Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
interface alter both how play works and its communicative implications.
Some of the changes in play on iOS extend the benefi ts of computerization,
like board games where players no longer need to set up the board or keep
track of the score. However, the touch interface built-in to iOS interaction
reshapes the design and relative success of many games. For some, like EA
Sports games or platform titles, the lack of buttons that can be felt without
looking can make the game harder to play. For others, including time man-
agement games, like
Sally's Spa HD
, the touch interface often feels better
than a mouse or separate game control pad. Applying wordplay to
Sally's
Spa HD
demonstrates a dif erent aspect of play, one that illustrates how the
strengths of an interface like the iPad shifts how play works.
Shortly after I downloaded
Sally's Spa HD
on our iPad, my partner,
Erin, developed an ai nity for the game. She played nightly to the point
Spa HD
is a straightforward time management game where players are
tasked with the job of running a spa and tending to the various patrons
who come in for things like facials and massages. The game starts at a basic
level, adding complication and stress as players have to balance additional
tasks within the spa and more patrons demanding service. Players have the
opportunity to upgrade their spas, adding chairs that relax patrons or staf
members to attend to basic jobs.
One of the most interesting parts of the game is its “Best Friends” mode,
which does a brilliant job of leveraging the iPad interface. In Best Friends
mode, the screen is split into two pieces, and two players play the game
together by sitting on opposite ends of an iPad. Utilizing the benefi ts of
a screen large enough for two people to use at the same time and a type
of game where cooperation can be an asset,
Sally's Spa HD
alters play by
encouraging players to work together and plan their ef orts. As Erin and
I began to play together we quickly realized that it was crucial to coordi-
nate our play and, once we did, the game became much easier than either
of us playing individually. The 'how' of play shifted in a way that would
not easily work on another gaming platform. Certainly, there are plenty of
games that feature cooperative play, but this mode of
Sally's Spa HD
lever-
aged dynamics at the core of the iPad's design. In this case, play is shaped
by the device and its strengths. From the touch-based interface to the size
of the screen, Best Friends mode is dependent on the iPad. The ability to
make a cooperative time management game based on running a spa also
means that this form of play stands to alter the 'who' of gaming as well, as
the game is clearly aimed at a demographic quite dif erent than the average
console title. Finally,
Sally's Spa HD
also shifts the 'what' of gaming, as it
is played on a device that is increasingly being defi ned by the games avail-
able for it.
Play is one of the foundational pieces of video games, an area that fre-
quently distinguishes video games from other forms of media. Often the
practices of play in video games have a tremendous impact on how they
