Game Design & Development: The Timelessness and History Behind Gaming Elements

Research Question:

Why are certain game mechanics objectively superior to others, and what caused these

mechanics to become so timeless and traditional?

Hypothesis

There are select video game designs and traits which are apparent through a variety of games,

their consistency should show that there is an objective excellence in their designs.

Background/History of Issue

Video Games have quickly become a facet of modern culture, making themselves known as

extremely popular pastimes for current youth, up to 70.7% of all households in 2003 (Manusos).

There is a high quantity of children, at least at one point of their lives, that wish to one day make

video games. However, video games, like other creative mediums, are extremely subjective and

what will be well-received often lies entirely in the eyes of the consumer. With the plethora of

successful games, though, there should be an objectivity to select game mechanics. Multiple

authors- both creators of games or just players of the medium- have attempted at allocating these

mechanics so others can learn from them.

Rationale

I believe that this topic is important because of the quickly growing video game industry and the

multitude of individuals who play and enjoy games. Several people who play games become

inspired and wish to create their own, but many of those are lost when it comes to actual game
design. Thus, by cataloging and defining what design elements are objectively superior, one can

learn from what has worked in the past. While a lot of what makes certain game mechanics

‘good’ is opinionated, there still has to be an underlying baseline which creators can stem from.

Like writing a book or making a movie, in theory, there should be several game designs which

are objectively correct.

Basis of Hypothesis

Despite the thousands of video games released which identify themselves with a variety of

mechanics, there always seems to be similarities in their design. There seems to be a baseline on

how one should develop a game and its mechanics, but what that is is not always clearly defined.

Therefore, since so many games share similar, basic design elements which have been proved

time and time again to succeed, there must be objectively correct design choices for games.

Operational Definitions

● (Video) Game Design (and ‘Design’ synonyms): The different pieces of video game

development, such as artwork, music, structure, etc. which combine to create an effective

and full games (does not necessarily have to apply just to electronic games)

● Mechanics: How different features function within gameplay, such as character

movement or enemy A.I.

● Traditional: Designs which have been used since, and are characteristic of, classic video

games, typically those one would have found in an arcade

Descriptors Used for Literature Search

● Video Game Designs

● Video Game Development

● Video Game History