FOCUS ON THE PLAYER

Every player genuinely wants to be the focal point in the game and desires to control its outcome. Games don’t have to be easy – they shouldn’t be easy. The more difficult a game is, the more is the satisfaction of having completed it.

A player wants to feel that it’s up to him or her to be able to win or lose. This feeling of achievement is packed into virtually every game – evident in all the bestsellers. There are games that heavily rely on a story and the player is a central figure in the story. In such games, the story and game move along simultaneously. The concept of the game is such that a player has complete control over his or her destiny in the game.

KEEP IT SIMPLE

Simplicity is often underestimated. A gamer doesn’t want to read dozens and dozens of documentation to be able to start playing a game. Just a few quick pointers and perhaps a quick tutorial at times, should serve the purpose. Yes, advanced features and functionalities should be included but it’s very important that a player learns quickly how to play the game. At least theplayer should grasp the basics within such time. If a game fails to catch the player’s attention and interest immediately, it’ll probably end up gathering dust in the basement…

The design of the interface and menus play an important part. We avoid incorporating bizarre controls, for example - the Fire button mapped to the F key. In a 3D-Shooter game, by and large, one should utilize a similar set of controls as other games in the genre. The menus should be simple and easy to interpret. We’ve reviewed a lot of games where menus are made from symbols and lacking any text or tool tips. This is most definitely not recommended as a player tends to interpret symbols in a subjective manner – by mixing symbols with text and/or tool tips, the desired result can be achieved.

ACTION & REACTION

Action doesn’t necessarily mean violence. Something needs to be happening constantly in a game, and when it does happen, the player should be able to notice it fully. For example, killing an opponent in a 3D Shooter game should be a bloody affair, building a police station in a Strategy game should decrease crime, killing the opponent in an RPG should generate an intermediate victory and maybe, a few spoils.

BACKGROUND STORY

The story behind a game is very important. If you read any of the various game development articles, newsletters and magazines, there is a definitive emphasis on graphics and eye-candy. Graphics are an integral part of game development but at times, could mean very little if the story is non-compelling. However, this is not true if a game tends to be a path-breaking one. For example, Doom did not have a very well conceptualized story but it was still a raging success simply because gamers had never before seen anything like it.

As a general rule, the story is very important – a gamer wants to be a part of the bigger picture. For example, nearly all RPGs are powered by invigorating storylines. However, a good story doesn’t necessarily mean a complex story. A story should not be over-complicated.

GRAPHICS

Stunning graphics are an integral part of the overall game package. Graphics greatly enhance gameplay and all of the above factors. It is meaningless to have, for example a great storyline and poor graphics. They will cancel each other out. Good graphics communicate the overall game to the player. Ideally, one should make use of the latest and state-of-the-art graphic engines when required or build a great graphics engine from scratch when any of the existing ones are insufficient to serve the purpose.

Brilliant graphics are an important factor in any game ratings. Along with gameplay, graphics formulates the core of a game.

RELATION TO PLAYER

A great game needs to incorporate features that a gamer can relate to, in one way or the other. For example, The Sims – the world’s most successful game until date has many facets to it that players can relate to in real life situations. However, it is not essential that all players relate to the same thing.

For example, an individual who’s just seen a Sci-Fi movie might want to search and purchase a game that allows him to fly a space-craft or participate in a game belonging to that genre. Alternatively, a person who’s a D&D and medieval earth fan might find characters such as Orcs & Elves, fascinating and hence go on to purchase games that focus on this period.

A game that asks its players to solve complex mathematical equations will most likely, not be popular since a very few gamers would be able to relate to it.

SOUND

Yet another integral part of a game is its sound. Sound encompasses background scores, voice-acting, character reactions, FX, situational music and the lot. For example, in Baldur’s Gate II, the background score is situational and hence, very interesting. The music changes from the languid when conversations take place, to the dramatic when a battle is being waged. The overall increase in the tempo and style of music greatly increases the overall gameplay.