Game Development

Timeline

Mohammad Zikky, M.T

Outline Game Timeline Team Sizes Game Design Documents

Classic Waterfall Model in Design Process

Game Production Timeline Inspiration (1 month)

Results in game treatment/concept paper Conceptualization (3-5 months)

Results in design summary/design document Story boards and prototype

Technical Architecture (2 months) Determine the technical details Results in master technical specification/production

document Tool Building (4 months) Assembly (12 months) Levels (4 months) Review, Testing, … (3 months) Total (about 2 years)

Game Development Timeline (1 of 5)

Inspiration getting the global idea of the game duration: 1 month (for a professional game) people: lead designer, team discussion result: treatment document, decision to continue

Conceptualization preparing the "complete" design of the game duration: 3 months people: designer + prototype

programmers/artists result: complete design document Concept Define game concept, define core

game features, find/assign developer, & estimate budget & due date

Prototypes Build prototypes as proof of concept

• Can take 2-3 months (or more)• Typically done a few months after project start

In particular, used to test game play Throw prototype away afterwards

• Don't expect it to evolve into game!Game Design Document & Technical Design

Document = "The Bibles"Production budget & detailed scheduleWorking prototype, with game mechanicsFocus test

Pitch to Publisher

The Pitch Process: Presentation

Key pitch presentation content: Concept overview & genre profile Unique selling points

• What makes it stand out from its competitors Proposed technology & target platform/s Team biographies & heritage Outline marketing information, including

potential licensing opportunities

The Pitch Process: Prototype

Key game prototype features: Core gameplay mechanic Game engine / technological proficiency Artistic / styling guide Demonstration of control / camera system Example gameplay goals

The Pitch Process: Schedule and BudgedSchedule & budget must:

Be detailed and transparent Allow for contingency scenarios Have several sets of outcomes for different size

publishers Be realistic

The Deal: Choosing a Publisher Research

Publishers screen DevelopersBut Developers should also research

prospective Publishers: Are they financially stable? Do they have appropriate reach for target? Do they market / PR their games well? Is there a history of non-payment of milestones

or royalties? Have they produced many titles?

Sometimes you take what you can get!

The Deal: IP (Intellectual Property ) Rights

Intellectual Property Rights include: Game name Logos Unique game mechanics & storyline Unique characters, objects & settings Game Source Code including artwork &

associated assets Unique sounds and music

Developers may not have much power And it probably doesn't matter as many games

don’t succeed, anyway

The Deal: Payment NegotiationCurrent approximate development costs:

$10+ million for multi-platform $5 million for PlayStation 2 only $1 million for a quality single platform

Royalties Percentage payments of profits made after recoup of

development costs Developer royalties range 0% ("work for hire") to 40%

Other considerations: Rising-rate royalty: more units sold = higher

percentage Clear royalty definition of 'wholesale price' (i.e.,

including cost of goods etc.) Right to audit publishers books Currency/exchange rate/VAT figures

Moving Project Forward Most Publishers have a "Green-Light Process"

Used to determine which projects go forward Developers submit to committee at five, mostly

independent stages: Concept Assessment Prototype First Playable Alpha

At each stage, committee: Decides whether or not to continue funding

o Developers then get next "lump" of money Evaluates market potential Adjusts unit forecasts accordingly

Then, additional stages: Beta Gold Master

Game Development Timeline (3 of 5)

Blueprint separate the project into different tiers duration: 2 months people: lead designer, software planner result: several mini-specifications

Architecture creating a technical design that specifies tools and

technology used duration: 2 months people: project leader, software planner, lead

architect result: full technical specification

Tool building create a number of (preferably reusable) tools, like

3D graphics engine, level builder, or unit builder duration: 4 months people: project leader and 4 (tool) programmers result: set of functional tools (maybe not yet

feature complete)Assembly

create the game based on the design document using the tools; update design document and tools as required (consulting the lead designer)

duration: 12 months people: project leader, 4 programmers, 4 artists result: the complete game software and toolset

Game Development Timeline (4 of 5)

Level design create the levels for the game duration: 4 months people: project leader, 3 level designers result: finished game with all levels, in-game

tutorials, manualsReview

testing the code, the gameplay, and the levels

duration: 3 months (partially overlapping level design)

people: 4 testers result: the gold master

Game Development Timeline (5 of 5)

Release Alpha:

When all the features are in, but not all bugs are out.

Beta: Development team believes all the bugs

are out. No new features except ones to eliminate

huge problems. Release:

No new features! Everything is done.

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Types of Game Design Docs

Concept DocumentProposal DocumentTechnical SpecificationGame Design DocumentLevel Designs

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Concept Document (1 of 2)Used to explore game idea in more

detailOften used as a proposal within an

organizationDeveloped by designer or visionaryA short sales pitch: 1-3 pagesMay have no art, or amateur artMany ideas never get farther than this

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Concept Document (2 of 2)Must include:

Intro Description Key features Genre, spin, flavor Platform(s) / market data

May also include: Background / License info Concept art

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High Concept (1 of 2)The key sentence that describes your

gameMUST get the concept across concisely

and quickly If you can't, it may be too complicated

to sell

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High Concept (2 of 2)Not so good:

"MindRover is a game in which players build and program robotic vehicles to compete in a variety of challenges including battles, races, puzzles, and sports."

Better: "MindRover is like Battlebots ... but with

brains." Still not good enough Let's see if we can do better! … (next

slide)

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Exercise: High ConceptPick one of these 4 games

Burnout Grand Theft Auto Zelda - Twilight Princess Dance Dance Revolution

Write a high concept for itForm groups based on game choiceAgree on one

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Proposal Document (1 of 2)Used to get a dealShown to publishers and 3rd partiesEnough detail to show that the proposal

is viable: 5-50 pagesSales orientedBig picturePolished!

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Proposal Document (2 of 2)Must include:

Revised concept Market analysis Technical analysis Schedule Budget Risks Cost and revenue projections

Pessimistic, likely, optimistic Art

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Technical Specification (1 of 2)

The 'How' of game designContains the architectural vision;

technology to be usedEngineering detailProduction detailOwned by tech director or chief

engineerCan be exhaustive (and exhausting): 10-

100 pages

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Technical Specification (2 of 2)Must include:

Tooling Art / Music / Sound / Production pipeline Technology detail

Platform & portability issues Networking or special tech Server details

Software engineering info Major design elements Key areas of technical risk Alternatives to risky or expensive sections

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Game Design Document (1 of 2)Functional spec: The 'What' of the

designDescribes the player’s experience and

interactions in detail Could be quite long, several hundred

pages, but "enough" is the goal.Artistic feelOwned by the game designerA living document"The Bible"

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Game Design Document (2 of 2)Must haves

Game mechanics User Interface Visuals Audio Story (if any) Level Specs

References Hanna, Philip. Java Games

Programming. Queen’s University, Belfast, Ireland

Claypool, Mark. Courses in The Game Development Process, Worcester Polytechnic Institute