Carter Jensen

January 22nd, 2018

Annotated Source List

Adams, Ernest. Fundamentals of Game Design. Edited by Karen Johnson, 3rd ed., PDF ed., New
York City, NY, Pearson Education, 2014.
Summary: Book
When it comes to developing a video game, there are several different aspects to design that
everyone will need to understand and assess before moving forwards. By studying what has
made well-performing games of the past succeed, one can deduct what methods to use in
development which would make a game excel with audiences. There are several parts to
development which need to be carefully thought out and constructed by designers, user
interfaces, controls and physics, artistic aesthetic, and overall gameplay are just some of these
pieces. The rise of motion capture technology and the increased prominence of indie developers
open new gates that were once limited for past designers, so there is still much to learn and look
forwards to.
Application of Research
This book does hold a lot of substantial information for my research, though it acts more of a
sort of tutorial or guide for video game development than an analysis of game design. It also
appears to be somewhat outdated, as while most of its core information is still relevant, there are
minor bits like its focus on motion controls (which are dwindling as a checkmark most game
studios are trying to complete) that make it feel behind the curve, if only slightly.

Bowen, Kenneth A. "The realm of make believe and the extension of gameplay space." The
International Journal of Creativity and Problem Solving, vol. 25, no. 2, 2015, p. 37+.
Science in Context,
link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A443011730/SCIC?u=col41078&xid=6eb18e4d. Accessed
26 Sept. 2017.
Summary: Academic Journal Article
Player freedom and Open-World games are becoming more and more of a commonplace in the
industry today. They allow for unique and customizable experiences in games which are often
restricted in other popular genres. For example, a group of players created a photography
organization in Grand Theft Auto V where, instead of involving themselves in chaotic activities
of online servers, they instead document the anarchy by taking in-game photographs and posting
them on message boards and community hubs. In a similar vein, a player of Skyrim, a game
where the player can partake in a massive fantasy world full of armorclad combat and magic
spells, instead spent the game living a simple farm town life, where attempted to live as quietly
as possible and raise a family. What these anecdotes share is that they involve players
experiencing games in ways that developers did not intend, but ways that were allotted by the
games’ open-natured designs.
Application to Research
This academic journal article was the first I found which was entirely focused on game design.
I appreciate this article’s in-depth analysis of player freedom and games, as well as giving
several examples from recognizable games. It also analyzes the relation between game design
and player elaborately, an aspect which is not often covered by other sources.
"Breakdown: The Evolution of Video Game Difficulty." YouTube, uploaded by Downward
Thrust, Google, 10 June 2016, www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVdL0rjMBEs.
Accessed 20 Jan. 2018.
Summary: Video
Video games of the late 80s and early 90s have a reputation for being extremely difficult, even
more so than there modern-day counterparts, some would argue. By looking closely at these
game’s design, it can be inferred that this harsh standard of difficulty was actually the product of
systematic choices in development. For example, games were possibly deliberately designed to
be difficult, but not overly so, because it could ensure for more rental sales. If a customer was
having a difficult time progressing in a game, but still enjoyed it, they would likely rent the game
again in hopes of progressing further. Something that modern games have as an essential,
checkpoints, progress trackers, and save states, were mostly absent (or much less frequent) from
early games, and thus caused for longer strides between failures in gameplay. As games
progressed, hardware became stronger and allowed for more material. The limitations set by the
older games were gone, and players were allowed to become more adjusted to games and their
mechanics, and thus games felt easier.
Application of Research
This video discusses whether or not there has been a design evolution in video game difficulty of
the past couple decades. It details limitations set on older games and hardware, and what design
choices were spawned because of them, and how those limitations changed as the hardware
evolved. It would appear quite helpful to my research.

Byrd, Christopher. "'What Remains of Edith Finch': A high-water mark of narrative video game
design." Washington Post, 26 Apr. 2017. Science in Context,
link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A490663346/SCIC?u=col41078&xid=9209d250. Accessed
18 Sept. 2017.
Summary: Newspaper Article
A review of What Remains of Edith Finch, a first-person narrative adventure game. It
specifically discusses the game’s atmospheric and environmental design, and how that adds to
the game’s narrative. The author explains how several elements such as an area’s lighting or a
specific room’s set design can help develop a mood to the player. They go on to praise What
Remains of Edith Finch by saying that it sets a precedent, a ‘water mark,’ as the author puts it,
for other narrative games to follow.
Application of Research
While this reprinted newspaper article focuses on the accomplishments of just one game, it
does help establish some blanket statements about other game’s designs. It mostly does this for
the aesthetic elements, which, while not the major focus of my research, is still an important part
of my topic.

