Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
like the racial constructions of
GTA: San Andreas
. Less discussed are the ways
in which the words and design of the games in the series undercut the stark-
ness of the violence perpetrated by the protagonist. A careful construction of
the protagonist and prominent use of humor function rhetorically to make
the game 'foreign' enough from the life of the average gamer to be playable
and amusing enough that wanton killing is not necessarily a focal element of
game play. By taking a deep look at a particular game series to demonstrate
the presentation and key elements of a game, wordplay illustrates how the rhe-
torical forces embedded within a game impact how it is played and received.
In the case of
GTA
, increasingly refi ned steps have been taken to shape how
players discuss the game and which elements they fi nd notable. In the midst
of frequent public outcry, gamers are far less likely to talk about the violence
in
GTA
and far more likely to talk about elements of humor or game design.
By looking at the game's design and play, as well as reviews and gamers' com-
ments about the various games in the series, analyzing
GTA
demonstrates just
how much game design interacts with the texts surrounding games and how
combinations of words and images function rhetorically.
Chapter 6:
EA Sports and Planned Obsolescence
EA Sports is ef ectively built on annual editions of games that are obsolete
shortly after they are purchased. Relying on the annual variation in sport-
ing rosters in an era of free agency, each edition of the game also promises a
game engine update or two to tempt consumers into a new purchase. Even
if a new design element ends up on the video game equivalent of the cutting
room fl oor in future editions, these games are explicitly designed for annual
sale, promising just enough to be worth buying the new version of the game.
Rhetorically, the minor changes in game design create an environment where
consumers are encouraged to buy new games in an ongoing cycle, leading to
massive annual launches for EA's
Madden NFL Football
and
FIFA Soccer
.
The increasing integration of online play stands to concentrate power in the
hands of developers, as game companies can restrict a player's ability to play
online. Studying EA Sports solidifi es an aspect of wordplay by looking at
how game developers can leverage the design of a particular set of games to
create marketing fervor for the franchise, rather than just a single edition of a
game. By engaging in massive marketing ef orts, including the annual Mad-
den Day promotion, EA uses words to change the context for the reception of
their games and craft a particular discursive environment for sports gaming.
Sports games demonstrate how the critical tools of wordplay can go beyond
games to analyze culture and marketing ef orts.
Chapter 7:
Rearticulating Rewards in
WoW
After the Lead Content Designer of
WoW
, Tigole, deemed a new set of rewards
“welfare epics,” the
WoW
player community responded in a multitude of
