Don't Break Your Controller
Don't Break your Controller is a game that asks players to control their emotions and not let out their anger in a way that they may regret later.
Artistic Statement
My project is a game within a game that, when dying, gives the player an option between destroying their controller or not, creating using the Unity Engine.
Over and over there are videos of gamers breaking their controllers in fits of rage from playing a game. I have even felt the urge to do so when playing certain games. While some of these people are financially secure enough to buy a new one, which usually costs around the same amount as a new video game, this isn’t the case for everyone. I became concerned with the fact that some people may be overcome with emotion and break their controllers despite not being able to pay for a new one.
I did research that supports the idea that being able to destroy virtual objects can be seen as a relaxing experience and a good way to vent frustrations. Research also showed how frustration from a game can lead someone to be toxic to others. (change this based on new research on emotions)
The game within the game is a simple platformer with enemies and other hazards that the player is trying to avoid in order to get to the end. There are also coins to collect, which serve as the game's point system. Whenever the player dies, they are asked if they wish to continue playing, or if they want to break their controller. If they choose the latter they are taken to a screen where they can quickly break their controller in a variety of ways, however they will need to start from the beginning and lose a large amount of coins. If they decided to continue, then they would not need to restart and can complete the game much easier. The game rewards players who are able to control their emotions and don't go for short term satisfaction, and the goal will be to have players keep in mind how letting out their anger in these bad ways can have long term consequences in the real world that won't make the short term satisfaction worth it. This could potentially lead to less controllers being broken, which will benefit many players, especially ones who have difficulty controlling their emotions.