MDA: A Formal Approach to Game Design and Game Research

tags
Videogame Development Human-Computer Interaction Hypermedia

Notes

MDA framework (standing for Mechanics, Dynamics, and Aesthetics)

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Games are created by designers/teams of developers, and consumed by players. They are purchased, used and eventually cast away like most other consumable goods.

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their consumption is relatively unpredictable.

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thinking about the player encourages experience-driven (as opposed to feature-driven) design.

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Mechanics describes the particular components of the game, at the level of data representation and algorithms.

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Dynamics describes the run-time behavior of the mechanics acting on player inputs and each others’ outputs over time.

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move away from words like “fun” and “gameplay” towards a more directed vocabulary.

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Aesthetics describes the desirable emotional responses evoked in the player, when she interacts with the game system.

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Fellowship can be encouraged by sharing information across certain members of a session (a team) or supplying winning conditions that are more difficult to achieve alone

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Expression comes from dynamics that encourage individual users to leave their mark

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this might impact the game’s ability to recreate the reality of monopoly practices – but reality isn’t always “fun”.

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cannot be evaluated in vacuo, aside from their effects on a system behavior and player experience.

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mechanics of card games include shuffling, trick-taking and betting – from which dynamics like bluffing can emerge.

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player will expect coordinated activity on the part of opponents – but probably a lot less emotional expression. If anything, agents should express fear and loathing at the very hint of his presence.

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why?