(cid:65)(cid:108)(cid:108)(cid:32)(cid:111)(cid:102)(cid:32)(cid:89)(cid:111)(cid:117)(cid:114)(cid:32)(cid:66)(cid:97)(cid:115)(cid:101)(cid:32)(cid:65)(cid:114)(cid:101)(cid:32)(cid:66)(cid:101)(cid:108)(cid:111)(cid:110)(cid:103)(cid:32)(cid:116)(cid:111)(cid:32)(cid:85)(cid:115)(cid:63) (cid:83)(cid:104)(cid:109)(cid:117)(cid:112)(cid:115)(cid:32)(cid:97)(cid:115)(cid:32)(cid:97)(cid:32)(cid:83)(cid:111)(cid:117)(cid:114)(cid:99)(cid:101)(cid:32)(cid:102)(cid:111)(cid:114)(cid:32)(cid:66)(cid:101)(cid:116)(cid:116)(cid:101)(cid:114)(cid:32)(cid:71)(cid:97)(cid:109)(cid:101)(cid:32)(cid:68)(cid:101)(cid:115)(cid:105)(cid:103)(cid:110) (cid:76)(cid:117)(cid:107)(cid:101)(cid:32)(cid:77)(cid:99)(cid:77)(cid:105)(cid:108)(cid:108)(cid:97)(cid:110) (cid:66)(cid:46)(cid:80)(cid:111)(cid:112)(cid:77)(cid:117)(cid:115) (cid:66)(cid:46)(cid:80)(cid:111)(cid:112)(cid:77)(cid:117)(cid:115)(cid:32)(cid:72)(cid:111)(cid:110)(cid:115)(cid:46) (cid:81)(cid:117)(cid:101)(cid:101)(cid:110)(cid:115)(cid:108)(cid:97)(cid:110)(cid:100)(cid:32)(cid:67)(cid:111)(cid:110)(cid:115)(cid:101)(cid:114)(cid:118)(cid:97)(cid:116)(cid:111)(cid:114)(cid:105)(cid:117)(cid:109)(cid:32)(cid:111)(cid:102)(cid:32)(cid:77)(cid:117)(cid:115)(cid:105)(cid:99)(cid:44)(cid:32)(cid:71)(cid:111)(cid:108)(cid:100)(cid:32)(cid:67)(cid:111)(cid:97)(cid:115)(cid:116) (cid:71)(cid:114)(cid:105)(cid:102)(cid:102)(cid:105)(cid:116)(cid:104)(cid:32)(cid:85)(cid:110)(cid:105)(cid:118)(cid:101)(cid:114)(cid:115)(cid:105)(cid:116)(cid:121) (cid:65)(cid:32)(cid:100)(cid:105)(cid:115)(cid:115)(cid:101)(cid:114)(cid:116)(cid:97)(cid:116)(cid:105)(cid:111)(cid:110)(cid:32)(cid:115)(cid:117)(cid:98)(cid:109)(cid:105)(cid:116)(cid:116)(cid:101)(cid:100)(cid:32)(cid:105)(cid:110) (cid:102)(cid:117)(cid:108)(cid:102)(cid:105)(cid:108)(cid:109)(cid:101)(cid:110)(cid:116) (cid:111)(cid:102)(cid:32)(cid:116)(cid:104)(cid:101)(cid:32)(cid:114)(cid:101)(cid:113)(cid:117)(cid:105)(cid:114)(cid:101)(cid:109)(cid:101)(cid:110)(cid:116)(cid:115) (cid:102)(cid:111)(cid:114)(cid:32)(cid:116)(cid:104)(cid:101)(cid:32)(cid:97)(cid:119)(cid:97)(cid:114)(cid:100)(cid:32)(cid:111)(cid:102)(cid:32)(cid:116)(cid:104)(cid:101)(cid:32)(cid:100)(cid:101)(cid:103)(cid:114)(cid:101)(cid:101)(cid:32)(cid:111)(cid:102)(cid:32)(cid:68)(cid:111)(cid:99)(cid:116)(cid:111)(cid:114)(cid:32)(cid:111)(cid:102)(cid:32)(cid:80)(cid:104)(cid:105)(cid:108)(cid:111)(cid:115)(cid:111)(cid:112)(cid:104)(cid:121) (cid:79)(cid:99)(cid:116)(cid:111)(cid:98)(cid:101)(cid:114)(cid:44)(cid:32)(cid:50)(cid:48)(cid:49)(cid:48) All of Your Base Are Belong to Us? Shmups as a Source for Better Game Design Table of Contents Table of Contents ...................................................................................................... I List of Figures ......................................................................................................... VII List of Scores ....................................................................................................... XIII Abstract ................................................................................................................ XIV Statement of Authenticity............................................................................................ XVI Acknowledgements .............................................................................................. XVII Foreword............................................................................................................. XVIII Chapter 1: Introduction ............................................................................................ 1 Rationale ......................................................................................................................... 1 Problem .......................................................................................................................... 1 Research Questions ......................................................................................................... 1 Objectives ....................................................................................................................... 2 Specific Objectives ........................................................................................................... 2 Chapter Overview ............................................................................................................ 3 Significance of the Study .................................................................................................. 5 Chapter 2: Defining the Shmup ................................................................................. 8 Defining the Rules ........................................................................................................... 9 Objectives ..................................................................................................................... 10 Game AI (Artificial Intelligence) ...................................................................................... 11 What about games that don't meet all of these criteria? ................................................ 11 Vertical and Horizontal Shmups ..................................................................................... 12 Pre-‐History of the Shmup Genre the Year of the Invasion ............................................... 15 Space Invaders .............................................................................................................. 16 Outside Influences on Space Invaders ............................................................................ 20 The Family Tree ..................................................................................................... 22 Sky Raider .............................................................................................................. 22 Phantom II, Midway and the 8080 ......................................................................... 23 HeliFire, Radar Scope and Nintendo ...................................................................... 24 Defender ................................................................................................................. 26 Scramble (Konami, 1981)....................................................................................... 28 Universal: Cosmic Avenger (cid:68)(cid:81)(cid:71)(cid:3)(cid:87)(cid:75)(cid:72)(cid:3)(cid:179)(cid:38)(cid:82)(cid:86)(cid:80)(cid:76)(cid:70)(cid:3)(cid:54)(cid:72)(cid:85)(cid:76)(cid:72)(cid:86)(cid:180) ............................................ 31 Chapter 3: Methodology ......................................................................................... 37 Definition of Heuristics .................................................................................................. 38 I Luke McMillan 2010 Constants and variables ................................................................................................. 