Game Conceptualization - Non-Linear Creativity
In Game Design Workshop by Tracy Fullerton (2019), she discusses game conceptualization and the work of Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi and his 5 stages of creativity: Preparation, Incubation, Insight, Evaluation and Elaboration. Csikszentmihalyi explains "the creative process is less linear than recursive." So game designers should not expect creativity to proceed progressively from one stage to another. In truth, game design reminds me of a pinball game with the game play an example of non-linear creativity.
The plunger that launches the pinball onto the play field is the first kernel of an idea for a new game concept. It can be an idea from a well-crafted brainstorm session like those held by Disney Imagineers who were known for clearly articulating what the creative dilemma is, and then encourage challenging questions and suggestions from their team. Or, the idea could be a spark from a dream, an observation or even overload of one or more of your senses that catapults a genesis to the forefront of your thought.
The pinball table flippers act as opportunities for concept pollination. In the real world, this kinetic creativity can evolve from white-boarding, mind-mapping, role playing, idea cards, stream of consciousness and more.
The round bumpers the ball bumps into, and gets re-directed from, represents the invaluable feedback, sometimes appreciated, and other times unexpected, but always moving the idea, like the pinball, around the field of possibilities and seeing how it interacts and reacts with input from other members of the game design team. Such feedback can also come from external sources such as focus groups.
The tilt sensors are like work that occurs in the evaluation and elaboration phases where designers see how far they can stretch, bend or expand the dramatic, game play or usability systems of the game. It is the essence of non-linear creativity to be able to willing to encourage team members to think out of the box and test all functionality of a game concept.
In the end, after embracing the non-liner creativity process and launching a concept idea, mapping its creative flow elements, seeking and reacting to all feedback, and expanding the game's systems and limits, the design team can create a game that scores on both the reader board and on the screens of its game players.
The plunger that launches the pinball onto the play field is the first kernel of an idea for a new game concept. It can be an idea from a well-crafted brainstorm session like those held by Disney Imagineers who were known for clearly articulating what the creative dilemma is, and then encourage challenging questions and suggestions from their team. Or, the idea could be a spark from a dream, an observation or even overload of one or more of your senses that catapults a genesis to the forefront of your thought.
The pinball table flippers act as opportunities for concept pollination. In the real world, this kinetic creativity can evolve from white-boarding, mind-mapping, role playing, idea cards, stream of consciousness and more.
The round bumpers the ball bumps into, and gets re-directed from, represents the invaluable feedback, sometimes appreciated, and other times unexpected, but always moving the idea, like the pinball, around the field of possibilities and seeing how it interacts and reacts with input from other members of the game design team. Such feedback can also come from external sources such as focus groups.
The tilt sensors are like work that occurs in the evaluation and elaboration phases where designers see how far they can stretch, bend or expand the dramatic, game play or usability systems of the game. It is the essence of non-linear creativity to be able to willing to encourage team members to think out of the box and test all functionality of a game concept.
In the end, after embracing the non-liner creativity process and launching a concept idea, mapping its creative flow elements, seeking and reacting to all feedback, and expanding the game's systems and limits, the design team can create a game that scores on both the reader board and on the screens of its game players.
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