atmosphere of everyday existence. However, the relationship between the two is non sequitur because people with low self esteem do not always appeal to videogames as a solution.


3. Despite Wiebe's protests that his own first score was disqualified for being submitted via unsupervised videotape, Twin Galaxies accepts Mitchell's score over Wiebe's and proclaims that Mitchell is still the record holder.
How valid do you think videotaped gameplay should be in establishing videogame playing records? If valid, why? If not valid, why not?

Videotaped gameplay should be valid as long as it is supervised. It is impossible according to Ngo to examine every hardware component to see if it qualifies as a valid game though.

4. Peter Travers of Rolling Stone gave the film 3 out of 4 stars, wondering "Who would have guessed that a a documentary about gamers obesessed with scoring a world record at Donkey Kong would not only be roaringly funny but serve as a metaphor for the decline of Western civilization?"

What do you think of the film? Is it an accurate protrayal of what makes videogames so compelling for those who play them?

It is funny but as long as some people put it in perspective, this is not the "decline of western civilization". It was about a niche of game players addicted to playing particular games as Ngo sees it. If they know how to lead an honest life, then they are not more hostile than the group of people who follow Oprah's book club.


5. On November 10, 1981, Walter Day opened an arcade in Ottumwa, Iowa called Twin Galaxies. Though it was a modest arcade of merely 22 arcade games, it soon became known as the International Scorekeeper for the burgeoning video game industry. Under Day's direction, Twin Galaxies set rules for gameplay on hundreds of games, while maintaining a records database of competitive high scores. Twin Galaxies is considered by gaming historians as being the first organizer of professional gaming, putting competitive electronic gaming on the world map.
How important do you think organizations like Twin Galaxies are in the vintage arcade gaming community?

They are important because arcade gaming is not nearly as popular in ngo's opinion as it was in the past. Twin Galaxies tries to keep the spirit alive by bringing those who have nostalgia together in a forum to discuss arcade games.

Could such communities exist without such organizations?

The communities can exist in small numbers without Twin Galaxies. But it depends on the location and other factors.

What role does Twin Galaxies play ultimately, and why is this significant to the film and its story?

Twin Galaxies is the ultimate moderator for all competition by establishing ground rules. They are supposed to be impartial according to Ngo, but have shown a penchant for bolstering the accomplishments of one man "Mitchell".


6. The film depicts Wiebe's skill at Donkey Kong being linked to his ability to deeply understand the title's game mechanics, particularly the way that rhythm and timing work to ensure a successful outcome.
The film in one scene compared his love of drumming and his abilities at basketball as well as his musical talent as part and parcel of his gift at playing Donkey Kong.
How would you describe this set of inter-related skills?

Hand/eye coordination is key to success in these types of games. You have to react accurately to timed events to be successful at these games. He was already primed for the role of player because of his background in sports and music.

Have you experienced anything like this yourself when playing games? Have you been able to associate the skill of playing games with similar related skills and talents and how would you best describe the nature of this set of inter-relationships between skills/passions/abilities?

Yes, hand/eye coordination and timing helped me play organized baseball in Wallenberg high school. My skill did not necessarily translate to better VIDEO game playing though. Conversely, not all core gamers are by default "gifted" at playing sports.


7. In the film, Wiebe, while playing the game says hello to Mitchell. Mitchell didn't respond. As he's walking away from Wiebe, Mitchell says, "There's certain people I don't want to spend too much time with." Mitchell offered no explanation for his behavior towards Wiebe but did later explain that at the time of filming, he had not played video games for "more than a year", and that the filmmakers had not given him enough advance warning to train for a public record-breaking attempt. Seth Gordon, the film's Director, in referring to Mitchell's character says that Mitchell "is a true puppet-master", "a master of information-control".
What do you think Gordon means by this? What role does such behavior play in general terms in videogame culture?

Gordon probably means that Mitchell knows how to manipulate people into believing things without knowing the full story. He knows that Wiebe is not privy to believing anything like those who were gullible enough to believe anything that Mitchells says. Information-control is probably a description of the way he speaks carefully and calmly. I do not believe that Mitchell knows how to control dissemination of information, Ngo thinks going a little too far.

8. What did you think of the film? Is it really only about the game "Donkey Kong" and those who seek to hold the highest score or is it really about something more?

It is really about psychology of competitive spirit. Who wants to be on top more? What measures does one take to stay on top? It also describes the nature of a support system around people.

9. Have you ever played "Donkey Kong"? What was your memory of playing it? Where were you, when was it?

I have never played the game. I was too young.

Machinations

My Machinations model

My model consists of a simple armament schematic whereby points accumulated over time will enable you to make more ammo and weapons. If the ammo repository is overwhelmed with too much supply, then the difference is recycled. This ammo can by utilized by clicking on the diamond gate to transfer the ammo "unit" to the Commando. Weapons are automatically supplied to the Commando which when fully armed, will deploy one worker soldier to battle.

Nonlinear Story From a Linear Story

SUMMARY OF "A & P" by John Updike

     Sammy is a cashier at an A & P supermarket located in a suburban town north of Boston. It is a hot summer afternoon in the 1960s. The atmosphere, as described by the narrator (Sammy), inside the A & P is monotonous with mostly old ladies checking off their shopping lists and housewives in pin curlers. Then, three girls wearing bathing suits saunter in, barefoot. The 1st one that caught Sammy's eye was a "chunky" girl with plaid, green two-piece bathing suit on. There was also a tall one with a long chin. Finally, there was the "queen", short with white legs, walking deliberately and leading the group. The queen was the one that stole Sammy's attention. The straps falling off her shoulder, dirty-pink bathing suit, and her face and hair mesmerized him. Stokesie, another male cashier also noticed them. Sammy and Stokesie were college-aged.
     The girls proceeded to make their way through each of the aisles. Sammy referred to the elder customers as "sheep" and mocked at how they were indifferent in the presence of these girls. Women generally do not wear only bathing suits in these parts since they are far from the beach. The queen and her sidekicks approach Sammy's checkout and she presents a jar of Kingfish Fancy Herring Snacks in Pure Sour Cream: 49 cents. Lengel the manager walks in and tells the girls that they are not dressed decently. He tells them that they had to cover up the next time since it is store policy. Sammy promptly quits with a slight sense of remorse mixed with the conviction of what he did was rational.

Flowchart of nonlinear variant of "A & P"

2 Paragraph Character Situation

     Terrenzo is a 20 year old student at CCSF. Overnight, his inner self was transported to another person's body. This other person is a 65 year old male attorney named Bradshaw. Bradshaw is scheduled for a hearing in Superior Court of San Antonio. Terrenzo does not know what is going on. He panics as he rushes out of the restroom inside his apartment and tries to make sense of what happened. Terrenzo is normally dexterous and can quickly move around with ease. However, the 65 year old body that he is confined to limits his mobility to slower paced movements. Terrenzo goes to the hospital to be evaluated for a mental disorder. He was cleared for that. He exclaims to the doctors that he is really a 20 year old college student from California. The doctors, feeling no remorse for him, discharge him and instruct him to consult a psychologist. Terrenzo books a flight back to San Francisco and once there, he calls his friends to tell them what had happened to him.
    Terrenzo may be an interesting game character as a non-playing character. But as a primary character, he would not have the movie star appeal that you would encounter in mainstream entertainment. He would make a good side-kick instead.