Games Design Unit 72

We have been told to research different types of games and compare their
design and content in order to see the difference in them and how they
are running and designed to fit and suit their target audience. I will be
comparing 3 different games and will be comparing how they are
designed and the way they look. And the software the companies used to
create them and why. I will also be looking at how the creates of the game
make it look more realistic and how they produce a game directed at a
certain target audience.

Call of Duty
Call of Duty or COD for short is one of the worlds most popular first
person shooters and has been going for many years and still continues to
be one of the best sellers worldwide. The call of duty franchise started in
October 29, 2003, the game was developed by Infinity Ward and published
by Activision. The game simulates the infantry and combined arms
warfare of World War II. When this game was released it gained a missive
following a fan base and sold around 15 million copies within the first 2
months if its release. The game is a first person shooter meaning you play
the game looking through the eyes of one of the characters in the game.
The games are rated as an 18+ because of its graphic content and gore
that it involves as it shows the harshness and brutality of war in world war
2, this helped to make the game become popular as many people like to
be a part of the action without having to be there, so this game brought
that to life for people and made it a very popular game that has continues
to grow over the years. The creators of the game are split up between 3
companies these are Infinity ward, Treyarch and sledgehammer games,
these companies take it in turn to create a call of duty game and release it
to the public the reason this was done was so that whilst one was being
made the other 2 companies had more time to create and prefect their
game before releasing it. Another feature that made the game very
popular was when the game integrated multiplayer, this basic allows
players to be on a team and have to fight and kill members of the other
time just like in war in order to complete the object of the game type they
are playing, because of all the different game types that are available to
the player it helped to make the game interesting and new as there was
always something different you could play. This was made even better
when you could play with your friends and speak to the over the internet
in a sort of chatroom called parties, this allowed you to communicate with
your friends and other players to help you complete the games objective.
When the first call of duty game was created it was made on a Quake III
Arena engine (id Tech 3), this basically allowed the creators and the

designers to be able to create a realistic game for their target audience.

As technology advanced so did the graphic and the content of the games
and their design.
GTA 5
GTA stands for Grand Theft Auto, this is a
term that the police to use to describe a
robbery of a vehicle. GTA is a realistic
cartoon game that involves you
completing criminal acts in order to
complete your mission this includes
using weapons and steeling vehicles
to escape being killed or caught by
the police. There have been many
Grand Theft Auto games throughout
the years and it has a massive fan base and following and continues to be
one of the worlds fastest selling games. In the latest GTA to be released
they added in something new that people hadnt ever seen in a game
before, this was giving the player the choice to change between 3
different characters in the game at any point. The story line to the game is
that one of the characters called Michael, who used to be a successful
bank robber but got put in to witness protection but when he runs low on
money has no other option than to start committing crimes again, through
this he meets Franklin and his old best friend Trevor that all help him to
complete these crimes. You get to play as these characters and can
change at any point in the game and
this helps to make the
game more interesting and unique
for their fans and target audience.
This game has a lot of
customisation options and features
for the characters, weapon, cars
and missions you do as the
missions you can control how they
are played this is done by the set
up you have to do before the
mission and you can decide how this is done, this helps to make the game
more unique and appealing to their target audience as there is so much to
do in the game. Compared to other GTA games this one was one of the
bestselling and fastest selling game as the other games in this series only
allowed you to play as one character and this could be seen as boring to
their fans as it could be seen to be repetitive and once competed the
game became boring unlike the new game because there is so many ways
to do each mission it makes the game new every time it is played.

World
The games were designed around places that had been destroyed by the
acts of war, this involved like broken and
destroyed buildings, trenches and fields that
you had to battle over with other players in
order to complete the team objective. The
world in which you play in is 3D, the reason
for this being that it creates obstacles for you
to use as cover from enemy gun fire as well
as it can control how you navigate through
the world of map as it is referred to by players. With the help of the Quake
III Arena engine this allowed the creators of the game to create a world
and game that feels realistic for the players as well as shows the graphic
effects of war as the players completes his objectives whilst fighting other
players. To help make the game feel more realistic they made sure to add
in areas that were very similar to famous battle grounds and they also
added in weapons that were replacers of
guns used in world war 2, this helped to
make the game feel more real and it was
done as they want the player to feel as if
they are there and many people did take
the game very seriously and played it
very courteously. To also help make the
game look as realistic as possible they
also made sure that each team had a different colour and army uniform so
they could identify the different solders from being British and Germen
and they also added in sound effects and made sure the characters spoke
German to make it more realistic. They made the players navigate
through cobbled streets and towns in order to find the enemy soldiers and
kill them to help them complete the game and objective. The terrain and
architecture designs used in the game is there to simulate what real
battle grounds and areas were like in WWII and this helps to give the
game more realism, this is like the destroyed buildings and cobbled
streets that you battle other players on.

