Things to consider when developing a game idea By Mark Jones

So, What’s the BIG idea!

Stimulate Ideas? Sources?HOW? Themes o War, Money and wealth, Power, Racing, Hero, gaining ground What’s topical right now? o News, culture, be culture savvy o Linked with a movie You boss has just asked you to think of an idea for a brief o Starts in Broken down car o Ends in nuclear bunker! o Stimulus: Original intellectual property (IP) Franchised IP e.g. o Disney o FIFA o Brainstorming o Research (General and Market) o Game design principles (visual style & gameplay) o Storyboards o Mood boards o Concept art

Brainstorming  DEFINE  A method of shared problem solving in which all members of a group spontaneously contribute ideas  A similar process undertaken by a person to solve a problem by rapidly generating a variety of possible solutions  19/11/2008

BRAINSTORMING It's about sharing ideas no matter what they are

Game Design Principles  Visual Style - Identify Visual Style  World (terrain, architecture, objects);  Characters  Non-playing characters (NPC)  Feedback interface;  Perspectives (2D, 3D, first-person, third- person, scrolling, aerial, context-sensitive)  Cut scenes & full motion video (FMV)  Game play - Identify game play  Interaction model, eg avatar, omnipresence  Single player / Mulitiplayer  Narrative  game setting, eg physical, temporal, environmental, emotional, ethical  Goals  Challenges  Rewards  Player actions  Rules  Difficulty  Game mechanics  (inventory, scoring, win condition)  Balance  Feedback  Game structure (Simple, complex)  Addiction Do you go in to great detail?

Mood boardsMood boards  Early stages of project  E.g. materials, cut outs from magazine, typography, images, textures, shapes etc  Conceptualises shapes, images, feel, tone of voice, colour, typography for site  Spark creativity and innovation  Close consultation with client (client encouraged to participate!)  Client to ‘buy-in’

Mood Board Examples What could these mood boards possibly represent?

imaginary shoot-'em-up game Storyboarding Visual method for seeing a game Create a sequence of drawings that show the levels /different scenes and goals Storyboard should include text description Storyboards are sketched and messy. Storyboard used for getting down on paper the general flow of the game Figure 1 depicts a basic storyboard for an imaginary shoot-'em-up game. SOURCE: EXAMPLE Six frames Each frame represents a different level of the game, and the final frame is the goal

STORYBOARDS – Examples

Considering the details Process can be complex You have to think of every possible detail and write something about it — because when you make your game, you are a god — well, at least a demigod If you don't program a specific detail, it's not going to happen You need to figure out all the rules and the structure of the game. List of questions to consider: What can the game character do? Can he or she fly, swim, and teleport? How many different enemies will the hero fight? What kind(s) of weapons are available? How does the player get rejuvenated? Can more than one player play at once? If so, what are the ramifications of this? Will the game's perspective be a side view, top view, or first- person and full 3-D view? What kind of sound track? Rock, rap, techno? What is the personality of the main character?

Target Platforms – What are they?

Target platform: Desktop Computer Console Hand Held Devices Television Online Mobile Device

Market Research

Audience Other games Age o Linked to game ratings: Pan European Gaming Informaiton (PEGI) Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) - DEALS WITH CONTENT! Gender o Male or Female o Both Core or casual (Gamer Type) o Who are you aiming your game at in the market? Gaming communities o Online (Xbox live, PSN, Steam) o Games Online (CoD, GTA 5, Mario Kart etc.) o Social networking (Facebook) Preferred game genre o Why? RPG people like story and character customisation! See Genre for more detail Games already in the market o What will be your Unique Selling Point Try and find three USPs How successful are they? o Sales o Reviews Public and Critics o o

Source (?) Original intellectual property o If your idea is original (secure copyright) o If not, ask permission or stop! Franchised IP o Call of Duty – Game developed for a Publisher

Market Research Audience o Age, Gender, Core or casual, Gaming Communities, Preferred Game Genre Similar Games Already in the market

GENRE

Genre Definition: French for… TYPE Classification of genre is based on what? o The Make up? o Theme? Can a graphical Theme define a genre? o Structure? Can the structure of a game contribute to its genre? o Game Mechanics? Defines the types of challenges (Kevin Oxley says “The mechanics define the types of challenges involved within a game….also how a player interacts and controls the challenges. I believe it is the challenges that define the genre and sub-genre of any game. o In groups make a list of game Genre without using the internet.

Core Genre Sports Adventure Action Simulation Strategy Puzzle Role-play Management Education(‘serious’) Viral marketing Kevin Oxley, Gameplay and Design, pg 25 In your group: 1 define the genre you’ve been allocated. 2 game components 3 find a game example Feedback to the class your findings

Sports Components? o Competition o Performance Challenges o Quick reflexes

Adventure Components o Puzzle solving challenges o Thought required by player o Interactive story revealed as challenges are overcome o Multi-threaded plot o Journey from one location to another o A central protagonist

Action Components o Action o Quick reflex o Little thought process required o Pick up and play o Does not have a steep learning curve

Simulation Simulator – a machine that simulates the controls and conditions of a real vehicles (Concise Oxford Dictionary 10 th Edition) Components o Real Physics o Real Vehicles o Steep learning Curve!

Puzzle Challenge to user Requires solving Discombobulate player Must have some form of difficulty Not big now – problem incorporated in to other genres

Management Components o Some form of construction (house, city, theme park) o Economic and social elements o Challenge – to make your world thrive

Educational Components o To Educate o Learning process o Allows for progress o Track learning and feedback

Marketing (Viral) Components o Casual game o Addiction – short term, enough to make someone tell someone else! o Will advertise something o

Not forgetting… ( …a well worthy mention!)

RPG Components o Character Creation o Character Evolution o Character class, attributes and skills o Inventory management o Melee o Quests o Interactive story o Adventure

Real Time Strategy Components o Harvesting Resources o Building a community (generally a home base or bases) o Spawning units with varying capabilities o Strategic attacks o Destroying the opponent

Worksheet Decide in which genre your game will exist What are the components and challenges In group, come up with a game idea and then follow the above noting down any points you consider. What comes first the genre or the game?