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Know the following vocabulary words:
Copycat game
Copyrighted
Original creation
Copy protection
Consumer
Bias
Unbiased
Walkthroughs
Artistry
Plot
Reward
Reverse Engineering
Substitute Product
Critics
Know the key game elements (pages 207-212)
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Chapter 8: Reverse Engineering
• Is the process of deconstructing an existing game to understand how it works! definition
• Deconstructing an existing game• Find out how it works/Take it apart!• Understand the USP of competition
• Leads to copycat game design• Competition may design a substitute product
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Reverse Engineering
• A copycat game may not be made by a competing company
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Copycat Games
• Reverse-engineered games have similar characters and characteristics• Cannot use the same character• Copyrighted character design
• Mario is copyrighted by Nintendo• Mario cannot be used by other companies• Permission needed from Nintendo to reuse• Nintendo can use Mario however it wants
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Copycat Games
• Similar gameplay• Gameplay cannot be copyrighted• Game programming code is copyrighted
• Substitute product to the original• Satisfies the same need or want• Entertains in the same way• Does not need to be a copycat game; may just be in
the same genre
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Question #1
• Think about one of your favorite games. What substitute games have been made that play similar to it?
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Copyright
• Legal protection• Intellectual property is protected• Cannot use without permission• Games protected by copyright
• Characters are copyrighted• Game code is copyrighted• Burning a DVD or disc copy is illegal
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Copyright
• Intellectual property, such as games and videos, are protected by copyrights
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Why Copyright?
• Games are expensive to produce• Developmental costs• Marketing costs
• Copyright protects the company’s investment• By protecting the company, copyright also
protects employee jobs
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Why Copyright?
• Copyrights protect game manufacturers
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Copyright Violations
• Pay fines• Pay damages
• Amount the company lost due to your actions
• Pay attorney fees• Pay punitive damages
• Extra amount to punish
• Jail time
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Copy Protection
• Copy protection prevents unauthorized copies• Unusual disc size• Unique disc format• Embedded copy-resistant code• Online activation codes• Software key
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Copy Protection
• Software keys are a common form of copy protection for games
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Question #2
Think about a time when you or someone you know watched a copied movie, played a copied game, or downloaded and listened to a copied song. Each of these copies violates a copyright. •What would you say to the police if you were caught?
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Critics
• A critic evaluates a game and reports both good and bad aspects fo the game.
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Game Evaluation
• Evaluations may be unbiased or may contain bias• Bias is an intentional slant on evaluation of key
elements• Positive bias• Negative bias
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Positive Bias
• Overstated positive key features• Understated negative key features• Examples:
• Manufacture’s website• Review on game cover
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Negative Bias
• Overstated negative key features• Understated positive key features• Examples:
• Competitor’s website• TV commercial comparison by competitor• Blog by unhappy former employee
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Unbiased
• Not influenced by outside opinions• Properly weighs positive and negative key
elements
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Games need rules! Quality of Rules:
• How well the rules are explained and enforced• Will the player understand:
• Game purpose• What they are supposed to do• How to overcome obstacles• Game objectives
• Fan sites often have walkthroughs to help
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Don’t forget about:
• User Interface• Navigation• Perfomance• Gameplay
• See page 207-208!
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Question #3
• Think about a game you played that had glitches, flaws, or even froze. Think about how frustrating that was.
• How likely were you to say good things to your friends about the game?
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Artistry
• Visual appeal and design of the game• Colors contrast and complement well• Mood and theme are appropriate• Setting and background are appropriate• Characters and avatar are visually appealing
• This poorly designed game art shows flaws when the player moves
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Longevity in Design and Structure
• How long the game will be sellable• Can the game be made into a series?• Will there be a long-term market?• Are there many substitute games?• Does the game use new technologies?• Is the game seasonal or a fad?• Is the game a substitute product?
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Player Interactions
• What the player is doing• Do the player interactions fit the theme?• What interactions are required (shooting, jumping, battling,
conversational, etc.)?• Is a linear sequence needed?• What interactions are expected in sequence?• Many games feature a linear sequence
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Plot
• The main storyline of the game• Do player actions fit the game story?• Is there a well-developed backstory?• Do we care about the characters?• Is the story fully told during the game?• Does the storyline add to immersion?
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Reward
• Something positive provided to the player for completing a task• Is adequate reward given for each risk?• Do high-risk moves provide higher reward?• Are rewards unique?• Are tasks trivial or meaningless?• Are rewards linear to allow the player to overcome a
final challenge?
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Summarizing the Evaluation
• Critics will typically summarize their findings using the star rating system.
• Point-rating system• Summarizes evaluation into a single number• Scoring a 5 is a perfect score
• Five-star rating system