A History of Games
staffan.bjork@chalmers.se
But First!
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Supervision today
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Time: 13.00-15.00
My Office, floor 4, House Svea
Reminder
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Deadline for assignment #1 is on Tuesday
Instructions available on the course web site
Today’s lecture
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History of Games
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Before Computer Games
History of Computer Games
Computer Games today & tomorrow
Famous Game Designers
Intended takeaways
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Overviews of types of games & the game industry
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Gameplay mechanics
History of game mechanics
Views of design from professional designers
116 Slides…
Playing is older than games
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Playing done in many
animal species
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Training
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Passing knowledge
Determining social
rang
First way to negate
Possible between
species
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Communication nonverbal
First Games?
- First suspect: Sport
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Ritualized forms of
other activities
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Running
Wrestling
Archery
Gameplay features
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Produce a measure of
physical skill by
competition against
other person
First Games?
- Second suspect: Divination
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Randomizers
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Evidence
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Objects used for divination
Staves found in
Tutankhamen’s tomb (~1323
BC) together with gameboard
Similar staves found in the
royal tombs at Ur together
with another gameboard
Mentioned in the Rig Veda
(~1500 BC)
Gameplay features
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Produce a random outcome
within well-defined limits and
clear states
Source:
Parlett, David, The Oxford History of Board
Games, Oxford University Press, 1999
First Organized Games
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Funerals
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Religious festivals
Olympic Games, 776 BC
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Gladiators
Judges
Truces between countries,
Participants status as
religious pilgrims
Gladiator Games
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Celebrate battles at funeral
Changed when Julius Caesar
organized one in honor of
his dead daughter
Dice Games
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Inventors
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Lydians of Asia according to
Herodotus
Predecessors
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Binary Lots
Astragals
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Depicted ~800 BC
Gameplay features
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Provide variety of ranges for
randomizers and tie results
to abstract measures –
numbers
Meta game – betting on
outcome (but equally
possible from sports)
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Will of the gods - not taxed!
Board Games
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Origins
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traced to keeping track
of player’s scores in
dice games
Gameplay features
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Introduced game token
to maintain game state
Linked series of actions
to randomized values
to manipulate game
state
Racing games
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Interpreting movement on
board as physical movement
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Ludo (from Pachisi, ~700 BC)
Backgammon (from Senet &
Mehen, 2650+ BC)
Gameplay features
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Introduction of the concept of a
game world
Introduction of several game
tokens controlled by one player
introduced choice
Capturing other tokens meant
that effects of changing one
part of the game state by have
additional effects – abstract
events
Perfect Information Games
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Removal of randomness
from board games
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Chess (referred ~600 AD)
Go (from Wei-qi, 2000 BC)
Gameplay features
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2D game world
Focus on mental skills
Actions defined by tokens
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Context-dependent actions
Functionally different tokens
Possible to predict opponent
Additional goals based on
space control, space filling,
connection, and collection
Side note – Perfect Information
Racing Games
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No known examples
of evolved variants
Design Variants
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Bantu, 1955
Hare & Tortoise, 1974
Imperfect Information Games
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Making part of the game
state unknown to
players
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Stratego
Battleship
Blind Chess | Kriegspiel
Gameplay features
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Hidden game state
Heterogeneous
information availability
Need of umpire for
gameplay to commerce
Skill Games
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Board games where
movement is determined
by successful action or
performance
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Scrabble
Trivial Pursuit
Pictionary
“Normality Game”
Balderdash (Rappakalja)
Apples to Apples
Gameplay features
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Introduction of variety of
skills – social, artistic
Tabletop or Miniature Games
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Origins in forms of
kriegspiel
Similar to board games but
use graphically depicted
miniatures
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Warhammer
Warhammer 40K
Gameplay features
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Continuous game world
Players own game tokens
they use
Requires players to do extragame activities
Card Games
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Background intertwined
with Dominoes & Mah-Jong
tiles
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Modern variants probably
Persian origin
Brought to Europe by Arabs
13th century
Specialized decks quite late
Gameplay features
