What do you see as the positives and negatives around copyright?
One positive of copyright is that the creator of a product can benefit from the creation of the product, by allowing third parties to use it in a desired way and enabling a royalty or a one-time payment on the use of the product. This provides an incentive for creators as they can get paid by creating original and new ideas. For example, Nintendo the developer of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild have a created a game for the Switch but unlike other games where they are played by people and put on video sharing networks like YouTube, Nintendo will copyright strike anyone playing their game and profiting of it without paying a fee to Nintendo first. On the other hand, a downside of copyright is that it can stop innovation because when an idea or a product is copyrighted legally its design must be specifically outlined, so that if the idea is stolen the case can be fought on how the original copyrighted idea was copied, this can have ramifications for inventors as they might come up an idea like a game and only copy small percent without knowing it and can be sued in turn stopping the innovation, an example of this is from the studio Bluehole which made the game Player Unknown Battlegrounds (PUBG) and has been very successful but recently another game very similar has to come to market called Fortnite. Fortnite is produced by Epic games and in a recent interview the creators of PUBG stated “we don’t feel that it’s right” this is because of Fortnites blatant copying of PUBGs game style and use of their product name in their promotional video has tempted Bluehole studios to take further action. If I do make my own game I will have consider copyright laws and how it could affect the development of my game, making sure my style and mechanics are different from other games.

Source and references

https://www.polygon.com/2017/9/22/16349536/pubg-fortnite-battle-royale-battlegrounds

https://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/the-legend-of-zelda-breath-of-the-wild-switch

http://info.legalzoom.com/pros-cons-copyright-laws-20497.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Legend_of_Zelda:_Breath_of_the_Wild

https://www.polygon.com/pc/2017/9/26/16368170/fortnite-battle-royale-preview-review-hands-on

https://gfycat.com/gifs/search/pubg%20gameplay

 Is it possible to make anything new?

In my opinion it is not possible to make anything new this is because any idea that is created today is just a modified version of something that already exists the only new thing someone can make is a story in a game otherwise most games today are just carbon copies of each other or just a twist on mechanics other games possess. An example of this would be most shooter games out their which have similar mechanics but just a different back story with the same basic play style, like Call of Duty Advanced Warfare and Titianfall. Therefore, I will be mainly using games for influence rather than copying them and their playstyles.

Sources and references

https://www.callofduty.com/uk/en/advancedwarfare

https://thirdpersonblog.wordpress.com/2017/02/08/titanfall-2-review/

Behavioural modelling is an important part of NPC development for games. Should emotive modelling be part of that development?

Emotive modelling should defiantly be a part of behavioural modelling for NPCs otherwise the NPC cannot convey emotion through behaviour alone effectively. Emotive modelling must be a part of that development process since a NPC uses expressions to convey emotions which synergise with the physical actions of the NPC for example if an NPC is angry they might say a dialogue which is angry or aggressive, but they need also change their physical manner meaning the stance of them standing might become more firm and confrontational this emotive body language further adds depth into the NPC making it more lifelike. But certain occasions may require less emotive language for example the robot in Portal 2 Glados doesn’t seem to have much emotive language this is because she is a life less manipulative robot who is made so the player can dislike her and create detachment from her therefore feel more emphatic for the characters they are playing, so in certain situations using less emotive modelling can be useful. An example of when emotive language needs to be a part of behavioural modelling development is in games like Borderlands 2 where the villain Handsome Jack always has a very mischievous and conniving personality, and this shown through he emotive language where he constantly insults the players with slurs, this emotive language makes his character more believable and unlikable.

Sources and references

https://captainfez.com/2016/03/24/farewell-handsome-jack/

https://www.theverge.com/2014/2/27/5455382/watch-glados-from-portal-explain-the-difference-between-fission-and

Consider your favourite video game. If it contains AI controlled agents how individualistic are they and their behaviours, and, how might you set about improving them?

