In Class Exercise 2/25/2011 Atari

Go to http://www.atari.com/play


Play one of the classic vintage arcade games (but NOT a facebook game!) online via a browser - e.g. asteroids, battlezone, centipede etc


(image and game from http://www.atari.com/play/game/centipede)

Student Name: Fontecha, John Phillip

Today’s Date: 02.25.2011

Game Title Examined: Centipede

Year of Publication (if known - check thedoteaters.com for details): 1980

Game Publisher: Atari, Inc.

Game Developer (if different from Publisher): Atari, Inc. (Ed Logg and Dona Bailey)

1 - What is the game genre (e.g. shoot-em-up, racing, sports, puzzle, MMORPG, ‘sandbox’, music sequence following game (e.g. DDR, guitar hero)
The game genre is  a shoot-em-up.

2 -What is the type of game ‘world’ or environment (e.g. flat environment, puzzle/maze space, 3D world?)
The type of environment is a flat environment.

3 - What is the perspective taken by player (e.g first person, third person perspective, top down, isometric) in relation to main player controlled character.
The perspective taken is top down in relation to the main player controlled character.

4 - What is the actual gameplay – what does the player have to do?
The gameplay is to shoot up as a gun from the bottom of the screen aiming at an approaching centipede from the top of the screen before it reaches the bottom, spiders appear that the player also has to shoot.

5 - Is the gameplay intuitive? (i.e. is it easy to understand what to do without instructions?) describe.
The gameplay is intuitive, because an aiming reticule is shown on screen and the player clicks and shoots are fired.

6 - Is the gameplay patterned (game does the same thing over & over) or is it random (happens differently every time?)
The gameplay is patterned.

7 - What does the type of graphic approach used as well as the audio tell you about the limits of the technology at the time the game was published?
The type of graphic approach used and the audio shows that the processing power of computers were limited to simple representations of what is happening and what it would sound like.

8 - Describe your views about the game from the point of view of
1) ease of play
The ease of play is easy in concept, but would be hard to master as the game gets faster and faster.
b) enjoyability
The game is enjoyable as a simple distraction. One the game is over the satisfaction is gone, because there is no progression system, negating the possibility of reaching a high score.
c) level of engagement/immersion
The level of engagement and immersion is based on twitch gameplay, which means you have to be attentive and not distracted in order to survive in the game and not get a game over screen instead.


9 - Had you played this game prior to this time? If so, when?
 I have played this game prior to this time as a Xbox Live Arcade release on the Microsoft Xbox 360.

10 - What does playing the game remind you of in terms of other games/media?
 Playing the game reminds me in terms of other games of Millipede, as the game's predecessor. The game also plays a bit like Galaxian and Galaga as fellow contemporary shoot-em-ups.

In Class Exercise 2/25/2011 Game Concept

Once you have a game idea in mind, these are the questions you must ask yourself in order to turn it into a fully fledged game concept. You don't have to be precise or detailed, but you should have a general answer for all of them.

1)     Write a high concept statement: a few sentences that give a general flavor of the game. You can make references to other games, movies, book, or any other media if your game contains simlar characters actions or ideas
 An action RPG about a high school student who gets caught up in an war between factions.

2)     What is the player’s role? Is the player pretending to be someone or something, and if so what? Is there more than one? How does the player’s role help to define the gameplay?
The player's role is to be the high school student and to gain skills as the character learns new skills from his teacher. The player's role helps define game play by controlling the avatar in the environment.

3)     Does the game have an avatar or other key character? Describe him/her/it
The game has an avatar, who is the satire of the nerdy geeky video game high school player.

4)     What is the nature of the gameplay, in general terms? What kinds of challenges will the player face? What kinds of actions will the player take to oercome them?
 The nature of the gameplay is an action RPG hand to hand combat. The challenges the player will face will be other characters in the the story.

5)     What is the player’s interaction model? Omnipresent? Through an avatar? Something else? Some combination?
The player's iteration is direct  control through the avatar as the character evolves through the story.

6)     What is the game’s primary camera model? How will the player view the game’s world on the screen? Will there be more than one perspective?
 The game's primary camera model is third-person. The player view will be auto-follow with player controlled tweaks when necessary.

7)     Does the game fall into an existing genre? If so, which one?
 The game is an JRPG inspired action RPG.

8)     Is the game competitive, cooperative, team-based or single player? If multiple players are allowed are they using the same machine with separate controls or different machines over a network?
 The game is primarily single player at this time of development.

9)     Why would anyone want to play this game? Who is the game’s target audience? What characteristics distinguise them from the mass of players in general?
 Anyone would want to play this game, because for it's crazy story. The game's target audience is the core video game player, especially for those who would recognize in-game references to other games. The game's unique story telling sets it apart from the average save-the-this RPG.