World
This is free world game, this means that you can venture around the game
and world and do what you want, this is things like steeling vehicles and
killing rival players. The game is based in Los Angles, so this means that
you can drive around the streets of LA as if you were there. The way in
which the creators did this was by visiting LA and made the game the

exact same and to make sure we know

where the
game is
based they
added in
land marks
and building
that are only
found in LA this includes things like maze
band and the fare rides on the peer. The game is meant to represent the
real busy streets of LA and the different types of people that live there,
this is like call of duty as they want make the game seem realistic as call
of duty is based on real battle grounds and GTA is based in a very big and
famous city. As this game is 18+ like call of duty this is to create realism
for their target audience and players as they are adults. Mario kart doesnt
need this as it is meant to be wacky and colourful to keep their young
target audience interested in the game. The games design is very modern
and current and this is done to suit the games location to help make it
seem more real to their players.

Characters

Throughout the game you will come across many different characters
whilst playing the campaign and they will be NPC
controlled this basically means that they are
controlled by the computer and they will assist
you to complete the mission you have been set
and they become a part of the storyline of the
game and this helps to create an emotional
connecting between them and the players which
make the game feel more realistic and it helps to make it more dramatic
when something happens in the game or to that character. When playing
online you play with other characters but they are all controlled by other
players and real life people, depending what team you were on the style
of your character changed as 12 players were split up in to 2 separate
teams. Within this game you could
earn a thing called a score or kill streak
this is basically when you kill a certain
amount of enemy soldiers without
dying and you will be awarded for this
and you would get a kill streak which is
a NPC controlled thing that you can call
in to the game that will assist you and
your team to help you complete your
objective, this could be anything from
an air strike when a plain will fly over dropping bombs to try and kill
enemy players to dogs that will run around and attack other players to
help you. All of these can be obtained by doing well in the game and
depending on how well you do that will change the streak you get and the
award you get for it as the better you do the more powerful the kill streak
is.

Characters
In the game there is 3 main characters you can play as and they all have
their own story that you progress through and follow as you play through
the game as them, sometimes the characters stories cross over and you
start to learn more about them in the game. All 3 characters are all very
different in the way they are and the way they are, this helps to make the
game more interesting and fresh for the players as the characters are

different so each thing they do is unique and it allows players to enjoy the
game more as they get used to the characters and what they are like. The
characters all come from a very different
background but they become friends by
breaking the law together in order to get
rich quick. Each character has a story, this is
done to try and help the player create a
connection with the character and it also
helps to make the storyline of the game flow
as missions can relate to the characters life, this is sort of like call of duty
because they both have a storyline that as a player you follow but GTA
does it in a more realistic way than call of duty as not everyone is in the
arm so they cant relate to the character as much. As you make your way
through the game you start to learn more about the characters and their
lives as well as why they are criminals. In the game you will have to deal
with different situations that the characters get themselves in to but all 3
of them are very different in the way they act as well as what is going on
in their lives. Michael was an ex criminal but was put in to witness
protection with his family, when his wife leaves him he turns back to crime
in order to get move quickly to try and save his family from falling apart.
Trevor is a very unpredictable character as his runs a small drug company
and is constantly getting in trouble,
Franklin was born in the rough hood
area of LA and was brought up
surrounded by gangs which made it
hard for him not to become a part of.
This helps to create a more unique and
interesting game for the players and it
stops the game from being boring and
competitive as there is always
something new happening with each character and it helps to stop the
game from being predictable. This is unlike call of duty as there is a story
line you have to stick to as one character and you can only do missions as
the game isnt in a free world lay out meaning the game becomes
predictable.

NPC

NPC stands for non-playing character, this means that the character in the
game is controlled by the computer and not by a living person or plyer,
many games use these to help make a game feel more realistic and to
help make the game look better. Both Call of Duty and GTA use multiple
NPCs in their game to help with the storyline of the game and the overall
look and feel to the game as the players navigate throughout the world
and game. Call of Duty uses NPC characters to help tell the storyline as
well as assist you in the game as you are a soldier in battle so you have
team mates to help you and save you are these are controlled by the
computer making them NPC characters, in some missions in the game you
will have to save an NPC or they save you and as these are controlled by
the computer this means that the creators of the game can make them
act in a certain way that will impact the game and make you in play in a
certain way and do certain things. This means that the creators and make
the game play out how they plan and they can make you do what they
want in a way. GTA also uses NPCs not only to tell the story line but also
to fill out the game and make it more realistic for the player as it is a free
roam game based in LA which is full of millions of people, the creators of
GTA use the NPCs to recreate a realistic version of the busy streets of LA,
this helps to set the scene of the game and the way in which it plays and
feels as the NPCs will react to things that happen in the gameplay and
this will make the game more realistic as they act like a real person would.
As there is so many NPCs in the game they can make them all act in a
different way to help create a more unique gaming experience as well as
showing off different types of people and their personalities in the way
they act in the game.

2D and 3D

Most of the first games every created were all in 2D, this meaning that
whilst playing the character only moved from side of the
scree to the other. This started with games such as Mario
but with the advance in technology and graphics many
games now are all in 3D as it offers a more realistic effect
to the game and it helps player get more in to the game
as they feel as if they are playing as that character and
boy GTA and Call of Duty dont include 2D. a very popular
and current 2D game was flappy birds that was for iPhone
and androids with the object of the game to fly a bird
through pipes and see how far you could get, as the game
concept and its design were so simple it didnt need to be
in 3D and it didnt need good graphics as it was a straight forward game
for users to play on the go. As this game was so simple it helped to make
the game more addictive to play as you always wanted to do better and
get a better high score to beat your friends.

