Media

Genre Research/Audience and Purpose

Genre Research

What is survival horror?

Survival horror is a sub-genre of an action/adventure game inspired by horror fiction. This type of game is designed to make the player vulnerable by providing less weapons and ammunition that would be expected in an action/adventure game. The usual ‘bad guys’ in these types of games are supernatural monsters such as vampires, zombies, etc. Also the setting of the game consists usually of dark atmospheres, maze like environments, where the player is required to solve puzzles and clues to move onto the next level and there are many surprise elements such as monsters popping out of nowhere.

Examples of survival horror games:

Ø Resident Evil

Ø Dementium

Ø Silent Hill

Ø Alone in the Dark

Ø Devil May Cry

Ø Obscure

Most survival horror games are based on films, for example, Resident Evil, where the game was released straight after the film, with all the scenes that the film had, being incorporated into the game. One game that does not follow this trend however, is Silent Hill, where the film was made based on the game instead of the other way around.

Audience and Purpose

There are many video games that have been released, rated 18. I will be looking at two games that have a connection to the game that I will be creating - Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and Left 4 Dead 2.

Both of the these games have one thing in common - they both involve killing or defeating certain beings throughout the game. This connects perfectly to the type of game I want to create, as I am planning to include 'monsters' that will be trying to attack the player, and the player will have to kill them.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

In Call of Duty (Playstation 3, Xbox platforms) the objective is to complete a series of missions that involve protecting base camps, killing the enemies - most objectives that are set when soldiers go to war. The player cannot move to the next level without the current objective being completed and finalized. The player takes on the roles of various characters, which changes the perspectives, keeping the player more interested. 

There was some controversy with this game however. The version of the game that was released in Russia had a mission taken out, as it was too violent and disturbing to be played - it involved the player assuming the role of an undercover CIA agent who joined a group of national Russian terrorists, who then massacre civilians at an airport.

Reviews:

Here are a few reviews from customers that have bought or played this game:

"the biggest game of 2009... the sequel to one of the most successful first person shooter titles of all time" Nick Cowen, Telegraph

"Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 still manages to set the standard for online multiple player shooters. the sheer amount of content in this game is staggering, and if you can get over the hurdles of chatting with friends, you'll find an extremely polished, gorgeous and addictive FPS experience." Russ Frushtick, MTV

"The single player mode is too short and easy and the online mode is the biggest letdown. It's too much like an arcade game, and I got bored of it very quick... Ill be sticking with Call of Duty 4" Customer from HMV

Left 4 dead 2

In Left 4 Dead 2 (Xbox, Microsoft Windows platforms), the objective is for the player to fight their way through zombies (people who were once human, but have been infected by a rabies-like pathogen), and find the evacuation point to be saved. There are safe houses throughout the game, where the player can take shelter from the zombies, and the player has to find weapons throughout the game to protect him/herself.

This is also a FPS (First Person Shooter) game, however the player will be working along side other characters, which makes the game more interesting as there will be heavy emphasis on cooperative game play.

There was also some controversy with this game, where it was said that the game was too violent and explicit.

Reviews:

"Under all those blood and guts and carnage is a technical ballet, seamlessly integrating a variety of elements into one great performance that any fan of the original should not miss. it's not a major leap forward, but the new content and rich mechanics make this game a hard sell to pass up." Locke Webster, MTV

"New campaigns are very well designed, new survivors have more character and new infected have fun abilities, realism mode delivers a new level of tension, however, no major leaps forward, AI allies can still trip you up." Chris Watters, Cnet.com

"Apart from new maps, there really isn't anything new to the game. Regardless of the new infected, versus and campaigns are still the same as Left 4 Dead. If you expected a brand new game, you'll be very disappointed, However the game itself is a lot of fun to play and I would definitely recommend it if you didn't have more exciting games to buy, but it wouldn't be top of my list to buy." Customer from Game

I believe that the game I am creating will be only be suitable for 18 years olds, as there will be a lot of violence involved, which may disturb younger players.

Specification

This game that I want to create should:

• be a survival horror type game
• be aimed at 18 year olds and over, as it will contain violence and gore
• have puzzles to solve throughout the game to keep the user interested
• include supernatural monsters, such as zombies, that will try to seek and destroy the player throughout the game
• allow the player to have access to weapons to defend him/herself, however, the ammo for the weapon should be scarce so that it gives the player more of a challenge.
• keep the user entertained and 'hooked'

Story Outlines/Storyboards

Story Outlines

Outline 1

You are the main character. You are stuck in a cave like place that is filled with flesh eating zombies. You will have to find your way through the maze like environment, picking up armor along the way to defend yourself. To escape the clutches of the monsters, you will have to find the key to the exit.

