5p hop s k r o m-w video gam an interac e design tive worksh op with Ro b ert French
welcome! who is this guy and why should I care? this presentation is copyright Robert French all rights reserved licensed to trios college
it s all about the games "Video Game Design is the process of designing the content and rules of a video game in the pre-production stage; and designing the gameplay, environment, storyline, and characters in the production stage. - Wikipedia Warning!!! 1. No one just walks into a game designer position for someone else, you have to work your way up the ranks and prove that you know what you're doing. 2. The job title "game designer" has a different meaning for just about every game studio. It could be the pre-production design on the game, but it could also be designing the lighting of a specific level during production or planning a cut-scene for the post-production / polish stage of the product.
it s all about the games What is a game blah blah blah blah, blah blah blah blah A brief history of video games blah blah blah, blah blah blah blah!
it s all about the games What I DO want to get into, is the actual first steps to designing video games. The first part of that Wikipedia definition. "The Process of designing the content and rules". I believe that you're all here because you either "have a game idea" and you want to take the next step, or you "want to understand" at least part the process of going from idea to published game.
it s all about the games The first step in any endeavor (including video game design) is coming up with an idea. Who has an idea? Who wants to share their idea? Who is afraid that their idea will be stolen?
it s all about the ideas! Don t: Keep your ideas to yourselves. Work in a silo without feedback. Believe that an idea is worth anything (it s not) Do: Talk about your ideas with anyone who will listen. Listen to the feedback you receive. Work on an MVP (Minimum Viable Product)
it s all about the ideas! Why no one can steal your great game idea: Its not that great Its already been done They have their own great ideas The end product would be completely different Building a video game is a journey, not a destination. Before we jump into this journey I want to give you a little food for thought
it s all about the ideas! Something to think about I challenge you to name a video game that would be considered a successful game, that does not have the one following thing.
it s all about the ideas! Want to know what it is? A constant sense of accomplishment.
the psychology Understanding what motivates is important if you want people to play and enjoy your games. Knowing why we seemingly need this sense of accomplishment, will not only help you understand why the video game industry is the largest form of entertainment in the world but also how to ensure your players become raving fans.
the psychology 100 years ago We lived in an industrial era. We worked at widget cranking jobs. There was no confusion in what we needed to do. We had a sense of accomplishment all day. Un-cranked widget. Widget cranking device. Accomplishment!
the psychology The here and now We live in an information era. Jobs are complex: Require a cross section of skills Projects are 24 months+ Cognitive by nature vs. mechanical by nature. Once a job or project is finished. There is a meeting (post-mortem) Your next project is in your in-box by the time you re out of the meeting. It s likely bigger and more ambiguous than the last.
the psychology The video game industry is providing the sense of accomplishment we ve lost in our day to day jobs. Did you know? The video game industry beat out the box office AND the music industry combined in 2013? People choose to play games because the technology is in their hands and it s giving them the sense of accomplishment they are missing. (mobile is the fastest growing segment of the industry)
it s all about the? Make sure your ideas include this sense of accomplishment for the player from day one. Ask yourself: Why do I want to keep playing this game? Fun while subjective, can be tied to the little wins we give the player along the way.
it s all about the fun? Lets take a deep dive into the three components that make up fun in a video game.
it s all about the fun? We design our game play with mechanics. jump run Game Mechanics Pickup Shoot
it s all about the fun? We build games hoping for an aesthetic Smart Successful In control How do we want our player to feel? Challenged
it s all about the fun? We ultimately can t control the player! Destroy everything How the player interacts with the mechanics generates the aesthetic Play without killing
it s all about the fun? Aesthetics Interaction So how do we control the aesthetics (what we want the player to experience) if it s ultimately up to their own interaction with the games mechanics that determine the fun-ness. Mechanics We need to playtest to ensure we are generating the right kind of aesthetics.
a quick case study. Mechanic #1 If the player kills a game character and they have money, the character will drop their money. Mechanic #2 If the player drives a sex worker to a dark place on the map, the car will rock back and forth and the players health will go up while their money goes down.
a quick case study.
all about game design Now that you ve been introduced to some high level concepts that are important to keep in the back of your mind. What now? Lets recap what I hope you ve picked up so far. Then we will jump into the game design process.
a quick recap. The video game industry is the largest form of entertainment on the planet. Understanding the psychology of the player can help us to make games that they will enjoy. Sharing our thoughts and getting feedback regularly from our designs can be the reason for success or fail.
a quick recap. Thinking we know what our players want is an obvious assumption and we need to challenge all assumptions. When designing games, thinking about how the user will interact with the mechanics to produce an aesthetic we desire is part of the puzzle. Nothing will replace play testing your games and it is a MUST DO (assuming you want to be successful).
any questions so far? The dumb question is the one you have but don t ask.
all about game design Finally!!! The nuts n bolts of designing a game Back to your crazy game ideas A plumber that jumps on the heads of mushrooms to save his girlfriend? A yellow creature eats dots while being chased by ghost monsters? A group of birds have their eggs stolen by pigs? The base idea can (and to begin with, should) be simple.
