Game Spaces

What is the impact that a space has on us as players of a game? That was a question in our discussion today. A game space tells us of the environment the game is set, it sets the mood,tone or general feel of the game.

But what is it that defines the space and how does it set the tone of the game? Is it through its visual entities, what the player sees on the screen? Is it the use of light? Bright light usually conveys a feeling of happiness whereas darkness usually invokes a feeling of danger. Sounds in the background also helps to set the scene and give the player a greater understanding of the game space. Gun fire would suggest to the player that the game is focus on war or some form of shooter game. Background music is also used to add to the environment, depending on the game, it is often used to create a sense of suspense within the game. Some games even add vibrations to the controller after an explosion of some type to engage the player immediately in the space. Good game spaces usually use all of these components in there creation, appealing to the different senses of the gamer.

I was surprised to learn that it takes a player only 3 seconds to decided whether they wish to continue in the game based on their initial reaction to the space. In some ways this is easy to believe, but I myself can't think of a game where after 3 seconds I have decided that I do not want to continue. Maybe this is because I have purchased the game and want to get my moneys worth.

This leads me to think of free online games, there are many games which after 3 seconds I have pressed the exit button and never looked back. I suppose game developers take this reaction into account when designing a game, nobody wants to spend money on a game that after 3 seconds they feel like turning it off. This shows that a lot of thought has to go into creating the game space in order for it to have a greater chance at becoming a success. So the question now is, whether it is the games which have the most appealing game spaces that are the most successful?