First person

Both games I have chosen to do include first person perspectives as they

are in 3D and it helps to make the game feel more realistic as it makes the
user/player feel as if they are that character and that they are in that
situation, this allows players to experience something they otherwise
wouldnt be able to as the game
is there for enjoyment as well as
to put the player in the
characters situations. As you
are meant to be in that
characters shoes first person
gives the player that impression
and it helps to create a more
dramatic and joyful game for the
player. Both games include
weapons and first person helps
the [layer with this feature as
you need to aim your weapons to be accurate and it would be a lot harder
to do this if it was in third person as you couldnt get the accuracy needed
to be on target, which is a very important thing in a shooting game as you
have to be accurate and also the creators want to make it as realistic as
possible. Whilst playing GTA and Call of Duty in first person you get forced
in to different situations that seem more realistic in first person, this is
things like car chases and gun fights as it forces you to play more
strategically as you cant see what is going on around you as more unlike
third person where you can see over objects and see all around your
character.

Third person
Third person perspective is used in GTA but not as much in Call of Duty,
the reason for this being that Call of Duty is a game all about the military
and shooting weapons, this means you have to be accurate by using the
sights on your gun which you couldnt do in third person view and the
creators want to put you in the characters situation and they want the
game to look and feel as realistic as possible in order to make the
gameplay more dramatic and enjoyable. Where as in GTA you can play in
first person but the game is designed for third person as you are playing
as the character but third person it makes it less personal and the game
isnt created to put you in that characters situation, and as GTA includes
many vehicles and a lot of driving the Third person view helps with this
and makes it easier for the player as they can see everything around the
and what is going on making it easier for them to drive as they dont have
a limited view, this game does allow you to play in first person but this
does limit your view but some players prefer this view so it is an option
that is given to the user. Call of Duty doesnt offer this feature as they

want the game to be as realistic as possible and if the game was player in
third person it would take some of the realism and strategic play out of
the game. The only time you are in third person view in Call of Duty is
when using a kill streak in the
multiplayer option of the game as
you are then playing out of
the body of your character
but you can still seem
them.

Aerial
Both GTA and Call of duty include aerial views in the game, this is usually
to create a different effect for the player as GTA uses this feature in the
game when you decide to switch players as the feature gives the feeling
or effect of you leaving that characters body or view and going in to
another, this is a nice effect and
transition as it gives the player the
feeling of switching bodies as they
change between characters. Both
Call of Duty and GTA use aerial
view as a way of surveillance
during missions as you can use
cameras and aircrafts in order to
get a better view of your
surroundings whilst playing a mission, this will also help the player on
their mission as well as it makes them play more strategically and it
makes the use different equipment and different views which helps to
keep the game interesting and stops the player from getting bored of
looking and using the same view all the time for their character .

Scrolling
Flappy bird is classed as a scrolling game as it is viewed from a 2D
perspective and the screen
scrolls from one side of the
screen to the other as it follows
the character as they play
through the game. These types
of game dont include a lot of
detail or graphics as they are
very simple in their design.
Neither GTA or Call of Duty use
scrolling in their games as they
are played on consoles that are
handle better quality games and
graphics and scrolling games and very realistic which takes way the
realism the creators of the game try to create, these games are also more
complexed meaning there is a lot more to do in the game meaning a lot of
content and some of the games aspects wouldnt work if the game was a
scrolling game and was in 2D.

Avatar
GTA: In the game you can play as 3 different characters which you can
switch between ant anytime you like, these three
characters are your avatar, this means that you play as
them and they are fully customised able, in the game you
can change things like the way they talk, dress and act as
well as change their clothes, hair and you can even put
tattoos on them and thats just on the campaign mode.
When playing GTA online you have the option to create
your own avatar which you then play with in order to rank
them up and gain as much XP and money as possible, the
idea of an avatar is to make them like yourself or however
you want, you can choose a male or female character as
well as their skin colour, race hair colour body type, body
feature, height, weight, voice, accent and you can also
add tattoos to them in order to make them as
personalised and unique as possible. These features allow players to be
more creative as well as unique and it helps to keep the game interesting
and fun as there is so much you can do to your avatar
.