all about game design If you don t have an idea yet, here are some ways to help that creative process: Read something you normally wouldn t read. Take a walk, drive or shower. Attend a lecture. (like this one) Play a BAD game. Play a game you wouldn t normally choose. Go out and go somewhere different. Cram your head full of random images.
all about game design Get the idea OUT OF YOUR HEAD! Your brain doesn t have a brain. Use cognitive artifacts (pencil & paper). Start listing all the things you want in your game. You NEED to document the game idea! This helps to flush out the idea and find holes. Formally this is called a GDD - a living document. GDD stands for Game Design Document.
all about game design Once upon a time What's the story, morning glory? Here is a simple (loose) story template for you to use: there is a hero who has a desire. some event happens, making the desire difficult. the hero tries to overcome the problem & fails. there is a reversal of fortune bringing greater risk. there is one last problem that threatens the hero. the hero must resolve the final problem to gain the object of desire and live happily ever after.
all about game design Who is the story really for? The three types of people in your audience. Players who are into the story as it unfolds. Players who want to get into the depth of the story. Players who really don t care at all about the story. You need to cater to the first two types and try not to irritate the last type.
all about game design Popular Game Genre s Action GTA / Arcade Games (1942) Adventure Ori and the Blind Forrest / The Cave / Warcraft Augmented Reality Watchdogs Casual / Mobile Bejeweled / Angry Birds Educational Bot colony / Carmen Sandiego Party SSMP / Mario Party Puzzle Portal / Fez / Braid Rhythm Guitar Hero Shooter COD / Counter Strike Simulation The Sims / Sim City Sports Soccer / Hockey / Basketball / Skateboarding Strategy Chess / Starcraft Traditional Board Games
all about GDDs back to the GDD! this shouldn t be daunting. start with the one pager just to get going. expand it up-to ten pages (30 pages max). unless your game is really complex build out a beat chart. put it all together. remember this shouldn t be daunting ready?
all about GDDs the one pager: game title (or development title) intended system / platform target demographic (age is important) intended ESRB rating summary of the game story focus on gameplay distinct modes of gameplay (single / multiplayer) unique selling points competitive products / other games
ESRB ratings all about GDDs
all about GDDs USPs (unique selling points) bullet points found on the back of the box. you should strive for five unique features that make your game stand apart from all the others. some examples: experience better then reality physics with so much fun, you might just wet yourself! over 5,000 songs to choose from multiple game-play modes including a free for all these usually sound like marketing pitches because they are!
all about GDDs competitive products ( comps ) games that are similar to your game design idea. use well known and successful games for this. putting comps in your GDD help readers understand what your game is all about. publishers are aware of how well a previous game sold always pick a winning horse. example: Super Mario meets GladOS from Portal. Link from Zelda adventure / Gauntlet crawler
all about GDDs expand to the ten pager use the rule of three s First point gives the reader an idea of what you re talking about Second point gives a comparison or contrast to the first point Third point contrasts or compares to the first two keeping your example from feeling binary. more than three and its too long and boring. never be too long or too boring.
all about GDDs the ten pager outline page 1 the title page game title intended systems / platforms target demographic intended ESRB rating projected ship date game logo(s)
all about GDDs the ten pager outline page 2 game outline game story summary start with the 1 page summary and flesh out the games story. this should only be a few paragraphs long. tell the beginning, middle and end of the story. game flow briefly describe the games action in the context of the locations the player will find themselves in. answer the following in this section: what are the challenges and how are they overcome? how does the progression / reward system work? what is the ultimate win condition?
all about GDDs the ten pager outline page 3 character here we want to identify the background information of the main character(s) (Age / Gender / Race / Past) or whatever is relevant. be descriptive, the form should follow the function and you should be able to take this description and produce concept art from it. make sure that the information about the character relates in some way to the story of the game (or omit it). start thinking about the controls for your character and feel free to include a basic map of the character controls.
character control map
all about GDDs the ten pager outline page 4 gameplay here you detail out the sequence of gameplay and how it s presented to the player. are there multiple story chapters? is your game divided into levels or rounds? outline any mini-games. use descriptive words like: move, tap, pinch and swipe. diagrams and sketches can be a huge asset to this part of the GDD.
all about GDDs the ten pager outline page 5 game world present images and description of the game world. be sure to list any and all of the environments that were mentioned in the story if they are relevant to the gameplay. how are the locations connected? what moods are being invoked in each area? what type of music or lighting will be used in each? include sample maps or flowcharts showing how the player will navigate the world(s)
all about GDDs the ten pager outline page 6 game experience remember the aesthetics we were striving for this is where we describe what we want that to be like for our players. what do players first see when the game starts? what emotions or moods are you trying to convey? how are you using music or light to convey the feel? how do users navigate the shell of the game? (the UI or HUD) are there mini-games? make sure you ve described them. are there any special play modes? what about movies or cutscenes?
