Game Mechanics in Racing Game: Research

farinaceous chemical apparatus in Racing punt ResearchIntroductionThe very branch bucket along lame strengthened by KONAMI was Road Fighter (Konami, 1984). The goal of the plot of land was to reach the intermit line without running out of fuel. The sidelineing part was each judgment of conviction the doer gets c dope off to finish line without getting crashed a panelling flies by and the pseudo gets free 1000 read/write heads. If you havent noticed before, the vene objective disease has K marked on his dress, which probably stands for Konami. But, if you see from a developers point of view, the superman allowance is the result of reward and feedback secret plan mechanism. This point bonus encourages pseudos to play better. It contains the gage more(prenominal) interesting and pseuds concentrate more in order to get the bonus Superman points. gage mechanism is a huge face. It has been use in m whatsoever fields today, new(prenominal) than characterisation spicys. Game chemical mechanism have been used for growing the fakers interest and date in bizplay, only when as the bea of risque mechanism became generally masteryful, it activateed being used in other(a) fields for other purposes.With the look into on plunk for mechanics, I try to study and consider the consider fit game mechanics subject and its application in various fields. I have in addition tried to form up a rendering and apply it to study gameplay in various games. At last, a essential study of game mechanics in racing games is attempted, and I familiarize a new mechanics for racing games.Research ContextThe subject in a higher place explains the game mechanics at quite brief extent. here, I present any(prenominal) definitions by various queryers as well as own thoughts, experience and some examples.Game mechanics DefinitionsDifferent researchers allow different game mechanics definitions, most standardizedly related to their research. Here atomic number 18 some of the definitions effrontery by some authors.Miguel Si machinet defines game mechanics as Methods invoked by agents for interacting with the game realness. (Si gondola cart, 2008) Here, Sicart arrive atered a formal definition for game mechanics as he exercises this definition with a comparative psychoanalysis of Shadow of Colossus (Team Ico, 2005), Rez (United Game Artist, 2002) and Every Extend Extra (Q Entertainment, 2006) to research game context and user experience.One of the game mechanics definitions that Sicart has mentioned in his research is by Lundgren and Bjrk (2003) as all part of the rule musical arrangement of a game that covers one, and merely one, possible kind of interaction that takes attitude during the game, be it general or specific. The definition given by Lundgren and Bjrk covers handed-down board games and puzzle games, rather than characterization games. However, they mention that most of the mechanics identified in their re search arse easily be brewed into video games played on PCs and consoles. It would have been easy to describe these game mechanics without startinging from traditional games, but, starting from traditional games withal opens up a room that allows easy comparison between computer-based games and non-computerized games.Mike stout (2010) explains how to contract up with a better game mechanics when the gameplay is repetitive and boring. tough describes game mechanics as A major chunk of gameplay. He gives an example of The Legend of Zelda A Link to the Past (Nintendo, 1991) and the game mechanics used in the game like sword scrap, block pushing, boomerang throwing, swimming, button based puzzles, Hazard-avoidance, etc. (Stout, 2010)Amy Jo Kim explains game mechanics applied in functional softwargons and accessible media as The system and features that makes games fun, compelling and habit-forming. Kim also explains how game mechanics is brewed into social media like eBay, Faceb ook, YouTube etc, (Kim, 2009).Game mechanics is a subject that is used in m all fields other than video games like, social media, social games and entertainment, consumer products and services etc.Game Mechanics in amicable MediaSocial media sites like facebook.com, eBay.com, youtube.com etc. Implements game mechanics at a very large scale. Amy Jo Kim (2009) explains how collection, points, exchange, feedback and customization mechanics is utilise in social media. For example, ebay.com gives gift and feedback score to the sellers based on the feedback received from customers or buyers. The feedback is accessible by sellers profile page where any user evoke check the ratings and score. This mechanics im adjudicates the seller services.Tesco PLC has implemented point mechanics to attract more customers. The customer gets certain points for purchases make at Tesco shops through and through Tesco Clubcard. Later, they can redeem points for other offers of items. Tesco makes vario us offers available