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Game systems
Bipartisan
Random but fixed
distribution
Define Game Space
Collectable Card Games
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Combines card games with
idol cards
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Magic: the gathering
Illuminati: new world order
Gameplay features
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Cards have self-contained
rules within a rule
framework
Physical rarity affects value
of game token
Time-limited functionality
of cards
Roleplaying Games
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Expansion from miniature games
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Dungeons & Dragons, 1974
The Basic Roleplaying System
GURPS
Gameplay features
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Unclear winning conditions
Unclear end conditions
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Game master
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campaigns
Unequal power structure
Open-ended rule set
Mediates the Game World
Character development
Roleplaying
Novel narrative structure – adventure
modules
D&D 3rd edition introduced Open Gaming
Licenseand id20 Trademark License
D&D 4th edition will include online support
Live-Action Roleplaying Games
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Arose from roleplaying games,
improvisational theatre and reenactment societies
Earlier similar activities
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re-enactments of battles between
Osiris and Seth in ancient Egypt
‘carrousel’ games at European
courts during the 17th and 18th
centuries
psychoanalytic methods in the
1920s
Gameplay features
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Players represent their characters
Players physically act out what
they do in the game
Extra-game activities may take a
majority of time spent
Novelty Games
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Machines that
provide gameplay or
lets players test skills
Gameplay features
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Coin-op
Machine controls
game flow
Pinball
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Reaction to games
being banned due
to being used for
gambling
Gameplay features
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Flippers
Electro-mechanical
game system
Computer Games
Spacewar! - 1962
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Stephen "Slug" Russell, MIT
DEC PDP-1 assembler in 1962
Demonstrate the Type 30
Precision CRT Display
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“It should demonstrate as many of
the computer's resources as
possible, and tax those resources
to the limit;
Within a consistent framework, it
should be interesting, which
means every run should be
different;
It should involve the onlooker in a
pleasurable and active way -- in
short, it should be a game.”
Tennis for Two - 1958
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William Higinbotham
Demonstrate system
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Analog computer
Real-time game
A.S. Douglas - 1952
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Part of Ph.D. thesis in
Human-Computer
Interaction
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Tic-Tac-Toe
Play by dialing
numbers
Computer opponent
Emulator
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http://www.dcs.warwic
k.ac.uk/~edsac/
Ralph Baer - 1951
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Asked to Build the best
television set in the world.
Built in several
prototypes between
1966-1968
Hand controller and light
gun
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Use of sensor
Magnavox signed an
agreement in 1971 and
the first video game
system got released in
May 1972: Odyssey
Computer Space – 1970
Back to Spacewar
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Nolan Bushnell decided
to commercialize
Spacewar
Stand-alone machine
Nolan Bushell - 1972
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Atari
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Pong
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syzygy
Arcade version, 1972
TV-console, 1975
Difficulties getting
bank loans due to
association with
pinball and mafia
Pong vs. Pong?
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In 1972, Magnavox sued Atari
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Patents on electronic games & electronic
ping-pong
Settled out of court
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$700,000 paid-up license
Later, other companies had to pay royalties
Coin-eaters
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1974 to 1975
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1976
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57 games are released.
53 videogames by 15
companies
First controversy
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Death Race 2000
Vector Graphics
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Space Wars, 1977
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Cinematronics
pong clone maker
Speed Freak, 1977
Coin shortage
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Taito, known for
pachinko games
Space Invaders, 1978
Improvements & Variants
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Atari Football, Atari,
1978
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Asteroids, Atari, 1978
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Initials and High Score
Galaxian, Namco, 1979
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Screen down
8-bit color
Stratovox, Taito, 1980
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Speech sound
Platform Games
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Pac-Man, Namco,
1981
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Moru Iwatani
Donkey Kong,
Nintendo, 1981
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Shigeru Miyamoto
Introduced Mario &
Donkey Kong
Game Brains & Cartridges
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Fairchild
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Atari VCS
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Fairchild VES, 1976
Simple Hardware
No screen buffer
Third Party
Developers
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Activision, 1979
Sued by Atari
Home Computers
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Commodore
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Sinclair
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Commodore PET, 1977
VIC 20, 1980
Commodore 64, 1982
Commodore Amiga, 1985
Amiga 500, 1987
Amiga 2000, 1987
ZX80, 1980
ZX81, 1981
ZX Spectrum, 1982
Etc. etc. etc.
