VERY UNIQUE (SEE ALSO: "REALLY MOST SINCERELY DEAD")
There may be no such thing as originality, strictly speaking: but how *relatively* original is the game you are producing? What sets it apart from the models and precursors you identified last week? Explain in a few sentences or so.
The same ground rules apply here: if your groupmates have already expressed one approach, try to contribute something new.
DUE MONDAY, APRIL 6 AT CLASS.
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As for originality with my project, it is hard to asses. The concept of custom pc building obviously isn’t original. Using simulations as a tool for persuasion also isn't very original. However the construction of an idea where complete novice users as well as young children can enjoy a demonstration about building computers and what parts are better than others I think is a bit unique.
ReplyDeleteStarting with the card game referred to in Blog Assignment 2. It made a sometimes boring subject, rather fun for everyone I saw play the game, even in class. The game was mainly based on a high score low score win, but you could only win if you had the high score and your cards could build a pc (i.e. Motherboard/Cpu combo, Ram, HDD, OS, & production software or a game)
This version is more of a simulation. So the lackluster pc building concept is used but without the competition of human thinking opponents. This simulation will convert the scoring point total system into a monetary value to show savings.
In our game Slump Expunger, we've taken the ideas from Sim's games and other simulations where you have status levels that are manipulated by either gathering, building, or performing actions. We've altered that by shooting money at certain people that will benefit most in an attempt to keep all the status levels even and slowly bring back the economy. Since our game is dealing with the current financial crisis, the idea of helping subjects by shooting money at them while avoiding the bad deals is something not often, if ever, done.
ReplyDeleteI took the time to google "budget game" and came up with some hits. Although our game is similar in content with these games, the method of gameplay we use to relay our information has not (as far as I know) been done. Our game does not give the stagnant feel of most single-screen budget games; the environment and targets are constantly moving. Also, instead of the apathetic, god-game of Sim City, our game puts the shows of a person in the midst of the Slump.
ReplyDeleteOur game is different than others and it has a unique theme to it. I came up with the original idea of saving the economy of recession. I was going to make a character named Barack Obama for the game at first. This name for Slump Expunger changed later on. I created something along of the lines of fighting bad terrorists and giving money to the poor. This game has a special genre that I call which is a political game.
ReplyDeleteThis game also focuses on the lives of important people who believe in justice for all. Many citizens feel they need more than just money for their schools, buildings, jobs, and cars. So I developed an outline where you would have three characters investigating certain areas in the U.S. The game originally was designed to have three levels.
While there are many stock market simulations out there, what sets ours apart is ours is not a perfect, realistic stock market meant to be played by serious investors. While ours attempts realism, it has a bit of a game element that others lack.
ReplyDeleteThe difference between this and the neopets precursor I mentioned last week is the neopets market was very slow and meant to be a long term game. While our game could be played for hours I don't expect people to put months of time waiting for things to happen and stocks to rise or fall.
I think the originality of our political simulator is a bit difficult to assess. I think in terms of game play style it is similar to other games on the market, but the content is very different. There are plenty of games that place the player at the helm of an organization and force them to make difficult decisions, then weather the fall out from those choices. Games such as Red Alert, Star Craft, Civilizations, Sim City, and Risk come to mind. Our game takes a basic game play model and seeks to apply it to a unique topic. Ultimately the game will make a political point regarding the democratic process. A distinction that will separate it from the previously mentioned games.
ReplyDeleteTo the best of my knowledge, there isn't an existing game that uses our game play style to make the same point as us. Even if such a game exist, we're modernizing the decision tree to reflect current event situations. By the nature of how our culture changes, this modernization process would make our version radically different from anything made more than a 4 years ago.
The concept for the UB Parking Bonanza game has been done before, many top-down view Flash games are all over the internet, however the concept for the game is what sets this game apart. Our game takes the real-life scenarios experienced by yours truly and makes a humorous point about the difficulty parking at UB. I believe this game would be loved by all who drive to UB for classes, it hits the common nerve of us all.
ReplyDeleteSlump Expunger does follow some rules of the sim genre; the investments you make dictate the flow of the game, and what problems will arise. However it also follows many of the rules of a platformer with limited ammo where awareness and conservation dictate gameplay. What our games does differently is utilize the combination of a feeling that your actions are meaningful to the development of the environment as in a sims game, but emphasize the feeling of scarcity by giving the player limited "ammunition" to invest. The shooting mechanic also shows the investments visually as an interaction between people as opposed to moving sliders or typing in values on a sims screen, which provides the player with a more intimate relationship with the choices they make. Essentially the unique part of Slump expunger is to use preexisting game mechanics to simultaneously express a desperate and hazardous investment market, but still make the player feel empowered by the decisions they make.