through Clubcard points which advertize customers to purchase more products. (Tesco, 2010)Jesse Schell (2010) presented ten-fold examples of game mechanics used in non-game media in his presentation cast outside the Box at DICE Summit 2010. Schell mentions new crosswalk Fusion hybrid car that add togethers with an EcoGuide facility, which is basically an implementation of feedback mechanics. Its a virtual(prenominal) plant in techno meter the plant sprouts more leaves as your miles-per gal go up, indicating how green your motoring is. (Goodwin, 2009) Here, feedback mechanics is used in much(prenominal) a way that might affect the way people drive their car and possibly encourage them to drive in an eco-friendly way.MouseHunt (HitGrab, 2008) and other facebook games are mainly based on points, feedback, collection, and customization mechanics and MouseHunt can be the tall hat example of it. The player is required to build a mouse frame to catch mice and w hen a mouse is caught, the player is awarded with points and gold. The game clenchs a caterpillar track of points and gold on leaderboard. The mice caught by the player are added in his collection.Game Mechanics in Mainstream GamesQuake (id Software, 1996) usualized arugula jump mechanics. Rocket spring is the technique of firing a rocket launcher or quasi(prenominal) explosive pointing at the ground or at wall and jumping at the same time. The explosion propels and accelerates the players jump to large distance. Rocket jumping mechanics was introduced in Marathon (Bungie, 1994) and Rise of the Triad (Apogee, 1994), suitable in Team Fortress 2 (Valve, 2007) Unreal Tournament (Epic Games, 1999) and others. (Wikipedia, 2010) some other popular game mechanics is slow motion. The gameplay of Max Payne (Rockstar, 2001) involves bullet time-based action sequences. roll of tobacco time slows the expireage of time down to a certain direct and enables the player to perform surplu s moves. Time based mechanics is also one of the main features in later versions of Prince of Persia series (Ubisoft, 2003). This mechanics makes the prince able to slow down or rewind the time and perform special fighting moves.Portal (Valve, 2007) is a single player Puzzle-Platformer game that consists primarily of a series of puzzles that must be solved by teleporting the players character and ingenuous objects using the portal vein gun, a unit that can bring into being inter-spatial portal between flat planes. The game received praise for its grotesque gameplay and darkly humorous story. Portal seems a perfect combination of Challenge and Skills, though its gameplay consist teleportation based puzzles totally. The gameplay contains no combat sequence or rocket jumping or slow motion.Kill.switch (Namco, 2003) introduced cover and shoot mechanics which was adapted into Gears of War (Epic Games, 2006). As described by Miguel Sicart (2008) Gears of War introduced an effective combat tactic where the player takes cover behind a block or a pillar and patiently shoots enemies. This third-person combat design also diverged grand larceny Auto IV (RockStar North, 2008) and became highly popular.But Grand Theft Auto series is more popular for its variety of gameplay which consist of action, adventure, driving, racing, and larceny elements. The GTA series is also a wakeless example of open being type of video game level design apotheosis where a player can roam the virtual world at any point in the game. It also contains sandbox style nonlinear gameplay where the player can complete scraps in any sequence. The Game sold 2.5 trillion units in the America on the first day. (Mazel, 2008)The roots of open-world game concept go back to space simulator Elite (Acornsoft, 1984). However, we get to see open-world gameplay implementations in Midtown Madness (Microsoft, 1999), Need for velocity Underground 2 (EA Games, 2005) and Burnout Paradise (EA, 2008) as we ll.Game Mechanics in Racing GamesThe main gameplay in racing game is driving the car. However, many racing games offer various gameplay that are unique to the game itself.Need for stop number Underground (EA Games, 2003) has a unique win condition. The player has to finish the race at first place only in order to win the race, even if there are more than two players playing. This finish-first only mechanics deliberately increased the challenge level in the game. Underground emphasis heavily on conditional relation racing scene and featured vehicles associated with it. railroad cars can be customized to increase death penalty and visuals. Underground also featured EA Trax (EA Games) which is a collection of soundtracks. Overall, Need for Speed Underground contains multiple game mechanics that appealed many racing game lovers. According to VGChartz.com, the game sold 6.49 million units of PS2 version of the game public treasury date. (VGChartz, 2010)Trials HD (RedLynx, 2009) is a combination of puzzle and stunt bike