What is game?

What is game?
(board games, sports games, card games, video games, role playing games, imaginary games, educational games)

Personally for me game cannot be defined. It has not exact definition, it is somehow like human being which you interact with and express emotions. It can be used like education tool, there are always new things from each different kind of game. Game is a way of expressing your emotions through a harmless medium. Way of socialising. Creating social groups, with mutual interests and understanding. Games are competitive, they are about reaching the top, they also need rules to operate correctly. Even with single player games, you are competing against the game you are playing, for example, with solitaire you are playing against the deck of cards. Games are also about proving status in specific areas, such as you might be amazing at football, but rubbish at virtual football games such as Fifa.

With a game, there is almost always an outcome, unlike play where the most important aspect is process of playing. There are a lot of potential definitions of game, game can not be defined purely through text, game ultimately needs to be defined through experience.

Definition of Play

According to Johann Huizinga “play” is a free activity standing. Have exact rules and boundaries, in contrast the ordinary life is chaotic. Different from the ‘ordinary’ life (where  you have to be serious because it will have serious consequence) as being ‘not serious’ (the worst thing that could be happen when you break the boundaries is to be expelled), but also absorbing the player intensely and utterly. It is connected with no material interest but meantime teach you how to communicate with other human beings. Play is the direct opposite of seriousness.

However it does not take into account people who use play as a means of making a living. For example, football players, rugby players, or other professional sports players have play taken out of context as they use these forms of play to create a living, for them it is a way of life. In a result of that play is no longer not serious, it becomes ordinary life for them, with serious consequences. They need this form of play to survive. There are completely new boundaries and rules of play and the mind frame in which we play. Every area of play becomes serious and somehow stops to be fun and not engaging.

Aspect of sound

Aspect of sound:

1. Creating Atmosphere
2. Assigning meaning to an event
3. Appeal to a certain market
4. Providing rhythm for game play
5. Cueing game play events
6. Linked to a broader set of concepts

Task look individually 2 games from the last week presentation and 1 movie and apply those rules.            

God of War 2 – main character – Kratos

1. Background music – very dynamic. Rhythm filled with action and tension.
2. When an enemy hits you, you lose health points. Also when you pick potation or gold.
3. Third person action-adventure video game with its own plot. Made for the audience 18+.
4. The rhythm of the background music insists you to keep going and the tension keeps your attention only on the game.
5. Sound of the approaching enemy (shouting, footsteps) and the sound of falling rocks that collide. The creak when Kratos lifts a gate.
6. A part of the plot of God of War 2 is related to Greek mythology (Zeus – god of lightning, Athena- goddess of wisdom, titans – Gaia, Cronos, Atlas and more)

 

Angry Birds

1. Chilling background music. Helps you to relax and give your mind rest.
2. Picking up map pieces or other stuff.
3. Puzzle video game playable for all ages.
4. The rhythm helps you to relax and give your mind rest.
5. When you hit the buildings they fall, or the falling buildings smashing the pigs.
6. The sound of the angry birds game can’t be confounded with other games sounds, it is unique.

Pacific Rim

1. The music when the general says his final speech. This song made my skin prick. This music really gives you the feeling that the final battle is coming combined with the generals speech it brings the viewers emotions and somehow earn their admiration.
2. Making all the clashes and smashes sound like they do. All the sounds of the metal was real and make the scenes more realistic. When the robots cracked into pieces the sounds were unbelievably realistic.
3. Made for audience 16+ and above (because of the scaring monsters I think, they scared me too a few times, when watched in on 3D).
4. The rhythm when Gypsy danger fights with the pterodactyl type monster (which can fly and chase the professor), was really amazing, filled with tension, prepare the viewer for action and the incoming fight.
5. When Gypsy Danger falls from nearly the ozone layer, coming closer to the ground-burst into flames, when landing on its feet in the stadium-the destruction and the cloud of fragment and pieces.
6. The deeper meaning is maybe how the humans have always looked and searched for different worlds and unknown races, in the movie this unknown race wasn’t friendly and almost destroyed the earth.