Call of Duty: In Call of Duty you are given a character at the beginning
that you play as in the campaign storyline mode, but when you play online
you are given a character which you
can customise, this is your avatar. As
you play the game and rank up your
avatar you start to unlock different
things for your avatar, tis can be
things like weapons, outfits and
gestures which are played at the end
of the game. These features all
players to make that avatar more
unique as well as show off what they
have unlocked for them, this helps
the player feel like they have a more personalised character that suits
themselves. As you play the game you ca also get different versions of
armour/clothing for your character that all do different things and also
look different to make them more identifiable, as the better the armour
the more things it can do, this could be things like more health or faster
movement in that game which could help you in a gun fight and could
save you from dying in game

Omnipresence
Single Player
GTA: GTA offer plyers with both single and multiplayer options, but the
game is primarily single player as the campaign story mode in only one
player and only one person can play the game at once on a console, this
means that you cant connect another controller to your games console
and play with your friends, the only way to play with them is if they also
have the same console and game as you and you join the same game and
server together over the internet. This make this game mainly a solo
game as the creators want to make the game more personal to the player
and they want them to pay more attention to the games content and not
playing with other people. Although this is the case the game is still very
popular for online multiplayer as it allows friends to get together on a free
roam game and get the full use out of the full world whilst playing with
their friends, as players are allowed to explore the world freely with their
friends it gives them the opportunity to do all sorts of different things
which helps to keep the game alive and interesting as there is always
something new to do as they are also always adding in new content in to
the game.

Call of Duty: This games also have a single player campaign mode as well
as a co-op mode meaning that you and a friend can play the campaign
missions together on the same console at the same time. The reason for
the single player is to try and make the game feel a bit more personal and
it helps to make you get in to the game faster as you pay more attention
to the content of the game and the storyline as the creators have worked
hard on storyline and they want you to pay attention to is as then you can
understand the game and its content better and what everything is in the
game.

Multiplayer
GTA: This game like most recent games has a multiplayer online option,
this allows players to play online over the internet with other people all
around the world or with your friends. This game offers players the full use
of a free roam world to do what they want, this leave players with so
much opportunities as they can do anything and explore the world. When
playing online it allows you to customise your character to make them
more unique. The reason most games include an online multiplayer option
is because once the player finishes the campaign the creators dont want
their fans to be bored and stop playing the game, so they create an online
mode to make sure that the game stays fun and interesting to play even
after you have completed it. The creators also have a store on the online
feature and this allows them to release new content for the game, this
could be things like new cars or weapons that can be downloaded by the
players, this is to keep the game fresh and new for the players and all
these items once downloaded cost in game money that players get from
completing missions and other various things but the creators also offer
players the change to buy in game currency for real money.
Call of Duty: The call of duty franchise is known worldwide for their online
multiplayer with some people only buying the game for this feature as
they wont even bother playing the campaign story mode as the games
online multiplayer is the main selling point for this companies games. the
reason for this is mainly that most people enjoy playing this game with
friends or with other people as it is very hectic and you have to play
strategically to do well and for this you get rewarded. Many people like the
race to see how fast they can become a high rank on the game as they
see this as a challenge and they will race their friends to see who can do it
faster, this adds another objective to the game and makes it more
enjoyable to play with your friends. The reason the company focus a lot on
multiplayer on this game is because they know that a lot of their target
audience only buy the game so they can play online multiplayer and this
is what draws in a lot of their income as they have an in game store when
you can buy things to help you in game, many people love the fact of
playing against other people and trying to do the best they can be killing

the most players as possible and dying the least as players like to keep
their stats high as this is what shows they are a good player, this is things
like your KD which is Kill death ratio this tells you how many kills vs
deaths youve had in the game the entire time you have been playing it
and people will compete to get the best states in the game.

Narrative
GTA: throughout the storyline of the game there is narration from other
characters, this is normally on cut scenes as these help to tell the
storyline of the game as well as informing the plyer on hat to do during
the mission and the reason for them having to do it. Sometimes
throughout the missions the characters will speak to you a narrate what
you are doing or what you have to do in order to complete the mission.
Also throughout the game you will also get phone calls off of the other
characters and they will tell you in formation that could help you in the
game or will tell you when you are need for a mission and sometimes this
missions wont be optional and once you answer the call the mission will
start. If you done something wrong on the mission the other characters
will shout and tell you to get on with the mission, this is narration as they
are talking and commenting on what you are doing in the game.
Call of Duty: Call of duty uses narration to also enhance the storyline for
the players as it helps them to understand the storyline and what is going
on. The narration will be an overview of the upcoming mission and what
has happened before the mission and what has led to you have to do the
mission, this is to help the player understand the storyline easier and the
reason for the mission. Narration is also used in the game for the online
multiplayer aspect of the game when something happens, for example if
and kill streak or score streak is called in the game will tell everyone what
it is as well as tell you the score if you are winning and losing the game,
so the game narrates over the game play and lets you know what is going
on and how well you are going.

Physical

Temporal
Environmental

GTA: The environment of this game is meant to represent the heftiness of

LA and its streets. The creators tried to create this by using NPCs to make
the city look busy, they will also react when something happens around
them like people would in real life, this is things like call the police or
scream and run if they hear gun fire. The environment of the game is very
vibrant and colourful and it really reflects the amazing city of LA and to
help make it look even more realistic the game creators have added in
real landmarks and buildings that are tourist attractions to make the city
look even more realistic. All of this make the game feel more real and it
helps to get players more in to the game and their surroundings as they
start to learn the map so they can get to places without having to look for
it on the in game map, and this is made easier as the game world is a
replica of LA. The style of the environment is very accurate and current
making it a very realistic game and this is what people like and enjoy
about games as they pay a lot of money for consoles and games and they
want the games to make them feel as if they were there and the way to
do this by making the game as realistic as possible.

