The Oscilloscope: a Game UX Design approach
An oscilloscope — or, “a scope” — is an electronic test equipment used to visualize and analyze electrical signal waves through graphics on the screen. It is like spectacles that allow seeing electrical waves on a screen like an old video game.
The first oscilloscope was invented around 1930, by VAK Zworykin (Russian-American inventor, engineer, and pioneer of television technology). After World War II, an oscilloscope kit made from surplus electronics worth $50.
It was a market success! [1]
There are two types of oscilloscopes: digital and analog. With the analog oscilloscope, it is possible to visualize wave data and intervene in some parameters. With the digital oscilloscope, it is possible to obtain more diverse and accurate data, perform more sophisticated calculations, connect to other digital devices, and browse the internet.
It is like the difference between a smartphone and an analog phone.
Oscilloscope functionalities can be experienced by professionals in different areas, such as medical researchers, to measure brain waves or the waveform of the heartbeat in an electrocardiogram; automotive engineers, to combine analog data with serial data in the engine control unit; automotive ignition system analysis; and also, electrical engineers, for several purposes, such as monitoring energy consumption.
However, this curious and quite ordinary equipment is a significant piece of what is known as Game UX Design today: an oscilloscope was used to develop the first video game aimed at fun [2].
Despite its technical limitations, Tennis For Two provided an engaging and social experience for players, showcasing in the 50s the potential of interactive electronic entertainment. A pioneering concept laying the foundation for future developments in the gaming industry.
Oscilloscopes + Game UX Design
Once a year, the Brookhaven National Laboratory, in New York, holds an exhibition for high school and college students, and the general public [3].
For the 1958 exhibition, the American physicist William Higinbotham created something different. After discovering the computer could calculate missile trajectories with wind resistance, he formed the basis for what we know today as a digital game [4].
Tennis for Two was first shown on October 18th, 1958. Higinbotham aimed “to have a game that people could play, and which could convey the message that our scientific endeavors have relevance for society" [5].
As the new game was introduced, hundreds of visitors waited in line to play it! Its multiplayer feature allowed two people to play against each other. This social aspect contributed positively to the user experience, fostering interaction and competition.
The game components were used for other purposes after the 1959 exhibition.
The oscilloscope had limited graphical capabilities due to its hardware constraints, leading to simple and abstract representations. The game provided real-time feedback on the screen through the movement of the ball and paddles generating a satisfying and engaging experience
In the next pic, we can see Tennis For Two on the oscilloscope’ screen. The game was rendered as a horizontal line, representing the tennis court. The tennis net is represented by a short vertical line in the center and the ball is represented as a moving circle.
These innovative and primitive representations served the purpose of conveying the gameplay elements.
Tennis For Two was played using two custom aluminum controllers. With the controller, players can adjust their angle shots with a knob to ‘hit’ the ball over the net. The simplicity of the controls and the mimicry of real-world tennis rules made the game easy for players to pick up and play. The learning curve was likely shallow, allowing for a quick understanding of the mechanics.
Games need to be playable. They are focused on the act of playing. Efficient gameplay is more important than a good story or pretty graphics. Therefore, the concept of games is all about the playing experience. Tennis For Two’s playability reaches it easily.
A video game is a system of relationships and attributions controlled by players who can tell their own game stories by playing. So, designers can create a “new narrative ideology” [6].
Therefore, for the last 4 decades, game designers established a certain order in their universe. To be playable, a game should have goals, a system of rules, mechanics, interactivity, and dynamics.
GOALS
In Tennis for Two, there are no scoring points. However, it has a clear goal: not to let the ball “drop”.
RULES
A game has its system and rules — in this case, based on basic tennis rules. The players should try to hit the ball over the net, avoiding it hitting their side.
However, game physics changes the experience by interfering with the game, such as gravity simulation, friction, collision, acceleration and deceleration, and forces application. Tennis For Two’s second version (1959) had a larger oscilloscope screen and a more complicated design that could simulate different gravity levels.
The game physics can increase the realism or immersion in interactive games: better the physics, better the feeling for the player. Furthermore, physics can affect players’ behavior, such as putting more or less pressure on the controller to change the sensation of movement on the screen.
MECHANICS
Considering a game as a set of gears (goals, system of rules, mechanics, interactivity, and dynamics), an operating mechanism is needed to connect all the parts. In this case, the “gears” from the game mechanics. The interaction between the game set of gears is game mechanics.
Tennis for Two has simple mechanics: prevent the ball from falling by pressing a button, through decision-making by the players.
INTERACTION
The interaction emerges from the relations between rules and game mechanics.
It started when players input their decisions through controller inputs. In a game, the player is “an agent of change” [7]. In Tennis for Two, the first player aims to send the ball, a point of light, over the net to reach the other side or fly out of bounds. The system receives the commanders and they are “performed” on the oscilloscope screen (the outputs). Then, when the ball hits the ground, the second player should bounce it back with their controller [8].
So, the interaction affects the gameplay.
DYNAMICS
Gameplay patterns emerge from “moving” mechanics, through interaction between players and rules. It forms the dynamics. For this reason, games with the same mechanics can generate different dynamics and experiences.
For instance, because of Tennis For Two popularity, an upgraded version was shown in 1959, with a larger screen and simulated gravity. It was possible to simulate the gravity levels of the Moon or Jupiter [9]. It changed the in-game dynamics.
Last considerations
Although it seems quite rudimentary, analyzing Tennis For Two is a complex task — at least when analyzed from the perspective of Game UX Design. The influence of his legacy can enhance its philosophical aspect.
Homo Ludens [10] is presented that human beings are essentially ludic. It means it is a cultural behavior to be interested in games aiming for moments of pleasure, tension, and joy.
Other games have been developed for commercial technology promotion or academic research. Even so, Tennis for Two was the first computer game to be created with an entertainment proposal. The influence of its legacy can enhance its philosophical aspect.
Rather than an ordinary event or a technological demonstration, Tennis For Two contributes to the definition of Game UX Design as a concept.
Thanks to the oscilloscope!
REFERENCES
[1] Kularatna, Nihal (2003), “Fundamentals of Oscilloscopes”, Digital and Analogue Instrumentation: Testing and Measurement, Institution of Engineering and Technology.
[2] Pearce, C. (2004), ‘Towards a game theory of game’, available in https://electronicbookreview.com/essay/towards-a-game-theory-of-game/. Accessed on 15 November 2022.
[3] Donovan, Tristan (2010). Replay: The History of Video Games. Yellow Ant.
[4] Smith, Alexander (2019). They Create Worlds: The Story of the People and Companies That Shaped the Video Game Industry. Vol. 1: 1971–1982.
[5] Lambert, Bruce (2008). “Brookhaven Honors a Pioneer Video Game”. The New York Times.
[6] Schuytema, Paul (2011) Design de games: Uma abordagem prática. 1 Ed, Rio de Janeiro: 2AB.
[7–9] Smith, Alexander (2014). “The Priesthood At Play: Computer Games in the 1950s”. They Create Worlds. Archived from the original on 2015–12–22.
[10] Huizinga, Johan (2004). Homo Ludens: o jogo como elemento da cultura. 5 Ed, São Paulo: Perspectiva SA.
