Category Archives: Console Game Design

Mastery and the Essence of Fighting Design: Marvel vs. Capcom

by Brice Morrison

To celebrate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 being released, I thought it would be a great time to look back at game designs behind the cult classic fighting title: Marvel Versus Capcom 2. Fighting games have a simple premise: attack the … Continue reading →

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Terrifying Immersion: Dead Space’s Masterful UI

by Brice Morrison

User Interface is an important part of game design that is often overlooked as a place for innovation.  It’s very easy to just follow the usual conventions – points go on the top, currently equipped weapon and life stats go … Continue reading →

Posted in Console Game Design, Shooter Game Design, User Interface Design | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Gears of War’s Active Reload: Ideas for Other Genres

by Brice Morrison

[Editor: In this post by Lauren Poling, he analyzes the Active Reload feature popularized by Gears of War, an innovative new minigame design that has added a great new twist to the first person shooter genre.] Imagine: you’re playing a … Continue reading →

Posted in Action Game Design, Console Game Design, Shooter Game Design | 2 Comments

Keeping Players Awake With Humor and Narrative

by Brice Morrison

“Wait a minute…go back.”  I was doing my best to explain Portal to one of my old college friends. “Ok, so what I did was create a portal on the floor, and then another one up on the wall.  When … Continue reading →

Posted in Action Game Design, Console Game Design, Puzzle Game Design | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

A Necessary Evil: Grinding in Games

by Brice Morrison

“I hate World of Warcraft.” “What?  Have you ever even played it?” “Yes.” “How far did you get?” “I got to about level 60.” “And you didn’t like it?” “No.  I hated it.” I was amazed to find that a … Continue reading →

Posted in Console Game Design, Game Design Canvas, Long Term Incentive | Tagged , , | 5 Comments