Call of Duty: In all of the call of duty games they all have different
environments but they all follow the same theme which is a battle
ground/war zone, but depending on the era in which the game is set this
will change the environment of the game and where it is set for example if
the game is set in world war II then the environment in which the game is
set in and played in will be trenches with old war torn buildings and loads
of destruction from bombs, but if we go to one of the more recent call of
duty games these are set far far in the future meaning that the players
now fight in space with high tech equipment so the environment changes
depending on the era of the game and where it is set. Many people dont
like the fact that the games are based in the future as they feel it isnt a
realistic representation of war fair and people like the old style games
more that the future based games as they feel they are more realistic and
fun to play as the way in which they play is more strategic. Believe the
reason for this is because people know what war was like many years ago
meaning the creators can create a very realistic and accurate game that
people love whereas we dont know what is in the future so many people
think that the future based games arent realistic and have turned childish
which isnt what the fans want from a 18+ rated game.

Emotional
GTA: In the story you start to learn about each character and what they
have been through and what has pushed them to turn to a life of crime,
when you start to learn about all the characters backgrounds you start to
feel a bit sorry for them and this is done on purpose to try and help create
an emotional connection between you the player and the characters as
you start to understand them and what they are like so you try and do
what you can in the game to help them. The game also includes things
like deaths to some favourite characters in order to get a reaction out of
the player and these will usually be very unexpected as they want the
game to be interesting and memorable. When playing as some characters
you learn about their family and friends and when something happens to
them in the game you try and help this is because you start to have an
emotional connection to the characters so you want to help and complete
the mission.
Call of Duty : In the storyline of the game you start to learn about all the
NPC characters that are in the game and why they are in the military,
these characters will help you through missions and in some cases save
you, because if this you start to
build an emotional connection to
these characters as they help you
throughout the game. In some
cut scenes you see some of these
characters die for you or for the
purpose of the team or mission
and
this makes the game more
emotional and interesting as
well
as personal as you start to build a bond with some of the characters that
have helped you throughout the game. As you play the game in some cut
scene you start to learn more about the characters personal life and this
can also be the reason that you start to build an emotional connection the
one of the characters as you start to feel sorry for them or can relate to
their situation and problems they are dealing with and because they help
you in the game you want to try and help them.

Ethics
GTA: In GTA there isnt a lot of ethics in the game unless you are playing a
mission as in this free roam game you can go around do anything you
want, this includes robbing store and cars as well as braking multiple
crimes and even killing innocent members of the public. The reason why
this isnt ethical is because you arent helping anyone you are just

committing crimes and murders with a care and the game makes it look
like this is a thing that doesnt have consequences.
Call of Duty: As this game is designed and is all about military there are a
lot of ethics involved as they want the game to be as realistic as possible
compared to other games and as in real life there is a lot of different
ethics and discipline in the military they try and get this across in the
game as you have to listen to your commanding officer as well as do as
you are told on the battle field, even if that means nearly getting shot to
help one of your fellow team mates as you are all out to help and protect
each other and your team whilst completing a mission,

Goals
In all games there are always goal and targets to reach this are usually in
the form of a mission or quest that the game wants you to complete in
order to progress throughout the game and get further
GTA: GTA if full of many different missions for the main reason that you
can play as 3 different characters with
them all having their own separate
missions to complete but they all have
the same goal and that is to get
money and fast. Each mission you will
be set goals you have to complete in
order for you to complete the mission
and get paid and go up a rank, if these
goals or tasks are done in a certain
time limit or way then you can be rewarded for doing it in that way or time
and this could be more money or more XP to rank up your character.
Sometimes in the missions you will have to do things to help other people
or other characters.

Call of Duty: All missions in this game all have a different goa for you to
complete that all impact the game and lead to a different outcome,
depending on how well you complete these goals it will have a different
outcome in the game and how the game will continue from then on. In
call of duty as well as the main goal
and objective there will be little things
and goals you can do in order to get
more XP or more information to do
with the mission or storyline of the
game, in this game they are called
intel
and this will give you information you
otherwise wouldnt have access to and it also provides you another quest
to do alongside the main mission making the game a little bit more
enjoyable as you have to hunt this intel down in each mission.

Challenges
Call of Duty & GTA: the way in which challenges work in both of these
games are the same as when you play the game depending on what
console you play on you get challenges to complete in the game these are
called achievements. These are
challenges that are put in to the game
by
the developers and creators to help
make the game more enjoyable as
well
as give you more things to aim for and
try
and complete. Many people love trying t
complete these challenges and they
vary
in difficulty and the people that love to
do
these are called achievement hunters and once they are all done they
game and its challenge have then been perfected/ completed. Most of
these challenges will tell you what must be done in order to complete
them but there are some that the creators add in to the game that make
you work out what you have to do to get them, this is to add a bit more
excitement in to the game and to make sure that the game isnt boring to
play after a long time or after you have completed the campaign story
mode

Rewards

The challenges that are set by the creators of the game that are called
achievements, once completed you are rewarded with the achievement
unlock that shows that you have completed that challenge in the game as
well as get given gamer score. This score is a total amount of points for
achievements that you have completed from every single game you have
played on that console and on the same
account. Many people like to see how
high they can get this score and how
fast the can get all the achievements completed, they usually do this
against their friends and it helps to give players more to aim for in the
game and it helps to keep the players interested in the game and its
content as they then have to look and do certain things in order to
complete the achievement and get the reward ad points for doing it.

