“cyberlabe: The MDA framework and the 20 Cs of meaningful enterprise gamification Game mechanics” by eric.delcroix is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
Cue |
Notes |
Why is game analysis so important? |
MDA is a framework used for game analysis. |
To what extent can the mechanics make or break a game? |
Mechanics are the basic components and rules of the game. |
What impact do engaging dynamics have on a game’s success? |
Dynamics are the actions happening on-screen from the mechanics. |
To what extent do a game’s aesthetics impact how a player enjoys a game and how much they enjoy that game? |
Aesthetics are what the player feels when playing the game or is supposed to feel. |
With so many aesthetics, why are most drawn to only a select few? |
There are many aesthetics used in games, but eight are most commonly used. |
Does sense pleasure play a role in how one looks upon a game in the future? |
Aesthetic #1: Visuals/Audio that is pleasing to the senses. |
What role does a fictional world play in keeping a player playing a game? |
Aesthetic #2: An imaginary world. |
To what extent can an engaging story affect replayability and how is its impact on replayability? |
Aesthetic #3: An engaging story. |
Can a challenge change the player’s perception of a game? |
Aesthetic #4: Urge to master something. |
Why are multiplayer games more popular than single-player games nowadays? |
Aesthetic #5: Community. |
Which element of a game is more important to replayability, exploration, or challenge? |
Aesthetic #6: A world to explore. |
How does expressing oneself through creating your own character, weapon camo, etc, affect a player’s perception of a game and how they remember a game after they are done playing it? |
Aesthetic #7: Expression of oneself. |
In what ways can the player establish a connection to the game? |
Aesthetic #8: Connection to the game as a whole. |
Given this relationship between the three aspects of the MDA framework, which is the most important to determine first? |
The mechanics generate dynamics that generate aesthetics. |
How could the MDA framework be improved? |
The MDA framework has been criticized for being too arbitrary with how it explores emotional responses within games to be suitable for all games. |
Summary
The MDA framework is a framework for game analysis. The framework breaks down the game into three components: Mechanics, Dynamics, and Aesthetics. All three of these components work together to shape the game into what it is, and how the player perceives the game. Although the framework isn’t perfect and can’t support every game and every experience a player could possibly have, it provides a great start for analyzing those the player is most likely to come across, and thus most crucial to understand.