GENERATE IDEAS FOR A GAME CONCEPT GENRE By Mark Jones

generate ideas  Ideas generation is a very necessary component of the initial development of every game  Able to make decisions about potential audiences and identify potential ideas sources  Methods to stimulate and capture imaginings  Compare ideas with existing titles

Genre  Definition:  GENRE? Discuss and decide…  French for… TYPE  Classification - based on what? The Make up? Theme? Can a graphical Theme define a genre? Structure? Can the structure of a game contribute to its genre? 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. 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?  Competition  Performance Challenges  Quick reflexes

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

Action  Components  Action  Quick reflex  Little thought process required  Pick up and play  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  Real Physics  Real Vehicles  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  Some form of construction (house, city, theme park)  Economic and social elements  Challenge – to make your world thrive

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

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

Not forgetting… ( …a well worthy mention!)

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

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

Worksheet  Decide in which genre your game will exist  What are the components and challenges  Identify overlapping elements that form a sub- genre  Research the best of that genre your game fits in to  Why is it the best? In groups of two or three, 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?