Cannon-Bowers, Jan, editor. Serious Game Design and Development: Technologies for Training
and Learning. Hershey, PA, IGI Global, 2010. Technologies for Training and Learning.
Summary: Book
Games themselves are a huge part of human culture and history- which expands far beyond
electronic video games, of course. There has been evidence of games from as far back as 3000
BC and the Egyptian empire. There is a large amount of psychological information behind the
workings of video game mechanics, the human brain surprisingly can read information from very
little givens, as long as there is some evidence to work off, and that it is used to similar tactics.
The science behind game designs is analyzed to create a loose guide on how a ‘serious game’
should be made.
Application of Research
I find this book to be very intriguing, as it analyzes why certain video game designs work based
on human psychology, which does actually fit itself nicely into my research. I hadn’t come
across a source before this which studied the ties with psychology and game design, at least not
as in-depth as this source did.

Cenry, Mark. "30 Years in the Making: The Evolution of Video Game Design - Adam
Sessler Interviews Mark Cerny." Interview by Adam Sessler. YouTube, uploaded by
Rev3Games, Google, 5 Mar. 2014, www.youtube.com/watch?v=EACNI6N0ICU.
Accessed 28 Nov. 2017.
Summary: Interview
In the days of the Atari, game design was focused much more around the technical limitations of
the hardware rather than the creative potential of the individual or idea. Nowadays, however,
with extremely stronger hardware, designers have much more freedom and can create almost
whatever they please. This lack of focus on technology has shifted to gameplay aspects as well,
where developers are trying to build there games in such a way where technical restrictions and
crutches such as loading screens should phase out of the modern game to create a more
immersive experience. “The technology is ultimately supposed to be invisible.” Similarly, a
recent interaction of this kind of debate over immersiveness is narrative, on how much of it
should be put into a game. Narrative, should only help emphasize gameplay and give a sort of
purpose. Narrative should not overtake the experience of the gameplay.
Application of Research
This interview is greatly beneficial to my research as it gives a wide variety of a long-time game
developer’s thoughts are game design and how it has changed over the years. It helps provide
reasoning to the shifts in the focus on design in the industry every few years.

Clark, Ryan. "Psychology, Human Evolution and Game Design." Game Developer Conference
2014, Mar. 2014, San Francisco, CA. Speech.
Summary: Speech
Our thoughts and desires can often be traced back to what is most gratifying or pleasing to the
human mind. This is likely because evolution has gifted humans with a deeper cognitive thought
process than most animals, and the roots of most human wants have some ties with what allowed
our ancestors to evolve. Video games, however, have only existed for a few generations, and
thus what we want in video games must be tied to what evolution has told us to want. For
example, this thought process can be linked with the recent trends in open-world survival games,
where the player competes against the environment to gather and craft materials, much like our
ancient ancestors did in reality. Thus, it can be inferred that many of the game design traits
which have become popular in modern design have become as prevalent as they are because
evolutionary responses are stimulated by these emulations of familiar scenarios.
Application of Research
This speech has been one of my first sources which directly attempts to link game design with
science, in this case tying human responses and thought process spawned by evolution with
successful game design. It finally provides an answer (or at least part of one) to my question, of
why game design elements have been preferred over others.

"CNN: The future of video games." YouTube, uploaded by CNN, Google, 9 Sept. 2010,
www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LtCCLhKz60. Accessed 15 Jan. 2018.
Summary: Video
Video games, throughout the few generations they have been around, have progressed at an
extremely quick rate. They’ve gone from large arcade cabinets to small but powerful home
consoles which you plug into your TV. With all these rapid evolutions, it's hard to tell where
exactly games are heading next. It would seem like motion controls are the big focus of the
current era, as many big industries are trying to replicate the technology set forth by Nintendo's
Wii.
Application of Research
While this video is somewhat outdated (motion controls are no longer the big fad they were in
the early 2010s), it does quickly summarize the evolution of video games over several console
generations. It does also set the context for what the predictions are for video games, at least a
few years ago, and shows how those predictions come to fruition.

