Flow in Games
March 12, 2006 9:21 PM Subscribe
Flow in Games: a Jenova Chen MFA thesis
'This site is currently focused on Jenova's MFA thesis research. It is about inventing new methodologies usable by the frontline game designers to help realizing dynamic flow experiences for different individuals and more importantly for potential gamers who are still out of the current video game market.'
Try the experimental game fl0w (instructions, more info, discussion). Learn more about the thesis methodology, or take a look at some further reading. [warning: site appears to be under development somewhat] (see also)
'This site is currently focused on Jenova's MFA thesis research. It is about inventing new methodologies usable by the frontline game designers to help realizing dynamic flow experiences for different individuals and more importantly for potential gamers who are still out of the current video game market.'
Try the experimental game fl0w (instructions, more info, discussion). Learn more about the thesis methodology, or take a look at some further reading. [warning: site appears to be under development somewhat] (see also)
Good FPP, Metamonkey!
For those who don't get what you're supposed to do in flow, click on the "How to Play" link to the top left. The idea seems to be that you control those various little particles on the screen, and try and get them to eat one another.
posted by Pseudoephedrine at 9:44 PM on March 12, 2006
For those who don't get what you're supposed to do in flow, click on the "How to Play" link to the top left. The idea seems to be that you control those various little particles on the screen, and try and get them to eat one another.
posted by Pseudoephedrine at 9:44 PM on March 12, 2006
Short summary of instructions:
eat red things to go down a level (it gets more interesting), eat blue things to go up a level (it gets less interesting), eat everything white to grow, don't get eaten by anything orange.
posted by MetaMonkey at 9:46 PM on March 12, 2006
eat red things to go down a level (it gets more interesting), eat blue things to go up a level (it gets less interesting), eat everything white to grow, don't get eaten by anything orange.
posted by MetaMonkey at 9:46 PM on March 12, 2006
Also, how is this "a thesis" Is he planning on doing more then one?
posted by delmoi at 9:53 PM on March 12, 2006
posted by delmoi at 9:53 PM on March 12, 2006
Discussion of the Spore/Flow similarities and differences.
The point of this is not just to create a cool game. The point is to develop a methodology for adapting the difficulty of the game to the needs of the user while in the game. In most games you can break out of the game and adjust the handicap, but this interrupts the game in progress.
delmoi: Also, how is this "a thesis" Is he planning on doing more then one?
Well, if you had actual RTFA'd, you probably would have noticed that "fl0w" and "Cloud" are a proof of concept developed in a larger thesis. At least from the outline, he took a look at what game designers have said about flow, examined previous implementations of flow in popular games, and then developed an alternative implementation.
posted by KirkJobSluder at 11:04 PM on March 12, 2006
The point of this is not just to create a cool game. The point is to develop a methodology for adapting the difficulty of the game to the needs of the user while in the game. In most games you can break out of the game and adjust the handicap, but this interrupts the game in progress.
delmoi: Also, how is this "a thesis" Is he planning on doing more then one?
Well, if you had actual RTFA'd, you probably would have noticed that "fl0w" and "Cloud" are a proof of concept developed in a larger thesis. At least from the outline, he took a look at what game designers have said about flow, examined previous implementations of flow in popular games, and then developed an alternative implementation.
posted by KirkJobSluder at 11:04 PM on March 12, 2006
that was fun...lacks any real ending though. The only way you know you're done is you reach a level where you can't go down anymore.
posted by juv3nal at 11:16 PM on March 12, 2006
posted by juv3nal at 11:16 PM on March 12, 2006
Another helpful tip: If you only see dots, rather than a creature with a pincer-shaped mouth, you need to upgrade your version of flash.
The game is rather confusing and quite poorly designed otherwise.
posted by Rictic at 11:53 PM on March 12, 2006
The game is rather confusing and quite poorly designed otherwise.
posted by Rictic at 11:53 PM on March 12, 2006
Metafilter: Post your links for us to piss on.
