Information Technology Reference
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Fig. 8.6
Creating the game mechanics
Fragment 8. The designer's role
Local radio interview. 2013 05 25
Radio broadcaster: You're the designer, right? Why did you choose this plot?
Designer: Let's see. First, we wanted something different because I think there are many video
games about families infected by zombies, and here we have a murderous mother-in-law
infecting the whole family.
Radio broadcaster: Is there something like that in the market?
Designer: Yes, we were also watching different games, and the one we liked the most has action
and zombies and such. Then I wanted to create an environment slightly recreating daily life. The
mother-in-law idea infecting the whole family was oriented to having a more attractive game.
Radio broadcaster: That's fi ne, fi ne, and also the difference in your game (…). But you do
something more constructive than to cure the zombies, which I think is the goal, right?
Designer: Yes, because killing the entire family was going to be a little (…) then (…) they
have to fi nd the antidote in the house and avoid those already infected.
Here, we can see that the game designer has two messages. First, the team wanted
to be present in game markets, so they looked for something new that didn't exist
and considered ordinary people. Anticipating the fi nal product plays an important
role from the beginning (Sawyer
2003
). Second, she focuses on the game mechanics
considering antidotes that will save those who have been infected. As she wrote in
