As we saw in the end of the first module, there are many approaches to the games design. One of them considers that the designer needs to think previously what kind of experience he wants to give the player to, based on it, think and conceptualize the design concepts. We will follow this point of view. So, the experience must be the center of the creative task. It will be the pivot around which we will make the design elements fit together. Each element we add or modify will influence the resulting experience. So, during a video game's development and creation, we mustn't forget about the experience we want to provoke. In fact, using experience as a guide really helps when designing. Designing implies taking decisions and it is often hard to choose the ideal one. In case of doubts, the most recommendable is using the experience to value each of the possible options seeing how they affect this experience and so, being able to take a more appropriate choice. In aim to use these advantages, the ideal thing is knowing exactly what experience is. OK. We can add many answers to this question and probably each one will add different elements. Basically, we will synthesize it by saying that experience is the reactions the player feels and processes. What we're interested in is on being able to study and properly analyze the player's experience. This is because, as we will see, experience has a lot of shades and it is convenient to avoid forgetting any of them. If we can properly detail the experience, it will give us more elements to found and build our game's design. So it's not a waste of time giving it more resources and time to concrete this point. On the contrary, it is a good investment. As it happened to us in the previous module, when we were talking on defining the concepts of playing or game, now while talking on experience we must call terms and concepts from other disciplines such as Psychology or Sociology. To make our analysis on the experience when playing, we will base us on these 5 dimensions that now we will see on detail separately. Physical dimension, motivational dimension, emotional dimension, cognitive dimension and social dimension. Let's begin analyzing the experience based on the physical dimension. In this dimension we will take into account the aspects related to the physical activity the player does while he plays. Here we don't include mental processes, only the motion part. We want to know the amount of physical activity we're asking the player for. In example, a game such as Just Dance, which consists on dancing, requires a lot of physical activity. As a game such as Candy Crush, which is a puzzle, simply requires moving one finger. Also, we want to measure the physical activity intensity. In example, a game such as Wii Fit, which consists on gymnastics, has activities with more or less intensity, and games such as Guitar Hero, which consists on playing instruments, has a very intense physical activity. About the physical activity's distribution we mean which parts of the body make this activity. In example, many action games use the left hand for moving; while the right one takes care of actions such as jumping, shooting, using objects, etc. Another example can be the sports games such as FIFA or NBA 2K. In these games basic actions require almost all the available buttons independently, but the multiple special actions are assigned -almost all of them- to the right joystick combined with the other buttons. Finally, we can measure if it requires coordinated physical activity. In example, many shooters require the player to move with the left joystick, aim with the right joystick, jump with X and shoot with R2. All this at once. All this coordination is also a physical training at a hands level. Now let's talk on the motivational dimension, which concerns the aspects that impulse and direct the will and wishes of a player. The objective is making him want to play. First of all, exploring is an activity which can be motivating itself. Many role and adventure games offer big open scenarios and many possible paths to help the player explore the scene. Other games try to avoid it and are more lineal, setting some guidelines. Manipulating objects and building with them is another motivating activity. Also, in the case of role games, we are given the chance of collecting objects, using them and even combining them to build new objects. Management and strategy games also tend to offer this kind of activities. Creating challenges is also a clear technique to provoke interest and baiting the player. We just need to tell him, you must get to this point or you must kill all the enemies, and the player will take it as a challenge and will get involved personally on it. Usually, challenges are associated to awards which amplify motivation. Competing and cooperating are also activities that motivate the player. It can be seen clearly in multiplayer games, such as almost all the FPS in which the simple fact of playing against other players or along with your group of friends, is an important incentive.