42 The 2004 and 2008 Studies into Nostalgia & Age ............................................................ 44 Existing Methods .................................................................................................... 44 General Procedure .................................................................................................. 46 Choosing the Case Studies ............................................................................................. 51 Period One: 1987-1990 ........................................................................................... 51 Period Two: 1990-1995 .......................................................................................... 51 Period Three: 1995-2000 ........................................................................................ 52 Period Four: 2000-2005 .......................................................................................... 52 (cid:100)(cid:346)(cid:286)(cid:3)(cid:94)(cid:286)(cid:367)(cid:286)(cid:272)(cid:410)(cid:349)(cid:381)(cid:374)(cid:3)(cid:18)(cid:396)(cid:349)(cid:410)(cid:286)(cid:396)(cid:349)(cid:258)(cid:3)(cid:296)(cid:381)(cid:396)(cid:3)(cid:410)(cid:346)(cid:286)(cid:3)(cid:862)(cid:94)(cid:349)(cid:374)(cid:336)(cid:437)(cid:367)(cid:258)(cid:396)(cid:863)(cid:3)(cid:94)(cid:346)(cid:373)(cid:437)(cid:393)(cid:400) ............................................................ 53 Representation ....................................................................................................... 54 Emotive Traits ............................................................................................................... 64 Chapter 4: Extended Literature Review -‐ the Design Heuristics and their Implementation as Analytical Devices ..................................................................... 67 The First Heuristic: Empowerment ................................................................................. 68 Empowerment via Ownership ................................................................................ 70 Empowerment: Controllers & Input Mechanisms .................................................. 71 Empowerment and Fitts Law .................................................................................. 72 Empowerment: Game Feel Theory......................................................................... 73 Empowerment through Perspective ........................................................................ 77 The Second Heuristic: Flow ............................................................................................ 81 The Third Heuristic: Bring the Player to Action ................................................................ 82 The Function of Id, Super-Ego and Ego for Shmups ............................................. 85 (cid:55)(cid:75)(cid:72)(cid:3)(cid:53)(cid:82)(cid:79)(cid:72)(cid:3)(cid:82)(cid:73)(cid:3)(cid:87)(cid:75)(cid:72)(cid:3)(cid:54)(cid:88)(cid:69)(cid:70)(cid:82)(cid:81)(cid:86)(cid:70)(cid:76)(cid:82)(cid:88)(cid:86)(cid:3)(cid:9)(cid:3)(cid:40)(cid:79)(cid:79)(cid:76)(cid:86)(cid:182)(cid:86)(cid:3)(cid:36)(cid:37)(cid:38)(cid:3)(cid:48)(cid:82)(cid:71)(cid:72)(cid:79) ............................................ 88 Bring the Player to Action: Movement................................................................... 99 Purposefulness: Figure 62 ............................................................................................... 99 Indirection: Figure 63 .................................................................................................... 100 Forcefulness: Figure 64 ................................................................................................. 100 Forcefulness and Control: Figure 65 ............................................................................. 101 Lack of Control: Figure 66 ............................................................................................. 101 Playfulness, Disempowerment: Figure 67 ..................................................................... 102 Victim Relationship: Figure 68 ...................................................................................... 103 Hunter /Prey Relationship: Figure 69 ............................................................................ 104 Power Relationship: Figure 70 ...................................................................................... 104 Inferior Relationship: Figure 71 ..................................................................................... 105 Mutual Relationships: Figure 72 ................................................................................... 106 Fearful Relationships: Figure 73 .................................................................................... 107 Fight or Flight Relationships / Underdog Relationships: Figure 74 ............................... 107 II All of Your Base Are Belong to Us? Shmups as a Source for Better Game Design Bring the player to Action: Sensation to Affect ................................................... 108 Bring the Player to Action: Semiotic Theory and Coding ................................... 109 The Fourth Heuristic: Education ................................................................................... 114 The Fifth and Sixth Heuristic: Challenge & Reward ........................................................ 116 The Seventh Heuristic: Immersion ................................................................................ 120 The Eighth Heuristic: Immediate Feedback ................................................................... 122 The Ninth Heuristic: Contemporary Coding ................................................................... 123 The Tenth Heuristic: Familiarity ................................................................................... 124 Familiarity & Nostalgia ........................................................................................ 125 Familiarity & Pseudo-Individualisation ............................................................... 131 Chapter 5: Analysis and Case Studies ................................................................... 134 Period One: 1987-‐1990 ................................................................................................ 134 Zeitgeists R-Type ................................................................................................. 139 Giger and Popular Culture .................................................................................... 144 Platformers ........................................................................................................... 146 Birth Trauma ........................................................................................................ 148 The Music of R-Type ........................................................................................... 