1. Small Changes, Big Results Redefining a PC Franchise for the Nintendo Wii

2. Hello! • AI/Games • GDC Workshops • Sims EP Team • Lead Designer: Wii!

3. Let’s Chat • Franchise Analysis (1/3) • Designing to New (1/3) • Takeaways (1/3)

4. MDA

5. What is MDA? • Formal Vocabulary • Common Language • Flexible, Extensible Not a Methodology

6. Rules Behavior Fun How Games Work

7. Mechanics Behavior Fun In other words… The rules and concepts that formally specify the game-as-system.

8. Mechanics Dynamics Fun In other words… The run-time behavior of the game-as-system.

9. Mechanics Dynamics Aesthetics In other words… The desirable emotional responses evoked by the game dynamics.

10. Mechanics Dynamics Aesthetics Design Perspective   Player Designer

11. Mechanics Dynamics Aesthetics Player Perspective   Player Designer

12. The Sims

14. Mechanics • Manage Motives • Work for $ • Spend $ to Build/Buy • Objects & Social = mood ++ • Get promoted!

15. Mechanics

16. Mechanics • Manage Motives • Work for $ • Spend $ to Build/Buy • Objects & Social = mood ++ • Get promoted! Events, object & social failures

17. Dynamics • Motives vs. Fun vs. Work • Social for Goals • Lothario • Miser • Slacker • Keeping up with the Jones’ • Plate Spinning/RTS Compulsions

18. Aesthetics • Groundhog Day • Fixably Broken • Unique Successes and Failures “How funny! Should I fix it?”

19. Success! • Millions of units sold • Player community thrives • Houses • Objects • Sims • Stories!

23. Q: More? • Controls (more to balance) • Tools (more to shape) • Information (more storytelling)

24. A: Storytelling • Dream… or Nightmare? • Romance… or Feud? • Real… or Fantasy?

25. Storytelling • Dream… or Nightmare? • Romance… or Feud? • Real… or Fantasy? Life!

26. The Sims of our Lives • Aesthetic: Lifetime • Dynamics: Generations • Mechanics: Aging, Wants & Fears

27. Aesthetics First • Aesthetic: Lifetime • Dynamics: Generations • Mechanics: Aging, Wants & Fears Play to Tell Your Story!

28. Fan-tastic!

36. Aesthetic… Verbs • Savor • Experiment • Create • Achieve

38. Wii Ho! • New Context • New UI • New Game

39. First Impressions • Aesthetics • Tactile • Clean Lines • Family-oriented

40. First Impressions • Dynamics • Active • Expressive • Communal

41. Mechanics? • Consider • Core Activities • Tactile world • New Look • Simple but powerful tools

42. A New World • Comfortable pace • Savor • Create • Clear goals • Achieve • Experiment

43. MySims • Core Cycle • Explore (Look what I found!) • Build (Look what I made!) • Exchange (Look what they did!)

44. Achievement? • Growth • More Sims • More Buildings • More Levels

45. Collect Town Growth Build + Customize Socialize Sim Needs Exchange

46. Look What I Found! • Mechanic: • Open world, hidden goodies • Dynamic: • Explore and discover • Aesthetic: • World, not a Set

47. Look What I Made! • Mechanic: • Decomposable/Recomposable • Dynamic: • Design + Build things • Aesthetic: • You control it!

48. Look What They Did! • Mechanic: • Reactive/Responsive Sims • Dynamic: • Individual and Group Expression • Aesthetic: • Comic, clockwork world

49. Takeaways

50. It’s all about Tactility • Controller lets players • Touch the world • Poke the systems • Build a community for their Sims