[ExcaliburRudeone]

http://www.thesistools.com/?qid=38796&ln=eng

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Hello Adventure gamers!

We're students Communication and Multimedia Design from Leeuwarden, the Netherlands.

Because of our love for games, the passion to create and our past internship in the game industry, we decided to design and develop a game ourselves for our graduation project. This with the help of a Dutch game development company.

Before we will actually start the concept and development process, we have to do research to all kinds of factors that will make a game stand out. We have to this research because it's mandatory in order to graduate, but more so to gain insight which hopefully will prove to be very useful for us to make a game that people will love to play.

We put up a survey as part of the research and we want to ask you to spare a little time to take the survey. It will only take about 3 minutes of your time, but it will provide us with very valuable information.

You will be asked for your name or e-mail address.
Somehow there's no option to turn this of at this website we're using, but we found out you can fill in a bogus name or e-mail address if you want to remain anonymous.

Thank you for your time, we appreciate it a lot!

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http://www.thesistools.com/?qid=38796&ln=eng

[Marek]

Good luck with your project! Remember that as a designer you sometimes have to create things that people don't yet know they want, meaning surveys don't always give you the ultimate answers. As Henry Ford once said, "If I had asked my customers what they wanted, they would have asked for a faster horse." When you're designing a game, trust your instincts.

Out of curiosity, is Tim Laning one of your teachers? (Probably a long shot.)

[ExcaliburRudeone]

Thank you Marek.
Totally agree with you, thanks for pointing that out.

Hehe that's funny, Tim indeed used to be one of our teachers, we know him quite well actually.

[tsa]

I finished the survey. Please keep us informed about the results! Question: are you or your fellow students related to Adventure Island?

[simpson_yellow]

Done. Good luck with it, guys.

[Trumgottist]

Done.

[tsa]

Shouldn't this thread be moved to the Adventures section?

[Squinky]

I started answering these questions, but gave up, because the questions annoyed me. In fact, the whole concept of deciding a game's subject matter using a survey annoys me. I mean, I can understand polling people for usability and interface-related issues, and maaaybe for gameplay, but if you're basing your actual content on what's popular with a focus group, rather than on something you want to share with the world, well, that's automatically going to make me refuse to play the finished product.

This is why I fucking hate the industry sometimes.

[tsa]

I did fill in the survey but I also had the feeling that the questions were often quite irrelevant for students who don't have to think about the commercial value of a game, but are encouraged to make something original and creative. I wonder if you have to take this survey mandatory, ExcaliburRudeone, or did you also have to think up the questions yourself?

And thanks, Squinky, for your insightful remark.

O, and an example of an original and creative school project (in Dutch) can be found here.

[Intrepid Homoludens]

Originally Posted by Squinky

I started answering these questions, but gave up, because the questions annoyed me. In fact, the whole concept of deciding a game's subject matter using a survey annoys me. I mean, I can understand polling people for usability and interface-related issues, and maaaybe for gameplay, but if you're basing your actual content on what's popular with a focus group, rather than on something you want to share with the world, well, that's automatically going to make me refuse to play the finished product.

This is why I fucking hate the industry sometimes.

I completely understand and agree. Human creativity and spontaneity could easily be totally sucked out if all you're basing your game on is what everyone wants or thinks they want. Remember, many of the games that although not necessarily commercial blockbusters, become very beloved by those who discovered them, were labours of love. To find an elegant balance between that and selling many copies of the game would be ideal.

[Merricat]

Good luck with your graduation project, gentlemen. It's not easy to balance ideals with real life; I wish you well.

[Steve Ince]

Originally Posted by Marek

"If I had asked my customers what they wanted, they would have asked for a faster horse." When you're designing a game, trust your instincts.

That's a cool quote, Marek.
It can be hard to trust your design instincts when you're starting out, but the key in designing a game is to always think of the game from a player's perspective. Try to use your game playing instincts to guide you.

Originally Posted by Squinky

I started answering these questions, but gave up, because the questions annoyed me. In fact, the whole concept of deciding a game's subject matter using a survey annoys me. I mean, I can understand polling people for usability and interface-related issues, and maaaybe for gameplay, but if you're basing your actual content on what's popular with a focus group, rather than on something you want to share with the world, well, that's automatically going to make me refuse to play the finished product.

But they already stated that the reason for the research is because it must form part of the project in order to count. Maybe the survey isn't quite so well done, but that could also be part of what the research shows and perhaps they can develop the survey as they progress.

[Merricat]

Originally Posted by Steve Ince

It can be hard to trust your design instincts when you're starting out, but the key in designing a game is to always think of the game from a player's perspective. Try to use your game playing instincts to guide you.

Wise and practical advice from the master of cold fusion...

[Thesaya]

I wish they could have at least asked about interface and stuff too.... That would have felt more meaningful than answering what kind of movies I like... Especially since they are nothing like the kind of games i like...

[Marek]

Originally Posted by ExcaliburRudeone

Hehe that's funny, Tim indeed used to be one of our teachers, we know him quite well actually.

Ah I see. I met him a couple of times through my job (a media/game company called Woedend!). I was just curious if you were from the same college he teaches at.

[Squinky]

Originally Posted by Steve Ince

But they already stated that the reason for the research is because it must form part of the project in order to count.

Which is why I suggested that they make it about the game's form, rather than the game's content.

[Crapstorm]

I think they should make a game about being an elite space marine blowing up zombies in an alien world!

[JKR]

Okay, I filled it out. Good luck!

[Merricat]

Originally Posted by Squinky

Which is why I suggested that they make it about the game's form, rather than the game's content.

Just a guess, but I'm thinking that at this stage, they probably already have their ideas about structure in place. It's a pretty elementary concept in art that one should know one's audience, and I suspect that's the purpose of that kind of survey. Yes, of course, you should create what you love--that's a given, since no one gets rich in this business--but if you plan to share that creation with others, if you want people to actually play your game, instead of just tell you how cool it is, you should probably find out what different people enjoy. There's no one way to do anything, if you're creative, and idealism can become just another form of tyranny, if you let it.