154 Zeitgeists: Darius & Darius II .............................................................................. 160 Zeitgeists: Contra .................................................................................................. 165 Evaluating Period One ................................................................................................. 171 Period One: Empowerment .................................................................................. 171 Period One: Flow .................................................................................................. 175 Period One: Instant feedback ................................................................................ 175 Period One: Bring the Player to Action ................................................................ 177 Period One: Education .......................................................................................... 179 Period One: Challenge and Reward...................................................................... 180 Period One: Immersion ......................................................................................... 180 Period One: Contemporary Coding ...................................................................... 182 Period One: Familiarity ........................................................................................ 183 Period One in Summary ............................................................................................... 184 Period Two: 1990 -‐ 1995 .............................................................................................. 186 Street Fighter 2 ..................................................................................................... 186 Z-Axis Movement ................................................................................................ 188 The 3D revolution and the 2D demise; Video Killed the Radio Star ................... 190 Polygons and Sprites ............................................................................................ 190 I am Me, This is Me: FPS vs. Shmups ................................................................. 192 Rotational Mechanisms / Perspective Mechanisms in Shmups............................ 196 Forgotten Worlds .................................................................................................. 199 III Luke McMillan 2010 Pseudo 3D Shmups ............................................................................................... 202 Angles of Perspective and Reality ........................................................................ 204 Zeitgeists: Silpheed (Mega CD) ........................................................................... 207 (cid:55)(cid:75)(cid:72)(cid:3)(cid:179)(cid:48)(cid:72)(cid:180)(cid:3)(cid:42)(cid:72)(cid:81)(cid:72)(cid:85)(cid:68)(cid:87)(cid:76)(cid:82)(cid:81) ........................................................................................... 208 Personification of Shmups .................................................................................... 211 Are the invaders actually us? Are we trying to kill ourselves? ............................ 216 Size Matters .......................................................................................................... 218 Zeitgeists: The Raiden Series ............................................................................... 222 Raiden & Epic Form ............................................................................................. 230 (cid:179)(cid:58)(cid:72)(cid:68)(cid:83)(cid:82)(cid:81)(cid:86)(cid:3)(cid:82)(cid:73)(cid:3)(cid:43)(cid:82)(cid:83)(cid:72)(cid:180)(cid:3)(cid:53)(cid:72)(cid:89)(cid:76)(cid:86)(cid:76)(cid:87)(cid:72)(cid:71) .............................................................................. 230 Accompaniment .................................................................................................... 234 Evaluating Period Two ................................................................................................. 235 Period Two: Empowerment .................................................................................. 236 Period Two: Flow ................................................................................................. 238 Period Two: Bring the Player to Action ............................................................... 239 Period Two: Education ......................................................................................... 240 Period Two: Challenge & Reward ....................................................................... 242 Period Two: Immersion ........................................................................................ 244 Period Two: Immediate Feedback ........................................................................ 245 Period Two: Contemporary Coding ..................................................................... 247 Period Two: Familiarity ....................................................................................... 250 Period Two in Summary ............................................................................................... 252 Period Three (1995-‐1999) ..................................................................................... 253 Zeitgeists: Zero Gunner ........................................................................................ 258 The Raiden Face Off............................................................................................. 262 The Downfall of the Arcade ................................................................................. 269 Zeitgeists: DoDonPachi (Atlus/Cave, 1997) ........................................................ 273 DoDonPachi, Visual Semiotics & Kinetic Semiotics ........................................... 275 Zeitgeists: Radiant Silvergun ............................................................................... 280 Narrative Meets Shmups ...................................................................................... 282 Radiant Silvergun Mechanics ............................................................................... 287 Radiant Silvergun: Semiotic Analysis ............................................................................ 290 Radiant Silvergun Mechanics: Fighting Games ................................................... 302 Radiant Silvergun Mechanics: The Puzzle-em-up ............................................... 305 Radiant Silvergun Flow Analysis ......................................................................... 307 Evaluating Period Three ............................................................................................... 310 Period Three: Empowerment ................................................................................ 312 Period Three: Flow ............................................................................................... 