"Design Club - Super Mario Bros: Level 1-1 - How Super Mario Mastered Level Design."
YouTube, uploaded by Extra Credits, Google, 5 June 2014,
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZH2wGpEZVgE. Accessed 7 Nov. 2017.
Summary: Video
The first level of Super Mario Bros. is an extremely well-made way of using the game’s simple
mechanics to teach the player everything they need to know about gameplay without saying a
word. Every interactable object, both moving and static, is given a specific, carefully thought-out
placement. What the first level of Super Mario Bros. teaches the player is exactly what they need
to progress further and complete the game, and the same mechanics present are the ones which
have been replicated time and time again. This is thanks to them working effectively on
newcomers and resonating with familiarity for returning players.
Application of Research
The exceptionally high-detail analysis of level design in this video works far beyond what it
might seem to do. Because of its explanations of the achievements in Super Mario Bros.’s
design, as well as simply identifying what design aspects are successful, it helps me identify and
explain the accomplishments of similar designs in other games.

Detering, Sebastian, et al. "Gamification: Using Game Design Elements in Non-Gaming

Contexts." CHI '11 Extended Abstracts on Human Factors in Computing Systems, edited
by Desney Tan, PDF ed., New York, NY, ACM, 2011, pp. 2425-28.
Summary: Conference Excerpt
The colloquial term “gamification” is used to describe how elements technically exclusive to
games can be applied to physical scenarios in reality. Using these connections, it is possible for
designers to learn how to better engineer designs which cater more closely to real life actions,
thus making games more immersive. Of course, a 100% emulation of reality and scenarios that
might entail is not possible, but it could be in the future if enough people are willing to work
towards it.
Application of Research
This conference excerpt is very helpful for my research as it prods at the idea of where ideas for
game designs come from. Here, a sort of backwards discovery is found, where elements in games
are being tied with real actions. Reversing this lets me find the possible sources for game
elements in real life.

"Game over for virtual reality?" The Economist, 1 Dec. 2017,

www.economist.com/news/science-and-technology/21731726-unimpressed-consumer
s-embrace-relevance-augmented-reality-instead-game.Accessed 20 Jan. 2018.
Summary: Web Article
During the holiday season of 2017, the prices on most VR headsets and systems were severely
cut, to the point where most families could afford them. This strange financial slash could seem
in part to the potential decline of VR’s popularity. The promising new medium of games was
something that most major studios were hyping and trying to push it- but most mainstream
consumers have yet to purchase the system. And even then, VR has yet to really hit the height of
its capabilities, so for most, there isn’t really a point to purchasing a headset, even with the
lowered prices. It’s not entirely the price of the headsets alone that drive off people either- most
VR systems require several other add-ons to function, such as hand-motion controllers and
mounted sensor stands, as well as the need for a powerful, high-operating computer system.
Most consumers just feel that all the requirements for VR don’t meet the payoff, and this kind of
reputation could prove as the medium’s downfall.
Application of Research
This web article is quite helpful for my research as it shows how the supposed new medium for
video games has been met with troubling responses from the market. However, the article talks
much more about the financial and business side of things rather than the design and technical
aspect of my research.

"Good Game Design - Shovel Knight: Teaching Without Teaching." YouTube, uploaded by
Snoman Gaming, Google, 14 Oct. 2014, www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYvPdEyTXUc.
Accessed 29 Nov. 2017.
Summary: Video
Most video games are criticized for ‘hand-holding’ too much, often locking the player in a
tutorial which they must complete in order to properly begin the game. These tutorials are built
so that a new player can become immersed with the game’s controls and mechanics before being
thrust into danger, but most players will become impatient and annoyed by tutorials which limit
the player too much, especially if they’ve already played the game. Here, Shovel Knight is
discussed, as it teaches the player most of its mechanics without saying a word, and simply lets
the player learn what they have to by messing around in a basic opening level. Shovel Knight is
praised as something all games of the genre should strive to follow.
Application of Research
This video discusses the fuss behind long-winded game tutorials and the proper way to teach the
player. The focus here is the design behind introducing the player the the game and it’s
properties, which is an important part of any game’s structure. The creator behind this video is
not alone, Shovel Knight is widely praised for its strides in game design, the way it teaches the
player is nothing unusual compared to its other feats.

