Warren Spector on Game Design, part 1

An abridged and edited version of Warren Spector's first lecture on game design, from the masterclass given at the University of Texas in 2007. Edited by myself for easier viewing (sorry, Warren!).

Category:

Education

Tags:

• game design
• game development
• warren spector
• university of texas
• lecture

[tohopes]

2:20 "Games are at their best when the choices you're making are saying something about you, and not about the game or the character."

Interesting. To what degree does the player mold his persona to fit the game, then, in order to feel that his choices in the context of the game are meaningful to himself?

[alansvideos]

@tohopes Look up "Playing Video Games: Motives, Responses and Consequences", edited by Peter Vorderer and Jennings Bryant. There's a lot in there about people's reasons to choose to play the game they do and how they play it.

[HeroOfCanton99]

Why does he think that VideoGames are the only medium of shared authorship? That's too broad an idea - if you don't believe in the film director as auteur then film is the ultimate medium of shared authorship......

[alansvideos]

@HeroOfCanton99 Don't take it too literally - his point is that the authorship of the experience is shared between the user and the creator of the piece.

You're right to bring up his wording, though, because technically it should be GAMES - or all interactive media.

Board games, card games, playground games and social or psychological games also share authorship between the creator and/or the player(s).

Even static art can share authorship if the viewer is given scope for interpretation.

[SollomansWorld]

Where can I find the full video? This is really interesting?

[HeroOfCanton99]

That's true. And the guy's trying to make a point too, and his point is sound.

[Boston2George]

Warren could also be nice book seller :D

[ninjadodo]

@SollomansWorld google "warren spector lectures" , go for "all 13" or "every bloody one" link

[ezerlie]

geez the editing and transitions suck, just post the full video next time

[CanceledCzech]

So, Minecraft.

[defragen1]

where is part 2 ?

[SlapHappyJesus]

He truly is one of the greats. To this day the original Deus Ex stands as a shining example of what a modern day rpg can be. Only games like the original Mass Effect and just recently Fallout New Vegas have reached that level.