313 IV All of Your Base Are Belong to Us? Shmups as a Source for Better Game Design Period Three: Instant feedback ............................................................................. 315 Period Three: Bring the Player to Action ............................................................. 315 Period Three: Education ....................................................................................... 317 Period Three: Challenge and Reward ................................................................... 317 Period Three: Immersion ...................................................................................... 318 Period Three: Contemporary Coding ................................................................... 320 Period Three: Familiarity...................................................................................... 320 Period Three: In Summary ................................................................................... 321 Period Four: 2000-‐2005 ......................................................................................... 322 Period Four: Colour Saturation and Reality ......................................................... 323 Zeitgeists: Ikaruga (Treasure, 2001) ..................................................................... 334 Ikaruga and its peers ............................................................................................. 335 The Music of Ikaruga ........................................................................................... 343 Ikaruga: Game Mechanics .................................................................................... 345 Ikaruga, Colour, Saturation & Hyper-reality ........................................................ 346 Zeitgeists: Border Down ....................................................................................... 349 (cid:179)(cid:36)(cid:36)(cid:36)(cid:3)(cid:41)(cid:72)(cid:89)(cid:72)(cid:85)(cid:180) ........................................................................................................ 359 Zeitgeists: Espgaluda ............................................................................................ 364 Evaluating Period 4 ...................................................................................................... 370 Period Four: Empowerment.................................................................................. 371 Period Four: Flow ................................................................................................. 372 Period Four: Instant feedback ............................................................................... 375 Period Four: Bring the Player to Action ............................................................... 376 Period Four: Education ......................................................................................... 377 Period Four: Challenge and Reward ..................................................................... 378 Period Four: Immersion ........................................................................................ 380 Period Four: Contemporary Coding ..................................................................... 380 Period Four: Familiarity ....................................................................................... 381 Period Four in Summary ...................................................................................... 383 Chapter 6: The Tenth Heuristic, Familiarity & the Findings of the 2004 and 2008 Surveys into Nostalgia and Age ............................................................................ 386 The 2004 Data ...................................................................................................... 388 The 2008 Data ...................................................................................................... 390 Implications of the Data ............................................................................................... 395 Limitations of the data ................................................................................................. 397 Chapter 7: Conclusion ........................................................................................... 398 The First Heuristic: Empowerment ............................................................................... 399 Empowerment over time ...................................................................................... 402 V Luke McMillan 2010 The Second Heuristic: Flow .......................................................................................... 403 Flow over time ...................................................................................................... 405 The Third Heuristic: Bring the Player to Action .............................................................. 406 Bringing the Player to Action over time ............................................................... 410 The Third Heuristic: Flow ............................................................................................. 411 Flow over time ...................................................................................................... 413 The Fourth Heuristic: Education ................................................................................... 414 Education over time .............................................................................................. 416 The Fifth and Sixth Heuristic: Challenge & Reward ........................................................ 416 Challenge and Reward over time.......................................................................... 418 The Seventh Heuristic: Immersion ................................................................................ 419 Immersion over time ............................................................................................. 422 The Eighth Heuristic: Immediate Feedback ................................................................... 423 The Ninth Heuristic: Contemporary Coding ................................................................... 423 Contemporary Coding over time .......................................................................... 426 Hypothesis Evaluation & Concluding Thoughts ...................................................... 426 Bibliography ......................................................................................................... 437 Bibliography (Software)* ............................................................................................. 454 Appendix .............................................................................................................. 490 Nostalgia and Age 2004 Findings and Experiment Overview .......................................... 490 Nostalgia and Age Revisited (Findings From Aussie Arcade, 2008) ................................. 