UNIT 57 - ASSIGNMENT 2

Styles of feedback interfaces:

Visual:
Showing important information without distracting the user from the game. It helps players make quick decisions. Can be split up into different menus for example the health bars, timers etc. Delivered as text or metaphors (Speedometers)

Colour psychology:
The way a colour makes you feel, for example red is usually displayed as warning signs, Also it can be used for health bars. We have all got used to this over time so we know when we are in danger in games. Green is normally used when the player is safe and also used for nature or the environment. Blue can sometimes be used for experience bars and points, when the player gains xp (experience points) the blue bar rises.

Inference:
An example of inference would be the paperclip on Microsoft word, it guesses what the user is going to do next. When the player is moving around, the game guesses where the player is going to go, so it loads different blocks on the map around you as you move along. If the whole map was loaded the game would not load or would be extremely slow.

Player viewpoint:
First person is where you can see what the actual player sees, as if the camera is their eyes. Third person is where you can see over their shoulder or from behind their back or head. Along with your ship's primary weapons, the player also has access to three bombs: one that can make a wave of fire that starts from behind the player's ship and scrolls "up" the screen, another that makes a powerful circular, nova-like blast, and one that shoots several mini-missiles capable of homing in on multiple targets. The game has 6 stages in total.

Camera techniques:
Cut scenes are used a lot in games, recent games have a lot of cut scenes which make them almost like films.  Final fantasy XIII has lots of them, you control the main characters so it is like you choose the storyline of the movie and play it. In 3D video games, a virtual camera system aims at controlling a camera or a set of cameras to display a view of a 3D virtual world. Camera systems are used in videogames where their purpose is to show the action at the best possible angle; more generally, they are used in 3D virtual worlds when a third person view is required.

Lighting effects:
Games that are very Gorey have very muted colours and they are very dark. Unlike Zelda which is a very bright coloured game, and there isn’t much violence. Bloom (sometimes referred to as light bloom or glow) is a computer graphics effect used in video games, demos and high dynamic range rendering (HDR) to reproduce an imaging artifact of real-world cameras. The effect produces fringes (or feathers) of light extending from the borders of bright areas in an image, contributing to the illusion of an extremely bright light overwhelming the camera or eye capturing the scene.

Physical: 
Vibration: 
In certain games, When you get hit or if your player gets hurt, even if something else happens close to the player, The pad will vibrate. (game pay/joystick) It happens in GTA 5, if the car is on grass and isnt a 4by4 the gamepad will vibrate. Also on a motorway and you go over the grids in the middle of the road the pad will vibrate then, too.

Haptic:
 Haptic devices are more physical controllers and fit in more with the game itself. By this I mean the games that the haptic devices are for are Racing games and simulators. Say if the user crashed into something, then the haptic controller will move, vibrate or jolt to send the message to the player that they have crashed into an object.

Audio:

Ambient: 
Ambient sounds bring the world together around you, for example It could be the sound of birds or monsters. Or another example is Minecraft when you can hear a train when you enter a cave. Or when you are near water and you can hear the sound of waves or splashes. Another example could be drum beats when you are being chased like in Slender.

Dialogue:
 dialogue is when characters speak or part of the story is being narrated. It can be a character talking to you or two other characters having a conversation. The narrating part is where like in final fantasy, where there is a cutscene and a character is reading out the text probably at the bottom of the screen. While acknowledging the significance of the visual element in gaming, this article argues for the underappreciated importance of words and their narrative function in the present criticism and future design of games. This article begins to investigate that facet of gaming by concentrating on the dialogue of one of the most heralded of computer games, Squaresoft's Final Fantasy VII.

Foley effects:
 foley effects are when the sound happens at the same time as something that happens on screen. For example when a character is walking, you can hear footsteps. Also when you see an explosion on screen, you can also hear it. It could also be when on sonic for example, picking up a ring it plays a little tune (which is annoying after a while) but the user gets a sort of good feeling after hearing it, because it is a sign that you hav obtained an object or item that is good and/or useful.

Music:
 Music is he thing that plays in the background. it's kind of obvious. the music can be quite annoying, but it brings the story and the whole game together, without the music it would be boring and with just the sounds. so the music is what ties it all up. Most people recognizes how good a game looks. Most can recognize when a game plays well and has an enjoyable story. One aspect of gaming that seems to get unnoticed however, is the music. Music is a huge part of any successful game environment and sometimes it doesn’t get the attention it rightfully deserves. Being a musician and a gamer, I understand that music is a vital part of what makes a game good. Music is more than just a filler to add noise so the game isn’t bland; it is a connection of everything the game is trying to convey. If you were to talk to the average gamer about music and the video game industry Rock Band would likely be one of the first game that comes to their mind.