We are already aware that you are the coolest person you know so please stop trying to prove it here.
posted by srboisvert at 12:50 AM on March 13, 2006
We are already aware that you are the coolest person you know so please stop trying to prove it here.
posted by srboisvert at 12:50 AM on March 13, 2006
Anyone who has to use big text to make their thesis more interesting shouldn't be writing a thesis at all.
posted by hnnrs at 2:40 AM on March 13, 2006
posted by hnnrs at 2:40 AM on March 13, 2006
I loved it.
posted by Captaintripps at 4:33 AM on March 13, 2006
posted by Captaintripps at 4:33 AM on March 13, 2006
Personally, I think "flow theory" is bunk....pure Husserlian phenomenology that is trying to be bootstrapped into something with much more explanatory power. Researchers in need of a theory are running with it despite the fact that it explains very little (except that sometimes we are highly motivated compared to others). It's real value is in product development and marketing, where all the theory needs to do is allow businesses to pinpoint and replicate "flow producing" goods and services.
posted by mrmojoflying at 5:13 AM on March 13, 2006
posted by mrmojoflying at 5:13 AM on March 13, 2006
I found the following undocumented key commands, though I'm not sure if they work throughout the game, as I only played once:
up: go down in depth
down: go up in depth
left: zoom out
right: zoom in
f: gain life
b: lose life
posted by scottreynen at 5:25 AM on March 13, 2006
up: go down in depth
down: go up in depth
left: zoom out
right: zoom in
f: gain life
b: lose life
posted by scottreynen at 5:25 AM on March 13, 2006
The games not finished yet, but it is brilliant, loved it.
Delmoi: Who peed on your cheerios this morning?
posted by empath at 7:35 AM on March 13, 2006
Delmoi: Who peed on your cheerios this morning?
posted by empath at 7:35 AM on March 13, 2006
Who peed on your cheerios this morning?
I did. and I'll do it again if he doesn't chill.
posted by shmegegge at 9:39 AM on March 13, 2006
I did. and I'll do it again if he doesn't chill.
posted by shmegegge at 9:39 AM on March 13, 2006
filecloud link for downloadable version, as the game itself looks to be borked right now.
posted by juv3nal at 9:40 AM on March 13, 2006
posted by juv3nal at 9:40 AM on March 13, 2006
For someone who doesn't play games much, I found this pretty addictive. I neglected reading the instructions and just started playing. Figuring out what the hell to do was half the fun. I bored down to some level that had some centipede thing and the game kind of locked up for me there.
posted by blakewest at 10:06 AM on March 13, 2006
posted by blakewest at 10:06 AM on March 13, 2006
KirkJobSluder thanks for the link to the flow/spore discussion. i didn't really mean to imply that this game was a total rip or anything, just to imply that it was maybe not quite as revolutionary as the designer seemed to be claming. Jenova comes off as much less self-congratulatory in the forum discussion you linked to, but I suppose that is the way of the net. This site would most likely not have made it to the frontpages of digg, del.icio.us and MeFi without some kind of "OMFG! New Gameplay Methodology" hook.
As to the underlying concepts behind the thesis, I'm still a bit wary of the idea that game difficulty *should* be tuned based on player actions, but I have a feeling there are plenty of folks who feel otherwise. (And yes, I understand that nobody is making the claim that *all* games should work like this). At any rate, Jenova should have no trouble getting a job!
posted by idontlikewords at 10:37 AM on March 13, 2006
As to the underlying concepts behind the thesis, I'm still a bit wary of the idea that game difficulty *should* be tuned based on player actions, but I have a feeling there are plenty of folks who feel otherwise. (And yes, I understand that nobody is making the claim that *all* games should work like this). At any rate, Jenova should have no trouble getting a job!
posted by idontlikewords at 10:37 AM on March 13, 2006
idontlikewords: KirkJobSluder thanks for the link to the flow/spore discussion. i didn't really mean to imply that this game was a total rip or anything, just to imply that it was maybe not quite as revolutionary as the designer seemed to be claming.
