From: bkoike@sdcc13.ucsd.edu (Bryce Koike)
Newsgroups: rec.games.programmer
Subject: Re: Game Design Issues(Randomness, Windows, Women)
Date: 28 Sep 92 18:47:26 GMT
Organization: University of California, San Diego

In article <28SEP199209552093@venus.tamu.edu> jew5001@venus.tamu.edu (WILLIAMSON, JOHN EDWARD) writes:
>
>This seems to be the most appropriate place to ask these game design
>questions that have me rather stumped.
>
>First, why is there never any variation in the Nintendo-type of scrolling
>games (Mario, Street Fighter, Commander Keen, and the like)?  By variation
>I am not refering to the genre itself (though that too could use some new
>ideas), but rather the lack of variation in the number and location of 
>villians you are supposed to attack.  Or is memorizing the exact and predictible
>location of each villian part of the fun of the game?  

	Well, in a game like Street Fighter, the point is that you
KNOW you'll have to fight so-and-so at X part in the game.  You've
conquered all the bad guys before him/her and now you get to find
out if you're good enough to beat the next one.  How about Dragon's
Lair?  Very little variation...it was just a trick of memorizing the
right things to do at the right time.
	Most games are like this, even Pacman...

>Second, other than the Sim series (ant, city, world), I have yet to see
>a game for the Windows environment that actually uses the GUI to improve
>gameplay (Balance of Power, sort of made good use of a GUI).  Is this
>because of the difficulty programming in Windows, or because we, as game
>designers, are so used to thinking of one screen designs, or because multiple
>windows of information (that can be resized, etc.) just aren't important to
>a good game?

	I think that there's so much to Windows that it's still too
early for anyone to be doing anything revolutionary (grin) with
their designs.  Robosport has a nice way of doing things, but it's
slow. (In fact, the main reason I'm not programming in Windows is
because it's slow...)  Generally, it's a lot of work to do something
"nice" with a Windowing environment...

>And finally, what are you doing as designers in an attempt to lure women
>to play your games (and spend their money).  Aside from the Barbie Design
>Studio and the Laura Bow series I haven't seen any big ticket attempts to
>attract women into computer gaming (forgot about Ms. Pacman). Is this
>because you've given up on this sector of the population or because you
>feel that a good game should appeal to everyone one or that women will play
>more computer games if they get more access to computers at an earlier age?

	Most of the women I know would rather date a gnerdy guy like
me :) than play one of those "stupid" computer games.  (Well, THEY
say it's stupid...sniff...)  Although I do have one female friend
who's played everything from Leather Goddesses of Phobos (original
Infocom version) to the newest Ultima, Loom, etc...
	Personally, I think that the less combat, the less random
destruction there is, the wider the acceptance for a game will be IN
GENERAL.  (Willy Beamish and most of the other Sierra On-Line games
are good examples.)
	There are always women who like bashing monsters or men who
can't stand it (I've met both), but in general, I think that
thinking games that lack senseless violence tend to be more accepted
by a general crowd.  (In other words, kids can play it, parents can
play it with their kids, women can play it, and men can play it...)
A mega-gore game will probably turn off most women, might stop some
parents buying it for their kids...etc.
	I'm afraid that I haven't attempted to deal with a female
audience with the games I'm writing.  I'm writing games that I want
to be and being male...well...let's just say that they're male-type
games.

>There is some emperical evidence that women are not as good and do not
>enjoy the traditional fly and shoot 'em up type of game even after
>you control for computer experience, computer phobia, and spatial ability.
>Or it could just be that they don't like this type of game and their score
>reflects more boredom than ability.

	I think that society does this to women and it really isn't
some strange inherent thing.  They're not as good probably because
they're not motivated to be good (in other words, most computer
games don't hold their interest).
	Hmm...Tetris is a good example of a nice general game that
both sexes tend to like.  Street Fighter II, on the other hand, is a
good example of a game that mostly guys like.  (Women tend to prefer
puzzles over violence, so obviously SFII won't appeal to many while
Tetris would.)
	Making another Tetris is just a little hard, though...
>
>John W.