Unit 3 - Research
Research is:
In-depth info gathering by looking through primary or secondary research in order to gain info, and in some cases to re-learn certain info.
Market Research, trends etc. - Military Sim
Platform - Hardware limitations. Made specifically for PC
Community + Target audience - Made for a mature audience, due to the concept of war its general realistic military tactics
Software/Game Engine - The company was required to do the appropriate research of the game in order to produce a suitable game engine that had appropriate physics, but which also has middleware which can fill in gaps that don't need to be done such as vegetation. This includes the AI being programmed with the knowledge of military tactics, and how to counter an opponents action, when to retreat etc.
PEGI rating - 18 = Reliable. To make the question more valid they might have said 'In what year, month and date were you born on'.
Concept research - Vehicles, equipment, camouflage, spying on a Greek military base that got two of their developers arrested. The game was also banned in Iran as the hostile/'evil' faction known as CSAT seems very similar to the Iranian armed forces, they even speak Iranian and have a entire battle group with Iranians in. - Primary
Military models - They use a range of weaponry and equipment that, despite the difference in name, can be seen as similar to real world vehicles and weapons. This would be classified as primary market research because the development team had access to the real weapons and vehicles, having the ability to hold them in their office. This is valid as developer diaries posted to YouTube showing that rifles are present on their office tables, allowing them to get the appropriate detail needed
Languages - Since their are multiple factions present in the game itself research was required for pronunciations, while also providing appropriate scripts for the characters.
Location - Geographical terrain on the map itself. The game takes parts of Greek territory and use it as independent nations, while having a single place designed off a Oceania island. This was done by the lead environmental designer, Martin Pezlar and his team who would have used the geographical terrain of:
Limnos = Altis
Lefkada = Malden
Ag. Efstratios = Stratis
Fiji = Tanoa, notably the main island itself
This also goes along with the fact members of the development team were arrested for photographing Greek military bases in Greece = Primary
Beta Testing - Before the final variant of the game was released the game went out on a public beta, all be it priced.
This would be primary research as they have access to the playerbases opinions and ideas about the game = Primary
Game: https://arma3.com/
Arma 3 Development team: https://www.mobygames.com/game/windows/arma-iii/credits
Real world equivalent of Arma 3s guns [Vehicles are in another tab on the screen]: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=572098383
Dev Diary for the Marksman DLC: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMzS13O14tI [Age restricted]
Yes No
Open Closed
Why? Do?
How? Am I?
When? Is it?
Who? Alright?
What?
Where?
Question
23/01/19
Pearson A [Dave]
English
Student
Male
Fat
Basement dweller
Lives with parents
Acne
Wears glasses
Lives in a 3 bed house
Drives a Corsa '04
McDonald's
£5,000 Income (Yearly)
Day in the life of Dave
08:00 - Get up, washed and eat. During breakfast will likely play a mobile game
08:30 - Drive to college
09:00 - 15:50 - Study/Learning stuff related to course/s
16:25 - Arrive home, boot up the PC and game OR do course work till 17:30 then game
19:00 - Turn off PC, head to work
22:00 - Finish work, head home after buying Mc'D and get back to gaming
23:00 - Game into the night till around 01:00 before going to bed
Pearson B [Artjem]
Russian
Female
Muscular
Shared flat with boyfriend
Beautiful/Makeup
Ice White Hair
Cellphone Games
Drives a bus
Gym P.T
₽320,000
Day in the life of Artjem
08:00 - Wake up, get ready, eat breakfast. Use FB while eating breakfast
Walk to bus
08:30 - Begin work when arriving at park
17:30 - Finish work
18:00 → - Arrive home, watch TV, personnel exercise etc. Possibly play mobile games, all be it unlikely for extended periods of time. Possibly has some form of snack or dinner before going back to TV or work [paperwork], might have a wash before going to bed at around 23:30
Demographic
[Examples]
Age range
Gender
Ethnicity
Race
Location
Work
Geo-demographic
Cluster based
Research Essay 1000 words | Game Design related examples
Define Secondary - Secondary research refers to finding information that already exists and using that information. This might involve reading through newspapers or reading diary entries from certain individuals who have lived through certain events, such as world war two. An example of secondary research being acquired in game design would be blogs, as the information has been acquired through another individual. However, the issue with using secondary research is that the information could be outdated. For example, the blog was posted in March of 2015, almost four years ago, and as such it is highly likely that the information is outdated, in fact the information is outdated, evident by Steams own category [2018 but as we are less than a month into 2019 its understandable]
Define Primary - Primary research is information that you acquire yourself. This could involve using a survey to find how people get from A to B, or interviewing individuals to get information you need, such as experience in a certain area. In games design company might use Beta testers to get feedback about their game, allowing them to fix bugs and issues that might arise, this would classify as primary research, such as Fallout 76s B.E.T.A [Break-It Early Test Application, good way of saying beta, all be it the companies willingness to listen is debatable]. However, primary research can be an issue in terms of how valid it is. For example, in a survey it showed that people that play games [both genders] hide the fact that they do, which could impact the way a company does something later down the development road.
