Interactive Multimedia Games Development COM631

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Interactive Multimedia Games Development COM631

• Week 2 Early game development

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Revised schedule
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Lecture overview

• Initial game concept
• Concept development process
• Publishers objectives
• Game pitch document
• Project proposal document
• Links for further reading

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Learning outcomes

• Have an overview of the initial stages of a
  computer game development process
• Identify the steps from initial game concept to
  the production of a project proposal
• Understand the structure/content of each document
  in the early stages of the development process
• Generate content to create documents

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Initial game concept

• An idea for a game can be based around a
• single/simple concept including
• Characters
• Setting
• Storyline
• Innovative game play
• Technology

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Initial game concept

• Concept can be unique
• Build on previous work
• Publishers conservative, prefer tried and tested
  formulas
• Innovation can be successful

Final Fantasy 8
Final Fantasy 7
Zelda Wii
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Development process

• Initial game concept
• Process of refinement and tuning
• Decision time (game elements, storyline etc)
• Concept art creation
• Game pitch document creation
• Detailed project proposal creation

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Publishers objectives

• Be aware of publishers objectives
• Publishing strategy, focused or shotgun
• Adversity to risk
• Time scale/timing constraints
• Targeted platform and preferred technologies
• Game focus, spin out from film, sequel etc

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Considerations (Concept)

• Game type, scope, challenges and art
• Identify type of game play (Good game play is
  essential and should not be compromised due to
  time or financial constraints)
• Determine game scope to estimate costs and
  timeline/scale for implementation
• Consider the technical challenges involved in the
  game development process to assess the level of
  risk involved
• Create some concept art

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Pitching your game

• The pitch document should summarise the
• objectives of the proposed game
• Aids in assessment of title viability/feasibility
• Sells the game
• Format should be concise and focussed
• Game Pitch Template

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Game pitch document format

• Introduction, brief outline of the game concept
• Player motivation (what does the player do)
• Unique selling point (why make this game/back of
  box pitch)
• Target market/rating (Children, adult, niche,
  mass market, sequel)
• Genre
• Platform (Wii, Xbox, cross platform)
• License (Film/book rights, history)
• Cost
• Completion date
• Team
• Languages
• Contact details
• Article on preparing a product pitch

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Game objectives

• What goals are there for this title
• Objectives for overall player experience
• Game mood e.g. exciting, horror, humor
• Achieving mood/objectives
• Total player experience (summary of final
  experience)

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Competitive analysis

• Survey of existing titles and competitors (now
  and
• future)
• Similar titles in the genre
• Unique selling point, what will your game do
  better
• Consideration of future technologies/releases and
  platform developments

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Project proposal document

• Project proposal document follows pitch
• document
• Contains more detail
• Typically 10 to 20 pages
• Includes material from the pitch document and
  additional support material

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Content Title hook

• Game hook is the unique selling point that will
• attract players to the game
• Includes rationale, who would buy the title and
  why
• Highlight best game features
• Game hooks can be based on any elements of
• the game including audiovisuals and storyline

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Content Game play mechanics

• Describes what the player does in the game.
• Lists several game elements that describe the
  user experience of playing the game.
• Includes challenges, actions and activities the
  players encounter

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Content Online elements

• Description of online/multiplayer functionality
• Scale/scope of multiplayer functionality
• Type of multiplayer interaction e.g.
  cooperative/competitive
• Infrastructural considerations, servers and
  player finder services

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Content Technologies used

• Identify unique technological requirements for
  your game (hardware/software/peripherals, custom
  technology)
• Licensing considerations (games engine software)

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Content Audio/visual

• Discuss special requirements related to art and
  audio
• Focus on those that have an impact on the games
  unique selling points
• Could include motion capture for a character
  animation or licensed/professionally scored music

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Content Storyline/characters

• Relevance of the storyline to the game
• e.g. integral part of the title or background
  filler. The
• game proposal summary should include
• Main plot
• Main characters
• Challenges facing the characters
• Game bosses/villains
• The means by which the player overcomes the game
  challenges

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Content Project status

• Current level of game development/production
• Level of game design and implementation
• Availability of a working prototype

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Content Cost and timescale

• Estimated summary of the projects costs
• Timescale for design/implementation and final
  release
• Consideration of the profitability of the title,
  break even point, level of sales etc

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Content Development team

• Identify project team
• Clarify individual roles
• Identify level of experience/previous titles the
  team worked on together
• Experienced development teams should
• greatly increase your chances of getting your
• project funded and up and running

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Content Risk consideration

• Include a list of potential problems.
• Identify why these factors will impact on the
  game development
• Identify steps to minimise/eliminate risk

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Content Concepts

• Include concept drawings and sketches of
• elements from the game including
• Main characters
• Races/classes
• Levels/scenes
• Interface layout
• Design style e.g. photorealistic, cartoon

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Document summary

• The proposal summary should reinforce the
• unique selling points of your title and why you
• think it would be successful
• Highlight unique selling points again
• Highlight the development teams strengths
• Show consideration of the publishers needs

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Examples GDC 2007

• From Design to Product A Model for Independent
  Game
• Production
• Nick Soutter
• Overview So you've got an idea? Congratulations!
  Now what?
• This lecture will focus on how to turn your idea
  into reality, with
• practical examples and concrete methods drawing
  from an
• experienced developer. Learn how to start a small
  game company
• and leverage limited resources (10K or less) to
  get your game
• developed into a commercial product.
• From Design to Product A Model for Independent
  Game Production

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Useful links

• Game Pitch Template
• The Game Proposal Part Two The Contents
• E3 Report Pitching Update How to Give Your Game 
  Idea Legs
• Getting Published, Part II How To Approach Game P
  ublishers
• Game Agents, Part 3 A Market-Driven Game Evaluati
  on Methodology
• Laird-Arcade design template

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Assignment 1 Overview

• Assignment 1 Analysis and critical evaluation of
  
• Dare to be Digital competition entries
• Total available marks 10
• Individual assignment
• Due 07/10/08 (Week 3)
• Dare Website

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Assignment 1 Overview

• Analysis and critical evaluation of Dare to be
  Digital competition entries
• Allocated a number of Dare to be Digital 2008
  finalists
• Review and critically assess the teams entry
• Gain an insight into the title implementation and
  how the teams managed time/tasks in the
  development process
• Create a short report and presentation for the
  class

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Topics should include

• Intended audience, genre for the game title
• Quality of 100 words games pitch
• How new or novel was the title?
• Types of game play challenges used
• Composition and roles of team members
• Level of completion of final entry
• Quality of final deliverable e.g. 3D
  models/textures, gameplay etc.
• Overall team experience as shown by their weekly
  video diaries

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Assignment 1 Output

• Report and class presentation. Report format
• Size 6-8 A4 pages (maximum), not including
  appendixes or references
• Font Times New Roman
• Font Size 12
• Spacing Single line
• Style Technical/Formal

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Assignment 1 Output

• Submission Guidelines for presentation
• Powerpoint presentation of appropriate length.
• Submission Details
• Assignments should be submitted on day of
  presentation.

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Assignment 1 Deliverables

• Hard copy of report and presentation slides
• CDROM containing digital copy of report and
  presentation slides
• Presentation to class in week 3

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Assignment 1 Mark Allocation
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Work plan

• This week
• Gamebryo tools
• Next week
• Assignment 1 Presentations
• Gamebryo tools

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Interactive Multimedia Games Development COM631

• Week 2 Early game development