Crash of Arcade Games
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Transition Cycles
 6-8 years
Atari Hubris
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E.T. games buried?
Oversupply
 50+ companies
Home Consoles
Lack of Faith
 Video games fad
Exception exist
 Paperboy, Atari, 1984
 Gauntlet, 1985
Games today
Following is facts from
The Entertainment Software Association (www.theesa.com)
and
Swedish Game Industry (www.dataspelsbranschen.se)
Next: video games
Who is the typical gamer?
Player statistics
Video Games
Next: computer games
Video Games – Top 20
Next: computer games sales
Computer Games
Next: online games
Computer Games, top 20
Next: who plays?
Sales per rating
Top 10 Industry Facts (from 2009)
(according to the entertainment software association)
1.
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10.
U.S. computer and video game software sales grew 22.9 percent in 2008 to $11.7 billion
– more than quadrupling industry software sales since 1996. (triple in 2008)
68% of American households play computer or video games. (65% in 2008)
The average game player is 35 years old and has been playing games for 12 years. (no
change)
The average age of the most frequent game purchaser is 39 years old. (40 in 2008)
40% of all game players are women. In fact, women over the age of 18 represent
a significantly greater portion of the game-playing population (34 ) than boys age 17 or
younger (18%) (33% in 2008).
In 2009, 25% of Americans over the age of 50 played video games, an increase from 9%
in 1999. (26% in 2008 but still 9%!)
37% of heads of households play games on a wireless device, such as a cell phone or
PDA, up from 20% in 2002. (36% in 2008 but still 20%)
85% of all games sold in 2007 were rated "E" for Everyone, "T" for Teen, or "E10+" for
Everyone 10+. (84% in 2008)
92% of game players under the age of 18 report that their parents are present when they
purchase or rent games. (92% in 2008)
63% of parents believe games are a positive part of their children’s lives. (no change)
Contemporary computer
and video game genres
Platform Games
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Zelda Series
Mario Series
Both examples of
franchises
Usually given as
examples of good
learnability
Navigation essential
gameplay part
Strategy
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Sprung from board
games
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Civilization, 1990
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Civilization IV, 2006
Victoria, 2003
Real-time Strategy
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Traditional Strategy
Dune 2, 1992
Age of Empires, 1997
Resource management
essential gameplay part
First-Person Shooters
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First person perspective in 3D
environments
id Software
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Valve Software
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Halo, 2001
Often most criticized
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Half-Life,1998 (+ CounterStrike)
Bungie
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Wolfenstein 3D, 1992
Doom, 1993
Quake, 1996
Themes sprung from roleplaying games…
Graphical violence (Columbine)
Navigation and shooting
essential gameplay part
FPS online
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FPS usually support
deathmatch modes
Examples of games
dedicated to online play
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Team Fortress Classic, 1999
Counter-Strike, 1999
Battlefield 1942, 2002
Gameplay as for FPS, plus
team work and sometimes
specialized roles
Massively Multiplayer Online
Games
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Typically based upon role-playing games
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Ultima Online, Origin Systems, 1997
Everquest, Sony, 2000
Puzzle Pirates, Three Rings, 2001
Sims Online, Maxis, 2003
World of Warcraft, Blizzard Entertainment, 2004
Gameplay typical team work and character
development but extra-game aspects as
socializing also important
Sport Games
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Annual version
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FIFA 200X, Electronic Arts, 200X-1
Madden NFL 200X, EA Sports, 200X-1
Tiger Woods PGA Tour, 200X-1
Tightly tied to real-world
statistics
 Volunteers collect
Knowledge of real world domain
important aspect of game
Racing
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Grand Theft Auto 3,
Rockstar Games,
2001
Midtown Madness 3,
Digital Illusions,
2003
Navigation essential
gameplay part
Handheld Games
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Platforms
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Game’n’Watch, 1980
Gameboy, 1989
Gameboy Advance,
2001?
N-Gage, 2003
Gameboy DS, 2005
PSP, 2005
Pervasive Games
Famous Game Designers
59
Recommended Reading
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The course book!
Costikyan, G. I have no words and I must Design, Interactive Fantasy magazine,
1994.
Crawford, C. The Art of Computer Game Design, 1992.
Crawford, C. The Art of Interactive Design, 2002.
Crawford, C. Chris Crawford on Game Design, 2003.
Dear, William C. The Dungeon Master: The Disappearance of James Dallas Egbert
III, 1984.
Demaria, R. & Wilson, J. L. High Score! The Illustrated History of Electronic Games,
2002.
King, B. & Borland, J. Dungeons and Dreamers: The Rise of Computer Game Culture
from Geek to Chic, 2003.
Koster, R. A theory of fun, 2004.
Kushner, D. Masters of Doom: How Two Guys Created an Empire and Transformed
Pop Culture, Random House, 2004.
LeBlanc M. Online presentations of Mechanics, Dynamics, Aesthetics model
Schuessler, N. & Jackson, S. Game Design – Volume 1: Theory and Practice, 2005
(1981)
Valve. Half-Life2: Raising the Bar, 2004.
60/58
Famous Game Designers
61
What game designer have you
heard about?
What backgrounds do game
designer have?
Will Wright
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Maxis, Inc.
Raid on Bungling Bay, 1984
SimCity, 1989
SimAnt, 1991
The Sims, 2000
The Sims Online, 2002
SimCity 4, 2003
The Sims 2, 2004
64/58
Will Wright on Design
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Making dynamic models
“put the player in the design role”
“large solution space” -> “much stronger
feeling of empathy”
Creates “interactive toys”
65/58
Shigeru Miyamoto
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Donkey Kong, 1981
Super Mario Bros., 1985
Super Mario 64, 1996
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time,
1998
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask,
2000
Pikmin, 2001
Super Mario Sunshine, 2002
66/58
Shigeru Miyamoto on Design
