1. Games Production Process
Computer Games: Digital Games Design F1R2 11
© 2012 West Lothian College August 2012/Review date August Games Production Process

2. Production cycle
Plan
Design
Build
Test
Amend
Re-test

3. Planning
Audience
Gameplay
Genre
Environments
Characters
Themes

4. Planning - AUDIENCE Who will play the game?
Created to suit intended audience
Scary game not for kids
Age range
Pre-school
Primary school
Teen
Adult
Male or female?
Special requirements?

5. Gameplay Describes the experience of playing the game Game mechanics
Story quality
Ease of play
Desirability
Game mechanics
Rules
Level of interaction
Game balance
Emergent gameplay
Ways unimagined by game’s designers

6. Gameplay All games are computer games. Fun! Bold statement:
Game design is a form of programming.
What makes a game a game?
Fun!
Games serve an emotional purpose, not a pragmatic one

7. Gameplay Games as software: CODE PROCESS RULES GAME ‘SESSION’ ‘FUN’!
REQUIREMENTS
RULES
GAME ‘SESSION’
‘FUN’!

8. Genre
See previous slides

9. Environments Settings for game Tone Where When Lighting etc.
Geographical
Indoors or outdoors?
When
Tone
Lighting etc.

10. Characters Personalities in game Differences / similarities
Interaction
Identification
As player
With NPCs
Avatars

11. Themes Subject matter the game deals with, e.g.
Espionage
Gang warfare
Managing a sports team
Attracts the interests of users because of the theme
A bit like musical styles

12. Summary - Planning Planning means a developer knows:
Targets to aim
Boundaries to stay within
Allows the developer to begin designing the game

13. Design audio narration visual style concept art storyboarding
scripting

14. Audio & Narration Sound effects Music Dialogue Narration
Public domain / record own
Volume / clarity
synchonising

15. Visual style Consider: Audience Mood / tone Genre Hardware specs
Programming limitations

16. Concept Art Sketches Give outlines & ideas to programmers
Can help sell a game
Can change during production
Use digital sketches, not just pencils

17. Storyboard
See handout
Scripting
See handout

18. Summary - Design Starts once planning is finished
Deals with creative decisions – audio & visual
Allows everyone to share “vision”
Can evolve during development
Now building can start

19. Task Find pre-production design ideas for a well-known game
Compare them with the finished result.