Cambridge NATIONALS LEVEL 1/2
CREATIVE
iMEDIA
Sample Learner Work
with commentary
Unit R091: Designing a game concept
LO1 - Understand digital games and platforms
Version 1
ocr.org.uk/creativeimedia
OCR LEVEL 1/2 CAMBRIDGE NATIONALS IN CREATIVE iMEDIA
UNIT R091 SAMPLE LEARNER WORK WITH COMMENTARY
CONTENTS
Introduction
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Learning Objective 1 – Understand digital game types and platforms
MB1
Marking commentary on MB1 sample learner work
Suggested improvements to progress sample learner work to MB2
4
Learning Objective 1 – Understand digital game types and platforms
MB3
Marking commentary on MB3 sample learner work
Why it was awarded MB3 not MB2
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UNIT R091 SAMPLE LEARNER WORK WITH COMMENTARY
INTRODUCTION
This is a guide for teachers so that you can see how we would mark work, Cambridge Nationals are designed to give the learners the
project and let them create the work.
The guide contains sample learner work for Unit R091 Learning Outcome 1 (Understand digital games and platforms), graded at
Marking Band 1 (MB1) and Marking Band 3 (MB3).
The accompanying commentary explains why each piece of work was awarded its grade.
For MB1 graded work, additional guidance has been added to suggest improvements that could be made to make it an MB2 graded
piece of work.
For MB3 graded work, additional guidance has been added to explain why it was awarded that grade and not the lower grade of
MB2.
You MUST NOT allow your learners to copy the samples contained in this guide. OCR moderators have been advised to report
any copying, in whole or in part. Misuse of these samples will lead to a malpractice investigation being conducted and would
put all submitted learner work at risk of investigation.
REPRODUCTION OF CANDIDATE’S WORK
The candidates’ work within this document is reproduced for free of charge distribution to teachers in order to help them prepare
candidates for examinations. The work has been reproduced as submitted by the candidates. Some of the work may contain thirdparty material for which we are unaware of the source, the rights owner or the existence of any permission that the learner may have
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UNIT R091 SAMPLE LEARNER WORK WITH COMMENTARY
Learning Objective 1 – Understand digital game types and platforms
MB1
SAMPLE LEARNER WORK
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UNIT R091 SAMPLE LEARNER WORK WITH COMMENTARY
SAMPLE LEARNER WORK
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UNIT R091 SAMPLE LEARNER WORK WITH COMMENTARY
SAMPLE LEARNER WORK
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UNIT R091 SAMPLE LEARNER WORK WITH COMMENTARY
Marking commentary on MB1 sample learner work
The learner has produced a simple list of games consoles with a basic guide. There is little explanation or description of the hardware
and only a brief reference to the changes over time. No mention is made in this section of other gaming platforms such as arcade,
PC or handheld devices. Current games consoles are compared in very basic terms relating to graphics speed and there is some
mention of peripherals.
There is some evidence of the evolution of digital game characteristics and objectives with a simple list of game genres.
Suggested improvements to progress sample learner work to MB2
The evidence presented is very simple; there is a lot of reliance on simple lists. To progress to MB2 the lists should carry some
descriptive content and more comparative remarks should be made. A broader range of platform would need to be explored
(Arcade, PC, Handheld games etc.) To demonstrate a sound understanding of platforms, there would be a simple table of the basic
functions of games consoles in terms of processors (CPY and GPU) built in memory and/or networking capabilities.
One simple way to move the work into MB2 would be the use of illustrations to show an understanding of the evolution of game
characteristics, perhaps charting the visual way a well-known game character has changed over the years (e.g. Mario, Lara Croft etc.)
clearly some appropriate commentary would also be required to describe what had changed.
Game objectives would be better summarised along with genre descriptions and could be based on actual game play reviews from
an array of digital games/platforms/genres.