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"A delayed game is eventually
good, a bad game is bad forever“
Inspiration from childhood
memories
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Exploring wilderness and caves
(Zelda)
Attacked by dog on chain (Chain
Chomp)
67/58
Sid Meier
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Solo Fight, 1984
Sid Meier’s Pirates!, 1987
Railroad Tycoon, 1990
Civilization, 1991
Colonization, 1994
Sid Meier’s Gettyburg!, 1997
Sid Meier’s Alpha Centauri, 1999
Civilization IV, 2005
68/58
Sid Meier on Design
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“be able to play the game and understand it as quickly as
possible”
“If a player feels there is something they would like to do
that the game is not letting them do then that is a failure
of the game”
“a series of interesting choices”
most acclaimed games were inspired
by board games designed by Francis Tresham vf
 1829 (Railroad Tycoon)
 Civilization (Civilization)
 Spanish Main (Pirates!) maybe
“one more turn”
69/58
Chris Crawford
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Eastern Front (1941), 1981
Balance of Power, 1985
Balance of the Planet, 1990
Storytron (Erasmatron), 1992-2006?
Suggested Reading
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Crawford, C. The Art of Computer Game
Design, 1992.
Crawford, C. The Art of Interactive
Design, 2002.
Crawford, C. Chris Crawford on Game
Design, 2003.
70/58
Chris Crawford on Design
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“It’s easier to learn from turkeys than from masterworks”
“Accept full moral responsibility for the games you
design”
“Always delete clever ideas that don’t add to the design”
“The logic of the game dominates; pick a topic to fit it”
“Lose the storyboards”
“Conceptualize your design in terms of its challenge, not
its topic”
“Keep the player on the razor edge of failure,
but don’t let him fall”
“Those who would build the future must
understand the past”
71/58
Peter Molyneux
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Populous, 1989
Powermonger, 1990
Theme Park, 1994
Magic Carpet, 1994
Syndicate, 1993
Dungeon Keeper, 1997
Black & White, 2001
Fable, 2004
The Movies, 2005
Black & White 2, 2005
72/58
Peter Molyneux on Design
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“interfaces are paramount”
“designing a game in not thinking up a storyline but about
what the player does and sees while playing your idea.”
“Next time we will do it right”
“There’s no democracy in game design, just inspiration”
 “Idea has to come from one person”
“Focus on elements that cannot be seen elsewhere”
 “Make it like [game X] but better does not work”
“writing design documents is stupid”
 But Fable II’s design document weighs in
at 1,000 pages
73/58
Gary Gygax
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Dungeons & Dragons, 1974
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, 1977
Mythus, 1992
Lejandary Adventures, 1999
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Suggested Reading
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Dear, William C. The Dungeon Master: The
Disappearance of James Dallas Egbert III
74/58
Gary Gygax on Design
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On Games
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“interesting diversion from everyday life”
“chance to excel”
“… and if you're playing in good company you don't
even mind if you lose because you had the enjoyment
of the company during the course of the game”
On Dungeons & Dragons
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Variation on medieval small battles because
the guys got tired playing the original
“Even when you're playing miniatures,
there's still some role-playing aspect”
75/58
Hideo Kojima
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Metal Gear,1987
Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake,
1990
Metal Gear Solid, 1998
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, 2001
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, 2004
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots,
2008
Among others...
Warren Robinett
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Adventure, 1978
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Part was spun-off as superman
game…
First Easter Egg
77/58
Roberta Williams
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King’s Quest I, 1984
King’s Quest II, 1985
King’s Quest: Mask of Eternity, 1998
78/58
Janet Jensen
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Gabriel Knight Series
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Sins of the Fathers, 1993
The Beast Within, 1999
Blood of the Sacred, Blood of the Damned,
1999
79/58
Steve Jackson
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Ogre, 1977
Car Wars, 1981
Illuminati, 1983
Toon, 1984
GURPS, 1986
Illuminati: New World Order, 1997
Suggested Reading
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Schuessler, N. & Jackson, S. Game Design
– Volume 1: Theory and Practice, 2005
(1981)
80/58
Steve Jackson on Design
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“the more factors are explicit […] the less playable [the
game] will become”
“Don’t just proofread – PLAY”
“There is no excuse for failure to playtest a design
thoroughly before putting it on the market; it indicates
either gross ignorance, total egotism, or an absolute lack
of interest in giving the gamer his money’s worth.”
After playtesting, do blindtest, “new playtesters
are exposed to the game without the benefit of
advice from the designer or other experienced
players.”
After blindtesting, do proof playtesting, “an
extra stage of blindtesting and another round
of designer playtesting … using only “proof
copies” of the finished rules, maps, and charts.”
81/58
Richard Garriott
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Ultima I: The First Age of Darkness, 1981
Ultima II: The Revenge of the Enchantress,
1982
Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar, 1985
Autoduel, 1985
Ogre, 1986
Ultima VIII: Pagan, 1994
Ultima Online, 1997
City of Heroes, 2004
City of Villians, 2005
Tabula Rasa, 2007
Suggested Reading
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King, B. & Borland, J. Dungeons and
Dreamers: The Rise of Computer
Game Culture from Geek to Chic
82/58
Raph Koster
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LegendMUD
Ultima Online, 1997
Star Wars Galaxies, 2003
EverQuest II, 2004
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Suggested Reading
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Koster, R. A Theory of Fun for
Game Design, 2004.
83/58
Raph Koster on Design