One of my favourite video games is World of Warcraft this game has many NPCs in the world as it is a MMO where your role plays as one of the selected heroes who must save the day. Most of the newer NPCs in the new expansion have very believable personalities this due to them using very emotive language to convey the threat that you face as a player in the World or Warcraft and also their behaviour is very individualistic for example in one quest you have a very important character from the Lore as a NPC help you charge through a portal into a new world full of new threats and enemies this behavioural modelling and the expressions on his face is very telling of how strong he is and how much he believes in saving the day. But there is one way I believe I could improve the NPCs this by looking at the older NPCs in the older expansions these are just lifeless still NPCs who say some vague forgettable dialogue and give quests for you to do. This can in turn make the game very mundane to play and very lacklustre in terms of story because you feel disconnected from these NPCs but adding more behavioural modelling like getting the NPCS to follow you around and talk while doing the given quests furthermore adding emotive language like making changes to the tone of their voices to show how importance of the quest can make these NPCs more convincing and likable.

Sources and references

http://www.wolfmanzbytes.com/game-reviews/121-world-of-warcraft-the-burning-crusade.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQ-4-kqAhVs

Select one game of your interest and explain why does it have a good/bad game UI

League of Legends has the best UI design, this is due to the fact playing the game requires you to constantly look at the UI to see ability cooldowns and the map. Therefore, the UI has been updated constantly to near perfection. One of the good UI designs in League of Legends is the four abilities located at the bottom of the screen. These are unique to the 136 champions within the game, so they must be located is the same location to keep constancy but also must be able to change icons from champion to champion, as different champions have different abilities. Its location is also appropriate as it is not too distracting from what’s in front of the player but isn’t hidden out of plain sight, if it was located near the middle of the screen it would distract from the gameplay but due to its location the user can keep track of cooldowns easily but just one glance, the cooldown timer is also bold and greys out the ability when on cooldown. This is good UI design as the player can easily identify if the ability is on cooldown. Another good UI design is the map location this can be adjusted from the right side of the screen to left vice versa and the size of the map can be changed this customizability allows for good UI design as the user needs to constantly be looking at the map therefore the freedom to change the size and location makes its clean and easy to see no matter the players preference. There are bad UI design choices, for example the inventory where items are stored cannot be adjusted from within the store when purchasing items but rather requires you to leave the shop and then adjust from your separate inventory this is bad UI design as it is unnecessary and slows down gameplay.

Discuss how technology augments human abilities. Reflect upon the implications of the future of HCI.

Technology has learned how to enhance our abilities like speech, hearing and touch etc. This is done through using technology that already exists and furthering its ability to connect with humans. An example of this is Alexa from Amazon. Alexa uses voice and hearing to perform tasks like googling, buying or doing almost any task done through sitting down and typing. Alexa is also able to have conversations and makes jokes, this has improved HCI as we are furthering what our voice can do. We can now use our voice and improved HCI to make everyday life easier. Certain tech is getting very close to enhancing our touch and visuals, this is through VR headsets like Vive. The Vive uses a display in a headset and mirrors to trick the mind into believing it is in another plain of existence made by world designed in VR, this is an example of technology augmenting our senses of sight and feel, this augmentation could one day allow us to play games by being in the game world. Augmenting human abilities has furthered HCI but ease of use has been sacrificed as these augmentations can be complicated to use and learn therefore its essential to lessen the learning curve for such products that will augment our human abilities. For example, the Vive is not easy to use as its set up can be long and complicated

Sources and references

https://www.vive.com/uk/

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B06Y5ZW72J?tag=googhydr-21&hvadid=223937020250&hvpos=1t1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=16581938309877884348&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=e&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9045736&hvtargid=kwd-95858596860&ref=pd_sl_55pv1da7h0_e

Does the interactive narrative still have a role to play in a video games today? Give exemplary examples?

