Activity - Game Invaders: The Theory and Understanding of Computer Games - page 82

• Twitchy games will appeal strongly to some people and be quite offputting
to others.
• A balance of twitchy and non - twitchy activities — as in RPGs and sims — will
be a strong draw to those who want a bit of twitch now and then but also like
having time to think, puzzle, and plan.
Achieving the right balance of AGs to match the kind of twitch factor required
of a game is not an easy business and if you look at the activity profi les for different
genres you will see that you cannot just mix and match AGs as you see fi t. AGs
seem to come in groups depending on the genre of the game and so on. There is
certainly much food for thought for you here; but, of course, that is one of the main
aims of the topic.
TASKS
1. One insightful way for the reader to start using GIL is to select a number of
games you have enjoyed playing and take a good long look at their activity
profi les. Are there any common features in the profi les? Are there activities
that seem to capture what it was that you found pleasurable in the games?
2. Now take a selection of games you wouldn't dream of playing and take a
look at their activity profi les. Again, look for patterns and/or recurring activi-
ties. From 1 and 2, what have you learned about your game preferences? Be
honest with yourself here; you'll learn far more.
3. Take a look at a set of games from a franchise. Are the profi les mostly fairly
similar or is it just a character, backstory, or other form of license material
that holds them together? Try to identify a franchise that has a consistent
activity profi le across all or most of its games.