Tertiary (reference manual of secondary sources)
Define Qualitative & Quantitative - Quantitative data is data which is often measured in numerical variables, , such as 'how many consoles do you have', or 'how long does it take for you to get from A to B'. These are considered 'closed' questions, as the answer can't be expanded upon. An example of quantitative would be asking someone to select their favourite genera of game, when there are only five options available. Quantitative questions though are questions which are open, as they can be expanded upon. For example, if the question 'Whats your favourite genre and why do you like it?' a person could select from hundreds of options before providing their own opinion as to why they like that specific genre.
Define Reliable and Valid - Reliability involves a individual checking the information, as if the information isn't reliable it can have an affect on later actions down the road. An example of this in gaming is when people lie on survey, as it might say that the user is in their twenties when in reality they are much younger, which could affect what the company does if they believe a larger majority of their audience is older.
The validity of the information involves...
Sources
Audience Research [Player, Consumer only]
What is it? - Audience research involves researching your chosen audience. This would classify as your demographic, but you would need to research a large range before finding your specific audience. An example of this would be Steams 'Stats' section, which provides statistics on the sites player count, hardware and download stats. Steam games also state how many people are currently playing that specific game, however, it doesn't provide information on the age range, ethnicity etc. To find this information a site known as 'SteamSpy' deals with this, however certain information is restricted unless you do specific things, such as set up an account and provide funds to the sites Patreon. The issue with audience research is that if you tailor your game to a specific market, you will only be able to reach a certain amount of potential customers. For example, the game ' ' is made for a audience that
Market Research? [Existing Market,'How do I make a game that exceeds expectation e.g. Fortnite's History] -
^^Spend on advertising^^
Similar games + states
3 Examples of similar games and put the examples through secondary research, checking the validity and the reliability and Qual+Quan data, platforms
30/01/19
GTA
History:
Development began in April 2008, with full development lasting three years with over 1,000 individuals working on the game. In the end, development costs around £170 million, however sales resulted in the company earning $6 million USD (£4,579,170,000) having sold 90 million copies. Having a large amount of positive reviews up till 01/06/17, which saw 45889 negative reviews hitting the game on steam and other sites due to the companies parent company banning single player modders. This is only one of the controversies that have hit the game, as a torture scene was viewed as 'too much' by players and parents, along with the game being blamed for school shootings due to its violence (not true), the portrayal of female was misogynistic, along with a individual suing the company for stating they used her face on the front of the game without her permission. Simply put, the game itself has taken large amounts of controversies and lawsuits, which have failed so far.
Uh,,, the reviews are 'apparently' made by children... could be lying, either way its interesting
Images:
Demographic:
Geo-Demographic:
27/02/19
10x Questions
Open + Closed
Qual + Quan
Valid + Reliable
For going into the TV Studio to ask questions on 06/03/19
This fits a few of the questions, I can't list
So does this
In-depth info gathering by looking through primary or secondary research in order to gain info, and in some cases to re-learn certain info.
Data [Plural] - Basic information that currently has no meaning.
- Begin with secondary research data. This would be someones findings on the topic/matter that are not your own, such as a book on WWII made by a individual written in 1950.
Sources: Books, Scientific papers (Essays/Paper), Website.org, Gov Census,Questioner, Interview, TV shows, Radio shows, Pod-casts, Journal, Newspaper articles - Primary research is information that you source.
