I have found the missing link between the

I have found the missing link between the higher ape and civilized man: It is we. Konrad Lorenz Game Ethology The Missing Link: A Methodology for Analyzing Design through Behaviour in Games Katrin Becker, University of Calgary

Outline • • Background Are We There Yet? Serious Game Design So What’s the Problem? – Game Analysis for Design (A Solution) • Finding Masterpieces – Studying the Masters • Game Ethology • Sample Analysis • Next? Katrin Becker, MIGS 2007, Serious Games Canada Game Ethology 2

Background (mine) • Amateur Naturalist & Ethologist since childhood. • Trained in Computer Science • CS Instructor 1983 -2006 – Programming, Data Architecture • Educational Technologist since 2003 – Instructional Design Katrin Becker, MIGS 2007, Serious Games Canada Game Ethology 3

Are We There Yet? • Do we know enough about game design to stop investigating it? • Do we know enough about serious game design to stop researching how to make them? • Is design for Serious Games the same as design for Commercial Games? Katrin Becker, MIGS 2007, Serious Games Canada Game Ethology 4

Serious Game Design Differences Game Design Focus Player Experience (how) Content / In accord with each Method other (content may be irrelevant) Vantage Entertainment (& Point SENG? ) Fidelity self-consistent, otherwise irrelevant Credentials Industry Katrin Becker, MIGS 2007, Serious Games Canada Game Ethology Serious Game Design Content / Message (what) Method secondary to Content (game as receptacle? ) SIG (medicine, military, social change, . . . ) Faithfulness to message essential SIG (and industry? ) 5

So What’s the Problem? How do we make (good) serious games? • Software Engineering? – 30+ years and we STILL haven’t found the Grail • Theater & Film? – Documentary, training, & other non-fiction? • Education? – Instructional Design? Katrin Becker, MIGS 2007, Serious Games Canada Game Ethology 6

What’s The Answer? Pontificate (i. e. pull the answer out of your. . . . ). Hire only those with proven records of success. Borrow methodologies from other design disciplines. Study & Analyse Players. Study & Analyse Games. Katrin Becker, MIGS 2007, Serious Games Canada Game Ethology 7

Analysis of Games for Serious Design Three fundamental assumptions: 1. Players must learn and indeed do learn new things while playing the game. 2. It is possible to examine learning in a digital game without associating what is learned with value-laden educational aims. 3. Successful games are successful at least partially because they already facilitate learning. Katrin Becker, MIGS 2007, Serious Games Canada Game Ethology 8

Learning in Games • All games are about learning. – But NOT necessarily about Education • Learning is what we DO. • Learning is how we win the game. Katrin Becker, MIGS 2007, Serious Games Canada Game Ethology 9

Learning vs. Education Learning Education Value-Neutral Value-Laden Can be Coincidental Deliberate Natural Coerced/Persuaded Internally Motivated* Katrin Becker, MIGS 2007, Serious Games Canada Game Ethology Externally Motivated* 10

Learning in Serious Games • Learning is still usually how we win the game (or get to the end). – About knowledge, skills, attitudes • Some exceptions? – ps. Doom [ http: //psdoom. sourceforge. net/ ] • utility • Some are about action or prompting action: • Example: Free. Rice [ http: //www. freerice. com/ ] • Drill / quiz / contest Katrin Becker, MIGS 2007, Serious Games Canada Game Ethology 11

Successful Games Facilitate Learning Katrin Becker, MIGS 2007, Serious Games Canada Game Ethology 12

Game Analysis for Design Learn about how to make good games by studying good games. Katrin Becker, MIGS 2007, Serious Games Canada Game Ethology 17

One Approach: Study the Masters Why? They already have it right. Katrin Becker, MIGS 2007, Serious Games Canada Game Ethology 18

Studying the Masters Katrin Becker, MIGS 2007, Serious Games Canada Game Ethology 19