Player Actions
GTA: In GTA there are many different actions you can select and make
your character do, these are selected
in
your inventory options settings in the
game, there are many different
gestures you do, this is things like
wave and dance and as the game is
GTA and an 18+ rated game there
are also some inappropriate ones as
well. In the game you can also create
and be part of a crew/gang with all
your friends and you can also choose a gang action or gesture that you
can all do but only if you are part of that crew. These actions can be done
by you at any point in the game but it is also done when you complete a
mission or win a race as a sort of celebration.
Call of Duty: In call of duty you can open a thing called a supply drop this
is a crate that once opened gives
you random items and from these
you can get different gestures that
your character will do at the end of
the game if you win as a celebration
and this will be shown to all the
other players in the game. As well
as there being serious ones there
are also humours ones where the
characters slip and fall or some where they do some popular dance
moves. Many players dont like this though as they feel it is childish and it
take some realism out of the game but they are there to try and make the
game less serious.

Rules
GTA: GTA is well known for not having a lot of rules and it gives the player
the change to do what they want in the game but there are some rules
that the player has to follow, this is mission instructions as they have to
follow these in order to complete the mission. These rules are things like
you cant harm other characters like the other 2 characters that help you
throughout the game and missions. If you do brake these rules you will fail
the mission and have to start it all over again and you will lose and money
or XP you have earnt during the mission. As this game is a free roam there
arent any restricted area like call of duty and this gives the player the full
use of the games world and allows players to explore and do what they
want.

Call of Duty: Call of Duty also have rules in place that are the same as GTA
and most games where if you harm other characters on your team then
you fill fail that current mission and have to start it again, as Call of Duty
isnt a free roam game like GTA this
means there are also rules and
boundaries around the world that stop
you from going a certain way or in to
certain zone as if you go in to these
zones a character will shout at you and
your screen will flash red to show you
arent allowed in that area and it will tell
you to return to the mission or zone allowed. Another thing that shows up
is a massive box saying out of bounds followed by a timer, if you dont get
back in to the correct area in time then you will fail the mission. This is
also done in the online multiplayer feature but if you dont return to the
right area then you will die and this will affect your game, score and stats
at the end of the game, players call this a death barrier.

Difficulty
GTA: In all games there are different difficulty settings you can choose,
this is usually only for the campaign mode of the game and the settings
get harder the high you go, they start off at Beginner, easy, medium, hard
and professional. These settings are there so you can choose how hard
the game is going to be in order to suit different people with different skill
levels which then allows them to enjoy the game as much as possible as if

it is too hard for some people then they wont enjoy the game and might
start to hate it and then stop playing it and it wouldnt be fair on the
target audience. One the multiplayer
feature in this game you can choose the
difficulty as you are playing with other
people all around the world and you cant
control how difficult these opponents
are, but the NPCs are set to a certain
difficulty, for example if the police are
after you then and you manage to kill all
of them then they will get a swat team
on
you which are harder to kill and then if that doesnt work they call the
military to come after you and these NPCs change in difficulty to make
the game more interesting and exciting to play otherwise the game would
become boring.
Call of Duty: call of duty is the same for the campaign mode as GTA is and
there is a list the player can choose from that will change the difficulty of
the game and their opponents as they play through the game and
missions and these are there to suit players play styles and skill levels as
well as to challenge you and make the
game fun. The online multiplayer is
different though, the reason for this is
because when playing this game online
you only play against other people
around the world and you are all put
together randomly and people are
better at the game compared to others
and they have a better skill leave
compared to the other players making
it impossible for you to change the difficulty of your opponents, the way in
which the game tries to make the fair is by using a thing called match
making where they use your stats in the game to judge your skill leave
then they will try and put you in a game with other players with the same
skill leave to make it fair and more enjoyable to play as if you get put
against really good players then you will just die all the and it wont be any
fun to pay as you cant do well.