driving. It doesnt have any competitive race, as in the player has to get through a number of obstacles with as few crashes as possible. The challenge in the game is to balance and control the speed so that the player can pass through obstacles successfully. The game uses 3D graphics but the player can only more forward and backwards. However, the player can lean reckon or back to perform special moves or stunts. With such control movement, the controls are also made simple. Trials HD also has a leaderboard feature, and when connected to Xbox Live, the player can compare his progress with his friends.Split Second (Disney, 2010) introduced destructive environment, which, when triggered by player it creates obstacles for other players. As a player performs stunts like drafting, rudderless or precision driving, the powerplay meter builds up which allows the player to trigger special events like creating obstacles, enabling shortcuts or altering the race track entirely. lofty speed racing, imported cars, customization, stunts, crashes and motion blur can be historied as features of a racing game required to make it ruff selling. Burnout (Acclaim Entertainment, 2002) is noted as the initial in a series of high-velocity racing games which also includes high risk gameplay mechanics. Burnout paradise (EA, 2008), the recent clitoris in burnout series, features an open world environment called Paradise City, with day-night cycle. Game Mechanics include stunts, car crashes, and motorcycles. A very player favourite and storied gameplay is Crash Mode in which players can cause car crashes. However, in burnout paradise, the Crash Mode is called Showtime and records are kept for players biggest crash. The game contains lift out time for every street in the game which encourages the player to keep on driving to get the best time.Recently released blur (Activision, 2010) incorporates real world cars with arcade style handling and ve hicular combat. It introduces a wholly new type of gameplay to the current racing genre. However, it is brewed with the power ups mechanics that has been used in many games. It also uses the ranking and perk system. The race starts without a count-down timer which is currently popular we can see such game mechanics in Split second and need for speed series.Results and donationThe DefinitionI would like to give a brief description rather than a definition. It is possible that this has been mentioned some or other way in many articles.Game mechanics is a set of rules that builds a specific gameplay which makes the game more challenging, interesting and player-involving.Game mechanics can also introduce new ideas or variety within a game, which ultimately makes a game fun.Game mechanics can be used to build up such a gameplay that motivates or manipulates gentle behaviour.The definition explained here has been used to study and understand the game mechanics and gameplay in a variet y of games mentioned in the research.Game Mechanics In Racing GenreWhen it comes to racing games, speed is everything. The faster the gameplay is, the more the excitement, interest and challenge will be. In a racing game, the player is not given a high performance car at the descent of the game, but as he levels up in the game, faster cars or performance upgrades that can boost up the speed are unlocked. This mechanism creates a need of high performance car, and as the player progresses further, the game feels more rewarding.Free roam mode or open world environment plays a crucial part in racing games. actor gets a chance to explore the environment and start the race whenever he wants to, which gives a realistic feeling to the game.Players usually get attracted towards imported cars. Car customization has become an all-important(prenominal) feature of racing games. Models of original cars are highly praised by players and. They have a tendency to customize their cars and show off as well. Leaderboards allow players to compare their best times, high score and strikements, which also keeps a player engaged in game.Challenge is not the only element a player is looking for in racing games. A number of games provides stunts and car crash based gameplay. Trials HD (RedLynx, 2009) and Burnout series (Criterion Games) are good examples of it. Player can drive through a signboard or perform a stunt in burnout paradise to gain extra boost, where Trials HD is all about passing through obstacles by performing stunt moves. Such game mechanics inserts the element of fun in games.A few arcade style racing games have been avoiding the use of start up countdown. The round starts with ongoing race and the player gains control of the car after a cut scene. This type of mechanics is seen in triple-A titles like Blur and Split second. However, Simulation style racing games, where the realism is more persistent, follows the traditional countdown start-up of a race.Need for spee d underground featured finish-first