IDEA135: Games at Work
Project 2: Participate
Use Unity to create a 2D game based on a movie made between 1894-1903.
Rules
- Your game must be based on (and named after) a real film created in the first decade of cinema. You should be able to name the film and its director/studio. There must be an existing copy of the film online (no relying on written descriptions a film that no longer exists, or that hasn’t be digitized.)
- Your game must be interactive. The user’s input (i.e. gamepad, keyboard strokes, mouse movements) must play a role in the outcome/direction of the game. You are making a game, not a movie.
Learning Objectives
- Translate between different moving image media.
- Learn to use the Unity game engine.
- Think about the similarities and differences between the role of a viewer/player in a game and the (implied) role of the viewer/spectator of a movie.
- Compare game development tools (p5.js vs. Unity).
- Develop understanding of the role of character identification and narrative in movies and games.
- Use creative faculties of elaboration and extrapolation to expand upon a simple idea.
Proposal
- A paragraph summary of your idea/source. Describe the movie you are adapting. What happens in the movie? What is remarkable about it? What made you want to turn it into a game?
- A paragraph describing your game. What will your videogame look like and what will the game play will entail, including game controls & point system. Include a brief description of two potential input devices (e.g. keyboard, mouse, joystick) and control schemes (e.g. button assignments, physical user actions) that users might use to play your game. Describe potential advantages of each game control method.
- Create a set of sprites that may be used in your game.
Work in Progress
- Create a simple Unity project in which you arrange your sprites in a canvas to give a clear idea of what your game looks like and what the game play entails. This sketch should include animated and interactive elements. You should be able to describe to the class what you still still need to do to finish your game.
Resources
Tips
- Give yourself time to sift through the “Resources” above. Choose a film that has a theme or story that lends itself to ludic adaptation. Think carefully about how you will adapt the film into a game. A film that looks like a good choice to adapt may turn out to be difficult to adapt as a playable game. A film that seems inherently “non-gamey” might be a fertile subject.
- It’s possible that you’ll choose to adapt a film that you really love. But it’s also possible that a film you actively dislike might be an inspiring subject for a creative response. In devising your “game version” of an early film, take a moment to consider what you, as a contemporary viewer of the original film, might wish to change about the film’s story, characters, framing, or diegesis (world of the film). This change can be reflected in the graphics and embedded narrative elements of the game, or it could be achieved through the actions and goals you assign to your player. For example: If the film you are adapting trades in a negative stereotype of women or a specific ethnic or racial group, your game may seek to switch up the genders of your players or NPCs. If the film seems to endorse violence against children or animals, your game could offer a role of agency (or even revenge) to the victims of the original film.