Tests, I/V - Reliable. Repeatable things such as the age
- 1000 words
- PowerPoint presentation
- TV interview (Prime Res)
Market Research, trends etc. - Military Sim
Platform - Hardware limitations. Made specifically for PC
Community + Target audience - Made for a mature audience, due to the concept of war its general realistic military tactics
Software/Game Engine - The company was required to do the appropriate research of the game in order to produce a suitable game engine that had appropriate physics, but which also has middleware which can fill in gaps that don't need to be done such as vegetation. This includes the AI being programmed with the knowledge of military tactics, and how to counter an opponents action, when to retreat etc.
PEGI rating - 18 = Reliable. To make the question more valid they might have said 'In what year, month and date were you born on'.
Concept research - Vehicles, equipment, camouflage, spying on a Greek military base that got two of their developers arrested. The game was also banned in Iran as the hostile/'evil' faction known as CSAT seems very similar to the Iranian armed forces, they even speak Iranian and have a entire battle group with Iranians in. - Primary
Military models - They use a range of weaponry and equipment that, despite the difference in name, can be seen as similar to real world vehicles and weapons. This would be classified as primary market research because the development team had access to the real weapons and vehicles, having the ability to hold them in their office. This is valid as developer diaries posted to YouTube showing that rifles are present on their office tables, allowing them to get the appropriate detail needed
Languages - Since their are multiple factions present in the game itself research was required for pronunciations, while also providing appropriate scripts for the characters.
Location - Geographical terrain on the map itself. The game takes parts of Greek territory and use it as independent nations, while having a single place designed off a Oceania island. This was done by the lead environmental designer, Martin Pezlar and his team who would have used the geographical terrain of:
Limnos = Altis
Lefkada = Malden
Ag. Efstratios = Stratis
Fiji = Tanoa, notably the main island itself
This also goes along with the fact members of the development team were arrested for photographing Greek military bases in Greece = Primary
Beta Testing - Before the final variant of the game was released the game went out on a public beta, all be it priced.
This would be primary research as they have access to the playerbases opinions and ideas about the game = Primary
Game: https://arma3.com/
Arma 3 Development team: https://www.mobygames.com/game/windows/arma-iii/credits
Real world equivalent of Arma 3s guns [Vehicles are in another tab on the screen]: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=572098383
Dev Diary for the Marksman DLC: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMzS13O14tI [Age restricted]
Yes No
Open Closed
Why? Do?
How? Am I?
When? Is it?
Who? Alright?
What?
Where?
Question
- What is you're favourite genera of game?
- Do you enjoy first-person shooters? (0/1)
- Do you consider Unity a superior game engine?
- Is Fallout 76 a buggy mess?
- On a scale of one to ten, where would you rank Red Dead Redemption 2?
- Would you rather play an RPG, FPS, RTS or SCI-FI game?
Despite lacking a PS2, is it possible to play PS2 games on a PS3 when the consoles are different?
Genre of Game
- Best platform for the genre + why
- Age range for the audience
- What would you consider to be the best game engine for the genre
- What mechanics would you suggest would work for the game
Quantitative Data [Closed]
Numerical statistics
Age?
How many X...
On Average, how much...
Q.
- Out of the selection, what is you're favourite game?
- How many hours do you spend in a multi-player game?
Qualitative Data [Open]
Valid = Repeatable
Reliable
Interview
- Peoples attributes
- Behaviour
- Aspirations
- Culture
- Lifestyle
- Open Survey
- Notes
- Photos
- Video
[Emotion]
What was done within an hour?
Examples of quantitative data conjured up, ranging in quality. Once done switched to qualitative data.
Interviewed individuals were answering qualitative based data. Information was provided about the interviewer and how they were using their body language to portray a sense of dominance, or calmness by copying/miring the interviewees stance, keeping eye contact and nodding a tiny bit. Interviewer went silent, which showed us that the interviewee would ramble on, but would provide information on a topic that the interviewer could use to judge them. Also showed what not to do, to not be noisy and create unnecessary noise, to not slouch around.
Examples as to what to look for are noted above under 'Interview', including examples of this, though we also discussed the validity and reliability of what someone says or what an extract says.