only mechanics. In order to win the round, the player has to finish at first place and first place only. This increases the challenge at a high degree, but it also seemed to be improving the player skills.Other worthy game mechanics or gameplay features includes motion blur, car pursuit, allowing player to create tracks etc. Music and soundtracks also play an important part in making the game more interesting. Who wouldnt listen to hip hop or rock music while driving ones favourite car at top speed? It is believed that EA Trax has played an important part in the success of Need for Speed series.Gameplay is designed by brewing multiple game mechanics together. There is no specific recipe to make a best-selling racing game, but a game with various gameplay is more likely get popular.Developing a new Game Mechanic for Racing GamesWhether a player is performing stunts, chasing a car, trying to make a huge crash score, or just playing a normal race, t he core element is speed. Wouldnt it be great if a car never lose speed unless it is commanded to? Here, I have attempted to come up with such a game mechanic. During a race, if a player hits an obstacle, the car will lose health points but not the speed the car will continue running throughout the track without losing its speed. However, commodious loss in health points will ultimately result the player lose the round.The game presented here demonstrates the game mechanics with some other features as well. The demo consists of a single straight track. Instead of consentaneous obstacles, the player will face white ghosts on track. On colliding with a ghost, the car will go through it but will lose health points. The race does not start with a countdown instead it begins with the player car running at minimum speed which increases the challenge from the beginning. On the other hand, if the player runs out of health, or fails to finish the race at first place, he loses the round. B ut, if the player finishes at first place without losing any health points, he wins a perfect finish.The demo also features some power ups. If the player picks up a health pack, the car health is restored. Slow motion slows down the game, allowing player to easily move through ghosts. Once activated, the game runs in slow motion for 10 seconds. Another power up is a shield which protects player from getting abide by ghosts or opponent cars. The shield, once activated, stays active for 5 seconds. Shield provides a great advantage. When activated, the car will run 2 points slower than the real speed. Opponents do not collide or influence the players game however, if collided with opponent cars, the player car will lose health. valuationGame MechanicsThe following racing mechanics have been implemented into the demo, speed mechanics, power ups, random obstacle mechanics, competition mechanics, countdown less start up and finish first only. The gameplay was changed regularly as the dem o was forming up in order to get the optimum effect of the mechanics. Multiple set were changed to improve the difficulty and challenge. However, it was also ensured that the difficulty is not far above the ground. Besides game mechanics, the gameplay can be improved with better feedback, graphic and visual effects, music and sound, more rewards or other bells and whistles.The GameplayA game demo or a beta version of a game is made for testing purposes. The developers would test the graphics, frame rate or boilers suit performance. Here, the game demo was made for an identical aim. The game demo was given to a group of game enthusiasts. Afterwards the reaction of the players towards the game mechanics was observed.The demo has a look and feel of classic road belligerent (Konami, 1984) and the players did miss the superman bonus point.Random obstacles increased the challenge it made the demo interesting as well.The demo has proved to be an ideal combination of challenge and skill . The players had to concentrate more in order to achieve the perfect finish several players attempted more tactical address to win the race.When asked about each feature of the game separately, the replies were encouraging and prove the success of the demo.User CommentsHere are some comments given by players who tried the game demo.The game is quiet good the ghosts were terrible as they ate up all my health in the first round. I rate it 4 out of 5. Pratik SolankiThe concept was different from other games, though the difficulty level was maintained throughout the demo. It seemed easy to win the game, but it was tough to achieve the perfect finish. 3.5 out of 5 Kushal JoshiThe game gets addictive as soon as you start playing Dirk FortmeierThe ResearchGame development is not quite possible without understanding game mechanics. Gameplay is an important factor that attracts a player. The research on game mechanics helped to understand why a particular gameplay is more interesting and player involving.