Images from:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angry_Birds

http://wall.alphacoders.com/by_sub_category.php?id=195403

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1663662/

http://www.andead.com/

http://www.andyparkart.com/gallery.asp?portfolioid=175&maincategoryid=&categoryid=&StartPage=1&currentpage=6&position=6

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=burne+hogarth&safe=active&espv=210&es_sm=93&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=F5KDUqLZNpCUhQfwt4CoDQ&ved=0CAkQ_AUoAQ&biw=1920&bih=978

http://vitorugo.cgsociety.org/

http://josealvessilva.daportfolio.com/gallery/181086#2

http://portfolio.cgsociety.org/

http://www.eklettica.com/zbrush.html

http://wen-jr.cgsociety.org/

http://3d.about.com/od/Creating-3D-The-CG-Pipeline/tp/50-Artists-Past-And-Present-Who-Work-In-Film-Games-And-Animation.htm

http://creaturebox.com/

http://www.youtube.com/user/FZDSCHOOL/videos

http://3d.about.com/gi/o.htm?zi=1/XJ&zTi=1&sdn=3d&cdn=gadgets&tm=1382&f=00&su=p284.13.342.ip_&tt=3&bt=3&bts=35&zu=http%3A//www.artbyfeng.com/

http://mikecorriero.deviantart.com/gallery/

http://www.comicvine.com/profile/nszerdy/lists/all-stan-lee-creations-or-co-creationsnuff-said/41094?page=2

__________________________________________________________

http://daverapoza.cghub.com/

http://inkertone.blogspot.co.uk/

http://conceptartworld.com/?cat=4&paged=2

Connotative Meaning

War of the Worlds (2005)

I will look the poster starting analysing from the start – the first part, to the bottom.

Title and Lettering:

To start with Tom Cruise name on the top of the movie poster connotes to quality and action movie (because he had taken part in many action movies). Combined with the word “War” and Steven Spielberg name between them refers to action, war movie filled with tension. These two famous persons names “sale” the movie and connotes about quality and tells you that this film will worth the money. The word “War” is separated from the rest of the title to en-chase an impact on the viewer.

The rest of the title “of the worlds” and part of the alien hand are tangled in human (blood) vines connotes to invasion and overgrowth like how they seen to be quickly taking over (If you haven’t watched the movie or read the book, you won’t know that the vines in the movie are made from blood of killed human beings).

The perspective of the letters (the title) “War of the Worlds” draws your attention to the centre of the image (the burning planet in alien’s palm) combined with the colour signs.

The date “29 June” is written with bold font (in contrast with the other actors names), connotes that exactly on this date something will happen with some kind of deeper meaning, than only the release of the movie (maybe the end of the world).

Image Itself:

The planet Earth in the alien palm refers   that the planet itself is left to alien’s mercy. And the grabbed burning planet connotes to destruction and the devastation of the human race.

The colour:

The colour is very strong sign for connotation. For instance, the black frame refers to emptiness and the boundless space which concentrates the eye of the viewer in the centre again. The background of the image – purple red connotes to all the innocent dead humans and how the ground is sucked up with casualty’s blood.

Images from:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0407304/

http://anjumiah.wordpress.com/2012/03/16/war-of-the-worlds-2005-special-effects-review/

Board Game

I have looked this websites for advises and how to make board game.

http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Your-Own-Board-Game

https://www.thegamecrafter.com/

http://edweb.sdsu.edu/courses/edtec670/boardgame/boardgamedesign1.html

http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/lesson-docs/NovelBoardGameRubric.pdf

Context of one Art Peace

Artist Information:

Frank Auerbach is painter, who focuses on portraits and city. Although sometimes described as expressionistic, Auerbach is not an expressionist painter. His work is not concerned with finding an equivalent to an emotional or spiritual state that characterised the expressionist movement. In this the experience of the world is seen as essentially chaotic with the role of the artist being to impose an order upon that chaos and record that order in the painting. This ambition with the paintings results in Auerbach developing intense relationships with particular subjects, particularly the people he paints, but also the location of his cityscape subjects. Speaking on this in 2001 he stated: “If you pass something every day and it has a little character, it begins to intrigue you.” From this statement we could understand that a relationship develops between Auerbach and his subjects. His desire to make the image ‘right’ leads him to paint an image and then scrape it off the canvas at the end of each day, repeating this process time and again, not primarily to create a layering of images but because of a sense of dissatisfaction with the image leading him to try to paint it again.

How I Understand the Art Peace:

Frank Auerbach – Head of Laurie Owen, 1971; oil on board; Whitworth Art Gallery, The University of Manchester

The peace of itself is really basic man head proportions stroked with black paint but in the same time brings into you the feeling of details influenced of the amount of paint layers. The man from the picture is somehow suffering from something, like he has a “wound” in his chest. Maybe this feeling is a result of using of black-grey-white tones. Brings into you nostalgic feeling and even brings your mood down. Maybe your mood is influenced by the lack of colour.And really this painting makes you go deeper in your soul and think about your feelings.

When you look this piece of art from distance you really can imagine and see it as a whole, you really get the feeling that it is so detailed. But meantime when you get closer you could see the simple knife strokes and how simple this picture is. I think the artist done this because he wanted to bring your imagination, which brings the details.

For more information ~~~>

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Auerbach

http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/frank-auerbach-676

Artist Information:

David Whittaker is one of those artists who began drawing and painting at a very early age. As a small boy growing up in Newquay, he recalls the hours he spent fascinated by a print of Constable’s Hay Wain that his parents owned.Later works by Dali and Goya were to provide much the same amazingness for him and he admits that, like Constable, they influenced him. Their influence, however, has been minimal.

How I Understand the Art Peace:

David Whittaker (Year List- Bassaleg Viaduct, River Ebbw, Redstart) 2012 oil and acrylic Millennium, St. Ives

When I first looked his artwork, I discerned a shape of human head and shoulders really blurred and messy and amazingly detailed picture in his head. In his peace he used dark colours in the centre and bright outside, really focuses your attention, but somehow this dark paint brings in you depress and melancholic feelings. Like he is suffering and hope to get his dream which seems really far away.The slightly tilled head to his right is a sign for me that the person from the image thinks about the landscape in his head. Maybe slightly unreachable, something likes a dream for him.Meantime the details in the image in his mind are very clear and detailed, that is a reference to me that he very focused knows what he wants.But on the other hand the slightly discernible and messy human silhouette refers to me, that the man from the peace doesn’t know who he is and his life is a mess. A man with a dream, without anything else.Except the detailed image in his head the really amazing bird on the left corner (mine right) somehow is a sign of hope. A sign that he can achieve what he has in his mind.

The thing that amazes me in this painting (and D.Whittaker’s painting style) is how the artist manages to combine so detailed images with free ranged colours. Somehow a contrast between the mess in his soul and the clarity of his dream.

For more information ~~~> http://www.millenniumgallery.co.uk/birdinthemammalhouse/work.htm

http://www.thisiscornwall.co.uk/way-Whittaker/story-14209276-detail/story.html#axzz2jyW2ST8k

http://millenniumgallery.blogspot.co.uk/2011/12/david-whittaker-wins-10000-1st-prize-at.html

Comparison:

If I have to compare the two pieces, I must say that both of the artists used black colour which influences your mood and feelings. Not only what you see visual but you can feel the emotions too. Despite of the fact that F. Auerbach is not concerned with the feelings that his peace brings into you, his relationship with his models could be sensed and this is what influences you. D.Whittaker uses other colours too, he had richer tone value on his art peace but also brings you melancholic emotions. Both of the artists, had really special bond with their pieces and this appears on their canvases, which “plays” with your feelings.