Inventory
GTA: In most games now they all include inventories, these are there to
store all of your items and equipment you might use in a mission or
throughout the game. Sometimes there is a limit on this inventory
meaning you are limited to how much your character can carry. In some

games as you rank up your character you can choose to upgrade your
inventory, this will then allow your character to carry more items or loot to
help you. GTA includes and inventory in the campaign and multiplayer
modes of the game, this is done
in the form of a wheel and is used
to store all of you weapons you
have purchased but there isnt a
limit on how much you can
hold/carry on one character but
each character you pay as does
have their own separate
inventory meaning you wont
have all the same weapons for
each character unless you have purchased them for each of them.
Call of Duty: Call of duty also offers players with an inventory as well but
it is limited as you can only carry a
certain amount of items, this is
usually 2 weapons and 1 or 2
tactical weapons and this is things
like flash bangs, smoke grenades
and explosive grenades. On
multiplayer this is game it also
includes an inventory and this is
called your pick 10 system, this
only allows the player to choose 10
things to have on their character, they have no limit on what they can do
but they can only make 10 changes to their character and to players this
is called creating a class, this is just a premade character set up that they
can play as in the online multiplayer mode.

Scoring

GTA: As you make your way throughout

the games storyline you are rewarded
for things you do and missions you
complete, you are rewarded with items
as unlocks and money that you can
spend on cars, weapons and to
customise your character. When
playing online the goal is to get your
character to the highest level or rank as possible, you do this by
completing missions and completing challenges and for this you get
rewarded with XP which is experience points and money that you can use
to customise a lot of things like your cars, weapons and character. This
helps to make the player something to aim for as well as makes the game
and characters unique as they can change how they look and how they
act, the better you are and the more you play the more you are rewarded
and the faster you rank your avatar up.
Call of Duty: when playing call of duty you get score per kill you get, this is
usually for online multiplayer and this score is used to earn a thing called
score streaks, these help the players and their team to win the game.
These used to be called kill streaks where a certain amount of kills would
get you the streak or weapon to
help you, this can be things like
helicopters and planes that will
kill enemy players around the
map. They were changed to score
streaks to try and get more
players to play the objective of
the game and help their team
instead of just playing for themselves as
players are now rewarded with points for playing the game objective, this
is things like grabbing flags and tags and this score helps the player to get
score streaks to help them out. This means that people help each other
out more and it makes people play as a team which is what they are
meant to do in order to try and in the game and stop their opponents.
Depending on which game mode you are playing the amount of score you
get for a kill will change as the creators want you to be a team player and
not just got for the most kills.

Win Condition

Balance
GTA: In order to try and make the game fair and balanced the creators of
GTA give the same amount of XP and money to people for the same

mission as otherwise people would complain about the game and they
also want everyone to rank up at sort of the same pace and they want to
make sure that when you are playing one player isnt really powerful with
loads of different weapons compared to yourself, so by giving you the
same amount of XP and money for certain mission this allows them people
to be quite evenly matched when it comes to playing online with people
around the world.
Call of Duty: In order to try and make the game fair and balanced for
players the creators created a thing called match making for online
multiplayer, this feature looks at your stats in the game to judge your skill
level and they then use this to try and put you in a game with people of
the same skill level to try and make your gaming experience as fun as
possible as if you are agents people that are a lot better than you then
you will just keep dying and you wont do very well and this will put
players off the games as it isnt fun to play for them. So by adding In this
feature the creators have made the game fun and suitable for a wider
range of their target audience as well as made it fun to player for a
different range of skilled players as they come up against plays that are as
good as them meaning that the game is then a challenge making it more
enjoyable and interesting to play as you have to then play strategically in
order to stay alive and do the best they can and get the best score
possible.

Feedback Interface
Feedback in a game is very important as this basically is how long the
game registers your action and movement and then converts that in to a
movement in the game and then for it the respond and do what you want
it to do. Most games are very responsive and this means that as soon as
you press something on your controller or controls the game will do that
action. The faster this response time the better quality of the game as it
helps it to run smoothly as players hate when the response time and
feedback is slow as it slows down their game and take the fun out of it,
this is referred to as lag. Feedback time isnt just determined by the game
its self-there are many things that can help this time be reduced, this is
things like the software the console or platform you are playing the game
on is running. When you play a game on a console there isnt a lot you can
do about the software and processers in console as you buy the console
and that is it, whereas if you play the game on a PC then you can change
your graphics card and processers, this then allows the game to run
smoother with less disturbance resulting in a better feedback and
response time for the player. Away to get a better response time on your
console is by having a good internet connection as this will reduce lag and

will make the game run smoother as well as allow you to play online with
your friends and other players people can make their connection better by
connecting their console to the
internet router by an ethanoate cable.
Another thing you can do is buy a
wired controller instead of a wireless
one as there is less chance of
interference and it is a straight
connection to the console. The last
thing you can do is have a smaller
monitor or TV as this means there are less pixel for the game to load and
change so this will reduce the feedback time. Another thing can affect the
response time is they quality of the graphics as you your console or PC
and handle the quality of the game then the feedback and response time
is reduced to make up for the graphics. As most people payed this game
online against other players and they could vote for their favourite map to
play and this helped to create a more interactive interface for the players.