Fun is "the act of mastering a problem mentally”
Games are teaching patterns
Create a flow experience
About UO
 “players don't care about what you wanted there, about
what the dreams were - they only care about what they
have in front of them, and then they proceed to do things
you never imagined”
About SWG
 “launched too early from a game design point of view”
 “most systems in there were first-pass at best”
 “A large chunk of the blame lies with me, for being overambitious with the design”
84/58
Greg Costikyan






Toon, 1984
Paranoia, 1984
Star Wars: The roleplaying game,
1987
Paranoia XP, 2004
Suggested Reading
Costikyan, G. I have no words and I
must Design, Interactive Fantasy
magazine, 1994.
85/58
Grey Costikyan on Design




“Games GROW through innovation. Innovation
creates new game styles […] but it’s over now.”
“Achieving a goal is meaningless if it comes
without work, if there is no opposition”
“Whenever multiple players are involved, games
are strengthened if they permit, and encourage,
diplomacy”
“How can you tell a good game from
a bad one? The test is still in the
playing”
86/58
Ken Rolston








Paranoia, 1984
The Lost Island of Castanamir (D&D), 1984
River of Cradles (Runequest), 1992
Paranoia, 5th ed., 1995
Something Rotten in Kislev (WFRP), 1999
Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, 2002
Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, 2006
About retiring


