Invariably, the ?¬? nal game never resembles the carefully conceived original. A more
iterative design process, on the other hand, will not only streamline development resources, but it will also
result in a more robust and successful ?¬? nal product.
Case Study: SiSSYFiGHT 2000
SiSSYFiGHT 2000 is a multiplayer online game in which players create a schoolgirl avatar and then vie with
three to six players for dominance of the playground. Each turn a player selects one of six actions to take,
ranging from teasing and ta ling to cowering and licking a lolly. The outcome of an action is dependent
on other players??™ decisions, making for highly social gameplay. SiSSYFiGHT 2000 is also a robust online
community. You can play the game at www.sissy?¬? ght.com. In the summer of 1999, I was hired by Word.com
to help them create their ?¬? rst game. We initially worked to identify the project??™s play values: the abstract
principles that the game design would embody. The list of play values we created included designing for a
broad audience of nongamers, a low technology barrier, a game that was easy to learn and play but deep
and complex, gameplay that was intrinsically social, and ?¬? nally, something that was in line with the smart
and ironic Word.
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