Emotion:
 this is different for everyone. I could link this to the foley effects, because the user gets a good feeling when the item is picked up and the sound plays. On slender (again mentioning Slender) the drum plays, and his may, again, be different for many people but you get scared and start freaking out and trying to run away from him. Also, if a player that dies in the game ~(one that the user gets attatched to) this can trigger an emotion and make the user upset or angry because their favourite character died in that certain game.

Mood:
In Slender, when you collect the first page the game starts playing a drum every few seconds, this means that the slenderman is after you and could be around a corner that you turn. This makes you feel scared. It also plays a static noise when he is very close to you, making you even more scared.

UNIT 57 - ASSIGNMENT 1

HCI:

Human computer interaction (HCI) Is the design of interaction between people and computers. The human computer interface can be described as the communication with a human and a computer. There are many ways in which we can communicate with computers: A game controller is a device used with games or entertainment systems to provide input to a video game, typically to control an object or character in the game. A controller is usually connected to a game console or computer by means of a wire or cord, although wireless controllers are also widespread. Input devices that have been classified as game controllers include keyboards, mice, game pads, joysticks, etc. Special purpose devices, such as steering wheels for driving games and light guns for shooting games, are also game controllers. Devices such as mice and keyboards can be emulated with a game pad through the use of programs such as 'JoyToKey'.

Screens:

Screens are used in most or all computer based objects so we can see what we are doing and also interact with it. Screens come in many different sizes such as smaller screens on portable consoles such as the DS, to much bigger – like flat screen TV’s or PC monitors. Screens have recently been able to portray 3D images; with the help of 3D glasses we can view TV/PC in 3D. Also we have been able to view 3D without glasses trough consoles such as Nintendo’s 3DS. Legend of Zelda: ocarina of time 3D was released on the 3DS – It uses the top screens 3D capability to enhance the gameplay and the viewers enjoyment of the enhanced graphics. This effects the game by allowing for more dynamic actions and cut-scenes which draw the player in making it more interesting and intriguing to play. The 3D on the top screen of the Nintendo 3DS can be turned down or even off if the player prefers, this allows for younger children to play and also anyone who dislikes the 3D screen.
 

Keyboard and mouse:
A keyboard and a mouse is mostly used for PC games.  I would personally say that they are the easiest way of controlling games out there. They are a lot easier and a lot comfier! the most common way of using a keyboard would be the WASD keys to move around and using the mouse to change the camera direction of the first person controller. But on some 2D games, the arrow keys are used and the mouse is used to navigate around the game and choose items, select menus, etc. I like the keyboard and mouse because its not like holding a controller. With a controller you get hand cramp but with a mouse you can easily stretch and not disturb gameplay! An example of a game that uses a keyboard and mouse would be the Portal games. (1 and 2)

Joysticks:
There are two types of joysticks, There are the analog sticks on game pads and the classic joysticks (below) Joysticks are often used to control video games, and usually have one or more push-buttons whose state can also be read by the computer.  Joysticks are also used for controlling machines such as cranes, trucks, underwater unmanned vehicles, wheelchairs, surveillance cameras and zero turning radius lawn mowers. But I'm just going to focus on the joysticks used for gaming. Some examples of games that are controlled by joysticks are Pacman and some sonic games. (classic joypad) Recent ones would be any games on the recent consoles.

Motion:
Some games use motion to control what you do, an example of this is the Kinect for the xbox 360 and the eyetoy for playstation 2 (and above?) the kinect uses the whole of the players body to control the game, where as the eyetoy uses your hands. Motion-controlled games weren't quite as abundant as they had been in 2011, but 2012 still saw its games that didn't require a controller. The quality of these games improved, too. The third year of the Xbox Kinect saw some truly refined games, and Sony's PlayStation Move quietly produced some stellar titles. PlayStation Move  is a motion-sensing game controller platform by Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE), first released for the PlayStation 3 (PS3) video game console. Based around a handheld motion controller wand, PlayStation Move uses inertial sensors in the wand to detect its motion, and the wand's position is tracked using a PlayStation webcam (PlayStation Eye for the PlayStation 3, PlayStation Camera for the PlayStation 4).