Good Games? Data fusion: Combine ranked lists of • Annual sales figures NPD Group http: //www. npd. com/press/releases/press_070119. html • Review sites Best Ofs – – – • • – – – Game Critics Awards: Best of E 3 awards. http: //www. gamecriticsawards. com/ Metacritic: http: //www. metacritic. com IGN: (Independent Game Network) Top 100 Editor's Choice http: //www. ign. com/ Game. Spot: Top Games http: //www. gamespot. com/ Gamespy http: //archive. gamespy. com/ Moby. Games http: //www. mobygames. com IGDA awards AIAS awards Katrin Becker, MIGS 2007, Serious Games Canada Game Ethology 20

Top 25 (as of Dec. 2006) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 Half-Life 2 Halo 2 Black & White Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 Grand Theft Auto III Spore Shadow of the Colossus Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 Metroid Prime Golden. Eye 007 Deus Ex World of Warcraft God of War Soul Calibur Neverwinter Nights Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker Resident Evil 4 Nintendogs Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Halo: Combat Evolved Unreal Tournament Katrin Becker, MIGS 2007, Serious Games Canada Game Ethology 12. 70 11. 17 11. 08 9. 47 9. 02 8. 93 8. 78 8. 69 8. 57 8. 50 8. 42 8. 18 8. 03 7. 47 7. 04 7. 00 6. 95 6. 67 6. 35 6. 32 6. 25 6. 18 6. 00 5. 94 5. 50 M M T R R E E T R RP T T M M M T T E M E T M M AA FPS RTS AA AA Sport AA Sim AA Sport FIGHTING FPS AA MMO ACTION FIGHTING RPG AA Strategy Sim RPG FPS 16 13 13 10 15 14 13 9 11 11 10 9 12 10 9 7 8 9 8 7 10 7 11 21

Methodological Synergy Structural Analysis Reverse Engineering Ontological Excavation Behavioural Analysis Behaviour Studies Game Design Documents Ethology Game as Object Game Structure (static) Katrin Becker, MIGS 2007, Serious Games Canada Game Ethology (dynamic) 22

Methodological Synergy Structural Analysis Reverse Engineering Ontological Excavation Behavioural Analysis Behaviour Studies Game Design Documents Ethology Game as Object Game Structure (static) Katrin Becker, MIGS 2007, Serious Games Canada Game Ethology (dynamic) 23

Ethology Animal Behaviour Katrin Becker, MIGS 2007, Serious Games Canada Game Ethology 24

Ethology • Lorenz & Tinbergen credited as the fathers of modern ethology • Goes beyond structure • Studies subjects in their natural habitats • Attempts to answer: – Why do the things that they do? – What good does it do them? Katrin Becker, MIGS 2007, Serious Games Canada Game Ethology 25

Ethology Katrin Becker, MIGS 2007, Serious Games Canada Game Ethology 26

Ethology 1. Causation. What are the stimuli that elicit the response, and how has it been modified by recent learning? 2. Function: How does the behaviour impact on the animal's chances of survival and reproduction? 3. Development: How does the behaviour change with age, and what early experiences are necessary for the behaviour to be shown? 4. Evolution: How does the behaviour compare with similar behaviour in related species, and how might it have arisen through the process of phylogeny? Katrin Becker, MIGS 2007, Serious Games Canada Game Ethology 27

Game Ethology 1. Causation (interaction). [How does it work? ] What are the stimuli that elicit the response, and how has it been modified by recent interaction? 2. Development (flow): [How does it develop? ] How does the behaviour change over the life of the game, and what early experiences are necessary for the behaviour to be shown? 3. Evolution: [How it ‘evolve’? ] How does the behaviour compare with similar behaviour in related games, and how might it have arisen through the process of evolution? 4. Function (purpose): [What is it for? ] How does the behaviour impact on the game’s chances of success (survival) and sequels? Katrin Becker, MIGS 2007, Serious Games Canada Game Ethology 28

How To Do Game Ethology Measuring behaviour. Field Notes (What does the game do? ) Katrin Becker, MIGS 2007, Serious Games Canada Game Ethology 29

Types of Behaviour Type Compound Duration Interruptible Sequential Step single act short no n/a Event several steps Short medium no ordered Bout several bouts medium yes un-ordered Theme events & bouts level or game yes un-ordered State no Short medium no n/a Katrin Becker, MIGS 2007, Serious Games Canada Game Ethology 30

