Games MDA

Source: flickr

I read about the aspects that make up gaming MDA in this week's reading mechanics, dynamics, and aesthetics.

The first article I read was "MDA: A Formal Approach to Game Design and Game Research" by Hunicke, R. LeBlanc, M. & Zubbk, R. Designers/teams of developers create games, which are then consumed by gamers. They are purchased, used, and finally discarded.The distinction between games and other forms of entertainment is that game consumption is unpredictable.The MDA framework formalises game consumption by separating it into its several components: Rules, Systems and Fun. As well as developing design counterparts: Mechanics, Dynamics and Aesthetics. The premise that games are more like artefacts than media. When describing the aesthetic of a game we want to move away from "fun" and move towards directed vocabulary. It is far more instructive to think about the aesthetic aspects.

Another article I read was "Ethical Avatar" by Wolfgang Walk and Mark L. Barrett. This article discusses how to use a set of design tools that dramatically improve a player's sensation of engagement in the game world. This set of tools is known as the "Ethical Avatar," and this article describes how to use one in your own work, how it performs in design, and what types of games it works best with. An Ethical Avatar must be created, as well as changes to the manufacturing process. An Ethical Avatar must be incorporated into the game's vision as a normative component. We don't mean that a game has to let the user do whatever they desire. It is also not required to design an Ethical Avatar to ensure a beneficial outcome. Oppression causes resistance in the psyche of the player subject in relation to the game world, rather than being viewed as winning or losing. Ethical Avatar must be built into the game's environment and mechanics – and, as a result, into the problems in which the game becomes the player's opponent.

I watched this Video by the Last Becon. It broke down MDA framework and explained all the individual parts, as well as their usefulness. I was very pleased to learn the distinction between game mechanics and dynamics. I found this video more useful than reading the articles, as it gave an easier explanation. It was informative and I understood MDA more at the end. 

I also read  "An Advancement of the MDA Game Design". It describes the MDA framework in depth, as well as how it is applied, in a manner similar to that described above. Personally reading about this is all new information to me. The information provided in these articles will be helpful when I come to create my own game. 

The Ethical Avatar

Wolfgang Walk and Mark L. Barrett

The Ethical Avatar

Wolfgang Walk and Mark L. Barret