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Class Introduction. Game Idea Development. And now a word from our esteemed leader…. Tom Dowd http://iam.colum.edu/tdowd/. How and what. You now know roughly “how” a game is built. Now we need to work on “what” you are going to build. J.J. Abrams.
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Class Introduction Game Idea Development
And now a word from our esteemed leader….. • Tom Dowd • http://iam.colum.edu/tdowd/
How and what • You now know roughly “how” a game is built. • Now we need to work on “what” you are going to build.
J.J. Abrams • http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/j_j_abrams_mystery_box.html
Self Awareness • Is the key • It is where you are going to find “new” • Derivative game design will not be tolerated at Columbia. (no GTA-esque, no Halo 19, no Left 4 Dead-ish designs.- Get it?) • “Don’t steal the shark” • You absolutely MUST begin to find your own “money maker” • You will not be allowed to imitate someone else’s
Game Development • Definition • The expression of a game/narrative concept via technology by a team of developers.
No Game is an Island • Game development does not occur in a vacuum • Influenced by … • Aesthetics of the development team • Expertise of the development team • Recent, perceived, and projected future design trends • Dependencies on technology. • Publisher/Market demands or requirements • YOU • What contributions and innovations are you going to make? • How does your “mystery box” inform the game industry? • How are you going to influence design trends? • What have you got to say that will add to the dialogue?
Two Quick Definitions • Publisher – the company responsible for funding and bringing a product to market. They will market the product, physically produce it (packaging and content), and see to its distribution. • Examples – Electronic Arts, Vivendi-Universal, Atari, Activision, Midway, etc.(Also Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo.)
The second one • Developer – the company responsible for creating the project programming, art, design. Hired by the publisher. • Examples – Blizzard (WoW), Dice(Battlefield), Naughty Dog (Jak and Daxter),Neversoft (Gun), Valve (Half Life), Bungie(Halo), Red Storm (Ghost Recon) • Local: High Voltage (Leisure Suit Larry, Hunter: the Reckoning), Day:1:Studios(Mechassault), Wideload (Stubbs the Zombie), Midway, EA-Chicago
Developers and Publishers • Many publishers own multiple exclusive developers. • Strong independent developers tend to get bought when they hit AA+. • Fitch Ratings go from D to AAA • Why do you suppose they would get bought at AA+? • We’re going to not worry about whether or not a developer is a publisher studio or independent.
Design • Overall Game Design • Gameplay • Game Systems +Play Balance • Narrative • World Design • Mission Design • Functional Interface • Testing • Documentation
Programming • Technical Execution of the Game Design. • Overall Technical Design • Game Engine • Networking • Data Management • Installation • Development Tools • Art Pipeline
Art/Animation • Artistic Execution of the Game Design • Overall Visual Design • Concept Art • World Environment • Objects, Terrain, VFX • Characters • Modeling + Animation • 2D Art • Textures, Interface
Sound • Aural Execution of the Design • Overall Sound Design • 3D Sound • World Sound • Ambient Sound • Sound Effects • 2D Sound • Music • Interface Sound Effects
We did the exercise last time • Exercise – (this is just a quick one) • Watch Rives on 4AM • http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/rives_on_4_a_m.html • Make up your own conspiracy theory using tenuous and made up connections between disparate people, events , items etc • Translate your new conspiracy theory into a game idea • Do a mod (modification) of the game we built during class.
Lets share our mods. • • I hope you are prepared.
Homework • Favorite Game, Mystery Box and Minisaga • Due next time • Start a journal/sketchbook/scrapbook. • You will work on this all semester • Read pages 76-81 in the textbook • Read readingHomework01 and 02 (these are the posted PDFs)