Marc LeBlanc

Marc LeBlanc is an American game developer and ludologist .

life and career

LeBlanc studied computer science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and graduated with a Master of Science degree .

Through his work with the development studio Looking Glass Studios, he participated in the development of several well-known computer games. These include Ultima Underworld 2 , System Shock , Flight Unlimited , Terra Nova and Thief .

After Looking Glass, LeBlanc worked for Sega and developed the artificial intelligence for the sports game series Visual Concepts . In 2003 he worked for Mind Control Software , where he worked with Andrew Leker on the computer strategy game Oasis , which won the Independent Games Festival Award . In addition, LeBlanc has on a number of indie - Game Jams participated.

He led a series of workshops at the Game Developers Conference examining his theories on game design , game mechanics , dynamics and aesthetics . He also incorporated ideas from Doug Church . In 2004 he published the design approach “Mechanics, Dynamics, Aesthetics” (MDA) in a scientific paper. In 2019 he also published the board game Heroes Welcome .

Eight factors of fun

LeBlanc defines 8 types of fun in his work . These are:

• Sensation / Pleasure : These games are intended to arouse emotions in the player, appeal to the senses or encourage physical reactions. This happens, for example, through the aesthetics and music of the game, the controls or the character design. Examples: Dead Space , Dance Dance Revolution , Candy Crush Saga .
• Fantasy : These games are about immersing the player in a fantasy world. Sometimes it can be a form of escapism . Examples: Final Fantasy , Nier: Automata , The Legend of Zelda .
• Synopsis : The game serves as a dramaturgical means to tell a story to the player in an interactive and immersive way. Examples: The Walking Dead (computer game) , Persona 3 , Dear Esther .
• Challenge : These games have a highly challenging character in the form of a high level of difficulty or strong competition. Examples: Dark Souls , Tetris , X-COM .
• Community / Comradeship : These games are intended to encourage social interaction between fellow players in order to create a sense of community. Examples: Mario Kart , Destiny , World of Warcraft
• Discovery : In these games, the fun for players is created by exploring and exploring the game world . Examples: Uncharted , Tomb Raider , Assassin's Creed .
• Expression : These games allow the player to creatively express themselves through gameplay and to create things, e.g. B. as user-generated content in a sandbox game or through the design of the avatar . Examples: Minecraft , Garry's Mod , Roblox .
• Surrender / Submission : These games are meant to pass the time and allow the player to indulge in a virtual role in a virtual world with its rules of the game. Often times, the player has to do routine tasks in the games. Examples: FarmVille , Farming Simulator , Animal Crossing .

A game does not have to meet all the factors, but it can contain several. The individual fun factors depend on the preferences of the players and are individually rated and rated by them.

Web links

• official website
• Marc LeBlanc on MobyGames
• Marc LeBlanc on BoardGameGeek

literature

• Jesse Schell: The Art of Game Design: Conceiving and developing better games . 2020, ISBN 9783958452824 , pp. 179-181.
• Katie Salen, Katie Salen Tekinbaş, Eric Zimmerman: Rules of Play: Game Design Fundamentals . , MIT Press, 2004, ISBN 9780262240451 , p. 334 ff.
• Torsten Reiners: Gamification in Education and Business . Springer-Verlag, 2014, ISBN 9783319102085 p. 73.

See also

• Bartle test

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Marc LeBlanc Video Game Credits and Biography. Retrieved February 19, 2020 . 
2. ↑ ^{a b} Game Design: 8 kinds of fun. Retrieved February 19, 2020 . 
3. ↑ What is fun? - Approach: Marc LeBlanc's eight kinds of fun - user articles | GamersGlobal.de. Retrieved February 19, 2020 . 
4. ↑ Marc LeBlanc | Board Game Designer | BoardGameGeek. Retrieved February 19, 2020 (American English). 
5. ↑ Level 8: Kinds of Fun, Kinds of Players. In: Game Design Concepts. July 23, 2009, accessed February 19, 2020 . 
6. ↑ Game Design: 8 kinds of fun ★★★★★. Retrieved February 19, 2020 (American English).