Game Design
Course 0
Motivation
• Interactive media
– Has grown constantly in the past years
– Worth more than 150 billion dollars in 2019 – Is becoming a form of artistic expression
– The topics of Game Design and Development are of great interest for students
Benefits of games
• Cognitive
• Emotional
• Motivational
• Social
• Healthcare and Education
• and, of course, Entertainment
Social and Cultural Impact
• Communities built around (online) games
– Activities and events which involve dozens or even hundreds of players
• eSports
– Competitions with million dollar prize pools
• Professional gamers are eligible for professional athlete visa in US
– Large sponsorship deals
LoL World Finals, 2019
Dota 2 World Finals, 2019
Game Design in Romania
• In Romania, the game design industry is well established:
– Ubisoft Romania, Electronic Arts Romania,
Gameloft Romania, Amber Studio, Bandai Namco Entertainment Romania, King Games Studio, AMC Pixel Factory.
Course Topics
• Game Design, not just programming games
– Anatomy of a Game
– Critical Theory and Analysis of Games
– Game Prototyping. Interface Design for Games – Game Engine Development
– 3D Graphics and Rendering
– Computer Animation and Simulation
Course Topics (contd.)
– Mobile Devices and Game Consoles – Augmented, Virtual and Mixed Reality
– Designing Online Multiplayer Game Environments – Level Design. Psychology of Games
– Sound Design for Games – QA for Games
– Business and Management of Games. Game Design for Bussines
Game Design References
• Primary
– Fullerton, T., Game Design Workshop: A Playcentric Approach to Creating Innovative Games, CRC Press, 2014
– Elias, G. F., Garfield, R. and Gutschera, K. R.
Characteristics of Games, MIT Press, 2012
– Salen, K. and Zimmerman, E. Rules of Play - Game Design Fundamentals, MIT Press, 2004
• Secondary
– Hiwiller, Z., Players Making Decisions: Game Design Essentials and the Art of Understanding Your Players, New Riders, 2016
Technical References
• Unity Engine
– https://unity.com/
• Unreal Engine
– https://www.unrealengine.com/en-US/
Unreal vs. Unity
• 3D – Unreal is best in terms of graphical fidelity.
• 2D – Unity has a much larger focus and tool-set.
• Virtual Reality – Unity has better and more versatile plugins.
• Augmented Reality – Unity has much more defined systems.
• Multiplayer –Unreal has integrated multiplayer support, Unity does not (yet).
• Mobile – Unity is considered the best engine for
mobile.
Unreal vs. Unity
• Unity uses C#
• Unreal uses C++
Evaluation
• Objective of the course
– By the end of the semester, you will be able to design and build a game of average complexity – This will be achieved by finalizing a game
• Teams of 2-4
• Working prototype by week 8 (40% of grade)
• Finished product by week 14 (60% of grade)
• Weekly status reports are mandatory
So, You Want to be a Game Designer?
• What skills do I need to become a Game Designer?
– it’s complicated…
• What should you learn to become a game designer?
– EVERYTHING!
– Game design is the art of crafting experiences
So, You Want to be a Game Designer?
• But not all of us have the time to learn
everything that ever was or will be
What Should You Focus on?
• Game design is not about concepts or stories
– Concepts are common and not very meaningful (e.g. Mario)
– It is more important to translate concepts into reality
• Game design is about creating systems,
mechanics, levels, etc
What Should You Focus on?
• You are the worst judge of your games
– It’ll be great when it’s done
– People just don’t understand my genius
• Ability to take criticism and introspection
– Don’t get too attached to your ideas
– Players design a lot of the game experience
What Should You Focus on?
• Being a player does not make you a designer
• Designers don’t play games, they deconstruct them
– Analyze while playing – Find breakpoints
– Play games you don’t like
– Bad games are a better learning experience than good ones
What Should You Focus on?
• Understand the cost of your decisions
– When you make a decision, you are asking the team to do work
• Time and money
– Ensure you make the most of your resources
– Poor sense of scope is the most common cause for game failure
• No game is ever done!
– A game is only a game if it is played
What Should You Focus on?
• Practical skills (abridged)
– Technical writing – Logic
– Some Psychology – Mathematics
– Knowledge of literature, mythology and philosophy – Knowledge of world religions
– Understanding of art principles – Basic audio design and music
What Should You Focus on?
• Practical skills (abridged)
– Basic graphic design – Know a lot of games
– And some CS specific skills like programming, scripting and computer architecture
– Build games