8 Reverse Engineering and Professional Reviews © Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Permission granted to...

8

Reverse Engineering

and Professional

Reviews

© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.

• Explain intellectual property as it relates to video game development.

• Analyze various aspects of a game, such as rules, gameplay, and longevity of design.

• Describe techniques used by the video game industry to analyze games.


• Determine if a game has met its design objectives.

• Conduct a critical review of a video game.• Analyze game environments.• Compare the plot, interactivity, and reward

system of commercial video games.


Reverse Engineering

• Deconstructing an existing game• Find out how it works• Understand the USP of competition

• Leads to copycat game design• Competition may design a substitute product


Reverse Engineering

• A copycat game may not be made by a competing company


Reverse Engineering

• Reverse engineering Spiko interactions:• IF Spiko collides with a coin, THEN destroy the coin

AND add 10 points to player score


Copycat Games

• Reverse-engineered games have similar characters and characteristics• Cannot use the same character• Copyrighted character design

• Mario is copyrighted by Nintendo• Mario cannot be used by other companies• Permission needed from Nintendo to reuse• Nintendo can use Mario however it wants


Copycat Games

• Similar gameplay• Gameplay cannot be copyrighted• Game programming code is copyrighted

• Substitute product to the original• Satisfies the same need or want• Entertains in the same way• Does not need to be a copycat game; may just be in

the same genre


Copycat Feature

• Think about one of your favorite games• What substitute games have been made that

have similar gameplay?• What copycat games have similar characters?


Copyright

• Legal protection• Intellectual property is protected• Cannot use without permission• Games protected by copyright

• Characters are copyrighted• Game code is copyrighted• Burning a DVD or disc copy is illegal


Copyright

• Intellectual property, such as games and videos, are protected by copyrights


Why Copyright?

• Games are expensive to produce• Developmental costs• Marketing costs

• Copyright protects the company’s investment• By protecting the company, copyright also

protects employee jobs


Why Copyright?

• Copyrights protect game manufacturers


Copyright Violations

• Pay fines• Pay damages

• Amount the company lost due to your actions

• Pay attorney fees• Pay punitive damages

• Extra amount to punish

• Jail time


Copy Protection

• Copy protection prevents unauthorized copies• Unusual disc size• Unique disc format• Embedded copy-resistant code• Online activation codes• Software key


Copy Protection

• Software keys are a common form of copy protection for games


Game Evaluation

• Performed by critics and users• Determination of effectiveness of game elements• Summary of key game elements• Informs consumers so they can make a

purchasing decision


Critics

• Critics are not reverse engineers


Critics

• Have high knowledge of games and gaming• Understand differences in games• Know about new technologies• Can identify USPs of games


Game Evaluation

• Evaluations may be unbiased or may contain bias• Bias is an intentional slant on evaluation of key

elements• Positive bias• Negative bias


Positive Bias

• Overstated positive key features• Understated negative key features• Examples:

• Manufacture’s website• Review on game cover


Negative Bias

• Overstated negative key features• Understated positive key features• Examples:

• Competitor’s website• TV commercial comparison by competitor• Blog by unhappy former employee


Unbiased

• Not influenced by outside opinions• Properly weighs positive and negative key

elements


Key Game Elements for Evaluation

• Quality of rules• User interface• Navigation• Performance• Gameplay

• Artistry• Longevity of design• Player interactions• Plot• Reward


Quality of Rules

• How well the rules are explained and enforced• Will the player understand:

• Game purpose• What they are supposed to do• How to overcome obstacles• Game objectives

• Fan sites often have walkthroughs to help


User Interface

• The way in which the player interacts with the game world• Easy-to-handle game input• Intuitive controls


Navigation

• How the player moves in the game world• Can player move well through each level?• Can player see obstacles in time to avoid them?

• Game needs reasonable checkpoints


Navigation

• Inset maps are used to help players navigate a level


Performance

• How well the game operates on the intended game system• Does the game play smoothly?• Is the game glitchy?• Do graphics move properly?• Does avatar move as expected?• Does avatar move without lag or delay?


Gameplay

• What the user experiences in the game• Is concept well developed?• Does the character have the necessary movements to

overcome the challenges?• Can the player win?• Is the game challenging?• Do players want to replay?• Why do players want to replay?


Artistry

• Visual appeal and design of the game• Colors contrast and complement well• Mood and theme are appropriate• Setting and background are appropriate• Characters and avatar are visually appealing


Artistry

• This poorly designed game art shows flaws when the player moves


Longevity in Design and Structure

• How long the game will be sellable• Can the game be made into a series?• Will there be a long-term market?• Are there many substitute games?• Does the game use new technologies?• Is the game seasonal or a fad?• Is the game a substitute product?


Player Interactions

• What the player is doing• Do the player interactions fit the theme?• What interactions are required (shooting, jumping,

battling, conversational, etc.)?• Is a linear sequence needed?• What interactions are expected in sequence?


Player Interactions

• Many games feature a linear sequence


Plot

• The main storyline of the game• Do player actions fit the game story?• Is there a well-developed backstory?• Do we care about the characters?• Is the story fully told during the game?• Does the storyline add to immersion?


Reward

• Something positive provided to the player for completing a task• Is adequate reward given for each risk?• Do high-risk moves provide higher reward?• Are rewards unique?• Are tasks trivial or meaningless?• Are rewards linear to allow the player to overcome a

final challenge?


Summarizing the Evaluation

• Five-star rating system



• Point-rating system• Summarizes evaluation into a single number• Scoring a 5 is a perfect score

• User reviews• Game players post feeling about a game• Unbiased review



• User reviews can be a source of very valuable unbiased information


What is intellectual property?

Something original from someone’s mind or intellect


What are the ten key game elements that must be evaluated?

Quality of rules, user interface, navigation, performance, gameplay, artistry, longevity in design and structure, player interactions, plot, and reward system


What type of system is typically used by critics to indicate their evaluation of a game?

A star-rating system; the five-star rating system is most common.


If the player needs documentation or a walkthough just to figure out what is supposed to be done, which game element has not met its objective?

The quality of rules.


If you are to conduct an unbiased review, what must you do?

You must remain neutral, not providing either positive or negative bias in the review.


What are four components of good gameplay?

Well-developed concept, a character with the necessary movements to overcome challenges, a challenging game, and significant replay value


How should the player’s rewards compare to the risk taken?

Low-risk task should receive low rewards, while high-risk tasks should receive high rewards.

8 Reverse Engineering and Professional Reviews © Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Permission granted to...

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