Chapter I

What are Games?

Vocabulary

1. Game- any activity conducted in a pretend reality that has a core component of play.
2. Play- is any grouping of recreational activity, often centered around having fun!
3. Huizinga's Magic Circle- is a concept stating that artificial effects appear to have importance and are bound by a set of made up rules while inside their circle of use. For example, football
4. Ludology- is the academic study of games for the features that are distinctly related to play
5. Core Mechanics- The particular rules by which a player plays a specific video game. Video games allow players to the rules of the game as they play.
6. Player interaction- a complex human computer interface where the player gives human computer interface where the player gives his input of feedback to the game engine and the engine responses proportionately; this interaction can reside on mouse and keyboard or on game controller but comes in the form of key or button combination and directs the course of action in a game.
7. Randomization- a method by which a computerized system can change the way in which a game is played.  This encourages replayability in games.
8. Gameplay- the way a game is played, especially in the way player interaction meaningful direction and engaging narrative come together to entertain the player.
9. Game pace or flow- the speed at which a player makes interactive actions and is guided through the game.

 Gaming Elements

Industry celebrity Michael E. Moore wrote that there were specific gameplay elements, including the following, inherent in all games, and that you could rate a game's entertainment value based on percentages of each:

• Combat
• Construction or destruction
• Driving or Piloting a vehicle
• Exploitation
• Exploration
• Physical Dexterity
• Puzzle Solving
• Storytelling

Games can be rated for the entertainment value based on the percentage of each element.

For a game to be successful it must have a balance of these elements.  No one specific feature should out weigh another.

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Exercise 1:1

Write a paragraph about a game that you play and describe the elements of the game using the list above.  Explain why it is a successful game.  Paragraph should be at least 7 well structured sentences.

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Graphics

Good Graphics are important to the entertainment value of the game.  

There has long been a debate over which is more important, gameplay or graphics, in video games.  In truth both are of equal value and should be treated as such.

How to be a Game Designer

Game designers fall into several skill-based job classifications. The broadest classification of game designers include:

• Artist-create the game's major thematic style through the development of the concept artwork (preproduction) Characters, props, weapons, vehicles, and monsters.
• Leaders-communicate between the team members and make sure everyone is doing what they should and that development milestones are reached on time.
• Level Artists-take the design documents and the art bibles and use apparatus therein to construct the individual maps, levels and environments players will play through during the course of the game.
• Programmers-make the most money, because they have to script the program code that lets the computer know what to do and how to react to the game's players.
• Sound Engineers-set up Foley sound effects, musical scores, ambient sounds and voiceover narratives to make the game sound so sweet to listen to.
• Writers-not only have to write the storyline for the game, but they also script the dialogue and events that take place in the fame, and write the game manual. 

Basic Skills useful to most game designers

• A huge imagination
• Technical awareness, especially computer knowledge
• Analytical skill (ability to recognize the good from the bad)
• Math skills
• Artistic talent
• Communication skills
• Research skills
• Mental focus and the ability to get things done
• The capability to adapt fast and compromise on major issues

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Exercise 1:2

If you were a professional game designer which job title would you have and explain why. Use the list of attribute to help support your explanation.

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Coming up with your own game ideas

Brainstorm ideas:

• Ask friends what games they like to play
• Watch a movie or read a book.  Think about the possibilities. Ask questions.
• Make a new game from a traditional game.  For example, tic-tac-toe, shoots and ladders...Change it or modify it to try and make it more fun.
• Keep a journal of ideas for games.  Note your source of inspiration in movies, books, games, songs, sports etc...
• Group brainstorm-have fun, use props/toys, Don't criticize, don't judge.  Every idea is a good idea!  However, critique is good for survival of the best ideas!

Write your ideas down

• Game concept- a short description of a game detailed enough to start discussing it as a potential project

Consider your audience:

• Target Audience- a specific group of people to sell to
• Player centric- puts the player first and design game around their expectations
• Core gamers- who routinely play lots of games for the thrill of beating games
• Casual gamers- who play gor satisfaction of the experience and are less intense
• Easter Egg- a secret reward in your game cor gamers notice this
• What is the players role in your game? Active or passive? (Representational-pretend world or Abstract-puzzle)

Game Concept

• A high concept 2-3 sentences description of the game
• Who the player will be in the game and if they have a character they can see on the screen
• What the game world is like, if there is one
• Game genre or why it may not fit one
• Projected gameplay mode, including perspective, interaction and gamer challenges
• Who the target audience of the game will be. including demographics(age, gender)
• The type of machine and input devices the game will run on PC/Mac/Phone/xbox
• Property licenses the game will exploit, if any
• A short summary of how the game will progress from level to level including synopsis of the storyline

Game Design Step-by-Step

There are many steps to designing games. Some games take years to make.
The steps can be broken down into three broad processes:

• Preproduction
• Production
• Postproduction

Preproduction

• Artists come up with an art bible - art concept artwork, drawings of characters, vehiches, environment and weapons.
• Writers pen the design document-tells all the details of the game, including which levels and characters will be in the game and howthe player controls will work.
• A short demo-prototype-to be a proof in concept
• Team leader puts together the game proposal to sell the idea to prospective investors or publishers

Preproduction can take 1 to 6 month to put together

Production

This is the green light phase. This means that the preproduction team has finished and the required tools and financing are in place.  In the production phase design the assets, characters and environment on their computers, the writers set out dialogue and scripted events, the programmers code the controls and character behaviors and the leaders make sure no one walks off the job!

Postproduction

After the game is finished it is not complete!  Testing, QA (quality assurance), and and bug fixing are initiated for the duration of the postproduction phase, followed by a public relations campaign to get the game noticed by the target market.