Why are Great Games Great? Is it the Fun factor? The Tech? The Interface?

Great Games are Great Why?
Tell me!
Image, Fun, Interaction & You?

Instead of talking about a must-see band today, I decided to muse and mull something different. After all, the site's name is Musings and Meanings of Non-Sensical Events...and Canada. Well, I'm going to muse, and perhaps you can help me find some meaning. It may not be non-sensical, then again, what is sensible about many things that we, as human beings, do? As for Canada, well, this musing is international, so feel free to pipe in from whereever you are--Canada won't be an addendum to the US this time! (wink & LOL, sorry Canada, know it bothers you all when people lump you together with the USA.)

I do a lot of research into image, interaction, social identity in an online world, interface design, and other things--including what makes something 'beautiful' or 'fun' or 'innovative' or you-name-it. It's one reason this site is dedicated to music, art, dance and media issues. I find beauty here as well as innovation and that ever illusive 'fun' factor.

Those that read this blog regularly know that I often spoof Microsoft, Google, Disney and other big media players (you note I said 'media' not 'internet' as we are well beyond just 'internet' these days in our daily online lives.) They get spoofed not because of any real dislike for them, but because they are so big and powerful now that the effects they can have on the media world can be shattering. Or they can be innovative and uplifting. However, being big companies, they are about profit and loss (P&L) and if we, those without power, don't constantly remind them that we, those that purchase and use their services, want fun, innovation and usefulness, then there is the likely chance that they will stop listening all together. Customer service departments you see and market research are money sinks rather than profit centers--hence, if big companies think they can get rid of the money sinks, they will.

What has this got to do with games, image or even you? Well, beyond the obvious things of you being a consumer/user, I'm talking about quality of life. This includes quality of life online as well as offline. Fun is a big part of that. Games are often a way to understand 'fun.' Plus, how you interact with games or online spaces is a big factor as well.

As for Image, many of you...in fact ALL of you...create your image and present it to others, online or offline. If you are an artist (any genre, any form) then understanding how to create your image and how to present it to others as well as what effects it has on others will help you succeed or fail in your artistic pursuit. Why do you think big companies spend so much time and money on Branding? They know it matters in ways that are hard to measure with current, past and future customers. Human beings are wonderfully complicated and yet both similar and unique. This is why companies try to appeal to particular demographics and why different art forms, music genres, games and of course sporting events exist. We are different. We are alike. We like different things. We band together to enjoy those things. Sometimes we change our minds and like something new or go back to something old. We're fickle and we change over time. It's natural.

But if you are trying to build a fanbase for your work, then you have the same headaches those big companies have with trying to retain their customers and find new ones. Image.

Except you don't have millions to spend on branding, marketing and research, or PR spinning when you mess up, do you? So you need to think even more carefully about how you present yourself to others and whether it has the intended effect.

So back to games. I've talked about marketing issues related to image. I've talked about design tools that make it easier to create your image online (without being a programmer.) So why am I blathering on about games? Or for that matter that interaction or design thing I mentioned?

Think about your presentation online. It's not just about putting up some photos of yourself and quickie bio, is it? You customize your webpage, your MySpace page or your blog, don't you? You should be thinking not just about 'what' you say and 'what images' you put up, but also about what colors you choose for your site, what songs/music you put on your site and on a deeper level, how viewers interact with the stuff you put up.

Now MySpace and Google Blogger pretty much give you standard interfaces (buttons, comment sections and so forth) so if you think carefully about how you customize there, you won't have many problems. (I've seen some sites that didn't think first, and you can't find the buttons, or other elements sit in front of them so you can't use them.)

Figuring out that interaction is also important. If you frustrate people by making it hard to contact you, or get to options on your page or you mislead them into following some trail that turns out to be bogus, then you are going to have major image problems. Don't piss off your potential and current fan base. Know what they like and want and do that, but without being false. Be true to yourself and your image, true fans will respect you for it and it will be easier to maintain a true image, even one that is evolving through the highs and lows of being an artist.

