Ideating and Conceptualizing a Game

Lesson 1

Exam Objective Matrix

Skills/Concepts MTA Exam Objectives

Ideating a Game Differentiate among game types (1.1)Differentiate among game genres (1.2)Understand the different game platforms (2.5)

Creating the Game Concept

Understand player motivation (1.3)

Ideating a Game • Identifying the idea of a game is the

first step in the game development process.

• The idea for a game encapsulates defining the motivation for the set of players you are targeting.

• A good game begins with a strong idea, which comes from understanding what motivates people for playing games.

Identifying the Motivation • Identifying the motivation behind

playing games involves finding the reasons for which people play video games.

• Playing games satisfies three psychological needs of people: – Achievement– Recognition– Satisfaction

Fulfilling Basic Needs• The three psychological and

emotional needs manifest into one or more of the following basic needs:– Quest– Learning– Task management– Determination– Competence – Thrill

Identifying the Target Audience• The game motivation varies with the

type of players. • While ideating for a game, it is

important to identify the target audience or group of people for whom the game is meant. – Casual players– Hard-core players– Intermediary players– Professional players

Identifying the Game Genres• Video games are classified into

various genres based on the type of player’s interaction with the game called gameplay.

• You decide the genre of the game based on the motivation and the target audience identified for the game.

Common Genres• Action

– First-person shooter (FPS)

– Third-person shooter (TPS)

• Adventure• Sports• Simulation

• Role-playing game (RPG)

• Fantasy• Card• Board• Education

First-person Shooter vs. Third-person Shooter

Halo 4 (FPS) Gunstringer (TPS)

Adventure Games

Kinect Adventures Fable II

Identifying the Game Type• Games can be of various types:

online or offline, single player or multiplayer, and console, PC, arcade, or mobile games.

• “Game type” not used consistently.– Some take it to mean “genre– Some use it to refer to the “platform”– Others believe it means the “online

status”• Some examples on the next slide…

Selecting the Game Type• Common categorization methods:

– Game Status (online, offline)– Number of players (one, two, many)

• Single player games• Multiplayer games• Massively multiplayer online role-

playing games– Gaming platform used (Console, PC,

Mobile, Arcade)

Platform Examples• Console:

– Full size: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii

– Handheld: Nintendo 3DS, PlayStation Portable (PSP)

• Mobile:– Windows Phone 8, iPhone, iPad,

Amazon Kindle, various Android powered devices

Platform Examples

Console (Xbox 360) Arcade• [Prod: Please insert

Figure01-11]

Creating the Game Concept• Creating a game concept or

conceptualizing your game means giving a concrete shape to your ideas for the game.

• This process involves creating a mission statement, storyline, gameplay, and mechanics of the game.

Parts of the Game Concept• The final objective of the game or the

mission statement • The plot or the storyline • Various interactive and

noninteractive elements of the game or the gameplay

• The flow of the game or game mechanics

The Game Concept Creation Process

Writing the Mission Statement• The purpose behind writing a mission

statement is to clearly pass on the idea of the game to the game production team.

• A basic mission statement must answer three questions:– What is the objective of the game?– What challenges does the game

present to the player?– How will the player achieve the

objective?

Writing a Good Mission Statement• To write a good mission statement,

you need to ask yourself the following questions:– How should the player act and feel in

the game?– What role should the player perform in

the game?– Does the player have a well-defined

objective?– What are the obstacles in achieving the

objective?– What kind of resources will the player

have?

Missing Statement Tips• Involve everyone connected to the

game and brainstorm together. Others also can provide useful insights.

• Set aside several hours to work on your statement.

• Make every word of the mission statement count.

• Avoid making a generic mission statement.

A Good Example• Example mission statement:

– "Creating a game that will be set with challenges not just from your opponent, but also from nature. The only way to survive is to live, but remember that the tyrant is watching."

– Objective: to survive against all odds– Challenges: an opponent player and elements

of nature designed for the game– Method: live or ensure that the player’s

character remains alive at the end of the game

Creating a Storyline• The storyline of a game is the

underlying plot that defines the flow of the game from start to finish.

• A good storyline is the primary ingredient for creating an engaging game.

• Parts:– Purpose: who, what, when, where, why

& how– Complexity: add this in after you

answer the purpose questions

Common Storyline Mistakes• Too much dependence on lovable,

friendly characters.– Carefully analyze your target audience

to determine their likes and dislikes here.

• Too many fetch quests.– Making the player go in circles just to

make the game longer brings the story to a halt.

