Game Design Origins - Game Design Essentials - page 22

Technology is providing amazing methods for playing games. Innovative
storylines and interactivity continue to draw more and more players into vir-
tual worlds for everything from casual fun with card or matching games to
massive role-playing environs where the gameplay can go on for years.
This brief look back at the history of games and who made them is just a taste
of how and why the phenomenon of gaming has brought us to where we are.
Game designers now draw on a rich legacy, from the cultural phenomenon of
the Royal Game of Ur , to the impact of moral values during the development of
the board games in the 1800s, to the “Oh wow!” factor of computer games and
their stunning graphics and interactivity today.
Innovative designers continue in this long tradition by pairing technology
with the understanding of why people like to play games. The variety of games
will continue to develop and grow as technology improves and players continue
to make demands on the industry for bigger and better games.

t h e e s s e n t I a l s a n d B e y o n d

Games and gaming have existed for thousands of years, driven by the human need
to enjoy leisure time, to advance fighting skills without losing actual lives, to improve
cognitive or even psychic skills, and to push the limits of our desire to be competitive.
Innovative storylines, gameplay styles, graphics, and playing systems have developed as
more technical improvements continue to thrill gamers; however, all games have their
roots in historical examples.

a d d I t I o n a l e x e r C I s e

Take a look at the game Senet . You can find a version on the topic's website ( www
.sybex.com/go/gamedesignessentials ) that can be printed and played with dice
and markers, like tiddlywinks, or you can play the Shockwave version from the British
Museum online here: www.ancientegypt.co.uk/life/activity/main.html . Play
through the game a couple of times with the original rules; then break the game board
apart and try using the same number of squares but in a different configuration, such
as a spiral, or create gaps that you can only jump if you make a specific roll of the dice.
The game was originally designed for two players; however, attempt to expand that by
allowing a third player to join in. By taking a simple concept and then pushing the limits
of the game or introducing new variables, you can see how new games can be built based
on a workable existing game.

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