Chess Variant - Chessthair

Group members: Cory, Christian, John, Jeff

Game Objective: Place all of the pieces, excluding the pawns, back onto the board.

Playtime Average: 2-3 minutes

Rules: Each player begins the game by placing their king anywhere on the board. The two kings are incapable of taking each other out, but are allowed in adjacent squares. The two players take turns placing their remaining pieces on the board. At the beginning of your turn, you must move your king out of check and then place your next piece. Each piece placed must put the opposite colored king in check. The game ends when all pieces have been placed on the board, or if either king is unable to move. The players win if the kings survive after all pieces are placed on the board, and lose if either king is locked in check mate.

Play Example:

• White player places his king on E2
• Black player places his king on B6
• White player places rook on B1, black players king is in check.
• Black player places moves his king out of check to C6, then places his knight on C1.

1) How would you describe the level of engagement compared to more action oriented games from the same period?

• I would say that Zelda is comparable to other more action oriented games in terms of engagement. What it does differently though is make use of a narrative, which is given to the player via written dialogue, to drive the gameplay. Being able to freely venture the game world, coupled with a narrative giving pointing you in the right direction, makes the game very engaging. 

2) What role does setting and characterisation play in the game?

• The setting and characterization are very important to the game. Since the game is based on exploration, the land being explored better be interesting. Similarly, since a narrative drives the gameplay, the characters themselves must be interesting for the player to get immersed and play the game.

3) How do spells, pickups and power-ups assist the game play?

• In real Zelda, pickups and power-ups add another layer of engagement to the game. Every time you collect a new piece of equipment from a dungeon, you find yourself with new gameplay opportunities and exploration options.

"I, Videogame" Part II

1) What kind of company was Nintendo before it made videogame and videogame consoles? 

• Producer of toys and playing cards.

2) What videogame system did it sell before it made its FAMICOM (known in USA as Nintendo Entertainment System)

• Odyssee Game System.

3) Shigeru Miyamoto was not a programmer - what skill set did he bring to the industry?

• Art.

4) How did the limits of the technology affect the way Mario could be shown?

• He had to be small, but the pixels comprising him were comparatively large. He has a moustache because a mouth couldn't be drawn, a hat over his hair, and was red to stand out more.

5) Why did US retailers think there was no future in home videogame consoles at the time just prior to the NES release in the USA?

• They thought that PCs were going to dominate the market.

6) What was assumed to the be the 'next big thing' by electronics manufacturers?

• Home game systems.

7) What did Legend of Zelda bring to gaming that was new?

• Role playing elements, equipment and treasure acquisition.

8) How did the conservative values of the 1980s (Reagan & Thatcher etc) affect the culture of videogames?

• Encouraged the purchasing of video game consoles.

9) How were the PC games published by Mystery House like King's Quest different from console games?

• They unfolded more slowly than console games, were almost entirely story driven.

10) How did Sega's 16 bit Megadrive system change home console gaming?

• Better graphical and processing capabilities made more diverse games possible.

11) How did "Leisure Suit Larry" differ from most genre based games of the period?

• Used realistic characters and settings.

12) How is this aspect reflected in many games of today?

• More realistic gameplay and themes.

13) What is 'motion capture?'

• Capturing and digitizing the motion of actors.

14) What is the 'uncanny valley?'

• A video game character is made too realistic, then appears dead and lifeless to us.

"I, Videogame" Part I

1) Videogames emerged from the culture of the "Cold War" - what does Henry Jenkins from MIT compare the period to in terms of a famous board game?

• A global game of battleship.

2) a) Who was the inventor of the first Video game according to the documentary?

• William Higginbotham.

b) What was the name of the game?

• Tennis for Two.

3) Steve Russell is credited with the first true computer-based videogame (in terms of its use with the 1961 PDP1 mainframe computer) with SPACEWAR - what popular science fiction book series also influenced him?

• First Lensman.

4) What innovation did Steve Russell's SPACEWAR introduce in terms of input hardware?

• Joystick.

5) a) In the anti-war and counterculture period of the 1960s and 1970s, what new home entertainment system let consumers finally control what was being seen on the home television?

• The Magnavox Odyssee.

b) Who was its inventor/developer?

• Ralph Baer.

6) PONG emerged out of the counterculture spirit of the early 1970s - its natural home was what type of entertainment setting?

• A social one.

7) Who does Nolan Bushnell say were generally best at playing the game?

• Women.

8) "Space Invaders" emerged in the late 1970s as the first game from Japan.
How did the TAITO production team intensify the emotion of the game using the four-note in-game music theme?

• The tempo increased as the invaders got closer to the player.

9) Steve Moulder reflects that the first arcade games tended to result in the player's defeat. This he argues in turn reflected the view held by many designers during that time that war itself is defeatist.  Has this view changed since that time? Do today's latest games still convey this sense? Why? Why not? (use your own words)

• Defeat is still possible in modern video games, however victory is much easier to attain. In my opinion, I don't believe this sense is prevalent in modern games.

10) Have you ever played any of the games shown in this the first episode of "I, Videogame"? What was your memory of playing it? Where were you, when was it?

• Yes, I have played a number of the games, but the experiences I had with them were probably not as profound as they were with others. I have stronger memories of games that I myself grew up with, with my first console being the Sega Master System (handed down to me by my older cousin, around the time that the Genesis came out).  I have fond memories of Space Harrier, playing in my parents bedroom because that was where the TV was. I wasn't much of a gamer at the time, it was both trippy and scary... and way too hard.  This all happened when I was about 10 years old. Games that I vividly remember don't come until later, the first being Aliens vs. Predator for the PC. That shit scarred me for life, specifically the third of the campaign where you played as the marine.