Gameworld Interfaces (The MIT Press)

Computer games usually take one of two approaches to presenting game information to players. A game might offer information naturalistically, as part of the game's imaginary universe; or it might augment the world of the game with overlays, symbols, and menus. In this book, Kristine Jorgensen investigates both kinds of gameworld interfaces. She shows that although the naturalistic approach may appear more integral to the imaginary world of the game, both the invisible and visible interfaces effectively present information that players need in order to interact with the game and its rules. The symbolic, less naturalistic approach would seem to conflict with the idea of a coherent, autonomous fictional universe; but, Jorgensen argues, gameworlds are not governed by the pursuit of fictional coherence but by the logics of game mechanics. This is characteristic of gameworlds and distinguishes them from other traditional fictional worlds. Jorgensen investigates gameworld interfaces from the perspectives of both game designers and players. She draws on interviews with the design teams of Harmonix Music (producer of "Rock Band" and other music games) and Turbine Inc. (producer of such massively multiplayer online games as "Lord of the Rings Online"), many hours of gameplay, and extensive interviews and observations of players. The player studies focus on four games representing different genres: "Crysis," " Command & Conquer 3: Tiberian Wars," "The Sims 2," and "Diablo 2." Finally, she presents a theory of game user interfaces and considers the implications of this theory for game design." An investigation into computer game interfaces, both naturalistic and symbolic, and the distinction between gameworlds and other kinds of fictional worlds. Computer games usually take one of two approaches to presenting game information to players. A game might offer information naturalistically, as part of the game's imaginary universe; or it might augment the world of the game with overlays, symbols, and menus. In this book, Kristine Jørgensen investigates both kinds of gameworld interfaces. She shows that although the naturalistic approach may appear more integral to the imaginary world of the game, both the invisible and visible interfaces effectively present information that players need in order to interact with the game and its rules. The symbolic, less naturalistic approach would seem to conflict with the idea of a coherent, autonomous fictional universe; but, Jørgensen argues, gameworlds are not governed by the pursuit of fictional coherence but by the logics of game mechanics. This is characteristic of gameworlds and distinguishes them from other traditional fictional worlds. Jørgensen investigates gameworld interfaces from the perspectives of both game designers and players. She draws on interviews with the design teams of Harmonix Music (producer of Rock Band and other music games) and Turbine Inc. (producer of such massively multiplayer online games as Lord of the Rings Online ), many hours of gameplay, and extensive interviews and observations of players. The player studies focus on four games representing different genres: Crysis , Command & Conquer 3: Tiberian Wars , The Sims 2 , and Diablo 2 . Finally, she presents a theory of game user interfaces and considers the implications of this theory for game design. Digital games tend to follow one of two trends when presenting game information to the player. The game may present game information in a naturalistic way as part of the imaginary universe presented by the game, avoiding symbolic or abstract representations that seem alien to the fictional world. Alternatively, the game may use graphical augmentations such as superimposed information, menus, and icons that points directly to important information. In Gameworld Interfaces , Kristine Jørgensen investigates different approaches to designing the game interface. She argues that gameworlds are not governed by the pursuit of fictional coherence but by the logics of game mechanics, and that this is a characteristic that distinguishes gameworlds from traditional fictional worlds. For this reason, one approach to interface design is not superior to the other as long as relevant game information is effectively communicated in a way that makes sense to the particular game situation. Gameworld Interfaces is a study of audiovisual computer game interfaces and how they interact with the gameworld. The book presents a theory of game user interfaces and considers the implications of this theory for game design based on interviews with game interface design teams, extensive interviews and observations of players, and many hours of gameplay