“… and play stupid paper-and-pencil RPGs”
joined Big Huge Games to do a new RPG
87/58
John Carmack






Commander Keen, 1990
Wolfenstein 3D, 1992
Doom, 1993
Quake, 1996
Doom 3, 2005
Suggested Reading

Kushner, D. Masters of Doom: How
Two Guys Created an Empire and
Transformed Pop Culture,
Random House
88/58
John Romero











Scout Search, 1984
Commander Keen, 1990
Wolfenstein 3D, 1992
Doom, 1993
Heretic, 1994
HeXen, 1995
Quake, 1996
Daikatana, 2000
Hyperspace Delivery Boy, 2001
Area 51, 2005
Gauntlet: Seven Sorrows, 2005
89/58
John Romero on Design

“We developed our games in a pretty
non-disciplined and non-organized way
because so much of it was R&D”
90/58
Warren Spector

Toon, 1984
Car Wars, Ogre, Illuminati
AD&D, DM’s guide, 2nd ed., 1989
GURPs, 3rd ed. 1992

Send in the Clones (Paranoia), 1985








Underword: The Stygian Abuss, 1991
Ultima VII, Part 2, Serpent Isle, 1993
System Shock, 1994
Thief: The Dark Project, 1999
Deus Ex, 2000
91/58
Warren Spector on Design






“Learn to program” and “get as broad-based an education
as you can”
“Become an effective communicator”
“Make games”
“giving players power to make choices enhanced the
gameplay experience”
“attaching consequences to those choices made the
experience even more powerful”
 Gargoyle episode
Sequals & Adaptations: Get used to it!
 Safe bets
 Free marketing
 Fan buy-in
 “cool sandboxes to play in”
92/58
Sandy Petersen








Call of Cthulhu, 1981
Runequest, 3rd ed., 1985
Ghostbusters: A Frightfully Cheerful
Roleplaying Game, 1986
DOOM, 1993
Quake, 1996
Age of Empires: The Age of Kings, 1999
Call of Cthulhu, 2004
Worked on


Civilization
Sid Meier’s Pirates!
93/58
Sandy Petersen on Design

“Be familiar with all types of games, not
just computer games”
94/58
Frederick Raynal

Alone in the Dark, 1992




Infogrames took over creative control
Added Cthulhu mythos
Little Big Adventure, 1995
Little Big Adventure 2, 1997
95/58
Gabe Newell & Mike Harrington




Half-Life, 1998
Half-Life 2, 2004
Suggested Reading
Valve. Half-Life2: Raising the Bar
96/58
Mihn Le & Jess Cliffe


Counter-Strike, 1999
Counter-Strike: source, 2004
97/58
Jane McGonigal






I Love Bees, 2004
Cruel 2 B Kind, 2006
World Without Oil, 2007
The Lost Ring, 2008
Superstruct, 2008
Top Secret Dance Off, 2008
Bill Roper