Yes, interactive narrative has a huge influence on gaming today as its use spans from larger Triple-A titles to smaller indie titles, this is because interactive narrative allows for decisions to be made by the user making them feel more connected to the game and in-turn improving user experience. Games like Stanley’s parable a great indie game based of making decisions by either defying the narrator or following him allows the game to exist not just inside the confines of a game a but rather becomes one with the user as they feel like every decision made by them directly affects Stanley, this kind of connection can only be created through an interactive narrative and its effective use applied to video games. Another example of interactive narrative is one made by me on twine an interactive narrative story telling creator tool, I made The Amnesia trap as a simple concept of interactive narrative. In my story the user wakes up to the fact that he cannot recall information from day to day this is due to his amnesia, so he has two decisions either reinvent himself or listen to the recordings and try to become himself from yesterday but the word trap in the title suggests he is trapped so either decision made by him leads to him doing the same thing every day with the same decisions, this is an effective use of interactive narrative as it allows for the user to visualize and understand the storyline effectively because they are interacting with the story and seeing it reveal as they click through. I feel like for my game development using interactive narrative will be essential to grab the user’s attention for a prolonged time, this is why I feel like learning about interactive narrative has allowed me to understand how to use it effectively within my game development if ever needed.

Sources and references

https://www.ceros.com/blog/narrative-design-video-game/

https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2013/10/17/wot-i-think-the-stanley-parable/

Demonstrate the key concepts of the interactive narrative genre using twine. http://twinery.org – embed / link to twine

https://twinery.org/2/#!/stories/0f41ef43-17d2-4689-b3b9-4890edb463a8/play

https://twinery.org/2/#!/stories/0f41ef43-17d2-4689-b3b9-4890edb463a8

What were the key ideas of Bauhaus?

First thing that was laid out in Bauhaus’s manifesto was about functionality and its number one importance when it came to making products. Bauhaus believed that all products made had to have a unique selling point in terms of aesthetics and had to be functional in their design, this meant making products inexpensive and long lasting while maintaining functionality of the product. Therefore, mass production was very helpful in saving costs. Second thing listed in the Bauhaus manifesto was about being smart and tactical with money and time spent building the product, this didn’t mean buying poor materials or trying to rush the production of the product and making it an unusable product for the means of profit, rather it meant using time and money efficiently together to make sure there was budget set and a time set for the completion of the project. The third part of his manifesto consisted of Bauhaus explaining how he believed that there was always a need for discovery in terms of design, this meant coming up with unique ways to use art and architecture to influence product designs, Bauhaus used this technique to come up with the earliest form of graphic design, this was because of his use of negative space which created graphic design as we know it today. Lastly Bauhaus emphasized the need for simplicity and effectiveness, this meant removing things that are not required for the product to function. Adding unnecessary things that make the product look pretty made the product clunky in the eyes of Bauhaus, so making sure that the products production was focused on multi-functionality and not just a focus on making it look pretty. Bauhaus really enjoyed influencing design that were more organic and felt down to earth in a way this made them more beautiful than products focused on being beautiful. I will be using the ideas of multi-functionality from Bauhaus in my game development.

Sources and references

https://www.widewalls.ch/bauhaus-manifesto-key-points/

http://www.theartstory.org/movement-bauhaus.htm

Do you feel the ideas have an influence on contemporary game design?

From my understanding I believe that Bauhaus had a small influence on games this is due to the complexity of games today and how they’re made with the idea of making them look as beautiful as possible, for example Triple A titles like Destiny focus on being beautiful rather than being functional. This has made the very popular titles being released today very lacklustre as they lack multi-functionality in terms of story and function. On the other hand, Bauhaus does have some influence on indie game designs this because they’re mainly focused on functionality which follows a memorable story line along with a gameplay which flourishes of functionality, this in a way gives them their own beauty in design as they organic in their design and aesthetics like the indie game Fez. Even today Bauhaus influences many small parts of the game industry which are growing bigger and bigger due to many platforms allowing for indie games to sell, therefore Bauhaus continues to influence contemporary game designs in small ways in this current period.

Sources and references

http://www.gamesreviews.com/news/07/fez-cost-over-half-a-million-to-make/

https://www.gamersnexus.net/game-bench/3037-destiny-2-gpu-benchmark-frametimes-graphics-optimization