Comments on: Design By Numbers http://www.hiwiller.com/2009/03/20/design-by-numbers/ Mon, 06 Feb 2012 13:23:44 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Zack http://www.hiwiller.com/2009/03/20/design-by-numbers/comment-page-1/#comment-666 Zack Tue, 24 Mar 2009 14:43:24 +0000 http://www.hiwiller.com/?p=345#comment-666 Thanks, Mike, those are great points. Thanks, Mike, those are great points.

]]> By: Mike Darga http://www.hiwiller.com/2009/03/20/design-by-numbers/comment-page-1/#comment-665 Mike Darga Tue, 24 Mar 2009 04:16:34 +0000 http://www.hiwiller.com/?p=345#comment-665 This is a great post, thanks. I've read stopdesign in the past but would have missed this entry. This is frustrating information for me, because I've been attempting to push game design in a more objective, goal oriented direction. Every time I see designers arguing over personal opinions in a design meeting, I see that as a failure of process. I really think we do need to start stating our goals up front, and evaluate whether or not those goals are being met, in terms of some form of data. I don't think we need to go as far as google has, but part of the problem with everybody thinking they can design games is that we allow game design to be too much about random subjective opinions. We're not here to make games based on our whims and personal opinions, we're trying to achieve goals, and resonate with a certain kind of player, or produce a certain kind of fun which can be defined by thought processes x, y, and z. Ok, enough of me ranting in your comments thread heh. If you're interested, here are some other articles on the subject: mikedarga.blogspot.com/2009/01/kill-subjectivity-define-terms-problems.html mikedarga.blogspot.com/2008/12/think-more-like-scientist.html mikedarga.blogspot.com/2009/03/glossary-essentialism.html mikedarga.blogspot.com/2009/03/20-behaviors-of-great-designers.html Mike This is a great post, thanks. I’ve read stopdesign in the past but would have missed this entry.

This is frustrating information for me, because I’ve been attempting to push game design in a more objective, goal oriented direction. Every time I see designers arguing over personal opinions in a design meeting, I see that as a failure of process.

I really think we do need to start stating our goals up front, and evaluate whether or not those goals are being met, in terms of some form of data. I don’t think we need to go as far as google has, but part of the problem with everybody thinking they can design games is that we allow game design to be too much about random subjective opinions.

We’re not here to make games based on our whims and personal opinions, we’re trying to achieve goals, and resonate with a certain kind of player, or produce a certain kind of fun which can be defined by thought processes x, y, and z.

Ok, enough of me ranting in your comments thread heh. If you’re interested, here are some other articles on the subject:

mikedarga.blogspot.com/2009/01/kill-subjectivity-define-terms-problems.html
mikedarga.blogspot.com/2008/12/think-more-like-scientist.html
mikedarga.blogspot.com/2009/03/glossary-essentialism.html
mikedarga.blogspot.com/2009/03/20-behaviors-of-great-designers.html

Mike

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