ADP - Week 1 - Observation - Fixed Camera Game

Advanced Play Design

Theme

Observation

Context

This week I considered the use of the camera in games, and how when the camera is restricted it can obscure information and lead the player down certain paths.

Considering this game mechanic I looked to the Capcom game series Resident Evil, which used a locked down camera in its earlier titles. This locked down camera approach restricts the players view and obscures the information they can see on the screen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OL3T5eeSuYI - Here is a link to a YouTube walkthrough video of Resident Evil 1 (1996).

I also looked towards Nintendo’s Super Mario 3D Land (2011) to observe its use of manipulated cameras to obscure or reveal information to the player. Released on the 3DS, Super Mario 3D Land includes multiple puzzles that are designed to fully utilise the 3D screen that the console possesses. This includes fixed camera environments with Escher-style platforms that in 2D appear to overlay each other, however when the 3D screen is enabled the player can see an extra level of depth that assists their depth perception of the puzzle.

I have attached screenshots to this post of Super Mario 3D Land that highlight how these puzzles are displayed in 2D.

As described by Costello and edmonds in A Study in Play, Pleasure and Interaction Design, I wanted to explore the pleasure frameworks of Discovery, described as “the pleasure participants get from making a discovery or working something out”, and Subversion, described as “the pleasure of breaking rules or of seeing others break them. It is also the pleasure of subverting or twisting the meaning of something or of seeing someone else do so”.

Method

I will create a short game that uses a fixed camera to obscure information about how the game can be played more easily.

Response

I created a small game in Unity where the player controls four characters at once, with the goal being to get all four characters on to the top platform at once. The camera is locked to a top down view, which obscures the fact that each platform the characters need to run up Is wonky and running in a straight line will often make them fall off. I am really happy with how this turned out as a proof of concept, and would like to revisit it when I am more adept at Unity.

Having others test out this game I am confident that I have hit upon the pleasure frameworks of Discovery and Subversion, as I was able to see the players have their thoughts of how the game should play subverted and then discovering how to play it successfully.