• Overuse of “turnarounds”.– Making players return the same way

they just traveled, often used with fetch quests.

Conceptualizing the Gameplay• A gameplay describes various

elements through which the player interacts with the game.

• These include the visual theme and cinematic, objects and characters in the game, user interface, and the audio theme.

• Gameplay is largely influenced by two things: game setting and the storyline of the game.

Game Setting• Game setting: the procedures that

players use for setting up or personalizing a game.

• Examples:– Typing in the player’s personal

information, such as the player’s name

– Choosing the character that the player wants to play

– Allowing players to design their avatars

Storyline• The storyline is the birthplace of

gameplay because the storyline sets the mood of the game.

• A strong storyline creates an excellent game experience with various gameplay elements in the game.

Gameplay Types• Linear:

– The challenges are predetermined in a fixed sequence

– The gamers have to follow the predetermined plot in this gameplay type

– Halo 3, Call of Duty 4

• Nonlinear:– The challenges are posed to the player in

multiple sequences– The gamers can choose their choice of path to

victory– Borderlands, Alpha Protocol

Gameplay Elements• While conceptualizing a game, you

conceptualize the following gameplay elements:– Visual theme and cinematic– Objects– Characters– User interface (UI)– Audio theme

Visual Theme• The visual theme helps set the stage

for the game. – Creating a visual theme involves deciding a

common background, color pallet, and effect for all the visual elements of the game, so that they all look like they belong to the same game.

• The visual theme has to go hand-in-hand with the idea of the game.– For a reality-based game, you need to

thoroughly research the background to create a visual theme.

Cinematics• Cinematic or cut-scenes are sections in the

game where the player does not have any control.

• Before creating a cinematic sequence, you must outline the goals by answering the following questions:– Why must the player watch the cinematic

elements?– What kind of reaction from the player is the

cinematic intended to elicit?– Will the cinematic inform the player about the

game and the characters?– Do you want the cinematic to showcase the game’s

graphics?

Objects• Objects are the visual elements of a

game that complete a scene in the game and make it look real. – In a car racing game, all the elements that

constitute a gas pump where the car stops to take fuel are objects.

• The player may or may not be able to interact with all the objects.– The player may be able to click the hose to fill

up the car but may not be able to swipe the credit card machine placed in the scene.

Characters• The character in a game represents the player.

– The player should be able to recognize and identity with the character.

• Answering these questions will help you create your character’s persona:– How will the physique of the character be?– What does the character eat? – Where does the character live?– What is the character’s routine?– How does the character behave when angry or surprised?– Does the character have a unique catchphrase?– How does the character feel about the game situation?– Who is the character: villain, hero, mentor, ally, or some other?

User Interface (UI)• User interface (UI) is a collective term referring

to the onscreen elements through which a player interacts with the game.

• The UI helps the player access information about the game world and the status of his or her character.

• The UI elements in a game include:– Menus– UI components (for example, different

character avatars)– Text– Icons– Layout – Color

User Interface: Good vs. Bad

Good User Interfaces• A well-designed UI

makes the game easier to play.

• The player can easily assess the situation and respond accordingly.

• The player can focus on the game itself and not the interface, thus increasing enjoyment of the game.

Bad User Interfaces• A poorly designed UI

makes it harder for the player to identify what needs to be done or what resources are available

• This results in frustration for the player and ruining of what might otherwise be a good game.

Well Designed UI Characteristics• Intuitive• Responsive• Customizable

• Relevant• User friendly

Audio Theme• A great game depends on a great

audio theme.• To choose the best audio theme, you

need to consider the following questions:– Will each character have a unique voice?– How does the characters’ sound or dialogs

function in the game?– What types of music work best with the game?– Where in the game will the music play?– What types of sound effects work best in the

game?

Defining the Game Mechanics• Game mechanics is all about how a

game operates. – Game rules, challenges, activities to

be performed, goals required to win the game

• All games have the same mechanics; only their complexity differs.

• Consider each of the following elements of game mechanics in your conceptualization:– Quest, task, activities, how to gin,

game goals

The Game Mechanics Cycle

Common Game Mechanics• Quest:

– Kill quest, collection quest, target quest

• Tasks:– Like a quest, but may not always

yield a reward• Activities:

– Loss avoidance, eliminating opponents, logic, races, scoring

Recap• Identifying the Motivation• Identifying the Target Audience • Identifying the Game Genre• Identifying the Game Type• Writing the Mission Statement• Creating a Storyline• Conceptualizing the Gameplay• Defining the Game Mechanics