On XBLA trends and Emotion in Gameplay

I’m noticing a trend- I wouldn’t call it disturbing, just disappointing, on XBLA. I’m talking about games that really should be awesome, but for some reason or another, they’re simply not. I first noticed it with Assault Heroes– it’s still a fun game, but it falls flat when you compare it to the other arena shooters on XBLA (Geometry Wars, Mutant Storm 1 and 2, Robotron, Smash TV come to mind immediately.) Then I noticed it big-time with Small Arms, Band of Bugs and Arkadian Warriors. All these games should have been awesome. Small Arms is a Smash Bros. type brawler featuring animals with guns, Band of Bugs is basically Final Fantasy Tactics, and Arkadian Warriors seems like the closest thing XBLA has to Diablo. But they’re all boring as all hell. More recently, I tried out Rocketmen: Axis of Evil. Same deal: should be a fun game, but it just sucks.

I have a theory- I’m tempted to call it Academia Syndrome. This is when a game is done “right” by almost every standard: super high production values, superb art direction, use of a good engine, an impressive bullet list of features and unique selling points, and they seem to be by gamers for gamers, but when it comes to actually having fun with the game, it’s flat as coke that you opened months ago. The game is the sum of all these parts, yet there’s that little-something-more that just didn’t make it in. You could call it the heart & soul of the game, but it’s not gameplay… but yet it is. It’s weird. You could read the design docs of these games and easily tell that they have great gameplay. Smash Bros with guns? Casual FF Tactics? XBLA Diablo? All awesome. I could have fun for tons of hours with any of them. But there’s feeling and, believe it or not, emotion, that needs to be conveyed along with that gameplay.

This is really not something that can be taught formally, and I would say this is the single biggest thing that would qualify games as art (which is territory I’m not going anywhere near today.) Gameplay can evoke emotion, the same way music or movies can. And, in my opinion anyway, it’s our responsibility as designers to ensure we convey that emotion. You can’t just say “My game is Game X meets Game Y with Twist Z” and leave it at that. Sure, that’s a great way to get the idea on paper, but once you start programming, you need to keep the following in mind. How did Game X make you feel when you played it? How about Game Y? You need to evoke those EMOTIONS as well as just combining the game mechanics of Game X and Game Y, or your game will be flat.

I think this is also why it’s crucial for designers to have an active role in development, and also need to be able to do some programming and art assets. Consistency is more than just art direction- the designer needs to make sure that the appropriate feelings are conveyed by the game at all times.

Got a Diablo clone? Feelings of exploration, feelings of Gauntlet-style, one-on-many combat, the strategy of planning the development of your character, and the feelings of triumph when those developments allow you to slaughter your foes.

Got an arena shooter? Feelings of intense adrenaline, with some claustrophobia thrown in for good measure. Feelings of incredible, jarring impact from gunfire and explosions. You’re not just spawning a bullet object. You’re firing a cannon. Your enemies aren’t playing their death animations and being removed from gameplay, they’re getting fucking slaughtered. Convince me of that, or your game is flat.