 |
|
|
|
|
|
Avid amateur game design theorist; experienced programmer and software project manager; first (noncommercial) game developed was a real-time multiplayer space combat sim for IBM mainframes in 1985.
Gaming-related interests include "deep" gameplay, Explorer/Simulationist gameplay, psychology of gamers, player-centered design, massively multiplayer game design, and industry trends.
Personal game design blog at: http://flatfingers-theory.blogspot.com/
|
Member Blogs
FUS ROH DAH! The Unrelenting Force of Content Coherence  |
| Posted by Bart Stewart on Tue, 17 Jan 2012 01:41:00 EST in
Game Design
|
| In which we consider how the careful selection of gameplay elements can burn a game into our hearts and minds. |
| Read More... | 9 Comments |
|
In Defense of Surprising Gameplay |
| Posted by Bart Stewart on Sat, 20 Aug 2011 01:13:00 EDT in
Game Design
|
| Game developers often try to find and remove all unexpected interactions in the belief that anything not intended is likely to be a bug. But this may be unnecessarily preventing the development of games in which surprise is a necessary feature. |
| Read More... | 14 Comments |
|
Play Style DOES Matter |
| Posted by Bart Stewart on Fri, 23 Jul 2010 05:51:00 EDT in
Game Design
|
| Since Warren Spector demonstrated Epic Mickey at E3 2010, there's been a microburst of gaming media coverage of his design philosophy that "play style matters." It's about time. |
| Read More... | 5 Comments |
|
Blizzard's Core Game Design Concepts: A Contrary View |
| Posted by Bart Stewart on Sat, 13 Mar 2010 03:41:00 EST in
Game Design
|
| At GDC 2010, Blizzard EVP of Game Design Rob Pardo described a number of design concepts behind Blizzard's games. While these are obviously successful for Blizzard's games, they can be seen as working only for simple action games. There are other kinds. |
| Read More... | 16 Comments |
|
Reactions to the Schell Presentation: A Playstyle-Based Analysis |
| Posted by Bart Stewart on Mon, 01 Mar 2010 06:11:00 EST in
Game Design
|
| The online reaction to Jesse Schell's DICE 2010 presentation can be understood as a reaction to computer gaming becoming a mass entertainment form. Where early gamers enjoyed intangible immersion, today's typical gamer now expects tangible rewards. |
| Read More... | 0 Comments |
|
Enabling Deeper Relationships Through Multifaction |
| Posted by Bart Stewart on Fri, 05 Feb 2010 01:46:00 EST in
Game Design
|
| The MMORPG concept of "faction" allows small choices to accumulate into big consequences. Extending this concept to allow NPC groups to have faction with each other creates even more dynamic social environments in gameworlds. |
| Read More... | 2 Comments |
[More Bart Stewart Blogs]
Bart Stewart's Comments
|
Comment In: Jerked Around by the Magic Circle - Clearing the Air Ten Years Later [Feature - 02/07/2012 - 04:25]
|
Hello from an old Terra ... Hello from an old Terra Nova commenter I'm glad to see your comments on this subject. The critics of the magic circle as a tool for understanding and creating games should have their say. I think your comments help make the case for the magic circle, though, or at least ... |
|
Comment In: Double Fine's Kickstarter Windfall: Will Patronage Supplant Traditional Game Publishing? [Blog - 02/09/2012 - 11:55]
|
Agreed in full. Celebrity was ... Agreed in full. Celebrity was the first thing that came to mind when I saw the Schafer Kickstarter results. Geek cred probably matters, but being known seals the deal. A YouTube endorsement from Felicia Day for a Kickstarter project would probably be worth 500K. A Kickstarter announcement from Notch would ... |
|
Comment In: DICE 2012: Culture, pride lead to success at Skyrim maker Bethesda [News - 02/08/2012 - 11:44]
|
I'm amazed by the no ... I'm amazed by the no focus testing revelation. That's pretty much the exact opposite of Valve's focus test forever if necessary culture... and yet both approaches can yield games that are commercially and critically successful. So -- if not focus testing, what do both studios have in common I have ... |
|
Comment In: A World Without Reckoning [Blog - 02/08/2012 - 01:41]
|
I think you've answered my ... I think you've answered my question. Just to clarify a bit, the most common criticisms I've seen not all of which I agree with are that it's too big, there's not enough direction, there's not enough story, and it's full of junk loot. These sounded to me pretty similar to ... |
|
Comment In: Critical Reception: Big Huge Games' Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning [News - 02/08/2012 - 04:56]
|
if it were an MMO, ... if it were an MMO, it'd be a 10 star game. Considering that this standalone game is the starter universe for the MMORPG that 38 Studios is working on, I think your comment must make them very happy. |
|
Comment In: The Gamer's Paradox: The Journey and the Destination [Blog - 02/07/2012 - 06:32]
|
I agree strongly with this, ... I agree strongly with this, with one caveat. It's important to recognize the different ways that gamers like to play games, and to look for opportunities to enable those ways of experiencing your game that fit with the overall vision. That's something the lead designer should be able to do. ... |
[More Bart Stewart Comments]
|
|