Types of Behaviour Katrin Becker, MIGS 2007, Serious Games Canada Game Ethology 31

Measures (coding) • Duration: measure of the length of real time an event takes. • Instigator: What was the action that started the event? • • Entry Event: provides details of the actions that triggered the event. Terminator: same as the entry actions. Exit Event: details of the exit action. Location: Games exist in a finite space and often behaviours are connected to specific locations. Other times events can occur in various locations. Both can be significant. Scene Description: Where is the action taking place? Describe scene; any non-interactive or static objects on the screen should be described. Behavioural Description: plain-English description of the actions that comprise the event. Any sounds or music; which other characters or objects are in the scene and whether they are active participants in the interaction or not. The actions of the player should be described. Dialogue: Transcribe any dialogue or other messages that are part of the behaviour. • • • – – those that would be experienced under normal uninterrupted play circumstances Random, Time-Triggered, Player-Instigated, Choose Option, Choose Next, State Driven (A particular condition is met), Other Katrin Becker, MIGS 2007, Serious Games Canada Game Ethology 32

So What? Why am I doing this? What is it good for? • Basis for comparisons • Same genre, Sequels, ‘Good’ games, Old games, Competitors – Build structured body of knowledge on good games (that can be compared against) • Augment early phase playtesting • Answer fundamental questions of our time – Do good games provide more or fewer choices (Events) than lesser games? – How long are cut scenes in good games? • Guiding questions during design Katrin Becker, MIGS 2007, Serious Games Canada Game Ethology 33

Sample Analysis Katrin Becker, MIGS 2007, Serious Games Canada Game Ethology Gardening in Animal Crossing 34

Behaviour Type Examples • Theme: Gardening • Bout: water all the flowers in the village • Event: water a flower • Step: pour • State: flower health Katrin Becker, MIGS 2007, Serious Games Canada Game Ethology 35

Analysis: Ethology, Causation (Interaction) Stimuli for players: • Watering can is a basic tool • Flowers, weeds appear What are the stimuli that • Flowers go brown elicit the response, and how has it been modified • Residents tell me to look by recent interaction? after flowers (What makes it do that? ) Game stimuli: • Planting flowers creates more, generates new colours • Consistent maintenance increases score • Running over flowers Not especially interesting destroys them at first glance, but • Watering brown flowers behaviour BECOMES interesting when revives them Reviewed in light of • Picking brown flowers other aspects. 36 destroys them Katrin Becker, MIGS 2007, Serious Games Canada Game Ethology

Analysis: Ethology, Development (Ontogeny, Game Flow) How does the behaviour change over the life of the game (like from level to level), and what early experiences are necessary for the behaviour to be shown? Katrin Becker, MIGS 2007, Serious Games Canada • ‘First level’ tutorial • Flowers must be planted* • Very little change in the game over the life of the game the change is almost all in the player • Effect is predictability. • Few penalties beyond immediate one (next ‘day’). • Jacob’s Ladders appear when the balance is right, but not every day. • Rewards include new colours, Jacob’s Ladders, golden rose, golden watering can Game Ethology 37

Analysis: Ethology, Evolution • Previous animal crossing (with adaptations for platform) • Limited RPG style / sim ancestors – Harvest Moon • Format: How does the behaviour compare with similar behaviour in related games, and how might it have arisen through the process of evolution? Katrin Becker, MIGS 2007, Serious Games Canada – Changes in choices (options include only those that make sense) – Pockets – Currency More informative when looking at multiple games. Game Ethology 38

Analysis: Ethology, Function (purpose) – how does it support game’s goals? • Cultivation • Collections • Bells for flowers • Experience. . . How does the behaviour impact on the game’s • Obvious penalties for chances of success (survival) and sequels? misses (natural consequences) For Serious Games: How • Effort is rewarded does the behaviour advance or help the game’s purpose? Katrin Becker, MIGS 2007, Serious Games Canada Game Ethology 39

Next • New approach – Needs refinement • Has potential to add to understanding of games in new ways. Katrin Becker, MIGS 2007, Serious Games Canada Game Ethology 40

Thanks! Questions? Katrin Becker, MIGS 2007, Serious Games Canada Game Ethology 41