Klappentext THE GUIDE TO GREAT VIDEO GAME DESIGN Want to learn how to design cutting edge video games? Need advice on how to improve your current game design? Then get ready to Level Up! Scott Rogers , the video game designer behind hits such as Pac-Man World, God of War(TM), the Maximo Series and SpongeBob SquarePants, shares his years of knowledge and experience with you on how to make video games great. Learn how to: Design what gamers want Write compelling narrative and lore Build game levels that tell stories and challenge players Structure your game design documents for success Pitch your game like the professionals Create an effective marketing plan Level Up! 3rd Edition has been written with all levels of game designers in mind. Over 400 drawings illustrate game design concepts and common pitfalls, making Level Up! an indispensable guide for video game designers both 'in the field' and in the classroom. So what are you waiting for? Grab this book and prepare to Level Up! Inhaltsverzeichnis Foreword xxiii Introduction Press Start! xxv No, You Can't Have My Job xxviii Who is This Book For? xxx Level 1 Welcome N00bs! 1 A (Somewhat) Brief History of Video Games 4 The Brave New World of Gaming: Mobiles, Online Distribution and Touchscreens 9 What's the Difference Between AAA and Indy? 10 Game Genres 11 Who Makes This Stuff? 14 Programmer 15 Artist 15 Designer 17 Producer 17 Tester 18 Composer 19 Sound Designer 21 Narrative Designer/Writer 22 Community Manager 23 Have You Thought About Publishing? 23 Product Manager 23 Creative Manager 23 Art Director 24 Technical Director 24 Marketing Team 24 And the Rest 25 Level 2 Ideas 27 Ideas: Where to Get Them and Where to Stick Them 27 Getting Ahead of the Game 30 What Do Gamers Want? 33 Brainstorming 34 Breaking Writer's Block 37 Why I Hate "Fun" 38 Level 3 Writing the Story 43 Once Upon a Time 44 Narrative Design 47 Anything is Gameplay 50 The Triangle of Weirdness 51 A Likely Story 53 Time to Wrap It Up 56 A Note About "Lore" 57 A Game by Any Other Name 59 Creating Characters Your Players Care About 61 Games Are About Everyone 66 A Few Pointers on Writing for Kids of All Ages 67 Writing for Licenses 68 Level 4 You Can Design a Game, but Can You Do the Paperwork? 71 The Game Design Document 73 Game Design Document (again) 74 Writing the GDD, Step 1: The One-Sheet 75 ESRB Ratings 77 The Core Loop 78 Unique Selling Points 79 Competitive Products 79 Writing the GDD, Step 2: The Ten-Pager 79 The Rule of Threes 81 The Ten-Pager Outline 81 Writing the GDD, Step 3: The Beat Chart 88 Writing the GDD, Step 4: The Game Design Document 90 Writing the GDD, Step 4 1: Now, Unlearn What You Have Learned 91 Writing the GDD, Step 5: Be Responsible 94 Writing the GDD, Step 6 - Other Game Genres 96 Role-Playing Games 96 Real-Time Strategy Games 97 First-Person Shooters 98 Battle Royale 99 Match Three Games 100 Sports Games 101 Level 5 The Three Cs, Part 1: Character 103 Who Do You Want to Be Today? 104 Personality: Do We Really Need Another Kratos? 105 Let's Get Personal 108 Using All the Parts 112 Games Without Characters 113 We Are Not Alone 114 When More Is More 117 Who Are the People in Your Neighborhood? 119 Finally, We Talk About Gameplay 121 Metrics for Other Player Types 124 Why Walk When You Can Run? 124 The...

Klappentext

THE GUIDE TO GREAT VIDEO GAME DESIGN Want to learn how to design cutting edge video games? Need advice on how to improve your current game design? Then get ready to Level Up! Scott Rogers, the video game designer behind hits such as Pac-Man World, God of War(TM), the Maximo Series and SpongeBob SquarePants, shares his years of knowledge and experience with you on how to make video games great. Learn how to:

• **Design what gamers want
• Write compelling narrative and lore
• Build game levels that tell stories and challenge players
• Structure your game design documents for success
• Pitch your game like the professionals

• Create an effective marketing plan *Level Up! 3rd Edition** has been written with all levels of game designers in mind. Over 400 drawings illustrate game design concepts and common pitfalls, making Level Up! an indispensable guide for video game designers both 'in the field' and in the classroom. So what are you waiting for? Grab this book and prepare to Level Up!*

