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Game Development Timeline

Game Development Timeline. Mohammad Zikky, M.T. Outline. Game Timeline Team Sizes Game Design Documents. Classic Waterfall Model in Design Process. Game Production Timeline. Inspiration (1 month) Results in game treatment/concept paper Conceptualization (3-5 months)

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Game Development Timeline

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  1. Game Development Timeline Mohammad Zikky, M.T

  2. Outline • Game Timeline • Team Sizes • Game Design Documents

  3. Classic Waterfall Model in Design Process

  4. Game Production Timeline • Inspiration (1 month) • Results in game treatment/concept paper • Conceptualization (3-5 months) • Results in design summary/design document • Story boards and prototype • Technical Architecture (2 months) • Determine the technical details • Results in master technical specification/production document • Tool Building (4 months) • Assembly (12 months) • Levels (4 months) • Review, Testing, … (3 months) • Total (about 2 years)

  5. Game Development Timeline (1 of 5) • Inspiration • getting the global idea of the game • duration: 1 month (for a professional game) • people: lead designer, team discussion • result: treatment document, decision to continue • Conceptualization • preparing the "complete" design of the game • duration: 3 months • people: designer + prototype programmers/artists • result: complete design document • Concept  Define game concept, define core game features, find/assign developer, & estimate budget & due date

  6. Prototypes • Build prototypes as proof of concept • Can take 2-3 months (or more) • Typically done a few months after project start • In particular, used to test game play • Throw prototype away afterwards • Don't expect it to evolve into game! • Game Design Document & Technical Design Document = "The Bibles" • Production budget & detailed schedule • Working prototype, with game mechanics • Focus test • Pitch to Publisher

  7. The Pitch Process: Presentation • Key pitch presentation content: • Concept overview & genre profile • Unique selling points • What makes it stand out from its competitors • Proposed technology & target platform/s • Team biographies & heritage • Outline marketing information, including potential licensing opportunities

  8. The Pitch Process: Prototype • Key game prototype features: • Core gameplay mechanic • Game engine / technological proficiency • Artistic / styling guide • Demonstration of control / camera system • Example gameplay goals

  9. The Pitch Process: Schedule and Budged • Schedule & budget must: • Be detailed and transparent • Allow for contingency scenarios • Have several sets of outcomes for different size publishers • Be realistic

  10. The Deal: Choosing a Publisher Research • Publishers screen Developers • But Developers should also research prospective Publishers: • Are they financially stable? • Do they have appropriate reach for target? • Do they market / PR their games well? • Is there a history of non-payment of milestones or royalties? • Have they produced many titles? • Sometimes you take what you can get!

  11. The Deal: IP (Intellectual Property ) Rights • Intellectual Property Rights include: • Game name • Logos • Unique game mechanics & storyline • Unique characters, objects & settings • Game Source Code including artwork & associated assets • Unique sounds and music • Developers may not have much power • And it probably doesn't matter as many games don’t succeed, anyway

  12. The Deal: Payment Negotiation • Current approximate development costs: • $10+ million for multi-platform • $5 million for PlayStation 2 only • $1 million for a quality single platform • Royalties • Percentage payments of profits made after recoup of development costs • Developer royalties range 0% ("work for hire") to 40% • Other considerations: • Rising-rate royalty: more units sold = higher percentage • Clear royalty definition of 'wholesale price' (i.e., including cost of goods etc.) • Right to audit publishers books • Currency/exchange rate/VAT figures

  13. Moving Project Forward • Most Publishers have a "Green-Light Process" • Used to determine which projects go forward • Developers submit to committee at five, mostly independent stages: • Concept • Assessment • Prototype • First Playable • Alpha • At each stage, committee: • Decides whether or not to continue funding • Developers then get next "lump" of money • Evaluates market potential • Adjusts unit forecasts accordingly • Then, additional stages: • Beta • Gold Master

  14. Game Development Timeline (3 of 5) • Blueprint • separate the project into different tiers • duration: 2 months • people: lead designer, software planner • result: several mini-specifications • Architecture • creating a technical design that specifies tools and technology used • duration: 2 months • people: project leader, software planner, lead architect • result: full technical specification

