Jacob Grainger Research – Final Review Monument Valley
Contextual
Research is an ethnographic research method that helps to understand what
people do and why they do it? It was
important for me to understand what this research is before undertaking
it. I know that this method was created
as a way of capturing work's complexities: information flow, the cultural
qualities of a working environment, but also the sequence of routine tasks. I
then began to understand the games structure and overall design of Monument
Valley. To explain further:
I first researched about monument
valley game online and found information and images and more information from
things like Wikipedia and reverse image searches. The game is about 2d to 3d objects and its
origins were based on old drawings redrawn and put into its own style format. Monument valley game is a puzzle game
developed by indie studio USTWO, Matt Miller and John Sinclair are Co-founders.
I found this out by looking at secondary
research such as 3rd party website researches and gaming magazine
articles such as Griffiths (2015). I also compared it to other games similar to
monument valley such as Mario brothers (“the beginnings
in early 2013 based on concept drawings by company artist Ken Wong”). Its
visual style was inspired by Japanese prints, minimalist sculpture, and indie
games. This information affected the way
I thought about the game and how I see the game visually I believe my influence
had an effect on my ideas instead of keeping the originality and creativity it
became my own project and creativity if I was to further my contextual research I would
develop my ideas on more of what would be more useful to keep my originality of
the game.
When it won a 2014 Apple Design Award
monument valley was named Apple's best iPad game of 2014, and sold over two
million copies by January 2015, by racking up over Four Million downloads. The game itself was praised in its arts of
animation and sound design but it was noted by critics that it lacked difficulty
and was shorter in length than other games. This puzzler helps to challenge players navigate
Princess Ida around tricky mazes, it was beta-tested by non-gamers who made
suggestions it was too long and said it should be made shorter.
In Monument Valley it is the player
that leads the character princesses Ida she goes through mazes of optical
illusions and impossible objects every ten of each level’s has a different
central mechanic that moves some part of the game. This game has more emphasis
on architecture, drawing on its influences from the Near East, medieval Europe
and Islamic Structures. It's
a quiet contemplative game which cleverly cloaks its design in mystery that's
worth solving.
It's a very appealing game,
layered with warm colours and simple shapes. With sound design that’s
entrancing. Every interaction with the screen is enhanced by a musical sound
effect the rotating blocks sound like a wind-up music boxes, the gears like the
strings of an acoustic guitar. Tach (2014)
“Sometimes the puzzles don't seem difficult so much as
meditative—a sensation enhanced by a distant, soothing soundtrack.” Eddy (2015)
The games
development on producing "great products" that reflect well on the
company, rather than higher profitable apps the gameplay was designed to let
the player find the objects in the game through exploration, without direct guidance.
The game uses colours to signify where
the player can interact. This game had considerable features such as buttons to
open doors as it turned art into a game. Jung et al’ (2014) research paper investigated
the relation between Monument Valley and Echochrome (2008) and the output of the two as based on the animation elements
defined by Paul Wells. Jung et al looked
at the animation elements to be fully converged to the various forms with the
interactive media in the future by analysing their results were able to provide
users opportunities for new experience.
Miller and Sinclair have
been very successful; they now have 250 staff over four offices, as they
undertake commissions for Sony and Tesco.
There is also a follow up to Monument Valley called ‘Lands End’ which is
being developed for Samsung’s Gear VR
Khera (2015) suggests that games design is really useful as
it develops the user’s experience of the actual games space and it’s as much
about the architecture of the game as the music and the overall look and feel
of the game. It’s important to note how the game and experience is to be
crafted architecturally. This what I
have learnt from my own research that the look of the games design has to draw
in the player, and then be able to keep them enthused and keep them guessing
how to get to read the end of the game. The research was really useful, as it
has given me lots of ideas about games design in the future, at first I thought
what do I need to research it for but it’s amazing just how much you can
actually find out, that you didn’t know about. Monument Valley with its striking and bold
visual design made architecture the main character, this has given me ideas for
making the buildings and backgrounds to my games design bolder and to make them
really eye catching.
Jacob Grainger
References:
Griffiths. D.N. (2015) [Accessed 23.12.15]
Max. E (2015) [Accessed 23.12.15]
Jung. M. Mok S. Paik. J. and Chang. W. (2014) Animation
element analysis in the Monument Valley [Accessed 24.12.15] http://www.dbpia.co.kr/Journal/ArticleDetail/NODE02440328
Khera. A (2015) [Accessed
23.12.15] http://www.interactivearchitecture.org/artificial-intelligence-in-the-architecture-of-games.html
Tach. D (2014) [Accessed
23.12.15] Threes!, Monument Valley and more games win Apple Design Awards
http://www.polygon.com/2014/6/3/5776986/games-apple-design-awards-2014
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