1 / 13

Game Project Class Introduction: Maximizing Success in Game Development

Learn about game programming experience, team development, overcoming adversity, the importance of demos for professional game developers, and the journey of Marc Olano, an experienced game developer.

pikem
Download Presentation

Game Project Class Introduction: Maximizing Success in Game Development

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. ART 485 / CMSC 493 Game Project Class

  2. Introduction • Game programming experience • Team development • Adversity • Cancelled projects, reassignment • Success • Demo for professional game developers

  3. Who am I? • Marc Olano • BS EE, University of Illinois • Plus Visualization, Theatre Lighting Design • PhD CS, University of North Carolina • First graphics hardware shading • Normal maps, Some ideas used on GPUs • 4 years Silicon Graphics • Cramming shading into non-programmable hardware • Here since 2002 • Sabbatical at Firaxis Games (Civilization V), Epic Games (UE4) • Work w/ 2K, Activision, Big Huge, Treyarch, Oxide

  4. “In the beginning” • This class in 2009 • AAA tools, AAA complexity • Gamebryo + WWise + Scaleform • All used in some real AAA games • All poorly documented, steep learning curve • 1 person-month to integrate Scaleform& Gamebryo • Legal encumbrance

  5. “Riding the pendulum” • This class in 2010 • Tiny teams, Tiny 2D games • Some awesome, some less awesome • Maybe too tiny… • Little programming complexity • I’ve seen High School students do better • OK, so they were Imagine Cup finalist HS students

  6. The Goldilocks Version? • Survival of the fittest • Just like the real world :) • Best ideas get 2-3 person 2-week prototype • Best prototypes get 5-8 person team • 6 weeks development • 2 weeks to refine it • 2 weeks to make it bulletproof • Industry demo

  7. Cool Toys • One project should use our 3D scanner • Creates 3D models and textures of objects & people from 94-camera rig • One project should use PI2 • 6x4 grid of Stereo HD displays with tracking • Crazy high-res VR (11520 x 4320) • 11520 x 4320 anything!

  8. How to Pitch • Look at rubric, due midnight SUNDAY • Create five slide pitch in Google Docs • Share it with me • I will merge into one mondo presentation • 3 minute presentations • Over 3 minutes = -10% (practice!) • +1 minute question(s)

  9. Your Pitch • Slide 1: Elevator pitch • 2 sentences, 10 seconds • Slide 2: Demographics • Who is your target player, why will they like it? • Similar games that succeeded • Slide 3: Mechanic • What do your players do? Why is that fun? • Slide 4: Technical • Time and resources • Slide 5: Style • What will the game look like? (possible screen mock-up) • What is the artistic style? (images from other games or artists)

  10. Considerations • Can this game be finished in a semester? • Does something about it stand out • Artistic style • Unique or unusual tech • Theme or gameplay • Will it enhance your portfolio?

  11. Unity3D / Unreal Engine • In the lab: • Unity • Unreal (not installed, will be soon) • I’llselect the tool I think will work best for you • Unless you have a compelling reason to use something else • And can convince me

  12. Ethics • You can use external toolkits and code • If you have the rights • And you credit them • But you need to make your own game • The design must be yours • The art must be yours • The core game code must be yours

  13. Grading Personal Team 10% Prototype Due 2/19 5% URCAD Draft 2/19, Final 2/22 Attend 4/24 35% Sprints Every two weeks 10% Final demo Schedule in finals week 10% Pitch • Due Sunday 10% Portfolio & Site • Due 5/2 20% Perf. & Attendance • All semester • Your teammates are depending on you! • No text, no final = you must attend

More Related