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TV GAME DESIGN: PARAMETERS, PITFALLS, POTENTIALS
Stephen Beck
Video Design Consultant
1406 Euclid
Berkeley, CA 94708
Introduction. The advent of television was seen as "radio with pictures" in the '20's. Later, the implementation of television broadcasting restrained the individual to being a passive viewer of programs. One could watch a game but not play it. During the late '60's, diverse groups of television engineers and artists were quietly expanding television into an active participation tool based on the concept of video synthesis.
We are not in the midst of a "video revolution" which ushers in the era when a person can control the television picture rather than just watch it–surely the most profound change in the nature of television since the inception of broadcasting itself.
While acknowledging the significance of the home video game and the marketability of diverse products for it, the main purpose of this presentation is threefold: 1) Review the basic elements of TV display parameters and develop an informational approach to them; 2) Describe a few of the subtler areas encountered in video design such as spurious edge effects, chrominance-luminance resolution limits, and horizontal control jitter; 3) Present aspects of new game design and the role of the game design consultant. Also, to present videotape samples of an electronic artform which may emerge as TV games evolve into more creative devices.
The ultimate saleability of the TV game is a balance of many factors. Features such as many colors, elaborate sounds, and multi-controllers weigh against manufacturing complexity, texting, and new game turn-around time. One might expect the immediate polarization of the market into low cost limited action types and top end programmable game systems, the latter opening up non-game areas of practical and creative significance.
In any event, the public is difficult to second guess, and the "hit games" of tomorrow will surprise everyone here today.
Video Display Parameters: Designers and programmers of TV games must convert pictorial concepts into moving patterns of colored dots on a TV screen. This process is much akin to motion picture animation and requires a good feel for how a TV picture is actually generated.
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