  Inhalt

  Foreword xxiii

  Introduction Press Start! xxv

  No, You Can't Have My Job xxviii

  Who is This Book For? xxx

  Level 1 Welcome N00bs! 1

  A (Somewhat) Brief History of Video Games 4

  The Brave New World of Gaming: Mobiles, Online Distribution and Touchscreens 9

  What's the Difference Between AAA and Indy? 10

  Game Genres 11

  Who Makes This Stuff? 14

  Programmer 15

  Artist 15

  Designer 17

  Producer 17

  Tester 18

  Composer 19

  Sound Designer 21

  Narrative Designer/Writer 22

  Community Manager 23

  Have You Thought About Publishing? 23

  Product Manager 23

  Creative Manager 23

  Art Director 24

  Technical Director 24

  Marketing Team 24

  And the Rest 25

  Level 2 Ideas 27

  Ideas: Where to Get Them and Where to Stick Them 27

  Getting Ahead of the Game 30

  What Do Gamers Want? 33

  Brainstorming 34

  Breaking Writer's Block 37

  Why I Hate "Fun" 38

  Level 3 Writing the Story 43

  Once Upon a Time 44

  Narrative Design 47

  Anything is Gameplay 50

  The Triangle of Weirdness 51

  A Likely Story 53

  Time to Wrap It Up 56

  A Note About "Lore" 57

  A Game by Any Other Name 59

  Creating Characters Your Players Care About 61

  Games Are About Everyone 66

  A Few Pointers on Writing for Kids of All Ages 67

  Writing for Licenses 68

  Level 4 You Can Design a Game, but Can You Do the Paperwork? 71

  The Game Design Document 73

  Game Design Document (again) 74

  Writing the GDD, Step 1: The One-Sheet 75

  ESRB Ratings 77

  The Core Loop 78

  Unique Selling Points 79

  Competitive Products 79

  Writing the GDD, Step 2: The Ten-Pager 79

  The Rule of Threes 81

  The Ten-Pager Outline 81

  Writing the GDD, Step 3: The Beat Chart 88

  Writing the GDD, Step 4: The Game Design Document 90

  Writing the GDD, Step 4 1: Now, Unlearn What You Have Learned 91

  Writing the GDD, Step 5: Be Responsible 94

  Writing the GDD, Step 6 - Other Game Genres 96

  Role-Playing Games 96

  Real-Time Strategy Games 97

  First-Person Shooters 98

  Battle Royale 99

  Match Three Games 100

  Sports Games 101

  Level 5 The Three Cs, Part 1: Character 103

  Who Do You Want to Be Today? 104

  Personality: Do We Really Need Another Kratos? 105

  Let's Get Personal 108

  Using All the Parts 112

  Games Without Characters 113

  We Are Not Alone 114

  When More Is More 117

  Who Are the People in Your Neighborhood? 119

  Finally, We Talk About Gameplay 121

  Metrics for Other Player Types 124

  Why Walk When You Can Run? 124

  The Art of Doing Nothing 128

  Might as Well Jump 129

  Hoists and Teeters 133

  What Goes Up Must Fall Down 134

  Me and My Shadow 135

  The Water's Fine or Is It? 136

  Level 6 The Three Cs, Part 2: Camera 139

  Get It Right: Camera Views 139

  First-Person Camera 144

  Virtual Reality 146

  Third Person Camera 147

  Giving Up Control 150

  So, You've Decided to Let the Player Control the Camera 151

  So, You've Decided Not to Let the Player Have Control over the Camera 152

  So, You've Decided to Let Players Sometimes Have Control over the Camera 154

  Two and a Half d 154

  Isometric Camera 154

  Top-Down Camera 156

  AR Cameras 157

  Special Case Cameras 157

  Tunnel Vision 158

  Camera Shot Guide 158

  Camera Angle Guide 161

  Camera Movement Guide 162

  Other Camera Notes 165

  Always Point the Camera to the Objective 166

  Never Let the Character Get out of the Camera's Sight 166

  Multiple-Player Cameras 167

  Level 7 The Three Cs, Part 3: Controls 171

  Control Is in Your Hand 172

  You've Got the Touch 175

  Dance, Monkey, Dance 177

  Poetry in motion 180

  All the right moves 182

  Character or Camera R…