Through my initial play with Portal, one thing that stuck out to me is how the platform the game is played on can affect gameplay. I played Portal on my laptop using a track pad and the ASWD keys. I’ve rarely played games on the laptop and I struggled using these conventions because they differ from joystick or game-console conventions on a controller. Quick movements and precision aiming are more difficult with a trackpad. It’s interesting to think about how these gameplay affordances of each platform may effect a player’s experience. Although the plot, game-levels and story typically do not change by platform, the difficulty may change based on how well one can use the controls afforded by the platform. While using a trackpad, aiming the portal gun while the player is in motion which requires precision within a short period of time. Multiple attempts of the same action may discourage the player, or interrupt the natural progression of the game. While multiple attempts should be a part of gameplay and challenges can be what make a game fun, sometimes discontinuity in play may interrupt and take away from a gamer’s experience.
Another topic related to the affordances of the platform has to do with the layout of keys and buttons on a computer versus a hand-held, game console controller. The convention for shooting a gun on a hand-held controller is typically the right trigger button which can be easily pressed with the right index finger. Pressing this button is similar to pulling a real trigger (minus the end result) and makes sense from a conventional standpoint. When moving to computer keys, this convention is not physically possible. Pressing the space bar is equivalent to pulling the trigger in Portal. Imagine if hand-held controllers had the same convention where clicking a button with your thumb was equivalent to ‘pulling the trigger.’ The layout of the keys and buttons alters the game play experience. Now, it’s interesting to think how engrained the trigger button is on hand-held controllers and how the design of the controller probably adapted to the popularity of first person shooters over-time. At some point, game console developers realized the importance of the conventions and adapted the controls to compliment the game-play actions. As we continue through the course, it will be interesting to consider how other conventions on different platforms may work to afford different gameplay experiences.
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