491 Nostalgia and Age Revisited (Findings From Digitpress, 2008) ....................................... 492 Nostalgia and Age Revisited (Killercabs Findings, 2008) ................................................ 493 Nostalgia and Age Revisited (Total Findings)................................................................. 494 Nostalgia and Age Revisited (Total Findings / Average Data) ......................................... 495 List of Consulted Shmups According to Release Year ..................................................... 496 MAME Statistics .......................................................................................................... 509 VI All of Your Base Are Belong to Us? Shmups as a Source for Better Game Design List of Figures Figure 1 ............................................................................................................................ 6 Figure 2 .......................................................................................................................... 10 Figure 3 .......................................................................................................................... 12 Figure 4 .......................................................................................................................... 12 Figure 5 .......................................................................................................................... 13 Figure 6 .......................................................................................................................... 13 Figure 7 .......................................................................................................................... 14 Figure 8 .......................................................................................................................... 18 Figure 9 .......................................................................................................................... 18 Figure 10 ........................................................................................................................ 19 Figure 11 ........................................................................................................................ 22 Figure 12 ........................................................................................................................ 23 Figure 13 ........................................................................................................................ 24 Figure 14 ........................................................................................................................ 25 Figure 15 ........................................................................................................................ 25 Figure 16 ........................................................................................................................ 29 Figure 17 ........................................................................................................................ 29 Figure 18 ........................................................................................................................ 30 Figure 19 ........................................................................................................................ 31 Figure 20 ........................................................................................................................ 32 Figure 21 ........................................................................................................................ 33 Figure 22 ........................................................................................................................ 33 Figure 23 ........................................................................................................................ 33 Figure 24 ........................................................................................................................ 34 Figure 25 ........................................................................................................................ 35 Figure 26 ........................................................................................................................ 37 Figure 27 ........................................................................................................................ 38 Figure 28 ........................................................................................................................ 39 Figure 29 ........................................................................................................................ 40 Figure 30 ........................................................................................................................ 42 Figure 31 ........................................................................................................................ 43 Figure 32 ........................................................................................................................ 49 Figure 33 ........................................................................................................................ 50 Figure 34 ........................................................................................................................ 50 Figure 35 ........................................................................................................................ 56 Figure 36 ........................................................................................................................ 57 Figure 37 ........................................................................................................................ 60 Figure 38 ........................................................................................................................ 62 Figure 39 ........................................................................................................................ 65 Figure 40 ........................................................................................................................ 65 Figure 41 ........................................................................................................................ 69 Figure 42 ........................................................................................................................ 71 Figure 43 ........................................................................................................................ 71 Figure 44 ........................................................................................................................ 72 Figure 45 ........................................................................................................................ 74 Figure 46 ........................................................................................................................ 