How labelling of feedback, based on playable character emotion, effects player experience of a game?

This is the Blog post to go with my Dissertation proposal.

The overarching idea behind this project comes from the lack of a connection between a characters in game actions (e.g. killing); and the characters reaction to those actions (e.g. being largely unaffected) in most games. This project focuses in on the labelling of feedback (i.e. the information the game displays to the player). A traditional method of feedback given to the player is health; often in the form of a red health bar or numbers.

Health bar in Street Fighter 2.

The Getaway changed the labelling of health and when the character is injured they limp around covered in blood; to heal they lean up against a wall. This is an example of different labelling of feedback.

Useful Getaway Link (http://www.thesixthaxis.com/2010/10/07/lunchtime-discussion-injury/)

Other games such as Fahrenheit and Eternal Darkness use emotion feedback in some for or another.

Fahrenheit Anxiety bar.

Eternal Darkness.

Relevant games

Fable II, 2008. [Game] UK: Lionhead Studios

Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem, 2002. [Game] Canada: Silicon Knights

The Getaway, 2002. [Game] London: Team Soho

Fahrenheit, 2005. [Game] Paris: Quantic Dream

The Sims, 2000. [Game] California: Maxis

Call of Cthulhu, 1981. [RPG] Oakland: Chaosium

Power Kill, 1996 [RPG] John Tynes

Unknown Armies, 1998. [RPG] Atlas Games

Relevant games design texts

Saari, T. & Ravaja, N. 2005 Towards Emotionally Adapted Games based on User Controlled Emotion Knobs [online] Available at: http://www.digra.org/dl/db/06278.06445.pdf [Accessed 13/10/10]

Eladhari, M. & Lindley, C. 2009 Player Character Design Facilitating

Emotional Depth in MMORPGs [online] Available at: http://www.digra.org/dl/db/05163.50372.pdf [Accessed 18/05/10]

Lankoski, P. & Bjork. S. 2009 Gameplay Design Patterns for Believable Non-Player

Characters [online] Available at: http://www.digra.org/dl/db/07315.46085.pdf [Accessed 18/05/10]

Perry, D. 2009 David Perry on Game Design. Canada: Charles River Media.

Edwards, R. 2000 Sorcerer & Sword. Adept Press.

Edwards, R. 2004 The Provisional Glossary [online] Available at: http://indie-rpgs.com/_articles/glossary.html [Accessed 18/05/10]

Newman, J. 2002 The Myth of the Ergodic Videogame[online] Available at: http://www.gamestudies.org/0102/newman/ [Accessed 18/05/10]

Salen, K. & Zimmerman, E. 2003 Rules of Play. The MIT Press.

Relevant psychology (emotion) texts.

Frijda, N. 1986 The Emotions. New York: Cambridge University Press.

Oatly, K. 2004 Emotions: A Brief History. Cornwall: Blackwell Publishing.

Relevant methodologies texts.

Norman, D. 2004 Emotional Design: Why We Love (or Hate) Everyday Things. New York: Basic Books.

Garrett, J. 2002 The Elements of User Experience: User-Centered Design for the Web. Berkley: Peachpit Press .

Kuniavsky, M. 2003 Observing the User Experience: A Practitioner's Guide to User Research. San Fransisco: Morgan Kaufmann.