When creating a video game, it is not just important for designers to create a game with engaging content, but a game that considers the way the player's bodies interact with the game. As you can read in my previous blog post titled "Creating a Video Game in Scratch", I did simply that. After creating the game, I applied Makey Makey to create a unique way to play the game through the controller design to enhance the player's experience.
When playing my game, "Preppin' Party Pug", you take on the role of the pug to avoid the vacuum cleaners as you collect the supplies you need before the party begins, but you only have 60 seconds. To increase player involvement, which is elaborated in my other blog post called "The Human Video Game Controller", I designed a controller where you morph into the pug and must be on all fours to emerge yourself in the game more so than with a handheld controller. This degree of physical involvement modifies the players interaction with the game. Below are images of me playing the game with the controller I designed.
Each blue square with a paw drawn on it resembles the direction arrow buttons needed to navigate through the game if you were to use arrow buttons on a computer or handheld controller. The use of a controller which requires movement blurs the lines between reality and fiction creating deeper immersion. I noticed myself laughing more and actually breaking a sweat by using my whole body. The player also physically moves more due to the fact that the directional felt pads will not operate if you are on more than one at the same time. See how I navigate in the video below.
Creating the controller was much more involved than anticipated and required many drafts of ideas. I had to scrap many of my previous ideas because the controller was becoming too involved and bulky for the player which would have reduced immersion. I had created knee pads to provide comfort for the player, but they became more of a distraction like flees on the pug, rather than assistance in modifying the humans natural posture of standing on two feet to being on all fours.
This project is very rewarding to students because they can take on new perspectives by creating controllers that help morph them into the character in their game. It provides an opportunity for trial and error. Students can receive the real world tinker time to problem solve. It also allows students to be creative in three dimension. A classmate of mine built squeezable puppets to make the character move right and left across her screen for navigation. She was given the opportunity to explore a new medium, gel, and make it become functional in a unique way.
All in all, allowing students the opportunity to create a game controller for their video game makes them think about how players of their game may become more immersed. Students can look at how different interactive qualities of their controller influence a players experience with the game. The addition of the game controller to the video game allows the opportunity for students to see how new media and old media work together to create interactive art forms. You will be surprised to see how involved students are with the project as they persistently use divergent thinking to problem solve.