LD_DigiPen_talk
Transcript of LD_DigiPen_talk
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Who is Zipper? Developers of the SOCOM:
U.S. Navy SEALs franchise on PlayStation 2
Created Crimson Skies and Mechwarrior 3 on PC (remember that old platform?)
Based in Redmond, Washington
150 Developers from around the world
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Who am I? Creative Director at Zipper Interactive Lead Designer on SOCOM: Fireteam Bravo
I & II of PSP Prior to Zipper, worked on Tom Clancy’s
Splinter Cell and the Harry Potter series A level and game designer for over a
decade The only one not looking at the camera in a
group shot with 150 people.
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“Old School” Level Design?
FINAL PRODUCT(APPLAUSE)
ART CODE DESIGN
LEVEL DESIGN
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What is level design really?
FINAL PRODUCT(APPLAUSE)
ART CODE DESIGN
LEVEL DESIGN
CREATING THE TOOLS
CRAFTING THE EXPERIENCE
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Modern Practices?
FINAL PRODUCT
ART
CODE
LEVEL DESIGN
LEVEL DESIGN
DESIGN
BRING ORDER TO CHAOS
Initi
al D
esig
n Polish
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Why the change?
Arms race of “Spectacle”
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Why the change?
Cost of development
Arms race of “Spectacle”
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Why the change?
Cost of development
Increased team sizes
Arms race of “Spectacle”
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Why the change?
Cost of development
Increased team sizes
Separation of specialities
Arms race of “Spectacle”
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Why the change?
Cost of development
Increased team sizes
Separation of specialities
Arms race of “Spectacle”
WELCOME TO
HOLLYWOOD
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Get me out of here!
Wait…it’s not all bad. Level designers may not be “Where the rubber hits the road” -- Tim Willits
as much, but they have several critical functions!
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Level designers must:
•Be the player’s advocate in the development process
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Level designers must:
•Be the player’s advocate in the development process
•Maintain that realism is not the end goal of a game (remember authantasy)
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Level designers must:
•Be the player’s advocate in the development process
•Maintain that realism is not the end goal of a game (remember authantasy)
•Be the one to combine mundane ingredients in creative ways
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Level designers must:
•Be the player’s advocate in the development process
•Maintain that realism is not the end goal of a game (remember authantasy)
•Be the one to combine mundane ingredients in creative ways
•Tell the story through interactivity – the heart of our medium
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The “lunch special” paradigm:
My dad’s opening premise for new clients:
• Done well• Done fast• Done cheap
… but they can only pick two
As a level designer, everyone seems like a client