Interfaces & Games: Globalization & Standardization

Hey guys!

I have to write a paper about a certain concept (interface) and I decided to use games as an object in my analysis.

I developed a question about the globalization and standardization of the interfaces of games, but I'm having a hard time choosing good examples to discuss in my case studies.


- Do you guys happen to know any articles about the interfaces of games?

- Can you guys think of good examples (any genre) to discuss? I can't really think of games with "standardized/globalized" interfaces.

Thanks in advance!

hey moa, long time no see :]

well, the example that comes to mind is how most rts games have very similar interfaces.

consider these two images:

http://i.imgur.com/uf9iw.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/178C7.jpg

in spite of the games being so different, the interface is almost exactly the same.

edit: well, for globalisation, the games were made in different countries. the Total War games are developed by a UK dev called The Creative Assembly, and Starcraft II was obviously made by Blizzard, an American developer.

as for standardisation, you can see for yourself, really.

the bottom left is a minimap with some options next to it.

the centre shows you details on what units you have selected (both games, incidentally, work almost the exact same in terms of unit selection as well. As in, you click or click/hold and drag with the left mouse button to select units, and use the right mouse button to give move/move to attack orders.)

to the right are some buttons that can be used to do the same or to use unit special abilities.

I'm not sure which rts started this trend. so far as I remember, it's always been this way, more or less. Warcraft: Orcs and Humans had this, more or less, minus a few things, and by the time Warcraft II came along, it was exactly like this as well. I didn't play many other early rts games, though.

Hey there! Thanks! I already noticed that with the CIV & Warcraft games :) Would indeed be a great example. Thanks again!

Anything else, perhaps?

LoL and Dota 2, all moba's really have almost the same concept and interface