Feature: 'GDC: Serious Games Summit Keynote: A New Kind Of Game'

In this update to Gamasutra's Game Developers Conference 2006 coverage, we present a full, extended write-up of game theorist Jesper Juul's Serious Games Summit keynote, "A New Kind Of Game," with a good deal of exclusive information. In the following extract, Juul is seen looking at the origins of video game gameplay using Konami's 1981 arcade title Scramble as an example: "Moving on, Juul booted up an emulated version of 1981 Konami arcade title Scramble and showing that alternative tactics don't work - for example pacifist Scramble doesn't work because you will run out of fuel, due to the game mechanics. The player is punished for not using the correct tactics, allowing play in a very narrow way, and meaning that there's a very narrow audience, potentially. However, he suggested, the economics of the arcade game necessitated such difficulty. He then argued that video games "have not entirely escaped the idea of the arcade game", that you have to punish the player harshly." You can read the full Gamasutra coverage, including a look at how gameplay is different and the same today (no registration required, please feel free to link to this feature from external websites).