Title: Different by Design: The Theory and practice of Crafting Alternative Video Game Controllers & Storytelling
Speaker: Eddie Melcer
Date: Feb 1, 3:30-4:30pm
Location: EAE Games Studio (Building 72, Level 2)
Open to the public

Description:
In a general sense, alternative controllers circumvent the use of standard input control schemes (e.g., gamepad or keyboard and mouse) and interactions (e.g., pressing buttons to jump or attack) to craft more diverse game experiences. As game designers, the flexibility these novel interfaces provide enables us to expand or contract the magic circle, and to think about different aspects of gameplay such as the incorporation of spectators into play or theming through costumes, actors, and/or props. This talk introduces the notion of alternative controllers, what unique benefits they provide for games, and how we can effectively incorporate them into the design of our own games to enhance player experience.

Bio:
Eddie Melcer is an independent game developer and PhD candidate in Computer Science at the New York University Tandon School of Engineering. Previously, he was also a visiting researcher and lecturer at the University of California, Santa Cruz Department of Computational Media. His teaching and research interests are at the intersection of games, human-computer interaction, and learning science—focusing on the usage of novel interfaces to enhance learning outcomes in educational games. Eddie’s work has received a Best Paper award at FDG 2015, and Honorable Mention awards at CHI 2016 and CHI 2018. His alternative controller games have also been featured in a number of prestigious venues such as IndieCade, IndieCade East, Come Out & Play, and the Serious Games Showcase & Challenge.