Other Attributes of the Computer

There exists within the game design community a school of thought that holds interactivity to be nothing more than a useful component in the design of entertainment software. According to this school, the computer is a wondrous tool offering a variety of capabilities, such as graphics, animation, music, and sound. Interactivity is seen as just another capability to be used or neglected according to the tastes and intentions of the designer.

The one thing that computers can unquestionably do better than anything else is interactivity. And they do it much, much better than any other medium. They internalize the rules, carry out calculations, permit immensely more complicated behaviors, and present the results far better than any other medium. Many years ago, before computers were available, somebody published a board air combat game. That's right, a flight sim done on paper. The game was technically successful in that it did, after all, present air combat in a functional manner. But it was a failure in terms of gameplay; it didn't feel at all like flying an airplane.

LESSON 11

Interactivity is the essence of what you are selling.

Let me present the argument in the language of business. Interactivity is the "basis of competitive advantage" of the computer. Sure, the computer can do a lot of things, but the one thing that it does better than any of the competing media is interactivity. And the wise businessman always throws his resources behind his basis of competitive advantage.

You aren't convinced? Okay, how about a military maxim: "Fight on the ground of your own choosing." The wise general offers battle only on the terrain best suited to the strengths of his forces and takes maximum advantage of the weaknesses of his opponent. If his biggest advantage is in cavalry, he will choose to fight on flat open ground where the cavalry can do its job best. Sure, he'll fight with his infantry and artillery, too, but the tactical primacy will go to the cavalry.

So too it must be with interactivity. Yes, the computer can do graphics and animation and sound, but these capabilities are not the primary strength of the computer. Interactivity is the real strength of the computer, and it must be given primacy in our designs.

None of this suggests that graphics, animation, and sound should be eliminated from our designs. These are necessary supporting elements in the overall design. The better we are able to marshal them to heighten interactivity, the more successful our designs will be. But necessity does not convey equality. The ability to use a keyboard is absolutely necessary to a programmer, but typing skill is nowhere near as important to good programming as clear thinking.



Chris Crawford on Game Design
Chris Crawford on Game Design
ISBN: 0131460994
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2006
Pages: 248

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