GDC 2007: Square Enix reveals DS game design tool

Serious games. The term remains something of a contradiction, the mention of which makes many gamers point their nose to the heavens. Perhaps that is because successful, largely Japanese, serious games, such as Brain Training, More Brain Training, English Training, Training of Common Sense, and Cooking Navigation, are not really thought of as part of the 'Serious' genre.

But those games prove that fun and serious functionality can meet. For another example, who wouldn't like an application developed by a reputable software house that enabled you to design your own games? No additional expensive or over-complicated hardware required, no jargon or bothersome coding languages, just a single cartridge that teaches the fundamental principles of game design and provides tools to put those principles into action.

Surely that sounds like the best idea since sliced bread, the wheel and indoor toilets combined?

Square Enix thinks so. At yesterday's Serious Games Summit at GDC, Tadashi Tsushima – a producer from Square's recently formed GB Lab – demo-ed an application for the DS that promises all of the above.

The title (which has so far not been announced as due for an official release) has a basic four section structure: training, development, publishing and research. The idea is that you can (if you work in Square Enix's design department, at least) follow a step-by-step process to design your own simple games, and then share the finished creations with other users (presumably via wi-fi).

Given the potential a user-friendly game design package has in terms of mass market commercial appeal, especially on the fanboy-favourite DS, any perceived stigma attached to its birth as a learning tool would probably turn out to be… Purely academic!