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UNIT R091 SAMPLE LEARNER WORK WITH COMMENTARY
Learning Objective 1 – Understand digital game types and platforms
MB3
SAMPLE LEARNER WORK
R091: Understand digital game types and platforms
The evolution of digital game platforms (generations 1 to 8)
Most of this information came from
http://www.computernostalgia.net/articles/HistoryofComputerGames.htm
but a lot of it I just knew especially the bits about 8th generation consoles because this source stops in about 2011.
People talk about 8 generations of gaming platforms although this only applies to home consoles and doesn’t
include things like Arcade machines, PC/Mac gaming etc. When I did my research for this it seems that people can’t
really agree on dates for each generation so I’ve decided to just go by the consoles themselves. Each generation
seems to have been marked by an improvement in technology. Usually it’s the speed of the processor or the graphics
quality or things like motion control.
This is a table showing what consoles are included in each generation, I’ve not put in absolutely every console ever
made but just the ones most people have probably heard about.
First Generation: early 1970s Maganavox Odyssey, Pong (very basic graphic like lego blocks)
Second Generation: late 1970s Atari 2600/5200
Third Generation: early 1980s Nintendo Entertainment System, Sega Master System (still 2D graphics but more
detailed)
Fourth Generation: late 1980s Sega Genesis, Nintendo SNES, Neo Geo
Fifth Generation:
1990s Atari Jaguar, Sega Saturn, Sony PlayStation, Nintendo 64 (first 3D games)
Sixth Generation:
1990 – early 2000s Sega Dreamcast, Sony Playstation2, Nintendo Game Cube, Microsoft
Xbox (online gaming)
Seventh Generation:
late 2000s Microsoft Xbox 360, Sony Playstation3, Nintendo Wii (hard discs and motion
controllers)
Eight Generation: 2012+ Microsoft Xbox One, Sony PlayStation 4, Nintendo Wii.
As well as consoles there have been hand held devices
1980s-90s
Nintendo Game Boy, Atari Lynx, Sega Game Gear
1990s
Nintendo Game Boy Colour, Neo Geo Pocket Color
2000s
Nintendo Game Boy Advance, N-Gage, Nintendo DS, Sony PlayStation Portable, Sony PSP Go
2010s
Nintendo 3DS / 3DSXL, Sony Ericsson Xperia PLAY, PlayStation Vita, Nvidia Shield
2010s
Mobile phones, tablets using iOS (apple) or Android operating systems.
If you add Arcade Machines and PCs to this there have been a lot of different things to play video games on.
Arcade machines were often taken away and reloaded with a new game and new artwork was stuck onto the box so
it’s not as easy to say when one stopped and another started.
PC gaming has helped to improve graphic cards for PCs and they have got steadily better and better but to play the
very latest games you have to keep upgrading your computer so it’s expensive, so most people get a console which
is about the same prices but all the games work.
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SAMPLE LEARNER WORK
Capabilities of consoles:
Up until the original Sony PlayStation in 1995 most games consoles had 2D games that means the graphics were
basically a series of images like an animation, these are called sprites. The PlayStation had 32bit graphics and more
power so games began to become 3D with things made to look much more realistic. This was also the first time
games came on CDs which were a lot cheaper to make than cartridges.
128-bit systems came in with the PlayStation 2 and it had a DVD player which was a big selling point in those days. It
also made online gaming a lot more popular.
The Xbox was also 128 bit but it was lot more like a high-end PC which made it easier to make games for. Consoles
then started to get hard discs as well which meant games could be stored instead of having to load them off a disc;
this makes it much quicker to load games. It means you can also download games through Microsoft or Sony markets
on your console which means that it is cheaper to make games.
Consoles now have internet connections which allow you to download content or play multiplayer games online.
The controllers have changed a lot over the years too. It started out with simple buttons, then joysticks then came
the controllers like you still get today, but now you can get wireless ones so you don’t have a cable all over the floor,
you also get motion sensors like Microsoft XBOX Kinect or PlayStation Eye Toy or the Nintendo Wii which meant you
could play some games more naturally and it was great fun to play with all sort of people even older people enjoyed
the Wii. Some games come with specialist controllers shaped like musical instruments or steering wheels or guns one
even had a fishing rod controller. You can buy special chairs that move you around to simulate driving a racing car or
flying a plane.