  15. Game Development Timeline (4 of 5) • Tool building • create a number of (preferably reusable) tools, like 3D graphics engine, level builder, or unit builder • duration: 4 months • people: project leader and 4 (tool) programmers • result: set of functional tools (maybe not yet feature complete) • Assembly • create the game based on the design document using the tools; update design document and tools as required (consulting the lead designer) • duration: 12 months • people: project leader, 4 programmers, 4 artists • result: the complete game software and toolset

  16. Game Development Timeline (5 of 5) • Level design • create the levels for the game • duration: 4 months • people: project leader, 3 level designers • result: finished game with all levels, in-game tutorials, manuals • Review • testing the code, the gameplay, and the levels • duration: 3 months (partially overlapping level design) • people: 4 testers • result: the gold master

  17. Release • Alpha: • When all the features are in, but not all bugs are out. • Beta: • Development team believes all the bugs are out. • No new features except ones to eliminate huge problems. • Release: • No new features! • Everything is done.

  18. Types of Game Design Docs • Concept Document • Proposal Document • Technical Specification • Game Design Document • Level Designs IMGD 1001

  19. Concept Document (1 of 2) • Used to explore game idea in more detail • Often used as a proposal within an organization • Developed by designer or visionary • A short sales pitch: 1-3 pages • May have no art, or amateur art • Many ideas never get farther than this IMGD 1001

  20. Concept Document (2 of 2) • Must include: • Intro • Description • Key features • Genre, spin, flavor • Platform(s) / market data • May also include: • Background / License info • Concept art IMGD 1001

  21. High Concept (1 of 2) • The key sentence that describes your game • MUST get the concept across concisely and quickly • If you can't, it may be too complicated to sell IMGD 1001

  22. High Concept (2 of 2) • Not so good: • "MindRover is a game in which players build and program robotic vehicles to compete in a variety of challenges including battles, races, puzzles, and sports." • Better: • "MindRover is like Battlebots ... but with brains." • Still not good enough • Let's see if we can do better! … (next slide) IMGD 1001

  23. Exercise: High Concept • Pick one of these 4 games • Burnout • Grand Theft Auto • Zelda - Twilight Princess • Dance Dance Revolution • Write a high concept for it • Form groups based on game choice • Agree on one IMGD 1001

  24. Proposal Document (1 of 2) • Used to get a deal • Shown to publishers and 3rd parties • Enough detail to show that the proposal is viable: 5-50 pages • Sales oriented • Big picture • Polished! IMGD 1001

  25. Proposal Document (2 of 2) • Must include: • Revised concept • Market analysis • Technical analysis • Schedule • Budget • Risks • Cost and revenue projections • Pessimistic, likely, optimistic • Art IMGD 1001

  26. Technical Specification (1 of 2) • The 'How' of game design • Contains the architectural vision; technology to be used • Engineering detail • Production detail • Owned by tech director or chief engineer • Can be exhaustive (and exhausting): 10-100 pages IMGD 1001

  27. Technical Specification (2 of 2) • Must include: • Tooling • Art / Music / Sound / Production pipeline • Technology detail • Platform & portability issues • Networking or special tech • Server details • Software engineering info • Major design elements • Key areas of technical risk • Alternatives to risky or expensive sections IMGD 1001

  28. Game Design Document (1 of 2) • Functional spec: The 'What' of the design • Describes the player’s experience and interactions in detail • Could be quite long, several hundred pages, but "enough" is the goal. • Artistic feel • Owned by the game designer • A living document • "The Bible" IMGD 1001

  29. Game Design Document (2 of 2) • Must haves • Game mechanics • User Interface • Visuals • Audio • Story (if any) • Level Specs IMGD 1001

  30. References • Hanna, Philip. Java Games Programming. Queen’s University, Belfast, Ireland • Claypool, Mark. Courses in The Game Development Process, Worcester Polytechnic Institute

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