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Spatializing play structures and interaction flow using GSML (Game System Modelling Language)

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The Computer Games Journal

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to investigate game design practice, in order to define a language and methodology that can be used to improve game systems design. Through our user research, we determined that game designers gain clarity about their game systems from externalizing and reflecting upon their games’ mechanical structures and flow. We call our resulting language and approach the Game System Modelling Language (GSML). Our research has shown that GSML provides a practical, novel perspective that assists game designers in analyzing and refining their game systems independently of prototyping and player feedback.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Cinematic Arts, University of Southern California, 900 West 34th Street, Los Angeles, z]CA, USA

    Richard Emms, Dennis Wixon, Simon Wiscombe & Yasser Malaika

Authors
  1. Richard Emms
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  2. Dennis Wixon
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  3. Simon Wiscombe
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  4. Yasser Malaika
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Richard Emms.

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Cite this article

Emms, R., Wixon, D., Wiscombe, S. et al. Spatializing play structures and interaction flow using GSML (Game System Modelling Language). Comput Game J 3, 40–53 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03395951

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03395951

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