Popular misconceptions about gamedesign
-
Upload
realidades-virtuais -
Category
Education
-
view
107 -
download
2
description
Transcript of Popular misconceptions about gamedesign
© 2010 Related Designs
Matthias NockSenior Game Designer
Years in industry: 6Years in company: 4
Dirk RiegertCreative DirectorHead of Game Design
Years in industry: 8Years in company: 8
© 2010 Related Designs
Your Referees
• Founded in 1995
• More than 25 projects released
• Leading German developement studio
for PC Strategy Games
• Located in Mainz - Germany
• 50+ Employees In-house
Overview
© 2010 Related Designs
• Game developement in time, budget
and quality
• Innovative high-class technology
• Professional Project Management
• An experienced and highly motivated
team
© 2010 Related Designs
Philosophy
2000 – 2003: Becoming strategy experts
• Developing 3+ A-titles for national publishers
• Classic RTS (Real-Time-Strategy) Games
2000 2003 2003
© 2010 Related Designs
Projects – 2000 - 2003
● Best selling PC game in 2006 in Germany(Media Control)
● Avg. Press Ratio: 89% in Germany
● Avg. int. Press Ratio: 78%(gamerankings.com)
● Collected more than 50 Awards
2004 – 2009: The ANNO years
● Team Size was ramped up from 10 to 40+
● Developing first AAA title for Sunflowers
© 2010 Related Designs
Projects – ANNO 1701 / 1701 A.D.
● Released in June 2009
● Avg. Ratio: 90% in Germany
● Avg. int. Press Ratio: 83%(gamerankings.com)
● Collected more than 50 Awards again including the Red Dot Design Award and other high profile awards
2004 – 2009: The ANNO years
● Developing second AAA title for Ubisoft
© 2010 Related Designs
Projects – ANNO 1404 / Dawn of Discovery
Popular Misconceptions About Game Design
© 2010 Related Designs
Introduction
© 2010 Related Designs
Three questionsI‘ll try to answer
• What is a Game Designer?
• What are Game Designers doingall day long?
• What kind of misconceptions arethere about Game Design?
What is a Game Designer?
• Game Designers are artists
• Game Designers live in an ivory tower
• Game Designers rule the development team
• Game Designers are waitingto be kissed by the muse
• Game Designers play gamesall day long
Looking at Clichés
© 2010 Related Designs
„Can you believewe get payed to do this?“
What is a Game Designer?
© 2010 Related Designs
What is a Game Designer ?
• What is a Game?
• What is Game Design?
• What is a Game Designer?
What is a Game Designer?
• A game is not a painting
• A game is not a story
• A game is not a puzzle
• A game is not a toy
What is a Game?
© 2010 Related Designs
What is a Game Designer?
• A game is a balanced system
• A game is a set of rules
• A game is a cause forinteraction
• A game is a source foremotions
all kind of emotions…
What is a Game?
© 2010 Related Designs
What is a Game Designer?
„ A game is a system in whichplayers engage an artificialconflict, defined by rules, thatresults in a quantifiableoutcome.“ Katie Salen/Eric Zimmerman
whAt???????11
A definition
© 2010 Related Designs
systemplayers artificialconflict rules
quantifiableoutcome
What is a Game Designer?
© 2010 Related Designs
What is Game Design?
„Game Design is the act of decidingwhat a game should be.“Jesse Schell
• it is not one decision but hundredsand thousands of them
• You don`t need special tools
• You don`t have to be able to programm or to draw
• You don`t just make decisionsand move on
• You`re not the only one to decide
What is a Game Designer?
• He is a creater of interactivesystems
• He is moderator and dictatorat the same time
• He listens, encourages, challenges and constitutes
• He is someone the teamtrusts to make the rightdecisions
What is a Game Designer?
© 2010 Related Designs
What is Game Designer?
Who are you?I am a Game Designer!Really? You‘re sure?I am a Game Designer!So you design stuff?I am a Game Designer!You mean you play games?I am a Game Designer!Sorry, who are you again?
A matter of will and a question of confidence
I
am
Game
Designer
© 2010 Related Designs
© 2010 Related Designs
What are Game Designers doing all day long ?
• What is a typical day in theoffice like?
• What are his skills?
• What are his tasks?
What are Game Designers doing?
What are Game Designers doing all day long?
10:00 a.m.
11:30 a.m.
14:00 p.m.
15:30 p.m.
17:30 p.m.
Looking at a typicalday in the office
19:00 p.m.
19:30 p.m.
© 2010 Related Designs
Designers must listen
GameDesigner
to the Team
Management
Programmers
Graphic Artists
Level Designers
Quality Assurance
to 3rd Parties
Producer
Marketing
Community
Press
Outsourcing Partners
What are Game Designers doing all day long?
© 2010 Related Designs
What are Game Designers doing all day long?
• Communication
• Documentaion
• Management
• Creativity
• Public Speaking
What kind of skills doesa Game Designer need?
• Analysis
Primary Skills:
© 2010 Related Designs
What are Game Designers doing all day long?
• Brainstorming techniques
• General knowledge
• Visual Arts
• Music and Sound Design
• Cinematography
• Psychology
© 2010 Related Designs
What kind of skills doesa Game Designer need?
Secondary Skills:
© 2010 Related Designs
What are a Game Designer`smost important tasks?
• identify the game`s meaning
• set up the game rules
• properly document the design
What are Game Designers doing all day long?
• build game assets
• specificate and iterate the design
• balance the game
• improve the gameplay experience
What kind of misconceptions are there about?
• A lot of people try to becomeGame Designers for the wrongreason
• Game Design is not abouthaving genius ideas
• or about bossing around the team
• It is not a stage to shine
• It is a professional workenviroment
Misconceptions aboutGame Design
• and a money making business
© 2010 Related Designs
© 2010 Related Designs
1st Misconception:
Mistaking Game Designers forartists• Some Game Designers love to be seen as artists
• then why isn`t it called Game Artist?
• Maybe there is a reason for that
• Maybe even a good reason
• A Designer should not take art as an excuse• for a lack of logic or the absenceof skill
What kind of misconceptions are there about?
© 2010 Related Designs
2nd Misconception:
Refusal of Project Management
• Some Game Designers hate Project Management
• They think Game Design can‘t be planned
• This maybe comes from dreaming of being an artist
• but it‘s wrong!
• Solid planning creates free spacefor Designers
• Good Project Management enablesgood Game Design
What kind of misconceptions are there about?
© 2010 Related Designs
3rd Misconception:
Loss of focus• Some Game Designers fear not knowing enough
• They try to know all areas of developement
• They end up with a lot of dangeroushalf-truths
• instead of focusing on the core of Game design
• as a fundamental discipline for itself
• They lack of focus
What kind of misconceptions are there about?
© 2010 Related Designs
4rth Misconception:
Overestimation of fun
• Many Game Designers think fun is the most important characteristic of a game
• This is a gamer‘s perspective
• Game Designers love to pretendthey‘re gamers
• but they‘re not!
• With the rise of F2P games it‘s hardto deny
• first comes the money, then comesthe fun
What kind of misconceptions are there about?
Rules of PlayKatie Salen and Eric Zimmerman 2004- THE Book about Game Design - Fundamental work of reference- maybe too theoretical to begin with
The Art of Game DesignJesse Schell2008- My favorite book about Game Design - clear and colorful language- lots of useful insights
Literature
© 2010 Related Designs
The End