23/01/19
Pearson A [Dave]
English
Student
Male
Fat
Basement dweller
Lives with parents
Acne
Wears glasses
Lives in a 3 bed house
Drives a Corsa '04
McDonald's
£5,000 Income (Yearly)
Day in the life of Dave
08:00 - Get up, washed and eat. During breakfast will likely play a mobile game
08:30 - Drive to college
09:00 - 15:50 - Study/Learning stuff related to course/s
16:25 - Arrive home, boot up the PC and game OR do course work till 17:30 then game
19:00 - Turn off PC, head to work
22:00 - Finish work, head home after buying Mc'D and get back to gaming
23:00 - Game into the night till around 01:00 before going to bed
Pearson B [Artjem]
Russian
Female
Muscular
Shared flat with boyfriend
Beautiful/Makeup
Ice White Hair
Cellphone Games
Drives a bus
Gym P.T
₽320,000
Day in the life of Artjem
08:00 - Wake up, get ready, eat breakfast. Use FB while eating breakfast
Walk to bus
08:30 - Begin work when arriving at park
17:30 - Finish work
18:00 → - Arrive home, watch TV, personnel exercise etc. Possibly play mobile games, all be it unlikely for extended periods of time. Possibly has some form of snack or dinner before going back to TV or work [paperwork], might have a wash before going to bed at around 23:30
Demographic
[Examples]
Age range
Gender
Ethnicity
Race
Location
Work
Geo-demographic
Cluster based
Research Essay 1000 words | Game Design related examples
Define Secondary - Secondary research refers to finding information that already exists and using that information. This might involve reading through newspapers or reading diary entries from certain individuals who have lived through certain events, such as world war two. An example of secondary research being acquired in game design would be blogs, as the information has been acquired through another individual. However, the issue with using secondary research is that the information could be outdated. For example, the blog was posted in March of 2015, almost four years ago, and as such it is highly likely that the information is outdated, in fact the information is outdated, evident by Steams own category [2018 but as we are less than a month into 2019 its understandable]
Define Primary - Primary research is information that you acquire yourself. This could involve using a survey to find how people get from A to B, or interviewing individuals to get information you need, such as experience in a certain area. In games design company might use Beta testers to get feedback about their game, allowing them to fix bugs and issues that might arise, this would classify as primary research, such as Fallout 76s B.E.T.A [Break-It Early Test Application, good way of saying beta, all be it the companies willingness to listen is debatable]. However, primary research can be an issue in terms of how valid it is. For example, in a survey it showed that people that play games [both genders] hide the fact that they do, which could impact the way a company does something later down the development road.
Tertiary (reference manual of secondary sources)
Define Qualitative & Quantitative - Quantitative data is data which is often measured in numerical variables, , such as 'how many consoles do you have', or 'how long does it take for you to get from A to B'. These are considered 'closed' questions, as the answer can't be expanded upon. An example of quantitative would be asking someone to select their favourite genera of game, when there are only five options available. Quantitative questions though are questions which are open, as they can be expanded upon. For example, if the question 'Whats your favourite genre and why do you like it?' a person could select from hundreds of options before providing their own opinion as to why they like that specific genre.
Define Reliable and Valid - Reliability involves a individual checking the information, as if the information isn't reliable it can have an affect on later actions down the road. An example of this in gaming is when people lie on survey, as it might say that the user is in their twenties when in reality they are much younger, which could affect what the company does if they believe a larger majority of their audience is older.
The validity of the information involves...
Sources
Audience Research [Player, Consumer only]
What is it? - Audience research involves researching your chosen audience. This would classify as your demographic, but you would need to research a large range before finding your specific audience. An example of this would be Steams 'Stats' section, which provides statistics on the sites player count, hardware and download stats. Steam games also state how many people are currently playing that specific game, however, it doesn't provide information on the age range, ethnicity etc. To find this information a site known as 'SteamSpy' deals with this, however certain information is restricted unless you do specific things, such as set up an account and provide funds to the sites Patreon. The issue with audience research is that if you tailor your game to a specific market, you will only be able to reach a certain amount of potential customers. For example, the game ' ' is made for a audience that
Market Research? [Existing Market,'How do I make a game that exceeds expectation e.g. Fortnite's History] -
^^Spend on advertising^^
Similar games + states
3 Examples of similar games and put the examples through secondary research, checking the validity and the reliability and Qual+Quan data, platforms
30/01/19
GTA
History:
Development began in April 2008, with full development lasting three years with over 1,000 individuals working on the game. In the end, development costs around £170 million, however sales resulted in the company earning $6 million USD (£4,579,170,000) having sold 90 million copies. Having a large amount of positive reviews up till 01/06/17, which saw 45889 negative reviews hitting the game on steam and other sites due to the companies parent company banning single player modders. This is only one of the controversies that have hit the game, as a torture scene was viewed as 'too much' by players and parents, along with the game being blamed for school shootings due to its violence (not true), the portrayal of female was misogynistic, along with a individual suing the company for stating they used her face on the front of the game without her permission. Simply put, the game itself has taken large amounts of controversies and lawsuits, which have failed so far.