"Good Game Design - Super Mario 64: Accomplishment." YouTube, uploaded by Snoman
 Gaming, Google, 10 Sept. 2014, www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLqwR6FnZJw.
Accessed 2 Nov. 2017.
Summary: Video
Studying the way Super Mario 64 is structured and designed can help display how it conveys its
mechanics to the player. It allows the player to experiment without fear of getting hurt, and
presents scaling challenges in a way where the player can learn mechanics and get better at the
game without realizing it. The game’s simplistic nature is both due to it being one of the first 3D-
Platforming games, and also to cater to a wider demographic. The game is built to appeal to both
long-time fans and newcomers alike.
Application of Research
The analysis in this video is very similar to that in Design Club - Super Mario Bros: Level 1-1 -
How Super Mario Mastered Level Design. This helps with my research because it proves the
idea that similar video game designs are the result of their successful techniques. It also shows
how design elements can translate between genres, here from 2D-Platformers to 3D (not a large
difference between genres, but still something to consider).

Greenberg, Daniel. "Violent Video Games Are a Form of Free Speech." Violent Video
Games, edited by Roman Espejo, Greenhaven Press, 2015. At Issue. Opposing
Viewpoints in Context, link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/EJ3010926209/
OVIC?u=col41078&xid=8286bab6. Accessed 2 Oct. 2017. Originally published as
"Why the Supreme Court Should Rule that Violent Video Games Are Free Speech,"
Washington Post, 31 Oct. 2010.
Summary: Reprinted Newspaper Article
Video games which are labeled and dismissed as being ‘too violent’ are often tragically ignored
because of their reputation, despite the design which is allotted to layer. Because of games’ more
direct involvement with a player, as opposed to a book or movie where a viewer or reader has
very little impact, if not none at all, they allow for a far greater experience. Violent video games
are important in this scenario because they often use the player’s actions to ponder and pick at
morality, and how the decisions made by the player can impact and change the game’s plot. This
kind of openness and freedom allows for wider player expression. By limiting the experiences
presented by more ‘violent’ games (the main argument of this article), players will be cut out of
the messages and themes presented by these unique stories and plots.
Application of Research
The focus of the newpaper article is more on why censorship of certain games is a bad thing,
but within that argument the case of game design is discussed. Ths article, similarly to The realm
of make believe and the extension of gameplay space, details player freedom. However, it delves
more into how that freedom can help define a more unique experience in the game’s plot and
central campaign, rather than in open-world environments.

Hile, Kevin. Video Games. Gale, Cengage Learning, 2010.

Summary: Book
The history of videos games begins with experimentation on computers in the 1950s, where a
student, A.S. Douglas, created a program where a user can lay tic-tac-toe against the computer.
Since then, video games have expanded to extreme lengths and gone from arcade cabinets to
textbook-sized consoles plugged into televisions at home. The decades have not been met with
complete praise, however. Video games as a source of violence have often been lambasted, as
well as being blamed for a rise in obesity rates in America. Despite these claims, though, video
games have continued to rise in popularity and inspired players to become designers.
Application of Research
This book doesn’t contain as much on game design as I would’ve hoped- in fact, it contains very
little of that information. There is a very short part of the book which details on how one would
enter a career in game development, but aside from that, the topic goes virtually untouched upon.

"An Intro to Videogame Design History." The Game Design Forum,

thegamedesignforum.com/features/GDH_1.html. Accessed 28 Nov. 2017.
Summary: Forum Entry
The history of video games begins with simple arcade cabinet games, which were often one-note
and lacked variety and were nearly indefinite. With the jump to home consoles, games began to
become more defined and stylized. Elements unique to specific genres of arcade games, such as
platforming in puzzle games and enemy destruction in action games, were now combined in
singular games. As time went on, these ‘composite games’ expanded to entail more and more
elements that were once characteristic of primitive single-genre games. As more ‘composite’
video games were released, traits became more defined and specialized to better enhance the
game’s experience. For example, Super Mario Bros. 3 featured roughly 7 unique power-ups, yet
Super Mario World, released two years later, only featured 2 unique power-ups, as that was all
the developers needed to enhance the game’s newer mechanics.
Application of Research
This forum entry is very helpful to my research, it helps define some terms relating to the
history of video game design and how they evolved into modern games. The source discusses
how genres of past games transformed and merged into modern genres, and how certain design
elements, such as the power-ups from Super Mario change between games while keeping the
core characteristics.

