My current class in the MCDM program is titled, “Gaming, Virtual Worlds and Communication.” It’s rewarding—where else I can I learn about the rate of fire in Halo 2’s sniper rifle as part of a discussion on game balance? Or test out the Kinect during a look at usability? It also gave me a chance [...]
Archive for February, 2012
Game Analysis, Part 3: America’s Army
Posted: February 12, 2012 in GamingTags: America's Army, video games
(Continued from Part 2.) Creating a Compelling Training Tool So far we’ve looked at America’s Army mainly as a recruiting tool. Additionally, the game serves a secondary function, made possible due to its intentional design as a highly realistic military experience: that of an effective training tool for active military. Once players complete basic training, [...]
Game Analysis, Part 2: America’s Army
Posted: February 12, 2012 in GamingTags: America's Army, video games
(Continued from Part 1) Creating a Compelling Game 1. Game Engine: Utilizing Existing Hardcore Tech Where America’s Army meets these demanding criteria first comes with the underlying game engine the developers licensed. The Unreal game engine offers a solid foundation upon which the designers have created an experience with at least baseline comparable graphics and [...]
Game Analysis, Part 1: America’s Army
Posted: February 12, 2012 in GamingTags: America's Army, video games
The following was submitted to my communications class; rather lengthy for a blog, so I’ll break it up into various parts here. There’s an obvious trick behind America’s Army. The U.S. Military (U.S. Army specifically, in the role of “publisher”) is not trying to be particularly secretive, but the trick is fairly fundamental to the [...]
