This unit explores how video games are designed to appeal to different types of audiences, emphasizing the importance of audience research, game design documentation, and tailored gameplay experiences. The course begins by categorizing players into three groups: casual, midcore, and hardcore gamers. Casual gamers engage in simple and infrequent gameplay, midcore gamers have a moderate commitment to gaming, and hardcore gamers are highly dedicated, often playing competitively or immersing themselves in complex mechanics. Understanding these distinctions helps developers create games that resonate with their target players.
A key focus is the Game Design Document (GDD), which serves as a blueprint for the development process. A GDD outlines the game’s mechanics, story, visual elements, and technical details, ensuring that all team members are aligned. This document also facilitates player-centered design, which prioritizes user feedback, iterative testing, and customization to create engaging experiences.
The unit introduces best practices for designing games for specific audiences, including conducting market research, defining core experiences, adjusting difficulty levels, crafting relatable characters, and maintaining an intuitive interface. Concepts such as diversity and inclusivity in game design are also explored, highlighting the importance of representing different cultures, backgrounds, and abilities to create meaningful player connections.
In the practical section, students analyze games like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild to assess how their mechanics, difficulty, aesthetics, and storytelling align with specific audiences. The unit concludes by emphasizing that understanding the target audience is fundamental to crafting compelling and immersive video games.
