Multimedia Games Development

COM429M2

Week 2

Early game development

Lecture overview

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

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

Initial game conceptAn idea for a game can be based around a

single/simple concept including

Characters Setting Storyline Innovative game play Technology

Initial game concept Concept can be unique Build on previous work Publishers conservative, prefer tried and tested

formulas Innovation can be successful

Final Fantasy 7 Final Fantasy 8

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

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

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

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

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

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)

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

Project proposal documentProject proposal document follows pitch document

Contains more detail Typically 10 to 20 pages Includes material from the pitch document and

additional support material For assignment 2 you are required to use

template available below.

http://scisweb.ulster.ac.uk/~michael/COM429/Documents/Template_assignment2/Assignment2guidelines.doc

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

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

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

Content: Technologies used Identify unique technological requirements for

your game (hardware/software/peripherals, custom technology)

Licensing considerations (games engine software)

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

Content: Storyline/charactersRelevance of the storyline to the game e.g. integral part of the title or background filler. Thegame 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

Content: Project status

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

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

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

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

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

Document summaryThe proposal summary should reinforce theunique selling points of your title and why youthink it would be successful

Highlight unique selling points again Highlight the development team’s strengths Show consideration of the publisher’s needs

Useful links

Game Pitch Template The Game Proposal Part Two: The Contents E3 Report: Pitching Update: How to Give Your Game Ide

a Legs Getting Published, Part II: How To Approach Game Publi

shers Game Agents, Part 3: A Market-

Driven Game Evaluation Methodology

Multimedia Games Development

COM429M2

Week 2

Early game development