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Game Development - First Steps

The document discusses the initial steps in game development which include establishing the concept, premise, target audience, genre, player's role, core gameplay challenges, and setting. It emphasizes that the early concept stage involves defining these high level elements to determine what the game is about and who it is for before proceeding with further development phases such as preproduction, prototyping, and production.

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godfrzero
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232 views23 pages

Game Development - First Steps

The document discusses the initial steps in game development which include establishing the concept, premise, target audience, genre, player's role, core gameplay challenges, and setting. It emphasizes that the early concept stage involves defining these high level elements to determine what the game is about and who it is for before proceeding with further development phases such as preproduction, prototyping, and production.

Uploaded by

godfrzero
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Game Development:

First Steps

Topics in Game Development


Spring 2008
ECE 495/595; CS 491/591
Development phases
 Concept development
 Preproduction
 Prototyping
 Production
 Alpha, Beta, and Gold
 Alpha: playable, even if some assets missing
 Beta: contains all assets; focus on working out
bugs
 Gold: ready for release (“going gold”)
Major Creative Documents
 Concept doc (in book: “High Concept Doc”
and “Game Treatment Doc”)
 Bibles (for characters, settings, puzzles)
 Flowcharts
 Concept art
 Storyboards
 Dialogue script
 The Design Document (called “game script
doc in book)
Other types of documents

 Technical specs
 Schedule of deliverables (milestones)
 Budget
 Marketing plan
 Test plan
First: The Concept Stage
(includes “Elaboration Stage” from book)

 Premise?
 Who is it for?
 Why entertaining?
 Genre
 Platform
 Player’s role
 Core gameplay
 Setting
The Premise: What is Game
About?
 “Log line:” term from
TV & movies
 Brief (1-3 sentences)
summary of game
 What will hook players?
 Vivid, punchy, exciting
 Indicates characters
 Indicates major
challenges
 Often written in 2nd
person (“you”) – puts
reader into the action
Game Premises:

 Halo

 Guitar Hero

 World of Warcraft
Target audience:
Who Is Your Game For?

 Age group/generation
 Gender
 Type of gamer
(hardcore? casual?)
 Income/education
 Special niche
Game Players – Latest Stats
(from Entertainment Software Association)

 Average age: 33

 71% over 18!

 Women gamers: 38% of all gamers


What Ratings Are You Aiming
For?
 Official ratings giving by the Entertainment
Software Ratings Board
 Based on audience, subject matter
 EC (early childhood) 3+
 E (everyone) (6+)
 E 10+ (ten and older)
 T (13+) some violence, crude humor
 M (17+) intense violence, graphic sex, gore
 AO (18+) prolonged violence, graphic sex
 RP (rating pending)
Most popular games by ratings
(units sold)

 49% received an E

 32% received a T

 15% received an M
Why Do People Play?
 To be entertained
 Experienced as fun,
as play
 Enjoy challenges
 Act out fantasies
 Escape boring real
life
 Adrenaline rush;
catharsis
Why will people want to play
your game???
 What will make it
exciting?
 What will make it
special?
 What will make in
engaging?
What is the player’s role and
goal?
 Who is the player in
the game… what
character does
he/she play?

 What is the player


trying to do… what
is his/her overall
objective?
What kinds of challenges will
player face? (Core gameplay)

 Physical obstacles?
 A strong antagonist?
 A series of
antagonists?
 Puzzles to solve?
Where will your game be set?

 What kind of world


will it be… realistic?
Fantasy? Sci-fi?
 What will the major
location be?
 What will the time
period be?
What is the Genre?
 Genre: a category of game with shared
characteristics
 Many genres; no codified definitions
 Some are hybrids or too new to label
 Some major genres:
 Action
 Shooters
 Strategy
 Role-playing
 Sports and driving
 Adventure
 Puzzle
Some other considerations…
Your Title

 Short

 May indicate type of game

 May indicate what game is about


The Purpose of the Game?

 Purely to entertain?
 Or does it have a pragmatic purpose as well?
 Possibilities:
 Teaching, training
 Information
 Promotion, marketing, advertising
 Recruiting
 Community building
The Platform
 Type of hardware or venue game to be
played on
 Major types:
 Arcade
 Game console
 Computer
 Online
 Handheld
 Cell phones
 Other types: kiosks, VR, theme park rides,
hybrids
Most popular games by platform

Popularity varies by platform:


 Game consoles
• Action: 30.1%
• Sports: 17.3%

 Computer games:
• Strategy: 30.8%
• Family & Kids: 19.8%
In sum, the first things
to work out are:
 Premise
 Purpose
 Target audience & rating
 Why people will play
 Genre and platform
 Role of player
 Types of challenges
 Setting

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