THE FALLACIES OF MDA FOR NOVICE DESIGNERS: OVERUSING MECHANICS AND NEGLECTING AESTHETICS.

Ever since MDA was publicized by Hunicke et al. in 2004, it has become a building block for game developers and scholars. However, it has also incited several misconceptions that have spread among students and the gaming community. For example, players have overused the term "mechanics," to the point that it is virtually meaningless. On the other side, the terms "dynamics" and "aesthetics" have been comparatively neglected, despite their value. Building upon my experiences of teaching an undergraduate game design course, I argue that these misconceptions stem from the ways that consumers have misinterpreted the MDA framework. Game educators are not necessarily working with experienced designers: they are working with students who are often more passionate about playing games than making them. Thus, game educators need to target this misconception in order to shed light on preconceived biases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]