Gaming – It is all about dreaming!

Amar Shankar

In my opinion, (and of course my wife will disagree) there aren't many things as satisfying than an interesting game. I first got exposed to electronic gaming as a kid in 1978 when at a cousin’s place I played on his TV a silly and simple game – it was called tennis for some odd reason, but in fact it was two cursors knocking a disfigured, low resolution ball like graphic.
In recent times, I've become addicted to Unreal Tournament, and before that I was caught on the hook of multiplayer Diablo with friends in New York, Fort Lauderdale, Tokyo, and Guatemala City. In my experience, gaming has changed dramatically in the last two decades. I still remember how we used to flock the school computer lab, while the lab assistant would go away for a smoke and play the much-unadorned Packman. Gone are the days of simple 2 dimensional games. We are in the new millennium of computer games!

I believe the key to making great games is evoking that ephemeral quality of "addictiveness." That said, wouldn't it be lovely if gamers had a formula to make games addictive? Lacking that magical formula, I feel there are some important qualities that can make a game engaging. Some of these are classic rules of design, but others are being affected by rapidly changing technological considerations. In my opinion, a good game revolves around four basic elements – the four "I"s: Interactivity, Immersion, Interface, and Intrigue.

Being able to play games interactively with folks from all corners of the globe can be a powerful thing. The most treacherous intelligence in a game to play against is that of another human. Today, everyone wants to make his or her games "multiplayer over the Internet. However, in India technology is still not quite there. With slow dial up speeds, it can be very painful. Recently, I was at the Indiatimes office, and I was amazed to see that everyone in that office was playing FIFA2003 on the local LAN during office hours! No, do not get any ideas; I am not suggesting that we start something like this on our LAN! Interactivity is enhanced through use of message boards, chat rooms and other tools that bring people together in a virtual community. Rankings and tournaments can create a healthy feel of friendly (not so friendly) competition.

Imagine this!
It is not only interactivity which is important. What makes it fun to play with or against other opponents is their humanness. Games should be immersive where users can interface with others. Imagine how nice it would be to coordinate attacks with your allies, scream for help in real time, or give your opponent a good taunting as you make a particularly brilliant move (and then hear them laugh at you when you find out that brilliant move was the trap he had set for you all along!). Will wait for the day when voice communication technology can be applied to these multi-player titles! The real charm of multi player gaming is the characters we impute, and good voice communication technology will only enhance this immersive experience.

As a user I am not qualified to talk in-depth about the other two ‘I”s which are interface and intrigue. I suppose that these two are a direct function of creativity and software design abilities. According to me, these are core strengths to any game, which companies like EA Sports, Microsoft, Sony, have mastered. Sometimes I wonder why India, which has seen a technology boom, has not taken the lead in creating quality gaming software. Could it be because we lack the ability to dream? Or is it that computer gaming in India is yet to cross the chasm?