Pointers:
An example of pointers would obviously be the Wii controller (and the Wii u) this is where you have the remote, and normally it is wireless so you can sit back, and you point it to the screen and personally I think it is amazing the way it is done. The hand appears on the screen wherever you are pointing, so it's pretty good. Some games that are used with this is Zelda, the pointer is quite annoying, It's navi sparkling everywhere but it is used to select items and things. The nun-chuck is also a pointer, or atleast it connects to the pointer and you control what happens on screen and in game with it. For example in Zelda you jolt the nunchuck sideways and you can perform a spin attack. again, very clever!

GPS:
GPS is a method of locating a device or a person. It can be used in certain location based games on apps on android/Iphones.  GPS has many uses such as Google maps on mobile devices, this can be extremely helpful to many people, but also it has been used in the military etc. SatNav’s use GPS to allow for directions whilst driving. Certain games use the GPS tracker to play, giving you destination points on your walking route which active a mini-game or give rewards. The GPS also links in with compasses and allows the console to detect itself in the environment and judge where it is and what it is actually looking at. This is non-gender specific and the mini-games on the GPS app are aimed at all ages. The GPS can also register different speed and routes, this allows for people who are traveling at a slower speed to still play. The GPS in game works well but can sometimes register the wrong place and works off the phones network – so without signal it would not work.

 Compass:

a compass works when for example on the 3DS you place cards on a table and they come to life using the people that you can create in the game, they interact with the card that is on the table, and you can move around using the camera and it can walk around the room and so on. This then allows you to interact with it through the screen. The 3DS uses augmented reality to play games; it registers the card through the screen and displays it so the user can interact with it. It is mostly aimed at children but it could work for all age groups.

Gamepads:
gamepads are used more commonly for consoles, for example the xBox and Playstation. You can also use USB gamepads and plug them into your PC and control your game that way. It is a lot more easier that a mouse and keyboard I must say. there is always the most common Joystick on a gamepad, This is to move around and control your player with a lot more ease instead of having to use both a keyboard AND a mouse. Sometimes you can get out of control. Gamepads have a number of buttons and triggers that control the different parts of different bits of the game. Pads are normally designed to fit into the players hands nicely without any discomfort. The n64 pad has 3 bars which you can hold, Because sometimes you dont need one of the parts so you are just holding two of the hand grips of the pad.

Touchscreen:
touchscreen games are on the apple series of products. Ipad, iPod and iphone all have games that you can download onto the device and play. Doodle jump is touch screen controlled game, And it is motion, when you tap the screen the little man jumps and shoots things though his nose/mouth thing. Fruit ninja also is a very good touch screen game because you are slicing fruit and getting high scores, Well I think it is very fun! The latest apple products feature a thing called zoom on touch. for example when you double tap on a webpage it zooms in. You can also use more than one finger on games and on pages to zoom in or control more than one thing at once.

Camera:
Games that use cameras can be games for the eye toy on the PS2 for example, Eye Toy: Play. This was the first camera that was used with a console to play games. It tilts and turns around. The eye toy play is mostly just for hand movements, but you can also do full body games, so it is flexible in the sense that if you want to sit down and play you could. The eye toy was really meant for children, and it was really fun to play with once you got the hang of it and ignored the lag and the glitches in each of the games that you could play on with the eye toy.

Steering:
With the wii steering leans more towards the motion detecting, because you push the controller into a plastic wheel and just tilt it around to turn corners. But with the old gaming steering wheels they are more like game pads or controllers, They come with a wire which you plug in and it turns perfectly. But with the wii it glitches and sometimes you turn left instead of right because of the position of the remote.

Headsets:

Headsets are a combination of over head headphones and a microphone. They can be used in gaming to interact with other players online, in commercial offices as a hands free phone device, a wireless hands free headset for drivers... they have many uses and are many used for silencing the world outside and focusing on communicating. Hotel 101 is a flash horror game that asks for the user to wear a headset and have the mic on. The game then uses this to enhance the horror experience and immerses the player by asking them to speak through the mic to perform certain tasks. Wired headsets are just a matter of plug and go, no driver software, which makes it easy for novices and convenient for experience users to use. You can get headsets that are orientated to younger children, and also to certain genders, but most are standard colours and are none gender specific. Headsets can also be wireless, this could greatly help someone with physical impairments as they would not need to mess with wires.