Kickback: turning game history students into pinball designers
Pages 272 - 273
Abstract
The pinball machine is an endangered species. Often cited as a historical touchstone for video game levels, their pedagogical value is clear. Yet it is becoming difficult to find operational machines for students to play and analyze. However, by using Internet-based pinball design and history resources, and a shareware package called Future Pinball, the authors have been able to surpass the original pedagogic goals of a pinball analysis assignment. A new approach has been developed to convert a merely observational process into a constrained early design project; blending thematic and functional analysis, design and the benefits and challenges of constraints into a successful active learning experience. This paper will discuss the design and benefits of the experience and highlight examples of exemplary student work at both the graduate and undergraduate level.
References
[1]
Turkle, S. 2003. Video Games and Computer Holding Power. In The New Media Reader, MIT Press, N. Wardrip-Fruin and N. Montfort, Eds., Cambridge, MA, 499--513.
[2]
Leathey, C. 2008. Future Pinball Home Page. Retrieved May 3, 2008 from http://www.futurepinball.com.
[3]
Craig, S. J. 2008. Pinball Arcade Preservation Society Home Page. Retrieved June 4, 2008 from http://www.visi.com/~scraig/PAPS/PAPS.html.
[4]
Chuck's Arcade Home Page, 2008. Retrieved June 3, 2008 from http://www.checksarcade.com.
[5]
IPMD 2008. Internet Pinball Machine Database Home Page. Retrieved June 4, 2008 from http://www.ipdb.org.
[6]
IPMD 2008. Skills for the Pinball Player. Retrieved June 4, 2008 from http://www.ipdb.org/playing/skills.html.
[7]
Popadiuk, J. A. 1997 {paradigm} -- A Look into the Pinball Design World, Core IDN Pinball! Retrieved June 4, 2008 from http://www.core77.com/reactor/pinball.
[8]
Lawlor, P. 2002. The Making of MONOPOLY: How PLD did it, from Start to Finish. Retrieved May 24, 2008 (cached) from http://www.patlawlordesign.com/making.
[9]
Pinball News 2007. Spiderman Pinball Review. Retrieved June 4, 2008 from http://www.pinballnews.com/games/spider
Index Terms
- Kickback: turning game history students into pinball designers
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November 2008
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Published: 03 November 2008
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