Uh,,, the reviews are 'apparently' made by children... could be lying, either way its interesting
Images:
Demographic:
Geo-Demographic:
27/02/19
10x Questions
Open + Closed
Qual + Quan
Valid + Reliable
For going into the TV Studio to ask questions on 06/03/19
This fits a few of the questions, I can't list
So does this
- What is your opinion regarding the current market for Real-time strategy games?
The main purpose of such a question is to get the main basics on the individual to know if they have knowledge on the RTS market. - Do you believe that perhaps the RTS market is dwindling due to other titles, triple A or other (Such as battle royal, or perhaps changing times)? Explain the reasoning behind this.
The main purpose of this is to see if the individual believes that RTS games are dwindling away. Albeit similar to the first question its different seeing as one involves the market, while the other discusses about triple A games and other, more popular franchises possibly dwarfing the RTS industry as a whole. - What real-time strategy games have you played, why did you enjoy/not enjoy the game?
Knowing what RTS games they have played improves my knowledge regarding what they themselves know both regarding RTS games AND what games the players themselves might be similar with, so a game can be tailored similarly to the examples. For example the ability to produce units, or commander powers etc. - What themes do you enjoy within RTS games and why? For example, Sci-fi (Starcraft), Modern themes (Call to Arms) etc.This is to learn what the possible player might enjoy regarding a theme. As such this could possibly result in the theme for the RTS game, similar to how Men of War Assault Squad 2 is set within the second world war.
- Do you have any favourite RTS games? If so why do you consider these you're favourite when compared to the list given in question 3? Did this game affect you in some-manner?This will provide information regarding what the player views as their favourite games. If a majority say this then some features from game X could be placed into our game. For example, a large majority might enjoy a boarding feature for a sci-fi RTS, and as such a boarding system could be implemented as a result.
(Swap with 3) - What do you think of how RTS games acquire resources and why? Do you think some games happen to have better system than others? Can you provide an example?To get the players opinion on what type of resource system they prefer. Would they rather a system that involves gathering the resources using workers, an automated system where workers are assigned automatically at the click of a button or a system where its all automatic and based off capture points, building certain items etc. This could show us what resources system they might desire.
Notably this seems to line up with this while also hitting some other questions. - What platform do you believe is the best for RTS games and why?
Having the ability to know what the majority of the playerbase utilise regarding how they play the game shows us where the potential players play, also showing us what we should set the game up for platform wise, along with similar controls to make it easier to use for players to use the screen. - As a consumer, what company/companies would you consider to be a 'RTS Powerhouse' when it comes to developing RTS games as a whole? Why would you consider this?
This will tells us a possible competitor that the individual believes could produce a high-quality RTS game. It is expected that Relic that might an appearance within the list, mainly because the have a range of RTS games under their belt that seem decent. - Do you believe that RTS games have some benefit on the players brain, do they harm the brain or do they have no effect on the brain? If possible can you explain your answer.
Research in 2013 revealed the fact that RTS games seem to improve a players cognitive flexibility. Despite this it is best to see what the player believes if they think RTS games can benefit the players brain, as this shows who the audience them self are and whether they would like a RTS game that would meet such a criteria - Do you believe that RTS games are successful in telling a story to the player, whether it be along a scripted campaign or perhaps a total war conquest kind of game? Can you explain why?
Main purpose is to see if the player feels believes that RTS games can portray a story within the game world
DATE
|
SUBJECT
|
TARGET FOR THIS SESSION
Specific – Measurable –
Achievable –
Relevant – Timely
|
REFLECTION
DID
I ACHIEVE MY TARGET?
What went well? - What
didn’t go well? - Why?
|
TUTOR SIGNATURE
|
20.03.19
|
Unit 3 - Research
|
Currently creating a pitch in ppt.
Not sure but it’ll contain the
information required.
Yes, since there is plenty of time to
get a majority of it done.
Applying something that has been learnt
By the end of the session [Around two
hours] a portion of the ppt. should be done
|
||
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