Outline 2

You are the main character. You have been stranded on an island after a plane crash. The few survivors that are left have scattered. However, the island is filled with mutants who are hunting you down for food. The only way off the island is the pick up point at the top of the mountain, where a rescue helicopter will wait for just 5 minutes everyday, and the only way to find out what time the helicopter will be there is to solve the clues that are scattered around the island.

Outline 3

You control a catapult that fires boulders at oncoming zombies. Once all the zombies are taken out, the level is complete and you can move onto the next level. More and more zombies appear in each level. This game can be related to space invaders.

I have chosen outline 1 because I would like to create a game that is interactive, but not too complicated, so that the user will have to go through challenges, but still have fun while playing; a game that would be recommended to people. 

Storyboards

Welcome Page

The viewer will see the name of the game and the option buttons to either see the controls used to play the game, to see the instructions, or to play the actual game. The buttons should be in the shape of skulls because this will instantly tell the player that the game will be scary and violent. The writing should also be in a horror font and the background should be a dark colour such as deep reed or black to keep the tense and dark atmosphere.

Instruction Screen

The instruction screen will tell the user the objective of the game and what they should expect. There will be snapshots of some scenes in the game to give the player an insight of what is to come. This page will follow the same layout as the welcome page.

Control Screen

The control page will show the player what buttons should be used to play the game. The layout of this page will also follow the welcome page trend.

Introduction Page

The introduction screen will tell the player a brief description of the story of the game. This will prepare the player for what they will see during the game. The layout of this scene should be set out like the welcome page, so that there is house style throughout the game.

Play Screen

The game will be a first person shooter game, so it will be seen from the player's perspective. The player will be armed, however, he/she will have to find the ammo scattered around the game. The main setting of the game should be in an old run down house/mansion. This will set the scene for a scary, violent game, where the player should expect to see monsters.

Puzzles

There will be puzzles that the player would have to complete to reach the end of the game. This storyboard shows a safe that the player will have to unlock to get the key to the final door.

Puzzles 2

There will be puzzles that the player has to complete to get through some doors. This will challenge the player and get them thinking. There will also be a voice that states the task or puzzle that needs to be completed, or there will be writing on the walls acting as hints for a hidden task.

Monsters

Zombies will be used as the 'monsters' of the game. They will attack the player and try very hard to stop the player from reaching the end destination. There will also be other monsters, which will be harder to defeat than the zombies. This will challenge the player further.

Game Layout

There will be various room for the player to navigate through and investigate. This gives the game a more diverse range of scenes that the player can experience through game play.

Ending

The player will have to find his/her way to the final room, where they will finish the game. There will be indicators to show that they should be in that specific room to complete the game (in the storyboard, the indication is the words 'EXIT' written on the door).

Win Screen

This screen will appear when the player manages to escape and complete the game. They will then have the choice to play again or go back to the main menu.

Lose Screen

This screen appears if the player has either run out of life, or has not managed to reach the exit in time. The player can then choose to try again, or return to the main menu.

Software Research/Chosen Software

Software Research

I have been looking at different programs I could use to create the game. I first thought of using Adobe Flash, but that would mean that it would take at least a couple of months to create as I am not too experienced with it. I tried looking for programs that would reduce the time taken to create the game, and my teacher found me a link to an education website (www.immmersiveeducation.com/downloads). On that site, I found a program called Missionmaker, which helps to create games.

Missionmaker

This program lets people quickly create 3D worlds that can be played as games. It includes different scene settings, animated characters, speech and sounds.

Advantages:

• there is an extensive library of objects
• creator can set their own rules of game play
• music, graphics and video can be imported into the project

Disadvantages:

• game can only be played in first person mode
• there are a limited amount of animated characters, although their lower and upper half can be mixed and matched

Adobe Flash

Adobe Flash is generally used to create animation and interactivity to web pages and so on.

Advantages:

• can be used to embed videos and music
• when drawing, the lines created get smoothed out (unlike normal programs such as Paint, where the lines seem pixelated)

Disadvantages:

• it is quite difficult to use if you have no knowledge of the program
• everything is done from scratch

My teacher then obtained the Missionmaker software and I have been trying it out to see if it is easy or difficult to use. I think that the concept of it and the way the games are made on it is exactly what I am looking for to make my game, so I will be using it to create my product.

