Defining Design

After the introduction to this subject last week I was interested and excited to learn more about the history of games design and design in general.

I learnt quite a few valuable things I think! First that different design mediums can help if not directly influence game design, something known as Cross-disciplinary connections. For example architecture is linked closely with environment design and game user interfaces are essentially interactive pieces of graphic design!

I had never really thought about it and I realise how many different parts make up a game. I think I need to look more closely at other design mediums to help my game designing as a whole.

We were shown a number of quotes defining design (if that's possible) my favourite was:

"Design is the process by which a designer creates a context to be encountered by a particinpant, from which meaning emerges" - Katie Salen and Eric Zimmerman

Why I want to be a Game Designer!

Ever since I was a youngster I have had an obsession with video games, starting with Pokemon games on the Gameboy and carrying it everywhere. I was obsessed with leveling my Pokemon to 100 and trying to "Catch em' all". It was also one of the few things I packed the day I 'ran away' from home.

It wasn't until I moved onto home consoles with the original Xbox and the Xbox 360 that I realised just how detailed and expansive games could be. I now own a PC as well as my Xbox 360 and play games like Halo, Borderlands and Minecraft!


Although I sometimes made my own games a child, I never really payed attention to the design side of games, but then I played Halo 3 and my eyes were opened. The story, the graphics, the characters.. they all amazed and blew me away. I explored every level and found all of the Easter eggs in the game. The end level is one of my favourite moments in a game, driving across falling floor plates to get to the ship at the end!

But it wasn't until I watched the making of DVD that came with the limited edition that I thought about game design. Seeing how everything was made and put together fascinated me. The addition of a map editor to the game also intrigued me and I made endless map variants with friends. It was at this point that I realised that this is what I wanted to do with my life, create the thing I love, games!

Futureworks Day One

I was nervous for my first day at Uni, I didn't know what it was going to be like, or what we'd learn or if I'd find it interesting, but straight away I was reassured with a fun confident tutor and a look at one of the modules: Historical Contexual Studies

Although today was more about settling in and reading lots of sheets of paper, it was interesting to see the new building and meet the other students!