what does a game designer do
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What does a Game Designer do?
Jesse Schell
REJECTED!
DisneyQuest
Head Mounted Display
CAVE - Computer Augmented Virtual Environment
Game Design Class
Pixie Hollow
Toy Story Mania
Sum of All Thrills
What kinds of companies are involved making videogames?
Development Studio
Publisher Console Manufacturer
What kinds of people are needed to make games?
• Programmers• Artists• Animators• Writers• Musicians• Sound Designers• Producers• And, oh, yeah, Game Designers
What does “game design” mean?
Game Design is the act of
deciding what a game should be.
What skills does Game Designer need to be good at?
• Animation• Anthropology• Architecture• Art• Brainstorming• Business• Cinematography• Communication• Creative Writing• Economics• Engineering
• History• Interface Design• Management• Mathematics• Music• Psychology• Public Speaking• Sound Design• Technical Writing• Visual Arts• …and much more!
So… How do you make a game?
1) Think of an idea.2) Try it out.3) Keep changing it and testing it until it seems
good enough.
The Eight Filters of “Good Enough”1) Artistic Impulse – Does this game feel right?2) Demographics – Will the intended audience like this game?3) Experience Design – Is this a well-designed game?4) Innovation – Is this game novel enough?5) Business and Marketing – Will this game be profitable?6) Engineering – Is it technically possible to build this game?7) Social / Community – Does this game meet our social and
community goals? 8) Playtesting – Do the playtesters enjoy this game enough?
TeamClient
Game
Audience
Self
1. Team
Improvisational Acting
Building Virtual Worlds
2. Client
3. Audience
4. Game
Technology
StoryMechanics
Aesthetics
The Elemental Tetrad
Two Key Questions
• What is the GOAL?• What are the OBSTACLES?
Low Interest
Medium Interest
High Interest
A Good interest Curve
Interest
Time
A Bad Interest Curve
Interest
Time
The Flow Channel
Skills
Fun
Challenges
Boredom
Anxiety
The Flow Channel
Skills
Fun
Challenges
Boredom
Anxiety
5. Self
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But why go through all this?