Video Game Covers

Video game cover should include:

Ø Name of Game

Ø The logo platforms (the different consoles) it can be played on

Ø The age restrictions

Ø The developer

Ø The publisher

With most shooting games, the game covers involve having an aspect that almost frightens the buyer into buying the game e.g. On the cover of Killzone 2, the buyer sees a full face shot of a robotic figure with glowing orange/red eyes. This in itself creates fear, but at the same time excites the buyer, especially people that are fans of the horror genre.

Another game that shows this example being used is Resident Evil Deadly Silence. On the game cover, there is a zombie like monster with a huge claw and razor sharp nail. This again incites fear into the buyer, which is usually why the game is bought.

After learning this, I will create my game cover using a similar strategy. I will include the 'eye' effect on the game cover so that it will look a lot more mysterious and so it will incite fear into other people.

Video Game Adverts

Adverts for video games could include:

Ø Name of the video game

Ø A catchphrase

Ø A few scenes of the game

Ø Platforms it can be played on

Ø Publisher logos

Ø Developer logos

Ø Shop logos from where the game can be bought

Ø Age restriction

Most video game covers include a part or feature of the actual game cover itself, and some even include scenes/screen shots of actual game play. This advert includes all of these features, which is a good technique to draw people in, as they get a sneak preview as to what they will be playing.

 

In this advert, the creators have used a different kind of tactic. The creators have photographed fans of the game cheering. This is a good way of advertising the game because it tells potential customers that there are a lot of people that want to play the game, which should mean it is popular. This entices the viewer to buy the game because it makes him/her not want to be left out.

For my game cover, I will include some features of the game cover, as well as other techniques to draw people in.

Creating the Video Game Level

 

On mission maker, I had to create my level using a type of blue print facility. This allowed me to create as many different scenarios as I wanted to, and link them up using various types of corridors. I was also able to add different actions to each room, for example, I was able to set objects to activate when the player walks into a certain room.

 

This is another example of actions that I could have used in a particular room - spatial triggers that set off an object or character.

 

I inserted a few characters, and I was able to determine their actions and characteristics. For this group of characters, I set their action to 'seek and destroy player', which meant that throughout the whole level, these characters would be trying to find and kill the player. I added a different range actions to other characters in the game to make the game more interesting.

 

This screen shot shows a puzzle that I inputted into my product. I used a safe to hide away a key to the exit. I was also able to set a trigger on this object - I programmed it to open when the player clicks on it.

Here, I have used a different kind of trigger - a spatial trigger. This allowed me to use different actions. For this particular trigger, I programmed it to open the door to the exit when the key was dropped inside of it.

   This is also a spatial trigger. For this one, I set it so that the game would come to an end when the player stepped into it.

Creating the Video Game Cover

       

Creating the Video Game Advert

   

Final Video Game Level

This is the pop up that appears before the gameplay starts. It tells the player briefly what has been happening and what is left to do.

This is the scene where the player starts off. There is a map on the bottom left corner so that it is easy for the player to navigate through. There is also an inventory where the player can keep objects he/she finds. The life bar is on the bottom right of the screen, letting the player know how much life is left.

When the player enters this room, a voice tells the player what he/she has to do. This is one of the puzzles that are in this level.

When the player successfully figures out the puzzle, another door opens leading the player to a different location.

In the secret room is a weapon that the player can pick up to arm him/herself against the zombies.

The weapon has no ammunition so the player has to go around to different locations within the level, collecting the ammo.

This is another puzzle within the game. However, the clue for the puzzle is different, as instead of using a voice, a pop up appears on the screen, telling the player what they have to do.

Once the player have figured out the puzzle, they will find a key which he/she can keep in the inventory for the time being.

As the player continues through the game, more pop ups will appear to let the player know where to go.

 

In this part of the level, the player has to over come a whole group of zombies who have set out to seek and destroy the player.

If the player does not make it out alive, this pop up appears, telling the player that they have failed the game.

If the player gets past the zombies, they will come to the final scenario where they will have to use the key.

Another pop up will appear to tell the player what they will have to do with the key.

This screenshot shows the ending of the game, where the player has to walk into the light.

If the player completes the game level, this pop up appears, congratulating them.

Final Video Game Cover

Final Video Game Advert

Evaluation and Questionnaire Feedback

 

From my audience feedback, I have learnt that my product still lacks quite a few features and aspects until it becomes an excellent horror game.