The evolution of digital games
2D Arcade
This is the original simple game idea – the game is played in a flat environment and you see it from the side or the
top. Pong was about as simple as you can get but it’s still good fun. You get side scrolling platform games, or top
down racing games or beat em-ups when you can really only move up down left or right. A lot of these games are
two player and you still get them on phones and tablets or if you like retro-gaming. These games are usually based on
levels where you finish one and go onto the next. Sometimes you get a certain amount of lives and when you have
used them all up its game over.
3D RPG
Sometimes you play as an individual but often you play from high up looking down and you can control armies and
what they do.
Adventure RPGs like the Tomb Raider games, or the Batman Arkham Nights or Assassin’s Creed etc. use a third person
view like you are standing just behind the character but you can see what they do and you control them. These
games take place in a full 3D environment and you turn around and see the place or the character from pretty much
any angle you like without losing the graphics. First Person Games is where all you can see is your arm usually holding
a gun or other weapon – these are 3D and very immersive because you feel you are actually in the game – but
sometimes it hard to control what your player is doing or to see where you are because you can’t look at things from
further away. The graphics in these games used to be quite basic but now they are very detailed and the 3D models
look like they are real. Most of these styles of games have levels or missions rather than a score. You have to get to
certain places and do certain things in order to go onto the next level or win the game, there is often a back story
that follows the game.
MMORPG
These are more advanced and can be turn-based or real time. Some are based on films like Lord of the Rings or other
franchise like Warhammer, some are invented themselves like World of War craft. People pay to subscribe to these
games and play against people from all over the world. In some countries people actually make money playing
games for a living. You can play on the same side as some or against them and it just goes on and on without really
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UNIT R091 SAMPLE LEARNER WORK WITH COMMENTARY
SAMPLE LEARNER WORK
stopping. A lot of these games work by having you collect objects in the game to get more powerful or to form
alliances with other players to become more powerful you can also steal from each other. Some people get addicted
to this and because you have to pay a subscription to play on line it can cause money problems too.
Sims
Sims is short for simulation and is where you simulate a real life activity. It’s usually things like airlines or train
companies but you can get things for building cities, or running a roller coaster or farms. The most popular game like
this is called the SIMS where you get to control your own little people and choose how they live. You have to make
the right decisions so that the people will not get hungry or unemployed and so they can buy better clothes and
houses and cars.
A lot of sports games are SIMS too where you get to control players on a pitch like in FIFA or ProEvo Soccer, or racing
games like Drive or F1. Some of the games are really realistic. Most of these games use the same scoring as the real
sport only usually the time is shorted for a match. You can just play a one off match with someone or you can play in
a league and over a couple seasons and get your team from the lower divisions up to the Champions league final
Game-based learning
In schools there are some games you can play to learn about history or maths or science. A lot of these are free and
online or the school buys them, because most people wouldn’t buy them for themselves. A lot of these come for
phones or tablet and can be a good way to learn a language or a musical instrument. Most of these games keep a
score of how much you have done and sometimes you get graded. Teachers can look at your progress to see how
much you’ve done; some even set homework like this.
Augmented Reality
This is when your computer game uses the real world as the game play environment but adds extra bits to it.
Sometimes if you are outside things will appear on your phone that aren’t there in real life but the games knows
where you are. You also get virtual reality where you wear a 3D headset like an Oculus Rift and it makes you feel that
you are really inside the game.
Game objectives
Most games have some kind of objective you have to reach. It might be based on points for doing things like
matching gems together or collecting things on a platform game, or scoring goals in football or winning races. It
can be killing opponents in war games, capturing the flag in FPS games or solving a puzzle in Portal. Usually these
objectives get harder as the game goes on (this is called the level of difficulty) and sometimes at the end of the game
you have the Boss level. This is like in a James movie when he has defeated all the henchmen and the finally gets to
fight the big boss at the end.