Well, for that matter Spore is not as revolutionary as everyone seems to be claiming, incorporating elements of old character-based snake games, pac-man , and of course Will Wright's earlier works. The problem is that from a ludology (the study of games as a structural set of rules) standpoint it's difficult to compare the game mechanics fl0w to a game that has not been released yet. My impression is that spore is primarily about user-driven customization, while fl0w is about user-driven adjustment of flow.
But I think that he probably wouldn't be criticized for "ripping" spore (a game that has not been played outside of the design studio) if he had chosen to design in a different game genre.
One of the consequences of this form of gameplay is that you don't get a nice "high score" that you can post up and compare with the high score of other users. However, it should be noted that the idea of scaling game difficulty in order to provide pleasing gameplay is a concept that predates the electronic game. Go has had a handicap system for centuries.
On the other hand, not everyone designs games in such a way to competitively sort out the obsessive fast muscle twitch players from everyone else. For example, in many instructional games the time required to master a set of objectives is less of a problem than people who drop out from boredom or frustration. And I think that MMORPGs that get their bread and butter on monthly fees can benefit from this as well.
posted by KirkJobSluder at 11:26 AM on March 13, 2006
Well, for that matter Spore is not as revolutionary as everyone seems to be claiming, incorporating elements of old character-based snake games, pac-man , and of course Will Wright's earlier works. The problem is that from a ludology (the study of games as a structural set of rules) standpoint it's difficult to compare the game mechanics fl0w to a game that has not been released yet. My impression is that spore is primarily about user-driven customization, while fl0w is about user-driven adjustment of flow.
But I think that he probably wouldn't be criticized for "ripping" spore (a game that has not been played outside of the design studio) if he had chosen to design in a different game genre.
One of the consequences of this form of gameplay is that you don't get a nice "high score" that you can post up and compare with the high score of other users. However, it should be noted that the idea of scaling game difficulty in order to provide pleasing gameplay is a concept that predates the electronic game. Go has had a handicap system for centuries.
On the other hand, not everyone designs games in such a way to competitively sort out the obsessive fast muscle twitch players from everyone else. For example, in many instructional games the time required to master a set of objectives is less of a problem than people who drop out from boredom or frustration. And I think that MMORPGs that get their bread and butter on monthly fees can benefit from this as well.
posted by KirkJobSluder at 11:26 AM on March 13, 2006
Short summary of instructions:
eat red things to go down a level (it gets more interesting), eat blue things to go up a level (it gets less interesting), eat everything white to grow, don't get eaten by anything orange.
You can eat some of the orange things. At the deepest level (red dots), there's that orange spiky guy that you can take down by eating one dot of his at a time. I'm not exactly sure how the size/strength of the dots works, but it's kinda cool.
posted by mrgrimm at 12:18 PM on March 13, 2006
eat red things to go down a level (it gets more interesting), eat blue things to go up a level (it gets less interesting), eat everything white to grow, don't get eaten by anything orange.
You can eat some of the orange things. At the deepest level (red dots), there's that orange spiky guy that you can take down by eating one dot of his at a time. I'm not exactly sure how the size/strength of the dots works, but it's kinda cool.
posted by mrgrimm at 12:18 PM on March 13, 2006
I ran out of food, so started preying on my erstwhile predators, then ran out of them too. Fun game.
posted by The Monkey at 7:34 PM on March 13, 2006
posted by The Monkey at 7:34 PM on March 13, 2006
(You can actually eat everything, including all of the orange things - they turn blue when you take a bite, some of them try to run away when they discover you're tougher than you look. Get the '+' looking lumps of food for a little evolution of some of your segments.)
posted by The Monkey at 7:36 PM on March 13, 2006
posted by The Monkey at 7:36 PM on March 13, 2006
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posted by delmoi at 9:41 PM on March 12, 2006