From the moment I started designing my product to creating the final outcome, I found that I was going to face many challenges. When I started off designing my product, I had one genre in mind - horror. So I based my three designs around this theme.

Strengths

The final product uses all the features I had intended to use, to make this product effective within the chosen age group. There is plenty of shooting and killing, and there are challenges throughout the game to keep the user entertained. I also added in a few pop ups throughout the game to keep the player on track and to give the player hints and help with the puzzles. This can be seen as a strength because it makes the player think that the game is easy, but when it comes to killing the zombies, it is a lot more difficult. However this can also be seen as a weakness because it almost takes away the challenge of the puzzles.

Another strength I had in creating the video game was that I was a very fast learner, so I was able to take on board most of the techniques I could use to create my product using Mission Maker. This was an advantage because it allowed me to extended the complexity of the different aspects of the game.

Weakness

However, as mentioned above, the pop ups giving hints throughout the game can be seen as a weakness because it takes away the element of the challenge. Also, the game does have a few glitches admittedly. Some of the zombies in the game were not programmed properly, so this meant that when confronted by the player they did not try to destroy he player unless the player shot first. This takes away the horror aspect of the game, and even questions if the characters really are zombies or just normal citizens.

Another weakness I had in creating my product was that I had a limited amount of resources I could use. I wanted to create a game that included zombies that would bite and claw at the player to hurt them, not use a gun. I also could not use blood which took away the gore aspect of the game. This was a disadvantage because I made the product look less like a zombie game.

Music/Sound Effects

            I did not use music in my game because it would have taken away the horror aspect straight away. As there is no music in the background, the silence adds to the scariness of the game because it puts the player in a situation where a sudden noise would terrify the player. I did use sound effects when the gun gets used, and when the zombies explode. I also added the smaller sound effects such as doors opening etc. This created a creepier atmosphere, as these were the only sounds heard.

My product uses, develops and challenges conventions of a real media product by using the following aspects:

• it shows evidence of the research that I have done because I have used quite a few aspects of real horror game products - blood, violence, dark colours, tense atmospheres etc.
• it shows that I have furthered these aspects by making the products my own, and inputting my own ideas into the final pieces.
• it shows that I have challenged these aspects in a way that I have used features that should not be found in a horror type game, but I have presented them in such a way that they fit with the game, and this is constant.

How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary texts?

I think that my product is quite effective because I believe it meets the standards that I had set - to entertain, to frighten and to be enjoyed.

The poster and game cover are also very effective because they portray the game in a good light. the eyes with the blood covering them on the front cover shows a hint as to what the game is going to be about, but it does not give everything away, so this aspect would make potential buyers want to pick the game up to see what it is about. The back cover it just as effective because it shows small snapshots of actual game play, and this may sway people to buy the game so that they can find out more and play the scenes that they see.

the poster picture is not as effective as the game cover, but it still leaves a hint of what the game is about. The catch phrases used at the top of the poster induce the feeling of wanting in potential buyers so this would make them go to the shops to see the game and to find out what it is about.

What I have learnt from my audience feedback:

From my audience feed back, I can see that most people thought that the scenario of the game was suitable and that the characters used in the product were appropriate for the genre of the game. A few people also thought that the small hints that I had placed in suitable scene were a plus as it allowed players to have the knowledge that they were on the right path to completing the game.

Most of the critics, however, found that the graphics and the features of the zombies were not good as they did not resemble a commercial video game, and there were quite a few flaws with the gameplay.

Also, one person found that the controls were hard to use because they were not your basic controls that most commercial games use.

Taking all this into account, I have learnt that in a future project, I should be prepared to focus on every little detail of my product so that there are a few, if any, flaws.

How did you use new media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?

To construct my product I used Mission Maker. This was a completely new technology for me which meant that I had to learn how to use it from scratch, and this set a very big challenge as I had to complete my product in a set time.

For research, I used the Internet to search gaming sites where I found reviews and information on various games that were within the same genre as mine. This also helped me plan my product because it showed me what was expected in a horror game, which meant that I had to follow a few basic guidelines.

I used 'blogging' to show my evaluation. This again, was new to me as I had never used a blog site before. However, this was a lot easier to learn how to use than Mission Maker so I did not have quite so many problems.

Overall, I think that for a first attempt at creating a video game, my project ran quite smoothly - I managed to get most the aspects that a commercial video game includes, and I was able to produce a game cover and magazine advert that portrayed the game in a good light.