Kafai, Yasmin B. "Playing and Making Games for Learning." Games and Culture, vol. 1, no. 1,
Jan. 2006, pp. 36-40. journals.sagepub.com,
cmap.upb.edu.co/rid=1GQBQJKR1-M5SMVC-7HK/19443702-Playing-for-Learning.pdf
. Accessed 10 Jan. 2018.
Summary: Journal Article
With video games becoming an increasingly common and popular facet of modern culture, many
children are becoming exposed to the ideas of game design. Because of this possible rise in
design interest, developers could begin to make video games which are specifically built to teach
and educate the different aspects of successful game design. It could be possible, as well, to use
video games to teach other aspects of education, as the medium is far more engaging than
television, lectures, and possibly even written homework. The research in this particular subject
is rather new and limited, but developers interested are seeking on ways to take these concepts
further.
Application of Research
This journal article doesn’t discuss much about the focus of my research, but does detail how
people can become interested in game design and does formulate ideas of how people can learn
about design through playing games. These kinds of ideas are helpful for bits of my necessary
background info but doesn’t appear to be too especially useful in my overall research.
Manusos, Dominick O., et al. "Authentic design in gaming: changing the rules of play."
Technology and Engineering Teacher, May-June 2013, p. 8+. Science in Context.
Accessed 18 Oct. 2017.
Summary: Academic Journal
Game design is not only an important and essential part of game development, but it is also a
tool that can be used for education. With the rising video game industry, and several children
becoming interested in pursuing game development, children could learn a lot about video game
design just by playing games. Furthermore, there are elements of physical games that can be
carried over to better improve mechanics found in electronic games. Combining these ideas, it is
possible that attempting to design a board game first would help someone learn how to better
design a video game later.
Application to Research
This academic journal excerpt doesn’t discuss the science behind specific mechanics, but rather
presents ideas on how developers created certain game designs. It displays the theory that several
design aspects can be traced to real-world counterparts. This is helpful to my research as it
inadvertently shows how some design traits work better in games- because we’re accustomed to
them working and appearing in reality.

Mitchell, Jacqueline. "The Art of Game Design." TuftsNow, Tufts University, 19 May 2015,
now.tufts.edu/articles/art-game-design. Accessed 1 Nov. 2017.
Summary: Web Article
While looking at a creator’s design process behind their game, an important element to focus on,
at least for this creator, is the aesthetic choices that they made. This creator was driven to create
games out of her passion for playing them, and attended summer program on game making to
become more familiar with the process. The creator later assembled a small team in assisting her
witch developing the game. Lookin back on the design process, the creator labels making the
user interface one of the hardest parts. She goes on to say, however, that the entire operation was
very enlightening and extraordinary.
Application of Research
While not focusing on the more technical aspects of game design, which is the heavier focus of
my research, this web article looks into the development process of aesthetic design. The article
also talks about how a creator goes through the development process and a few hardships they
run into, which helps support my background information.

New York Film Academy. "How Virtual Reality Might Impact the Future of Game Design."
NYFA Student Resources, New York Film Academy, 3 Sept. 2016,
www.nyfa.edu/student-resources/how-virtual-reality-might-impact-the-future-of-game-de
sign/. Accessed 18 Jan. 2018.
Summary: Web Article
The first step into the Virtual Reality (at least its use for gaming) was Nintendo’s Virtual Boy,
released in 1995. The Virtual Boy, however, was met with critically low sale numbers and was
forced to discontinue. Because of this failure, most companies have been hesitant to test the
waters of VR since. However, in recent years, several independent companies, have begun using
Virtual Reality technology to create new and innovative games. In 2016, Sony released their
PSVR (Playstation Virtual Reality) and Microsoft released their HoloLens. With the jump to VR,
several questions arise concerning its impact on game design. An obvious answer would be that
VR makes game much more immersive, as the player will likely ‘feel as if they are right in the
game.’ Because of this immersion, more focus can be put on elements such as atmosphere or
player interaction. While being relatively untouched by major companies in recent years, VR is
starting to make a name for itself (again) in the gaming industry.
Application of Research
This article is very beneficial to my research as I did not have many which pertained to the
future of game design (which seems to be focused on VR nowadays). It pairs nicely with the
other article I collected, “From visual stimulation to virtual reality to games.”