75 Figure 47 ........................................................................................................................ 77 Figure 48 ........................................................................................................................ 79 VII Luke McMillan 2010 Figure 49 ........................................................................................................................ 79 Figure 50 ........................................................................................................................ 83 Figure 51 ........................................................................................................................ 86 Figure 52 ........................................................................................................................ 87 Figure 53 ........................................................................................................................ 88 Figure 54 ........................................................................................................................ 90 Figure 55 ........................................................................................................................ 91 Figure 56 ........................................................................................................................ 92 Figure 57 ........................................................................................................................ 93 Figure 58 ........................................................................................................................ 96 Figure 59 ........................................................................................................................ 97 Figure 60 ........................................................................................................................ 97 Figure 61 ........................................................................................................................ 98 Figure 62 ........................................................................................................................ 99 Figure 63 ...................................................................................................................... 100 Figure 64 ...................................................................................................................... 100 Figure 65 ...................................................................................................................... 101 Figure 66 ...................................................................................................................... 101 Figure 67 ...................................................................................................................... 102 Figure 68 ...................................................................................................................... 103 Figure 69 ...................................................................................................................... 104 Figure 70 ...................................................................................................................... 104 Figure 71 ...................................................................................................................... 105 Figure 72 ...................................................................................................................... 106 Figure 73 ...................................................................................................................... 107 Figure 74 ...................................................................................................................... 107 Figure 75 ...................................................................................................................... 110 Figure 76 ...................................................................................................................... 118 Figure 77 ...................................................................................................................... 120 Figure 78 ...................................................................................................................... 121 Figure 79 ...................................................................................................................... 127 Figure 80 ...................................................................................................................... 128 Figure 81 ...................................................................................................................... 129 Figure 82 ...................................................................................................................... 130 Figure 83 ...................................................................................................................... 131 Figure 84 ...................................................................................................................... 136 Figure 85 ...................................................................................................................... 138 Figure 86 ...................................................................................................................... 138 Figure 87 ...................................................................................................................... 139 Figure 88 ...................................................................................................................... 139 Figure 90 ...................................................................................................................... 141 Figure 92 ...................................................................................................................... 142 Figure 93 ...................................................................................................................... 143 Figure 94 ...................................................................................................................... 144 Figure 96 ...................................................................................................................... 144 Figure 97 ...................................................................................................................... 145 Figure 98 ...................................................................................................................... 145 Figure 99 ...................................................................................................................... 146 Figure 100 .................................................................................................................... 146 Figure 101 ..................................................................................................................... 148 VIII
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