 

Images from:

http://www.nationalgalleries.org/collection/artists-a-z/B/18273/artist_name/Bruce%20Bernard/record_id/8697

http://www.bbc.co.uk/arts/yourpaintings/paintings/head-of-laurie-owen-206729

http://vimeo.com/48737810

http://www.plymouth.gov.uk/artistsrw.html

 

Sound

In game sounds can be two types-adaptive and reactive.
Adaptive sounds are those that are not influenced by the player,and the player has no direct control over them – background music and ambient sounds.
Reactive sounds are influenced directly by the player such as gunshots and punches. They include actions that are made as a result of players action – activating an alarm or the shout of the enemy.

The same can be applied for most of the films but it is a little bit different. The reactive sounds are made by the main character or in a result of his action. The adaptive are the same – background music and sounds not influenced by the main character.

Zombotron 2 –
adaptive sound of this game is the background music.Reactive sounds are gunshots, picking gold, barrel explosions, triggering the elevators and more.

 

 

Kingdom Rush – adaptive sounds are the sounds of approaching enemies. The sounds that the towers that the player built when shooting and of course the background music.Reactive sounds are when the player built new tower the different sound made by every tower. When he uses the meteorite and the sound when the meteorite hits the ground .And the sound when the player call the enemy wave earlier.

Transformers dark of the moon – adaptive sound – the sound in the end of the movie when Optimus prime raises in front of Sam,but he thinks that Optimus and the others auto bots are death. Reactive sounds are during all the fightings scenes – clashes punches shooting. And when they transform into cars or back into robots.

Images from:

http://www.hackedonlinegames.com/game/1074/zombotron-2-time-machine

http://joranatplay.blogspot.co.uk/2011/08/kingdom-rush.html

http://www.hdwallpapers.in/transformers-desktop-wallpapers.html

 

Game mechanics and dynamics

Game mechanics – construction of rules that tells you how to play the game and the gameplay. The basic actions of one game,such as jumping and shooting,can be defined as game mechanics. Every game has its core mechanic such as shooting game,driving game,rpg and etc.

There is slightly difference between game mechanics and gameplay. For some, gameplay is nothing more than a set of game mechanics. For others, gameplay—especially when referenced in the term of “basic gameplay” – refers to certain core game mechanics which determine the overall characteristics of the game itself.For example, the basic gameplay of a shooting or fighting game is to hit while not being hit.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_mechanics

Game dynamics – it is the process after the simple game mechanics – jump,punch,and combine it with interaction. There is not exact definition of game dynamics. They have to give feedback to the player such as rewards, achievements to make the player feel the game engaging, keep going and playing.

http://www.whatgamesare.com/2010/12/game-dynamics-vs-game-mechanics.html

Trowing a ball in the air is game mechanic but the process between the ball and the air is the game dynamic.

Examples:

Ray Man

• Game Mechanics – jump, move left/right, punch;
• Game Dynamics – when moving move the viewport, double jump, charge shot.

 

 

Super Mario

• Game Mechanics – jump, move left right;
• Game Dynamics – double jump and eating the mushroom then grow, collecting coins.

 

Kingdom Hearts 

• Images from:Game Mechanics – again simple actions – movement, attack with the sword and etc.
• Game Dynamics – special attacks, collecting stuff, talking .

Images from:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_Hearts_Birth_by_Sleep

http://venturebeat.com/2010/11/10/why-each-mario-game-could-be-the-best-of-all-time-or-not/

http://uk.ign.com/blogs/troyfullbuster/2012/08/21/rayman-origins-review-ps3/

Top 10 Games

My personally top 10 games in terms of audio (in chronological order) ~~~>Audio

All the images in the presentation from https://www.google.co.uk/