Again, games? Why games? OK, games are innovative almost by their very nature AND they have to think about interactions with the player and the interface design AND all the creative elements (visual, audio, narrative, everything.) A great game creates an emotional connection between the game and the player. It doesn't take million dollar special effects or 1000s of man hours of programming. Production quality always helps, but like some great cult TV shows, it doesn't always matter.

Games also innovate in how we see the world. The one thing that disappoints me across the web and software industry is the lack of cool, visual design innovations. They are out there, but you rarely see them. Big companies don't like risk and consumers too often are risk aversive, too. Consumers say they want intuitive design (which is great) but then companies decide that that means don't try anything new. What do we get? We get same-old, same-old web designs based on very standardized design principles and almost always using the same 2D desktop metaphor that Windows and Mac both use.

The idea of design standards was to give designers a better understanding of GOOD design..i.e. don't make it hard to use, don't make it so that people can't understand what it's for, make it easy to make a purchase, or find a bit of information...that sort of thing. It didn't mean look exactly like your neighbor, except for the branding graphics and the link titles. It didn't mean throw out other metaphors for visual design and only, ONLY use the flat, 2D desktop model. (No, adding buttons that have a more 3D kind of look, isn't 3D...having simulated depth use via a 2D screen is 3D.)

Games go for 2D and 3D. They go for new interfaces for the players, with heads up displays, new controls, feedback systems, you name it. They are trying out new ideas everyday and it's not bleeding over into the more general online space, which disappoints me. It should also disappoint you, since you and I are the ones that are missing out on perhaps something even better than what we have now.

Games know that the competition is tough. (It's not just a question of Windows or Mac, Yahoo! or Google.) Competition for artists is tough, too! Even more than the games market, you have to find ways to stand out and get noticed. You need, like a game or website, GREAT content (i.e. your art, your music, your dance, your writing...) How you present yourself (IMAGE) goes a long way to getting people to notice you, trust you and want to learn more about you.

As for creating a fun, compelling experience for your fanbase, that's a whole other subject. I still wonder what 'fun' truly is...and what it means to different people. For example, the games I like the most, enjoy the most don't tend to be FPS (first person shooter) games like Halo or Half Life. I actually love games like Mercury, Marble Madness, F-Zero GX, Frequency, Dragon's Lair, Space Ace and Asteroids. Some of them are old games, some newer.

I was impressed with Myst; it's visually stunning, but I tend to get frustrated on complicated, obtuse games like that, so the fun factor dropped. The game that totally immersed me and scared the daylights out of me was called Iron Helix. No blood. No gore. But it did manage to actually convince me that what was happening was real, even though I was remotely controlling a robot and couldn't get hurt. My adrenalin raced as 'something' closed in on me and I fled the space station (to save my robot.) I had to remind myself that it wasn't real. Good games just like good TV shows or films do that to you.

But what I find fun or exciting or real is likely quite different from someone else, hence, fun is hard to break down into a fixed formula and why being true to yourself in building your image is so important. Everyone is different and not everyone will like you or your stuff. It's not an insult to you. It's normal. You want to find the fans that will like your stuff and appreciate it.

How you present your image helps. So look at games you like, TV and film you like, music you like, colors you like, design you like, interactive processes you typically do (how you navigate around the web, or what you expect to find someone's website...) all this will help you figure out how to design your image.

As for games and fun, I'm going to ask you the question because I definitely want to hear from you on this one.

What games do you find fun? What music is fun? What sports? What dances? What books? Or magazines? Or comics/graphic novels? Do you play games on your phone? How do you deal with the tiny screen? How can it still be fun with a screen that small? That small screen drives me nuts! What sites do you like? And WHY? What makes them fun for your? Do you even care that all the web site designs out there tend to look alike? That all the computers tend to look alike as well?

Let me know, because I really do want to know your opinions, and this is purely informal--I just want your opinions since I'm still trying to figure this out. Afterall...We human beings are hard to understand and every little bit helps.

Have a great weekend!
CG Anderson