The JumpStart Blog

– From the Desk of Glenn Seidel, Game Designer–

Hi, I’m Glenn Seidel. I am a game designer here at Knowledge Adventure. Over the next few months, I’ll be talking about many different subjects in this blog. But I think the best thing to start with is one that seems simple…“What is Fun?”

This is something I’ve been trying to get my head around over the last couple of years. Fun is obviously subjective; one player’s challenge maybe another’s frustration. It can be tough to design for kid’s games as there are many restrictions a designer has to consider: the age ranges, boys vs. girls, and using only a keyboard and a mouse for controls. All of these might seem limiting but I find that as a designer I must continue to be creative inside these limits. I always apply that one simple question “Is it fun?” to make sure I am on the right track.

We have been doing a lot more testing with players recently and much of the data indicates that kids enjoy things that they can’t do themselves but aspire too. For example, swimming and scuba diving always seem to be a hit – even for kids who don’t do these activities in real life. That’s precisely why we have decided to make the next world for AdventureLand underwater! Along the same lines, our new jet pack game has tested very well and continues to draw a lot of traffic…but then who wouldn’t want their own jet pack?!

Back to the original question - what is fun? Fun is empowering and entertaining to the player. Fun engages the player and allows them to do things they can’t do in their normal lives. It doesn’t matter if you are young or old, a game that makes you feel better about yourself and makes you laugh is simply a good game!

Glenn

@JumpStart_Glenn