Eureka! It's a game [March 29, 2012, 12:29 p.m.]
To come up with an idea we are asking you to:
1) choose an existing well known outdoor game such as Hopscotch or Soccer, or your favorite game from Task#1 or even better the game that you played in Task#2.
2) change one (or more) things about it.
Here are some suggestions;
Change the space; i.e. what if Hopscotch was played on a wall?
Change the mechanic; i.e. what if in Tag you had to jump on one foot instead of running? here is a nice list of common game mechanics by Ludocity )
*Mechanics is a common word we use in game design to describe the action players take in the game, for example running, jumping, sunbathing are some mechanics.
Change the number of players; i.e. what happens when the game is played by 10 people and what happens when its played by 100? How can game-play be balanced so the game doesn't break?
Change the story; i.e. what if a game of Hide and Seek was set in the 80's?
Change the rules; i.e. what if you played a game in total silence?
To complete this task you will have to create a one paragraph pitch to share your BIG game idea with your peers in the discussion wall. Your pitch should include a game title and a paragraph inviting enough for someone to want to play your game.
Here is an example from SFZero
Pitch: The city spreads out before you. Rushing from point to point, lit by the slow strobe of fluorescent buses and dark streets. Stumbling into situations for a stranger's signature. Fleeing unknown pursuers, breathing hard, admiring the landscape and the multitude of worlds hidden in it.
For one night, drop your relations, your work and leisure activities, and all your usual motives for movement and action, and let yourself be drawn by the attractions of the chase and the encounters you find there.
*Still struggling to come up with ideas? do not bang your head against the wall. Take a look at some types of games as they are displayed below for inspiration:
Real life versions of favorite arcade games like Pacman or Frogger link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEL454ixFpc
Games that hack existing platforms like the Wii, Kinect and the PS3 move controler. http://gutefabrik.com/joust.html
DIY games that use programmes such as Processing, Arduino & OpenFrameworks
No materials games link http://www.hideandseek.net/projects/tiny-games/
*Photo: Johan Sebastian Joust by Douglas Wilson