Research

I decided that I wanted to focus on the social aspect of multiplayer games.
I would like to capture some of the interaction between players in a video. I think this medium is the best way to capture to dynamics of multiplayer gaming much more than any one could ever explain it to an audience.

This weekend I went to a gaming event at NYCLAN for Halo 2. I was really intrigued and greatly inspired by the interaction between the players. I was never a fan of Halo but after playing in that environment it changed my whole perspective.

One aspect of multiplayer gaming which I feel is important is that it is strongly based on competition. This competitive air is what brings a player back to the game because the want to get better if they are horrible or they want to maintain their honor if they are good.

You can look at Halo and think it is not a casual game but there are two sides to the coin. Halo does have a serious side where you can follow a campaign, or a story from being to end either alone or with another player but it also has a casual side. Which for a gaming environment like NYCLAN is what people want. Example: The game Marvel Ultimate Alliance a fairly new game on the market wasavailable to play the same night before the halo event started. Of course people wanted to play it because it is a new game, but I noticed the satisfaction level for that game quickly decreased when players realized how serious the game was or how much time they would have to dedicate to the game to get any feeling of achievement from it.

In these environments people turn to games like gituar hero II because there is a quick satisfaction achieved and quick gaming experience, they don't have to invest to much time or brain power inorder to win.

Halo as a casual game is a strong precedent because of it important characteristics.

• Allows players to be able to rate their skills against others (How many kills you have, how many medal you gained at the end of the match)
• Allows players to taunt each other mostly outside of the game but also they found ways to manipulate characters inside the game to do things to each other.
• Players create names that have meaning to them, either they are ridiculous just to be funny, or signify some characteristic of the player they want to point out about themselves as a person or as a player in the game.
• Allows players to see who killed them, by popups on screen making players seek revenge.
• Allows for players to form 2 teams and battle against each other encouraging more social interaction because each team must work together to win.
  
• Reaches all age levels. We totally got own by I am gonna guess the boy was at least 12 years old he may have been younger o_O?!

I believe NYCLAN's Motto is the essence of what multiplayer gaming is all about which is

"The best experiences are those shared by friends face to face in a fun and safe setting"

This hits on the head what interested me about the experiences created at NYCLAN or at an arcade or playing any type of game where you need more then one person. The dynamics that are created, the way people respond when they are losing or winning, the rules or boundaries they create, the tension or competitive air. Its all about the experience, and that is what I am looking for when trying to create my own multiplayer game.

posted by Megumiaraki @ 2:10 AM