Some simple games just have a high scoring list where you have to keep trying to get more points each time you
play or finish it in a better time.
There are also games where there isn’t really a scoring system or much of an objective you just go into the game
and play – these are called sandbox games because it’s like a little kid playing in the sand just for fun – Minecraft is
probably the most well-known of these games.
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UNIT R091 SAMPLE LEARNER WORK WITH COMMENTARY
SAMPLE LEARNER WORK
Capabilities and limitations of platforms for 2D/3D digital games
Xbox One
PlayStation 4
Nintendo Wii U
Smartphone/
Tablet eg Ipad
2 Air
PC
Hardware
Set top box
Set top box
Set top box
The phone or
tablet itself
Tower case or
all-in-one with
monitor
Graphics
1.31 teraflop GPU
1.84 teraflop DPU
0.35 teraflop GPU
PowerVR GX6650
Processor
1.75GHz AMD
8-core CPU
1.6GHz AMD
8-core CPU
1.23GHz IBM CPU
1.5GHz
Display device
No screen, needs
to be connected
to TV or monitor
by HDMI
No screen, needs
to be connected
to TV or monitor
by HDMI
No screen but
needs to be
connected to TV
or monitor by
HDMI. But also has
a screen on the
controller you can
use one or both
Built in screen
usually touch
based
Game delivery
method
Boxed games
from shops.
Download or
online
Boxed games from Boxed games from Download or
shops. Download shops. Download or online
or online
online
Boxed games
from shops.
Download or
online
Networking,
storage
Internet (Xbox
Live). Hard disc
Internet
(PlayStation
Network). Hard
disc
Internet. Hard disc
Internet. Hard
disc. SD card etc.
Internet. Hard
disc
Player interface
Controllers.
Motion controller
Controllers.
Motion controller
Controllers. Motion
controller
Touch screen,
accelerometer
control
Controllers.
Motion
controller
Peripherals
Steering wheels,
guns, fishing
rods, musical
instruments,
chairs, headsets
Steering wheels,
guns, fishing
rods, musical
instruments,
chairs, headsets
Steering wheels,
guns, fishing
rods, musical
instruments, chairs,
headsets
Some steering
wheels, joysticks
to stick on the
screen, headsets,
etc.
Steering wheels,
guns, fishing
rods, musical
instruments,
chairs, headsets,
mice, keyboards
XBOX and PS4 specs:
http://www.techradar.com/news/gaming/consoles/ps4-vs-xbox-720-which-is-better-1127315/1
Wii U specs:
http://uk.ign.com/wikis/wii-u/Wii_U_Tech_Specs
Ipad Air 2 specs:
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-2014-ipad-air-2-vs-nexus-9-spec-analysis
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PC Monitor or
HDMI TV
OCR LEVEL 1/2 CAMBRIDGE NATIONALS IN CREATIVE iMEDIA
UNIT R091 SAMPLE LEARNER WORK WITH COMMENTARY
Marking commentary on MB3 sample learner work
Rather than reproduce an excessive amount of copied data from the numerous websites that contain the information on the
‘8 generations’ of game consoles the learner presents, as the mark scheme suggests, a summary with examples and clear
understanding of the changes over the years. The learner also includes handheld devices, tablets/phones, PCs and a mention of
Arcade games. Although not exhaustive the demonstration of understanding is thorough and the capabilities and limitations of
current gaming consoles are well compared.
Why it was awarded MB3 not MB2
The information given has been sourced and acknowledged (a requirement in all mark bands) even though the material has been
edited and re-written. The mark scheme calls for a summary and the learner has put the information into a sensible structure even
acknowledging the differences in opinion within sources. The learner has clearly understood the information they have researched
and has used it to provide a clear summary. All platforms are considered and the capabilities and limitations are described and
compared in way that has relevance to the game proposal task to be undertaken.
The section in Game Objectives is a little brief but together with the information contained in the evolution of digital games
provides sufficient breadth to justify MB3.
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