Objective
Help gamers build expectations about a game by sharing the essential information of what it offers.
Strategy
Because every individual will build their unique set of expectations, the 3 Step Review methodology design allows readers to disagree with The Partisan Spy (TPS) and produce their own game evaluations. TPS’s opinion is a reference for readers to adjust and build their own expectations.
Data Collection
The way to collect and publish the data is done in order to assure the objective and strategy success. There are two data sources: game developer and/or publisher released information and the game itself.
All gathered information from the first source (game publisher) is published to the reader with no editing or interpretation. The information collected while playing the game is published in two variations: 1. The entire gameplay evaluation process (25 hours or until game is 100% complete) is live streamed or publicly posted on Youtube. This allows gamers to watch and make their own assessment about game variables. 2. The analysis and interpretation of this data is published as a game review made by TPS.
Game Selection
Games to be reviewed are selected by TPS following the criteria below:
1. Release data (preference to games still to be released) 2. Community interest 3. Unprecedented factor
Data Analysis
After the game is selected and data is collected in the 25 hours of gameplay, an assessment of this data is made (during gameplay, TPS mood is tracked and notes are made). The information is used to describe game variables and reasons for the selection of qualifiers. At the end of the evaluation, all these elements are summarized in a Cons x Neutrals x Pros graph.
Furthermore, to give gamers a conclusion about the game is suggested four possible choices and advice.
Variables and Qualifiers Description
The methodology counts with 6 variables. Some variables are more self-explanatory than others, for those that may bring different interpretations, follow below its description and qualifiers explanations.
A. USER INTERFACE Defines how the player interacts with the game. It includes game mechanics, methods (keyboard and mouse control) and interfaces. 1. QUALIFIERS QUESTIONABLE: hard to understand, misleading design, simple actions made complicated and/or with bugs TRADITIONAL: natural to players as replicates what already exists INNOVATIVE: unprecedented way to present the game behavior with low experimentation or need of tutorial to understand it 2. CONS x NEUTRALS x PROS CRITERIA QUESTIONABLE: Potential to be CON or NEUTRAL, never PRO. The selection depends on the degree of influence the questionable elements have in the gameplay. TRADITIONAL: Always NEUTRAL, never CON or PRO. INNOVATIVE: Potential to be NEUTRAL or PRO, never CON. The selection depends on how well the interface runs. B. STORY Define the role of the story in the game. Its function is not to determine the quality of the story (good or bad). 1. QUALIFIERS HARMFUL: harms the gameplay experience ABSENT: doesn’t exist TRIVIAL: only exist to give reason to game objective SECONDARY: is part of the game but doesn’t define the main objective of the game GAME BASIS: conducts the gamer during the entire game and ends with the victory condition 2. CONS x NEUTRALS x PROS CRITERIA HARMFUL: Always CON, never NEUTRAL or PRO. ABSENT: Always NEUTRAL, never CON or PRO. TRIVIAL, SECONDARY and GAME BASIS: The game proposition and its result define how these qualifiers are classified. Potential to be CON, NEUTRAL or PRO. C. SOCIAL STATUS POTENTIAL Define the game potential of being a recurring topic among friends and the gaming community. 1. QUALIFIERS ABSENT: there is no potential of being a topic LOW: has a chance of being a topic during its release AVERAGE: has the potential of building a community around it HIGH: has the potential of being a major game title for years to come 2. CONS x NEUTRALS x PROS CRITERIA The game mode, genre, and title are factors considered when considering the classification of these qualifiers. The parameters defined for these criteria are: PVE + GENRE + TITLE are expected to be between ABSENT and LOW. PVE + COOP + GENRE + TITLE are expected to be between LOW and AVERAGE. PVP + GENRE + TITLE are expected to be between LOW and HIGH. Games with a performance potential at the low end will classify as CON. Games with a performance potential as expected will classify as NEUTRALS. Games with a performance potential at the high end will classify as PROS. D. MOOD ANALYSIS The final average result of the mood tracker. There are 9 different possible mood levels and every gameplay hour the high and low are listed. Each qualifier is self-explanatory to describe TPS mood. 1. CONS x NEUTRALS x PROS CRITERIA CONS: WHY PLAY IT, HOPELESS, ANXIOUS and HOPEFUL NEUTRAL: NORMAL PROS: ENTERTAINED, EAGER, EXCITED, CAN'T STOP PLAYING IT E. GRIND FEELING The feeling of performing a repetitive task to reach an objective. The methodology measure this variable based on TPS gameplay experience. 1. QUALIFIERS ABSENT: 0-5% of grind feeling during 25 hours of gameplay TRIVIAL: 5,1-20% of grind feeling during 25 hours of gameplay SECONDARY: 20,1-40% of grind feeling during 25 hours of gameplay GAME BASIS: +40,1% of grind feeling during 25 hours of gameplay (Variables were defined by secondary studies about games and what most influence gamers purchase decisions.) 1. CONS x NEUTRALS x PROS CRITERIA Grind is considered a negative game variable unless it's the game proposition, in this case, the qualifiers classification is inverted. ABSENT: Always PRO, never CON or NEUTRAL. TRIVIAL: Potential to be CON or NEUTRAL, never PRO. It depends on the intensity of the grind. SECONDARY: Potential to be CON or NEUTRAL, never PRO. It depends on the intensity of the grind. GAME BASIS: Always CON, never NEUTRAL or PRO. E. PRICE The overall perception of what the game offers and its price tag. CONS: Offers less compared to what it costs. NEUTRAL: Balanced value between what it offers and what it costs. PROS: Offers more compared to what it costs.
Source
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_design
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_design_document https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_mechanics#Victory_condition_mechanics https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_video_game_genres https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grinding_(video_gaming) https://www.theseus.fi/bitstream/handle/10024/21183/Henri_Lindgren_.pdf?s http://www.acagamic.com/courses/game-design-course/the-formal-systems-of-games-and-game-design-atoms/ https://gamedevelopment.tutsplus.com/tutorials/game-ui-by-example-a-crash-course-in-the-good-and-the-bad--gamedev-3943 https://www.facebook.com/business/news/insights/understanding-the-journey-of-the-connected-mobile-gamer https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0080210717301838 |