Level Up! The Guide to Great Video Game Design

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? 124THE 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 Relative? 183

Shake, Rattle, and…