Fun! Fun! Fun!

Game research might sound like an oxymoron to some people but not to game designers. "There is considerable research and literature in the area of user-centred design. . . A design process can be described as a process that combines information and logic" (Ermi and Mäyrä). Who ever thought to ponder the engineering behind Candyland?

Although the goal, here, is not to delve into the deep inter workings of mastermind game programming, I will be researching America's most popular game from every decade since the 1940's. 

I think it will be interesting to see how America's tastes have changed throughout time. I hope to see a correlation between America's political, economic, and social state in relationship to it's game preference. For example: was monopoly the most popular game in a decade when house marketing, personal finance, and investment hit a record breaking high?  It will also be interesting to consider whether the game was truly a byproduct of its time or if the game was marketed to lead revolutionary ideas throughout its golden decade. 

If there is enough time, it would also be interesting to predict America's next favorite game based on the research gathered and hypothesize as to what kind of game would be the most successful throughout the 2020's.

Ermi and Mäyrä: Game Studies Link

Monopoly: Photo Link