Games MDA
The first paper I read was 'MDA a Formal Approach to Game Design and Game Research'. MDA standing for mechanics, dynamics and aesthetic. This paper presented the framework taught as part of the game design and tuning workshop at the Game Developers Conference, San Jose 2001-2004. MDA is a formal approach to understanding games which attempts to bridge the gap between game design and development.
According to this paper gameplay differs to other sources of entertainment as games are unpredictable. The MDA framework breaks this down into their different components. Rules > System > Fun a.k.a Mechanics > Dynamics > Aesthetics. By moving through MDA's 3 levels of abstraction we can better understand gameplay and design. Resulting in overall more improvement and better games.
In the second paper I read Design, Dynamics & Experience (DDE for Game design). This paper goes over an alternative method for developing and designing games, 'DDE framework'. This paper states that MDA is the most widely accepted frame work for game development and design but DDE offers an alternative framework to overcome MDA's weaknesses. DDE stands for Design, Dynamics and Experiences.
In the video I watched which explained MDA, it goes over in detail using examples how MDA affects gameplay and how to use it to your advantage while developing and designing games. It explains how they are all linked and how to create the aesthetic ( or feelings you want your player to feel ) you must go back to the mechanics to change the dynamics which will in turn change the aesthetic.
I found the video most useful in understanding the meaning of MDA and the differences between Mechanics, Dynamics and Aesthetics. I found the language used in both papers quite confusing and a lot to take in but the video made it easy and clear to understand.
Comments
Post a Comment