Pinelle, David, et al. "Heuristic Evaluation for Games: Usability Principles for Video Game
Design." Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems '08, compiled by Mary `
Czerwinski and Arnie Lund, PDF ed., New York, Association of Computing Machinery,
2008, pp. 1453-62.
Summary: Conference Proceedings
An important part of game design is user interactions. Game designers must mould their video
game around the accessibility of the game’s mechanics and the abilities of the player. Discussing
this topic can be difficult, as researchers have focused more on the entertainment factor of
gameplay rather than usability. If the game has a negative interface, then the player will also
perform poorly and will probably dislike the gameplay experience. When trying to identify
problems in user interface, a developer can looks towards game reviews which try to critique
issues in game usability. It is important for a designer to be able to identify problems in user
interface and fix them to avoid an unpleasant player experience.
Application of Research
While not covering the history behind this aspect of design like I would’ve hoped, I do
appreciate how this conference proceeding tackles the different components of user interactions
in video games. It goes beyond just controls, where most articles would stop, and discusses more
game mechanics which rely on user interaction to succeed, like HUD design and information
convention.

Rogers, Scott. Level Up! The Guide to Great Video Game Design. 2nd ed., Wiley, 2014.
Summary: Book
A stone is not left unturned in this highly detailed analysis on Game design. Everything is
covered, from creating recognizable and fluid character design, to writing a unique story which
still follows standard structure, to the finesse behind control schemes and button layouts.
Critiques are offered on the reuse and recycling of certain ideas in the industry, such as common
reappearances of level archetypes and how the generic reputations can be expanded upon to
create something unique. The process behind coherent game development and pitching is also
discussed for those that are interested in striving that far. The ends of each chapter also feature of
summary of the sections “universal truths and clever ideas,” a collection of bulleted points which
wrap up the content discussed over the last several pages.
Application of Research
This book is an incredibly helpful resource in my research, probably the best reference I have
found thus far. It doesn’t miss a step, and covers nearly everything there is to know about game
design. It also helps me draw conclusions in my research by tying discussed design elements
with examples found in popular games, thus strengthening my hypothesis of consistency in
design.
Salen, Katie, and Eric Zimmerman, editors. The Game Design Reader: A Rules of Play
Anthology. Cambridge, MA, MIT Press, 2006, pp. 1-924.
Summary: Anthology
This anthology compiles over 30 essays from game designers, critics, fans, as wells as
philosophers and media theologists as well. It discusses several aspects relating to video games
and their development, from the overall design process, and how critics analyze games from
various different angles. The anthology also analyzes notable games of the industry which were
famous for their innovation, such as Super Mario 64, and discusses how and why these games
accomplished so much when their ideas had not been pulled off before.
Application of Research
This source is very helpful to my research as it compiles the collective thoughts of several dozen
individuals who have all had a wide experience with the topic at hand. I was also pleased to find
that there is a section of the anthology which odes discuss how game design evolves between
console generations, something that is very conducive to my research as it follows my research
question almost verbatim.

Schell, Jesse. The Art of Game Design. 2nd ed., CRC Press, 2008.
Summary: Book
When it comes down to it, every game starts as an idea, and that idea is brought to life by a
program. However, there is only so much programs can do. Thus, corners have to be cut in order
to push a final product that is enjoyable for players and satisfactory for developers. While it may
be impressive, for example, to see many individually animated characters on screen at once, you
have to ask, as the game designer, can my game’s engine process all these unique commands at
once? Additionally, games may seem like great ideas in independent thoughts, but can become
cluttered when trying to execute. It’s a good idea to build prototypes first- a pen-and-paper
prototype wouldn’t hurt. It’s much safer and smarter to build your game off of work which has
been done in the past rather than to build it from scratch without little reference material. Player
interaction and assumption is important too. Always keep in mind what a player is likely to think
when experiencing your game.
Application of Research
This book discusses ideas and theories pertaining mostly to aesthetic designs and technical
limitations in games rather than mechanical design and level structure or program coding. This
book teaches a lot about developing a game for the first time and the right steps to take in order
to do that, but is pretty limited in its reference to gaming history or why it chooses to recommend
some design choices over others.