Feedback Interface
The feedback in games is very important as nobody likes to have a game
that lags. Thanks to all the latest consoles and technology, the games we
play are usually very clear and run smoothly. The feedback from this game
is very good and smooth and this helps to create a better gaming
experience for their target audience. As well as having a campaign mode
in the game they also have multiplayer, this allows people all around the
world to play on the open world game all together at the same time in a
thing called lobbies. Because of this it means that the creators have to
create a reliable game otherwise people wont buy it. The game runs of
servers, this is like call of duty as players connect to these servers by
using their internet connection and from here they can play with other
people around the world. These servers are created to host a game for a
certain amount of players as there is a limit to how many people can be
on one server as you dont want to over load it because then it wouldnt
run smoothly. This is the same for call of duty and Mario kart as they both

have multiplayer servers and this is the same for any game that offers this
feature to players.

Perspective
When playing this game you are meant to feel as if you are that character
playing so to get this effect the creators made the game 3D and first
person, this means that you are playing the
game through the eyes of a characters. You
play the game in a 3D world or map and this
is to help make the
game feel
more
realistic
and as it is a shooting game objects in
this 3D world can act as cover to stop
your character from being shot and
killed and as well as providing protection it also can control how players
navigate throughout the map as they can force placers to go a certain was
around the map and this is to
encourage more gun fights and it
helps to make the game more
entertaining for the player. The idea of
the game is to give players the
experience of being a soldier and
going to war without the risk and to
achieve this the creators of the game
have to make sure that the content that they product and sell to the
public is realistic so that is has the right effect on the target audience, and
because of this realism it means that the age for this game has to be 18+
as is involves graphic content to create the realistic effect the creators
want the player to feel. As this game involves accuracy as it is a shooting
game and you have to use weapons this means that the game wouldnt
work in any other perspective other than first-person as you have to look
down the sight of the gun to aim as well as it wants to put you in the
shoes of that character.

Perspective
For the majority of the game you play it in third person, this is done to
help you see your surroundings in the game. This is like Mario kart which
also involves racing and vehicles but unlike call of duty and Mario GTA

gives the player the option to swap between first and third person, this is
done because most people will drive the cars
in the game in third person but when they are
using weapons they will play in first person to
be more accurate and also so they can use the
attachments on their weapons that they buy in
game, this is things like sights on their guns.
The way this is done is by pressing the start
button on the controller this is done to make it easy and quick to switch
between perspectives. This perspective helps to make the game more
realistic as this is what people want when they are playing a game but this
does limit your view of your surroundings but it makes it more realistic.
Giving players the option to do this makes the game more appealing to
certain players that only like playing in a
certain perspective and this means that the
game can suit more people within their
target audience, I can also create a new
perspective of the whole game and how it is
played as when playing a mission you can
go in to first person to make it more
realistic but this makes it harder as it limits
your vision compared to playing in third person as this allows you to see
over objects and it allows you to see more enemies that are in your
surrounding area.

Full motion video

All games use FMV or full motion video, they are normally used to give the
player or user information these are called cut scenes. The call of duty
franchise use cut scenes all the tie in their
games
usually in the campaign as a way of
creating a storyline as well as using is for
dramatic effect. These cut scenes will give
the player information about the story line
as well as what they have to do to
complete the mission, in some of these
cut scenes a loved character maybe killed or
injured and as it is in a cut scene the player isnt playing the game
meaning all their focus is on that
video clip, this helps to create a more
dramatic effect on the viewer and
player and it helps to make the game
more gripping and entertaining to play
as there is so much going on and
there is a storyline to follow. If that
character has been in the game the
whole way through the game, so players start to get attached to these
characters and it starts to make the game feel more personal and realistic
and this also creates a bigger effect on the player of something happens
to that character in the game. The game will also use full motion video
and effects to make the game lay seem more realistic, this will be things
like explosions and fighting scenes to create dramatic tension for the
player and this will help the player feel more involved with the game, it
also makes the game more memorable as these scenes will standout to
the player because they tell a story.

Full Motion Video

This game includes a lot of motion video as the campaign is full of
missions and video clips that are used to tell the story and because there
is 3 different characters this means there need to be more motion video in
order to tell the story of each character. This makes the game more
interesting for the player and it helps them to get more involved in the
storyline of the game and characters and it makes the game longer and
more interesting to play as there is so much going on at once. As the
game is so big and there is so much to do full motion video is used all the
time as there are so many different animations and videos as the game is
full of NPCs and it has to replicate the busyness of LA. This includes police
chases and helicopters and planes constantly flying overhead. All of the
motion video clips are very detailed this is mainly in the campaign
storyline as they want to get a lot of information across to the player,
there is also small animations that NPCs will do when something happens
in game, this will be things like screaming or running away if there was a

car crash or shooting. This is done to make the game more interesting and
to make it more realistic as they are
normal reactions of real people. This is
very similar to call of duty as they use cut
scenes to tell the storyline of the game
and they do this as when the player isnt
in control they are more likely to listen to
what is happening and being said, this
makes it easier for the player to understand what is going on in the game
and why and it also keeps them interested.

In conclusion from my research I have learnt why these games are created
in a certain why and I have been able to identify the different details they
have used to make the game more suited to their target audience, this
helps to make the game more
appealing to them. I have also learnt
about all the different aspects of the
different games and why they are
created and It has given me ideas for
the creation of my own game and it has
helped me to understand what I need
to do to create a product suitable for

my target audience.