SE320: Introduction to Computer
Games
Week 2
Gazihan Alankus
10/4/2011
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Outline
• Introduction
• Project
• Today’s class: video game concepts
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Outline
• Introduction
• Project
• Today’s class: video game concepts
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Instructor
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Gazihan Alankuş
METU, BS 2002, MS 2005
WUSTL, PhD 2011 (Working on it)
Some industry experience
I do research on games
Now I get to teach games
reasonable > idealistic
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You
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Introduce in detail, from where, etc.
You and games
Registered? Why?
What do you expect
– from this class?
– to see happen by the end of semester?
• Programmer?
– Java? Eclipse? IDEs? Debugging? Open source? 116?
• Artist?
– Graphic designer? Sound maker?
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We’ll Create Games
• This is the most important thing here!
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Outline
• Introduction
• Project
• Today’s class: video game concepts
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Project
students
ideas
selected ideas
group assignments
pitching
voting
ALL THIS WILL BE NEXT WEEK
I’LL GRADE THE QUALITY OF YOUR PITCH
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Project
• Due next week:
– One page summary of your game idea
• High concept + game treatment (in your book’s terms)
– Three minute presentation on the board (strict
timing, shoot for two)
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Group Assignments
• I’ll make the one-page summaries available
online
• You’ll e-mail me in confidence
– top 10 game choices
– top 5 preferred group members (optional)
– top 5 not preferred group members (optional)
• I will try to assign groups, trying to (and failing at)
making everyone happy
• I will announce them next week, also adding new
people coming from add-drops.
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Project: Create a Game as a Team
• I don’t want to make this difficult for you
– Java and Eclipse!
– Slick2D
– Taught in-class
• Also perfectly fine
– Any other technology (involving programming)
– 3D or 2.5D games
– Less tech support
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Outline
• Introduction
• Project
• Today’s class: video game concepts
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Video Game Concepts
• Read chapters 1 and 2 from your book
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Short Chat about Video Games
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Game Design
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Imagine
Define how it works
Describe its elements in detail
Transmit this to other team members
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Game Design
• Art?
• Science?
Craft
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Anatomy of Game Design
• Common principles can help
• Design is very important
– Creativity
– Hi-tech or fancy-art games are often marked down
for poor game design
• Key elements
– Rules, role, challenges, etc. (we will learn later)
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Three Aspects of Game Design
• Core Mechanics
• Storytelling and Narrative
• Interactivity
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Three Aspects of Game Design
Core Mechanics
• Storytelling and Narrative
• Interactivity
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Core Mechanics
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The “science” of game design
A consistent set of rules
The rules that the game works according to
Examples
– Mario
– World of Goo
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Three Aspects of Game Design
• Core Mechanics
Storytelling and Narrative
• Interactivity
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Story
• What you imagine while dealing with the core
mechanics
– Implicit story, let the player imagine
– Explicit story, run through a plot line
• Linear
• Nonlinear
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Three Aspects of Game Design
• Core Mechanics
• Storytelling and Narrative
Interactivity
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Interactivity
• Graphics
• Sounds
• User interface (buttons, menus, etc.)
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Documenting the Design
• Team with >1 people, have to communicate
the design
• Types of documents
– High concept
• get someone interested
– Game treatment
• let them play it in their imaginations
Target in your
pitches for
next week
– Game script
• detailed design decisions for developers to create it
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Anatomy of a Game Designer
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Imagination
Technical awareness
Analytical competence
Mathematical competence
Aesthetic competence
General knowledge
Writing skills
Drawing skills
The ability to compromise
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Finding an Idea
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Daydream
Ideas from other media
Ideas from other games
Let others share the same dream through the
game
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Elements of a Game
• Game
– Participatory, interactive entertainment
• Rules (actions, moves, etc.)
– How the artificial universe works
– What you can and cannot do
• Role
– Who you are, what you are doing
• Games vs toys and puzzles
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Elements of a Game (cont’d)
Rules
Actions
Challenges
Gameplay
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Elements of a Game (cont’d)
• Victory condition
– Beat previous score
– Finish plot line
– Beat other player
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• Number of players
– Single-player
– Multi-player
• Cooperative
• Competitive
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Elements of a Game (cont’d)
• Setting
– The game world
– Board, stadium, etc.
• Interaction model
– Avatar, omnipresent
• Perspective
– Top-down, isometric, first person, side-scrolling
– Attractiveness vs. practicality
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Elements of a Game (cont’d)
• Role
– James Bond
– Fatih Terim
– Counter-terrorism officer
– Garrett the thief
– Any well-defined
fictional character
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Elements of a Game (cont’d)
• Mode
– Switches in the nature of gameplay
• Structure
– Relationship between modes, rules, why and
when modes change
– Flowchart
• Realism
• Story
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Understanding Your Audience
• Entertaining other people is hard!
• Common characteristics
– Core vs. casual
– Age groups
– Male vs. female
• User testing is indispensable!
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Genres
• Action
Physical challenges, puzzles, races, conflict, economy
– Strategic, conceptual
• Strategy
Strategic, tactical, logistical, economic challenges
– Physical challenges, races, puzzles
• Role-playing
Tactical, logistical, exploration, economic challenges,
puzzles
– Physical challenges
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Genres (cont’d)
• Simulations
Sports, vehicles, physical and tactical challenges
– Exploration, economic, conceptual challenges
• Construction and management
Economic, conceptual challenges
– Physical challenges
• Adventure
Exploration, puzzles, conceptual challenges
• Puzzle
Logical, time pressure, some action
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Hardware
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Game consoles
PCs
Handheld devices
Phones
Other devices
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Design Motivations
• Market-driven games
• Designer-driven games
• License exploitation
• Technology-driven games
• Art-driven games
Integrate elements from multiple goals
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Game Concept Worksheet
• Nature of gameplay
(challenges, actions,
etc.)
• Victory condition
• Role (in relation to
gameplay)
• Game setting (world)
• Interaction model
(avatar, omnipresent,
etc.)
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• Primary perspective
(camera)
• Structure and modes
• Single or multi player,
competitivecooperative
• Story and narrative
• Genre (if an existing one
applies)
• Target audience
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Game Ideas for Next Week
• One-page game summary (e-mail to me
before class)
– Story
– Details
– Small image or background image (optional)
• Three-minute presentation
– Shoot for two
– Pitch your game idea
– Why should people want to work with you?
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