ReplyDeleteOur game takes a serious issue (several, actually), and looks at it in a comical way. The idea is to show the ridiculous extremes of any given argument, thus forcing the player to take a step back and reassess their own perspective. While we are borrowing key elements from other games, we're turning them on their head to make our own game. For example, we are using the sort of play style and humor in Chez Geek or Pimp: The Backhanding, but using it to address serious issues. Frankly, this game will be downright offensive to many people. But those are the people who are unwilling or unable to step outside their views and see the game as the ridiculous farce that it is.
ReplyDeleteOur game is also different in that it is a serious card game. Card games are not generally considered to be within the realm of "serious games," but we (along with our speakers last week) aim to break that mold.
There are no shortages of driving games to pick from on any games site. It would be extremely difficult to come up with a ground breaking idea in this genre. I think that the text driving idea is rather unique in the way it is focused on showing the player concentrating on something other than getting the best time, or winning. The player will be focusing on surviving and trying not to maim/ kill anyone else in everyday driving situations. It is more about the choices that are made when you are behind the wheel and the impact of those choices on the enviroment.
ReplyDeleteThere are many sim games... a whole hell of a lot, so there are bound to be similarities in many of them. Our game isn't exempt from this fact, our games' gameplay is similar to what you would find in RTS games as well as other sim games.
ReplyDeleteI believe the originality of our political sim game comes from the fact that this games purpose is to express an opinion on the democratic process as a whole rather then being politically biased one way or the other.
Eric is absolutely right. A simple search on Kongregate for "parking" games turns up about a dozen different results. However, in addition to being exclusively about UB, there are, to my knowledge, no event-based parking games. Parking games always appear to be level-based, in that the player is given several different scenarios and told "park here." Never is there a situation where the player must navigate his or her way to garage and park... or a situation in which said garage might be full. In that way, we are showcasing the student parking experience, not just making another parking game.
ReplyDeleteI don't know of too many financial games to begin with. I suppose most people and certainly gamers would not consider something like a financial game fun or something they would want to play at all. However, that is the goal of my game, to actually have some good entertainment value as well as an educational value.
ReplyDeleteThis isn't an easy task, I suppose, but it is a noble goal and I think what I have in mind would attract a wide range of people. Everyone could use some practice with managing their personal finances and this game would provide that.
My game doesn't borrow much from any game, so I suppose that would make it fairly original. Of course nothing is 100% original, everything has its influences, but I believe my game is a new concept that hasn't been done before.
The Market is intended to be viewed as a serious tool for this interested in the stock market trends. Most financial simulations are designed for entertainment purposes almost exclusively. Whereas The Market can be utilized for entertainment or a real-world simulatory experience.
ReplyDeleteRollercoaster Tycoon was a blend of many different real-world aspects. However, no one aspect was incredibly complicated. Also the game, while having a financial management element, didn't necessarily focus on that element as the primary precursor for playing it.
I suppose since I referenced graphics last class, it's appropriate to do so here as well. As a member of the group creating the political Simulator with Team Xtreme, we discussed the creation of an interface somewhat unique among the sim crowd. Though we likely won't be able to implement it all due to time constraints, we decided to utilize different objects sitting on one's desk to generally control the interface. For example, a laptop would be used for basic news and email, while bills from the legislature would be stacked on one corner
ReplyDeleteAs my other group members have pointed out, our game is not level oriented and it's gameplay is based on real UB student issues. I would like to add that we are striving for interesting and challenging gameplay without adding NPCs, enemies, or other similar obstacles.
ReplyDeleteEven in other parking games, there are usually other moving cars to navigate around, and the gameplay tends to be focused on not running into said cars. Our game is not based on driving skill, but rather basic navigation. We do not want to encourage UB students to drive in unsafe ways to make it to class on time, but traffic is not what this game is about. UB Parking Bonanza is about the inability to park - the struggle to simply find an open spot or a garage you can even get into. Adding extra elements to our game to force the player to drive more cautiously would do nothing but cause distractions. In a way the game isn't about driving at all - it is about NOT driving.
If that makes any sense, awesome.
Our game will be different from many other driving top down games because I've never seen another parking simulator game. Our game should also relate to the students of UB since most students have to deal with the parking garages.
ReplyDeleteIn the last post I mentioned our game had similar aspects to GTA2 because of the similar driving style but in our game you will not be able to run over and kill anyone.
Well the biggest difference between the games i stated last week and my game is that traffic rules apply. In GTA there really are not any penalty's for traffic laws unless you hit someone or crash into a cop car. As for crazy taxi, you can pretty much do whatever as long as get to your destination on time. I want the user to have to get there fast but not break the laws. There will be consequences otherwise.
ReplyDeleteIn our game you actually get penalized for misbehavior on the road. You can't do crazy stunts and not be held accountable for it like on a gta game.
ReplyDeleteOur game I feel is pretty original for the fact that I have not seen or played a game where you get to answer some of the questions that the governors or even presidents have to answer. The only time I have seen this is when schools take their students on a field trip to go see how a bill is passed. Now that is not a video game simulation that is a real life simulation. Not everyone can go see this being done so we figured why not bring it to a game. This game will have an approval rating just like the president has an approval rating.
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