The Game Design Challenge: The Needle and Thread Interface

Speakers: Alexey Pajitnov, David Jaffe, Eric Zimmerman, Harvey Smith

Track: Game Design

Format: Panel

Experience Level: All

Description: The Game Design Challenge is back for another year, with three talented designers tackling a very unusual design problem. Past challenges were based on love stories, Emily Dickenson’s poetry, and the Nobel Peace Prize. This year, returning champ Harvey Smith faces off against two new competitors. Their assignment? Design a game with a highly unorthodox input device: a square of fabric, a needle, and some thread. The latest generation of console and handheld platforms feature new forms of controller input. What kind of gameplay and content do these new devices make possible? How do game designers integrate new forms of interaction into their thinking process? Is it possible to design a game that is played with nothing more than a needle and thread? At the session, each panelist will present a unique solution to this game design enigma. In addition to presenting their ideas, the panelists will comment on each others’ work, and the audience plays an important role as well — by voting in the winner of the Game Design Challenge 2006. Expect an unpredictable session of strange and unusual game design ideas along with free-wheeling dialogue and debate.

Idea Takeaway: More than just a design exercise, the Game Design Challenge asks expert game designers to think on their feet as they address important game design dilemmas, offering a sneak peek into their game design process. Their answers to the challenge just might contain the seeds of gaming’s future.

Intended Audience: This session is intended for game designers, project leaders, and others involved in the conceptual aspects of game design and game development. Anyone interested in new ideas and out-of-the-ordinary game designs is encouraged to attend. Bring an open mind and an interest in hearing unusual approaches to game design from some of the most established designers in the industry.