Shumway, Steve. "Students designing their own video games." Technology and Children,
Mar. 2008, p. 12+. Science in Context. Accessed 18 Oct. 2017.
Summary: Magazine Article
The process of teaching game-making has become much simpler in recent years, mostly as
thanks to the growing interest in game development prompting program creators to make simpler
game creation programs. It is possible that it is no longer necessary for aspiring creators to learn
advanced coding languages like Java and C++. Elementary school students have been able to
learn game design by using drag-and-drop programs where the code is premade, such as Scratch
or Game Maker. Furthermore, that the best way for students to learn is to be led through a simple
tutorial of the program’s functions before being let loose to try the program freely. Allowing
children to become familiar with these programs early on, the article claims, will allow them to
become better immersed with the design process.
Application of Research
The magazine article doesn’t seem to provide much on specifics of video game design. It
focuses more on the relationship between player and gameplay, which is a major part of my
background information, however.

Therrian, Carl. "Visual Design in Video Games." 2007. The Video Game Explosion. A History
from PONG to PlayStation and Beyond, edited by Mark J. P. Wolf, PDF ed., Westport,
CT, Greenwood Press, 2007, pp. 239-50.
Summary: Anthology Excerpt
The evolution of visual capabilities in video games follows a very interesting history, and could
be attributed to the strive for improving game development as a whole. Most arcade video games
began with flat, blocky images and frames, referred to as ‘sprites.’ With time and polish, and
better hardware, these sprites were able to be assembled with high-detail and fluid animation.
Eventually, once the technology allowed it, the Full Motion Video (FMV) medium was
introduced, where (often highly-compressed) video clips or cutouts would make up gameplay
environments and scenes. There’s also the Three Dimensional side of video game visuals, which
developed in a similar way, with blocky, simple models which moved with stiff actions. With
similar technological advancements like those that helped shape 2D graphics, 3D graphics
became more well-defined and sharp, allowing for more realistic or visually unique game
environments and elements to spring forth.
Application of Research
While this excerpt from an Anthology is more focused on visual design, a minor element in my
research, it is very extensive on the history of said design. The excerpt also discusses how certain
traits in visual design came about and why some methods still stick around, even though they are
outdated at this point. This is helpful as this is the key focus of my research.

"Virtual Reality Flips Game Design On Its' Head | Feature Creep." YouTube, uploaded by
Tarmack, Google, 9 Nov. 2015, www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3n0EMH3Edc.
Accessed 20 Jan. 2018.
Summary: Video
As VR gets a firm footing in the PC gaming circle, several games are being adjusted so they can
handle VR support. However, the question arises of how does VR affect game design, and can
all games be retrofitted to suit VR? An obvious response would be that first-person games are the
most ideal genre for VR, as they are being portrayed from the main character’s eyes anyways.
However, other things need to be considered as well. For instance, most first-person games
won’t let the player look down and view their character’s model. A VR game should allow for
this, for a more immersive experience. Additionally, most games haphazardly ported to VR don’t
have their controls adjusted for the platform shift. While some games may have the player walk
around in an aesthetically pleasing environment in first-person, the player will still be handling a
controller and sitting in their office chair. If games are to make the jump from PC or console to
VR, their design needs to be appropriately adjusted. After all, VR is all about advanced
immersion, so why cut corners and sacrifice that?
Application of Research
This video is helpful to my research as it discusses how VR, what is being hyped as the future of
gaming, affects game design, and what needs to be changed to better suit it. It brings up current
issues with the VR model and offers possible solutions, which I appreciate very much.

Zyda, M. "From visual simulation to virtual reality to games." 2005. Computer, compiled by
IEEE Computer Society, IEEE, 2005, pp. 25-32.
Summary: Anthology Excerpt
For years, the idea of immersing ourselves inside a Virtual Reality has always seemed like an
impossible fantasy. However, with the technological advances of the modern era, entering a
digital realm is a real possibility. While still in its infancy, Virtual Reality is most commonly
brought to life by, often simplistic, video games. The current boom of these games would seem
to indicate a possible anchor in the future of game design- VR and direct player integration and
interaction. It’s thus up to VR researchers to immerse themselves in the field of game design if
they wish for Virtual Reality to stay prevalent in modern society.
Application of Research
I appreciate this anthology article for discussing what is possible for the future changes of video
game design. It also delves into how Virtual Reality is currently being grown in video games but
could indeed expand beyond them. The article also discusses how video game designs often
practiced before VR integration already mirrored those found in VR development.

I have contacted 10 professionals in this field, though I have not gotten any information
pertaining to my research back from them.