1. Game Maker Instructor : Christy Ekroth

2. What’s Average?? Time Spent on. . . TV—3 hours Internet—1/2 hour
Video Games—3 ½ hours
Has this changed???

3. What’s your world like? (mine was cars, telephones, and finally we got a TV)
Internet
FaceBook
MySpace
Text Messages
On line . . .
Chats
Games

4. Got Game? Platforms Classifications Consoles/Cell Phones PC
Core Halo, Call to Duty
Casual Chess, Tetris
Serious Medical, Educational, Military

5. Gaming Platforms Console PC Standard OS Game Pad Interface
Licensing, Royalties PC
Minimum Requirements
Keyboard, Mouse, Game Pad
Freeware, Shareware, Independent License

6. Gaming Genres Action Quake, Halo
“Twitch” games often rely on eye/hand coordination. They are usually fast paced and winning is based on the player’s reflexes.
Strategy Starcraft, Age of Empires
Emphasizes logical thinking and strategic resource planning. Winning is based on critical decision making. Many are played by taking turns.

7. Gaming Genres Adventure Myst, Raven
Action with a story-line and puzzle solving. Winning takes action and inventory management.
Role Playing Games (RPGS) WoWarcraft
Adventure with more reliance on character growth and development. There is Strategy because of some combat and management of reported statistics. Huge epic quests and fantasy with non-playing characters (NPC) are common.

8. Gaming Genres Sports NFL, Links, Nascar
Although realism is the goal of the game, fantasy is no exception. Single or team players (networked) give instructions or direct manipulation.
Simulations Sim City
“God-games” where gamers build and manage cities, civilizations, traffic, etc. through realistic recreations of processes in the civil, animal or mechanical world

9. Gaming Genres Music/Aerobic Dance Revolution
Played using one’s feet stomping options on a dance mat.
Puzzle/Classics Solitaire, Chess, Tetris
Casual games of leisure derived mostly from board, cards, trivia or tile games. Very profitable on cell phones.

10. Playing Perspectives First Person Deer Hunter Third Person Tomb Raider
Top Down Solitaire
Isometric Baldur’s Gate
Flat, Side View Mario, Sonic
Text-based Facade

11. Game Development Disciplines
Programmer AI, Physics, Engine, etc.
Art and Animation Character, Scene, etc.
Game Design Game, Level, Writer
Production Managers, Directors
Quality Assurance non-tech Beta-testers
Audio Engineers, Composers, Musicians
Business and Legal Accountants, Lawyers

12. Making the Game Pre-production Creating the Character
Begin with a story
Story boarding
World, Levels, Outcomes
Creating the Character
Putting the Character in motion/UI
Designing Scenes
Code
Post Production
Marketing

13. Advice for Designing a Game. . .
Remember: Game Play, Game Play, Game Play
Be a devoted gamer.
Study games. Innovate.
Learn to write, learn to draw, otherwise, hire someone who does.
Learn the process. Write lots of small games to start with.
No bugs!

14. Advice for Designing a Game. . .
Have fun doing it. Get excited about your work.
Get inspiration from everywhere, novels, movies, books, history, etc.
Make levels rich in possibilities.
Get the player lost in the game.
Try to retain ownership of your work.

15. Advice for Designing a Game. . .
Make crystal clear specs/design document.
Know the limits of your platform.
Never give up, patience is the key.
Pay for professional voice talent.
Excite everyone to your game with a 5 minute talk and a 1 page sell sheet.
Work with a tight well-balanced team.

16. Incentives $16.7 Billion Video Game sales for 2005
Emerging Market: Cell Phones
180,000,000 units sold in 2005.
Tetris and Bejeweled are in 30+% of all cell phones. Each earns over $60,000,000 a year in royalties.
Casual 2D.
Addicting game play is the key.
Create your demo using Game Maker.

17. Incentives Untapped Market: “Chick” Games
Estimated at 2x the Death and Destruction market. $32 Billion per year.
Unlimited Market: Serious Games
Custom order. Client advances capital.
Expanded definition of “gaming” in architectural, medical, military, educational, legal, commerce, etc.

18. Got Game? GENRES PERSPECTIVES Action First Person
Strategy Third Person
Adventure Top Down
Role Playing Isometric
Sports Flat, Side View
Simulations Text Based
Music Aerobic
Puzzle/Classic

19. History of Video Games First Generation
Magnavox Odyssey | Pong | Coleco Telstar
The years:

20. History of Video Games Second Generation
Fairchild Channel F | Atari 2600 | Magnavox Odyssey² | Intellivision | 5200 | ColecoVision | Vectrex | SG-1000
The years:

21. History of Video Games
Mr. Van’s First System:

22. History of Video Games Third Generation NES | Master System | 7800
The years:

23. PC Engine/TurboGrafx 16 | Mega Drive/Genesis | SNES | Neo-Geo | CD-i
History of Video Games
Fourth Generation
PC Engine/TurboGrafx 16 | Mega Drive/Genesis | SNES | Neo-Geo | CD-i
The years:

24. History of Video Games Fifth Generation
CD32 | 3DO | Jaguar | Saturn | Playdia | PlayStation | PC-FX | Pippin | Nintendo 64
The years:

25. Dreamcast | PlayStation 2 | GameCube | Xbox
History of Video Games
Sixth Generation
Dreamcast | PlayStation 2 | GameCube | Xbox
The years:

26. Xbox 360 | PlayStation 3 | Wii
History of Video Games
Seventh Generation
Xbox 360 | PlayStation 3 | Wii
The years: