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Master Thesis 60 Credits UNIVERSITY OF OSLO Department of informatics Serious Games: Video Game Design Techniques for Academic and Commercial Communication. Master thesis 60 credits Christian Bull-Hansen 1. November 2007 2 Serious Games: Video game design techniques for academic and commercial communication A Master Thesis by Christian Bull-Hansen at the University of Oslo 3 4 Abstract Serious Games: Video game design techniques for academic and commercial communication, by Christian Bull-Hansen, Department of Informatics, University of Oslo, Norway. Traditional academic and commercial communication sources, like schools and television, are losing ground to video games. People of all ages spend increasingly more time engaged in virtual worlds and on the Internet, and are becoming used to actively pursuing the information they want to know more about, while rejecting the old passive communication channels where information is presented, but not requested. The result is a generation in need of new ways of informing. This thesis aims to provide ways for academic and commercial communication to exist in commercially popular video games while retaining the entertainment value of the games. Thus making students learn while gaming, as well as provide means for commercial interests to reach the gamer audience. The thesis provides information and analysis of game culture, player-types, social structures, game design techniques, and how knowledge of this information can be used to create and improve academic and commercial communication in video games. The thesis utilizes a custom made prototype, “The Renaissance Prototype”, designed for the purpose of researching and test the theories presented in this thesis. 5 6 Acknowledgements During the writing of this thesis I have had the privilege of being supervised by Dino Karabeg, whose support has been a tremendous help and inspiration. I thank you, Dino, for providing me and my fellow students with both academic advice as well as a social foundation for us to exchange ideas and thoughts. You have gone beyond your duty in your efforts to ensure that we have been able to do our best, and it is highly appreciated. A big thank you to Rogue Dao Studios, Roxidy Games (DLA), and the Malevolents of Xibalba for letting me observe and participate in the development of games, and for all the hours of pure fun! I would also like to extend my thanks to my family, whose support and motivation has been crucial to the completion of this thesis. Thank you for letting me drool on the keyboard as a two year old, for being there, and for inspiring me to do my best! Finally, I would like to thank my girlfriend for putting up with me, for being an incredible support in life, and for being my friend and my love. You are the best! 7 8 Contents: 1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................... 13 1.1.1 Problem .............................................................................................................................................. 14 1.1.2 The five goals of this thesis ................................................................................................................ 14 1.2 Definitions and explanations ..................................................................................................................... 15 1.2.1 What is a “Video Game” in this context? .......................................................................................... 15 1.2.2 What is Information Design and Polyscopic Modeling? .................................................................... 15 1.2.3 What is a Serious Game? ................................................................................................................... 18 1.3 Thesis structure and research methods ................................................................................................... 19 1.3.1 Thesis structure .................................................................................................................................. 19 1.3.1.1 A note on the footnotes and bibliography ................................................................................. 20 1.3.2 Research methods .............................................................................................................................. 21 1.3.2.1 Researching existing information ............................................................................................. 21 1.3.2.2 Hands-on experience ................................................................................................................ 21 1.3.2.3 Observance of a gaming community ........................................................................................ 22 1.3.2.4 Collaboration with game developers ........................................................................................ 22 1.3.2.5 Analysis through game modification; “Renaissance” prototype concept ................................. 23 2 AN INTRODUCTION TO MODERN VIDEO GAMES AND GAME CULTURE . 24 2.1 A short review of the history of video games ........................................................................................... 24 2.1.1 The beginning of an era and the coming of the new age .................................................................... 26 2.2 An introduction to Massively Multiplayer Online Games: .................................................................... 28 2.2.1 What is a MMOG? ............................................................................................................................. 29 2.2.2 A typical starter scenario in a MMOG ............................................................................................... 30 2.2.3 An example MMOG world - Azeroth ................................................................................................ 31 2.2.4 Game world size – Lord of the Rings Online ..................................................................................... 32 2.2.5 A Game within the Game ................................................................................................................... 32 2.3 Understanding the user base – the gamer explained .............................................................................. 34 2.3.1 Player and people types ...................................................................................................................... 35 2.3.2 The Achiever ...................................................................................................................................... 37 2.3.3 The Explorer ...................................................................................................................................... 38 2.3.4 The Killer ........................................................................................................................................... 38 2.3.5 The Socializer .................................................................................................................................... 39 2.3.5.1 The Carebear ............................................................................................................................ 39 2.3.6 The Anti-Socializer ............................................................................................................................ 40 2.3.6.1 The Ganker ............................................................................................................................... 40 2.3.7 The result, mixing the people with the players .................................................................................. 41 2.4 Understanding the online social structure ............................................................................................... 41 2.4.1 Pyramid-scheme guilds and Elite-guilds ............................................................................................ 42 2.4.2 Social differences ............................................................................................................................... 43 3 ANALYSIS OF GAME DESIGN TECHNIQUES ............................................... 45 3.1 Identifying the techniques ......................................................................................................................... 45 3.1.1 The Challenge .................................................................................................................................... 45 3.1.2 Quest, incentive and direction ............................................................................................................ 46 3.1.3 Interactivity, putting the player in charge .......................................................................................... 48 3.1.4 Incentives and rewards ....................................................................................................................... 49 9 3.1.5 Social status and reputation, the new high-score ............................................................................... 50 3.1.6 Progressive storyline .......................................................................................................................... 51 3.1.7 Anonymity, Escapism, Immersion, and building an Identity ............................................................. 52 4 SERIOUS GAMES – ACADEMIC COMMUNICATION ..................................... 54 4.1 The nay-sayers – are games bad for you? ...............................................................................................
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