all about GDDs the ten pager outline page 7 gameplay mechanics mechanics that aid the player (jump & shoot) hazards that harm the player (swinging axes) pick-ups (are they optional or needed) power-ups (do they last forever or a duration) collectibles (related to the game / just additional) any economies / stores / merchants / inventory make sure you describe any and all of the above in this section of the GDD.
all about GDDs the ten pager outline page 8 enemies they all want you dead you know. if a hazard uses AI its technically an enemy. what enemies do we find in the game? what makes them unique? how does the player defeat them? are there any boss characters? what are their personalities? how does the player defeat them? what do they get for defeating them?
all about GDDs the ten pager outline page 9 multiplayer & bonus materials any bonus materials or unlockables in your game? achievements? special achievements? how are these rewarded? is there an in game system or an external system? what is the replay value of your game? are you planning any DLC? what is the scope of the new content?
all about GDDs the ten pager outline page 10 monetization free to play or freemium? is there a cost up front to buy the game? additional in game purchases? if you make your game free ensure that the game can be finished for free. publishers that make free games difficult or impossible unless you make in-game purchases are assholes. make sure you keep it ethical (don t be an asshole)
all about GDDs gameplay progression introducing gameplay to players can be tricky. (here are some suggestions) players start from ground 0 (no gear, skills or abilities). players are presented several skills that they need to unlock over time (gate with money or pickups). players have some skills but don t know how to use them yet. players have all the power to begin with but loose them and have to start with nothing after an initial boss fight.
all about GDDs the beat chart all beat charts need the following level / environment name. time of day (in the context of the game) story elements for level gameplay focus of the level (progression) estimated play time color scheme of level / environment enemies, mechanics & hazards introduced and used. power-ups, collectibles & bonus material in the level. music tracks to be used / mood of the level
level: example beat chart level: name: time: story: progression: est. play time color map: enemies: mechanics: hazards: power-ups: mainland / center of desert the barren wasteland day (high noon) Deed has moved from the edge of the desert into the barren wasteland on his way to the cave of despair. during the first minute, deed will have a flash of using a long sword which can be found in the cave of despair. There will be many enemies along the way 15 min to 20 min brown / burnt scorpions / snakes / day phantoms run / jump / invisible / short teleport quicksand / falling cave celling The magical cactus collectibles: Gold / magical cactus / abilities: bonus material: music: mood: summoning of cool air None mid beat / hot summer soundtrack Upbeat and hurried
all about GDDs tips for building out your beat charts too many new enemies or mechanics being introduced at once is a bad idea, don t do it. too may similar combinations of enemies and mechanics gets repetitive quickly, don t bore the player. the time of day, color & light in levels needs to change to prevent a feeling of repetition as well. make sure there is enough variation in music tracks in levels. keep an eye on the economy, players should be able to afford the items they need for a specific level without too much work. introduce enemies and hazards with the items needed to defeat them so the player can make the association.
all about GDDs more tips for building out your beat charts determine when the player will have everything they need in the game. (3/4 of the way through is a good rule of thumb) look out for too much story, you want the story balanced over the whole game in an even way each level that feels natural. Be reasonable in the way you introduce the mechanics and hazards. (don t expect the player to do a double jump if you haven t forced them to do a single jump) remember to mix things up in later levels to keep the player interested.
all about GDDs The dirty truth about the GDD no one really wants to read them. no one ever wants to keep them up to date. the GDD is for everyone on the team and there is no reason not to make it interesting. developers will take the details from the GDD and produce a TDD (technical design document) so try to get in as many details about the mechanics and gameplay as you can. this is just 1 way to build a GDD (there is no law)
the three Cs the three Cs are: The Characters The Cameras The Controls These are really the golden tickets to any game. If you don t decide on these early and make it a rule to never let them change, you will run into problems and delays. consider yourselves warned!
other tools we ve covered a lot of ground here today. But I want to make sure we talk about just a few more things that can make your lives designing games easier. Storyboards: Flushing out screen progressions using storyboards before you dive into building can uncover holes in your design. The backlog: Setting up a place to capture all of the great ideas you have while your designing is a smart idea. If you don t heed this advice, you will waste time.
in closing We ve made it to the end of this little workshop. I hope that you ve learnt some good stuff that you can use in your own game designs. I want to encourage you to design something awesome and take action. If you have any feedback / flames / thoughts, I would love to hear them.
questions? the hard part in asking a question is sometimes just accepting that its OK to not know the answer. i don t know of anyone that believes someone seeking information about something they are interested in is dumb. if you re interested and want to know, ask! (don t worry about what other people think)
resources and thanks Content of this presentation: Personal and professional experience of Robert French. Adapted material from Level Up by Scott Rogers. (highly recommended book) Google search for control maps, gta3 & Super Mario sounds. GDD of Deed (a game in development by Robert French). Special thanks to trios Toronto for arranging this afternoon! I happen to know for a fact that they have great game design and game development programs that provide students with not just the education and skills to make games, but also the hardware and internships to get into the game. Extra special thanks to YOU!! This workshop exists because of your interest. go make great games!