“A designer with tremendous traditional art or architectural experience will not succeed if he cannot grasp issues such as framerate, gameflow and pacing. A designer who understands these elements yet has no architectural or art experience is doomed to fail as well. …The best level designers are never afraid to step back and re-evaluate their content. Often this requires a period of respite from the work in question; distance can clear up a clouded mind. A great designer isn’t afraid to throw content out or re-work a concept that needs attention.”

“Characters that display emotion are critical to a rich and believable simulated environment, especially when those characters interact with real people possessing real emotions. Emotion is the essential element that creates the difference between robotic behavior and lifelike, engaging behavior.”

“Howard Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences, hypothesizes that human beings are capable of seven independent means of information processing. How many do you think are considered when a team brainstorms a new product proclaiming itself to be ‘interactive?’” Also: Part 2 Part 3.

“In an earlier work (Buxton, 1986), I speculated on what conclusions a future anthropologist would draw about our physical make-up, based on the tools (namely computers) used by our society. The objective was to point out that these tools reflect a very distorted view of our physiology and the motor/sensory skills… The thesis of this chapter is that we should consider technology in terms of the fidelity with which it reflects human capabilities on three levels: *physical: how we are built and what motor/sensory skills we possess; *cognitive: how we think, learn, solve problems and what cognitive skills we possess; *social: how we relate to our social milieu, including group structure and dynamics, power, politics, and what social skills we possess. Our metaphor is one of three separate mirrors, each reflecting one of these levels. In order to be judged acceptable, designs must provide an acceptable degree of fidelity in how they reflect each of these three aspects of human makeup and activity.”

“In an earlier work (Buxton, 1986), I speculated on what conclusions a future anthropologist would draw about our physical make-up, based on the tools (namely computers) used by our society. The objective was to point out that these tools reflect a very distorted view of our physiology and the motor/sensory skills… The thesis of this chapter is that we should consider technology in terms of the fidelity with which it reflects human capabilities on three levels: *physical: how we are built and what motor/sensory skills we possess; *cognitive: how we think, learn, solve problems and what cognitive skills we possess; *social: how we relate to our social milieu, including group structure and dynamics, power, politics, and what social skills we possess. Our metaphor is one of three separate mirrors, each reflecting one of these levels. In order to be judged acceptable, designs must provide an acceptable degree of fidelity in how they reflect each of these three aspects of human makeup and activity.”