Warcraft: Orcs and Humans
Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness
Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos
Starcraft
Diablo
Diablo II
99/58
Bill Roper on Design



“You can’t get good at making games
unless you make games”
“tear apart boardgames to prototype
your ideas”
“most importantly, never stop playing”
100/58
Richard Garfield



RoboRally, 1994
Magic: The Gathering, 1994
The Great Dalmuti, 1995
101/58
Marc LeBlanc

Ultima Underworld II, 1993
System Shock, 1994
Thief, 1998

Suggested Reading



Online articles on
Mechanics, Dynamics, Aesthetics
102/58
Marc LeBlanc on Design




“Have a critical eye for games”
“Learn to program”
“Play lots of games”
“Design the game for [millions of
people], not for you”
103/58
Dr. Ray Muzyka





Baldur’s Gate, 1998
MDK2, 2000
Baldur’s Gate II, 2000
Neverwinter Nights, 2002
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, 2003



Based upon the roleplaying game (d20 version)
Jade Empire, 2005
Neverwinter Nights, 2006
104/58
Dr. Ray Muzyka on Design


“Be passionate, but self-critical”
“never compromise on quality, but do
realize that there is a point of
diminishing returns”
105/58
Bruce C. Shelley



Railroad Tycoon
Civilization
Age of Empires
106/58
Bruce C. Shelley on Design



“Play a lot of games and analyze them”
“Think in terms of entertaining a large
audience, not a small one”
“it is okay, even encouraged, to borrow
from great games, but be different at the
vision level and innovative at the
gameplay level”
107/58
Starr Long




Ultima Online
Bioforge
Wing Commander: Privateer
Ultima Underworld 2
108/58
Starr Long on Design




“play every game you possibly can”
“then analyze them carefully”
“finding inspiration from outside of
games is extremely important”
“if you are not having fun making your
game, then your customers will not have
fun playing it”
109/58
Lorne Lanning



Oddworld: Abe’s Oddysee
Oddworld: Abe’s Exodus
Oddworld: Munch’s Oddysee
110/58
Lorne Lanning on Design

“The best ideas will not come from areas
that have nothing to do with games”
111/58
Scott Miller on Design


“Learn from other games and designers,
but do not copy them.”
“must invent something unique and
compelling (one without the other in not
enough)”
112/58
Josh Holmes



Def Jam Vendetta
NBA Street
NBA Live ’98, ’99, 2000
113/58
Josh Holmes on Design


“Think of the consumer”
“Fun first”






“whenever you have a choice between realism
and fun, go with fun”
“Always strive for balance”
“Think Big”
“Remember Pacing”
“Play Bad Games”
“Look outside of games”
114/58
Ron Gilbert


Maniac Mansion, 1987
The Secret of Monkey Island, 1990
115/58
Swedish Game Designers

Dan Glimne


Martin Walfisz



GTR
Tom Söderlund


Midtown Madness 3
(Battlefield: Modern Combat)
Mikael Emtinger


Ground Control
Andreas Roman


Drakborgen
Botfighters
Erik Svedäng

Blueberry Garden
116/58
Thank you!
Leftovers
















James Ernest (see book page 76-77)
Don Daglow (see book page 104-105)
Rob Daviau (see book page 232-233)
Graeme Bayless (see book page 243-246)
Brian Hersch (see book page 276-277)
David Perry (see book page 304-305)
Richard Hilleman (see book page 324-325)
Matt Firor (see book page 332-333)
Troy Dunniway (see book page 350-351)
Stan Chow (see book page 354-355)
Chris Taylor (see book page 377)
Fumito Ueda (Ico, Shadow of the Colossus)
Keita Takahashi (Katamari Damacy, Nobi Nobi Boy)
Tetsuya Nomura (Kingdom Hearts, The World Ends With You, Final Fantasy
XIII Versus)
Tetsuya Mizuguchi (Rez, Lumines, Meteos, Ninety Nine Nights)
Masaya Matsuura (Parappa the Rapper, UmJammer Lammy, Vib-Ribbon)
118/58