CO1301: Games ncepts 2015

Dr Nick Mitchell (Room CM 224)email: npmitchell@uclan.ac.uk

Material originally prepared by Laurent Noel

Lecture 2

Commercial Games Development - an Overview

Further Reading Rabin, Introduction to Game

Development: 7.1: "Game Production and Project

Management" 7.2: "Game Industry Roles and

Economics"

Lecture Outline

1. Initial Steps2. Development Breakdown3. Key Development Areas4. Project Management5. Testing & Delivery

Part 1: Initial Steps

There are several initial steps that need to be taken before starting development on a new game:1. Create some game proposals2. Reach agreement within the development

team / company to pursue a particular game3. Create a full game design4. Secure funding

This order is typical, but there are different situations. E.g. An informal team making a freeware

game may only need steps 2 & 3.

Game Selection

We will be looking at steps 1 & 3, game proposals and designs, in detail in the next lecture...

The second step, agreeing which game to develop, is an executive decision taken by company managers.

These decisions usually reflect the interests of the development team, but business needs will also be considered: Marketing concerns Publisher interest Company identity

Game Funding

Usually game development will not commence until the developer has secured funding from a publisher. A cash-rich development company may fund

themselves. As would a publisher’s in-house development

team. As part of the funding agreement a set of

‘milestones’ must be agreed. A milestone is a demonstrable stage in development. Typically a developer is paid each month, provided

that month’s milestones have been reached. We will look at more aspects of games publishing

contracts later in the course.

Part 2: Development Breakdown

A development team has four main subgroups: Programmers Artists (Audio & Visual) Game / Level Designers Management

Teams range in size from 6 to 100.

Larger teams are usually used for major releases or art-heavy games.

Development Timeline

Development goes through several distinct stages illustrated here.

This diagram is quite general, but would be different for some games. E.g. a football game

would have more time spent on core game play rather than levels.

Also, some games may have more time spent on characters than levels.

Part 3: Development Areas - Programming

The programmers usually develop in C++ using a standard development environment like Microsoft Visual Studio.

They will also use game specific tools and API’s (Application Programmer Interfaces), e.g. DirectX or the Havoc physics engine. The TL-Engine that you are using is an example of a

games API. The programming and program design techniques that

you are learning in your other modules are also applicable to creating games. Don’t consider games development as a different

process. Although it is more creative, at its core it is an ordinary software engineering discipline.

Development Areas – Artwork

The artists will realise the concept illustrations using 3D modelling tools such as 3D Studio Max or Maya.

They will also create animations for the characters and objects in the game.

And create 2D graphics if necessary.

•3D modelling tools can be programmed using ‘scripts’.

•Scripts are used to help ‘export’ models into the game engines

•This is one area where art and programming combine.

Development Areas – Game Design

The ‘Game’ designers will continue to work on the game after the design is complete.

They will monitor the game play code and decisions. Game designers are not usually a separate group –

often they also work on the programming or artwork.

•‘Level’ designers work on both sides, combining the art and technology.

•They work on the specific environments and game-play events.

•They often use custom tools – later released as ‘modding’ tools.

The Art / Programming Interface

The collaboration of artists and programmers is unusual to games development.

The interaction is complex and each side must understand the other’s work to a degree.

This aspect of games development can be a source of inspiration or cause great friction.

Those who understand the processes on both sides are highly sought after. Although there are very, very few people

who are commercially skilled in both art and programming.

Other Requirements

There are many other parts needed to make a game: Sound effects and speech Motion capture Front-end menu programming and artwork Network and other hardware support Story text and localisation Instruction manual Etc.

Part 4: Project Management

The game publisher will assign a ‘producer’ to monitor progress on the game.

The producer will visit the developer periodically to ensure milestones are being met. The producer is responsible for ‘signing off’ each

milestone payment. This is the most critical time for a developer.

Both developer and publisher will usually perform project management to determine expected completion dates – although their models may not match! The publisher can usually enforce game design

changes if slippage occurs.

Part 5: Testing & Delivery

A game reaches the ‘alpha’ stage when the major components have been developed, but no testing has been performed.

A game reaches the ‘beta’ stage when all the components are complete and the developer has performed some testing, although the game may still have bugs. Note that the terms ‘alpha’ and ‘beta’ are

sometimes given slightly different meanings.

Part 5: Testing & Delivery

At this point the game will be formally tested, in a facility chosen by the publisher. Console games must be virtually perfect

before release. PC games are more prone to bugs, due to

the variety of hardware. The publisher will create a final ‘Gold Master’

disc. It is sent for reproduction, and copies distributed to the shops.