10)   What machine or machines is the game intended to run on? Can it make use of or will it require any particular hardware such as dance mats or a camera?
 Microsoft Xbox 360, Sony PlayStation 3.

11)   What is the game’s setting? Where does it take place?
 The game's setting is a high school in the modern day.

12)   Will the game be broken into levels? What might be the victory condition for a typical level?
 The game will generally be broken-up into the four years of high schools which will be further divided into chapters.

13)   Does the game have a narrative or story as it goes along? Summarize the plot in a sentence or two.
The game has a narrative story. The plot is that high school boy gets drafted into crazy secret assassin's guild.

Chess Variant - Chessthair

Chess Variant - Chessthair
Group members: Cory, Christian, John, Jeff

Game Objective: Place all of the pieces, excluding the pawns, back onto the board.

Playtime Average: 2-3 minutes

Rules: Each player begins the game by placing their king anywhere on the board. The two kings are incapable of taking each other out, but are allowed in adjacent squares. The two players take turns placing their remaining pieces on the board. At the beginning of your turn, you must move your king out of check and then place your next piece. Each piece placed must put the opposite colored king in check. The game ends when all pieces have been placed on the board, or if either king is unable to move. The players win if the kings survive after all pieces are placed on the board, and lose if either king is locked in check mate.

Play Example:



White player places his king on E2
Black player places his king on B6
White player places rook on B1, black players king is in check.
Black player places moves his king out of check to C6, then places his knight on C1.

Originally Posted by fellow group member, Cory Boyd

US Versus IT Rules

US VS IT.
Robot behavioral ruleset.
IT takes no more than 4 actions per turn.  
If an enemy is within range of ITs lazer eye, it will use it's lazer eye attack.
Lazer eye damage scaling to range: 0|1|1|2|2|3|3|4
Then IT will move forward 1 square, if path is unobstructed.
If an enemy is within IT's new range, it will use it's Fist attack. 
Damage scaling to range like so. 
1|2|2
0|0|3
1|2|2
The extra action is only used in atomic mine situations and is normally subtracted from the list of actions when IT has taken appropriate damage. 

If IT takes 2 or more dmg in a turn, then IT immediately drops an atomic mine on its turn damage scaling to range like so:
2|2|1
0|4|3
2|2|1
Then uses it's lazer eye unless reduced to 3 or less health. 
uses the rest of its actions to move forward.

The player starts with 8 tanks. 
4 On the 'offensive' side of the board.
4 On the 'defensive' side of the board.

The Robot blows up damage scaling to range like so:
10|10|10|10|10
10| 0 |  0|  0|10
10| 0 |  0|  0|10
10| 0 |  0|  0|10
10|10|10|10|10

Originally Posted by fellow group member, DickPowell

Answers to Questions for "End of Analogue - a history of videogames"

1) Who invented the first computer game on the PDP1?

Steve Russell, Martin Graetz and Wayne Witaenem invented the first computer game on the PDP1.

2) What was the name of the game?
The game wars Spacewar!

3) What was the name of Morton Helig's amusement device that let you smell, hear and see in 3D filmed experiences?
Helig's device was The Sensorama.

4) What early 1970s movie does an arcade console machine of Spacewar appear?
Spacewar appeared in Soylent Green (1973).

5) What was the name of the man who developed the first TV tennis game?
The man who developed the first TV tennis game is Ralph Baer.

6) Who was the man whose company Atari commercialized the idea of the arcade computer tennis game?
The man who commercialized the idea of the arcade tennis game is Nolan Bushnell.

7) What was the name of this version of the game?
The version of the arcade tennis game is named Pong.

8) What are vector graphics?
Vector graphics are representations of images by the computer using mathematical equations.

9) What types of games do vector graphics lend themselves to?
The types of games that vector graphics lend themselves to are space shooter games.

10) When home computers were first made available, how did owners load games into them?
Owners loaded games into the first home computers by users entering copying the source code from games via print media such as magazines.

11) What is the name of the 1985 film in which a young Matthew Broderick starts World War III with his home computer and modem?
WarGames is the film in which Broderick starts World War III in his home computer and modem.

12) From what sources did the designer of the Space Invaders aliens draw inspiration?
Tomohiro Nishikado, the designer of Space Invaders drew inspiration from The War Of The Worlds, Star Wars and Breakout.

13) What is the name given to the contemporary subculture of 8 bit music made with gameboys and other 80s game technology
The subculture of 8-Bit music is called Chiptune.

14) "Escape from Woomera" was a videogame which was used to draw attention to the plight of inmates at a remote detention center in desert town in what country?
"Escape from Woomera" draws attention to the plight of inmates at a remote detention center in a desert town of Australia.