Game Elements

For this task I read an article called 'Formal Abstract Design Tools' by Doug Church. I found this reading very interesting and informative as Church first spoke about all the different elements it takes to make a good game; design, art, audio, levels, code. Church then went on to talk about the importance of how we actually talk about games, and how we need a shared language of game design. This language is important in understanding someone else's game and also to explain your game to others. "Formal Abstract Design Tools" is an attempt to create a frame work for this shared language and a way of going about the process of building it. This language would be useful as it would also help us give feedback to other game designers, instead of just playing a game and saying 'I really enjoyed that',  a new vocabulary would improve our understanding of and facility with game creation. This article gave me an understanding of different tools for games and how to talk about games with a more appropriate vocabulary.

http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/131764/formal_abstract_design_tools.php?page=2

The Blue Shell
The second article I read was called 'The Blue Shell and its Discontents' by Ian Bogost. This is a reading about the history of the 'Spiny Blue Shell' which is a power-up from the game Super Mario
Bros that has taunted players for years now. The Blue Shell has been around since 1990-1, when a Koopa Troopa with a blue shell first appeared in Super Mario World, but it has always been associated with speed power, and security. What thing article really made me think about, is that so much thought and time has gone behind such a small element within such a huge game. There are so many small components in most games you play that you just take for granted which could really play a huge part in the succession of the game. So what I have learned from this article is to really put thought and time into each element of my game, no mater how big or small.

http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/218696/the_blue_shell_and_its_discontents.php