So lets start with this:
THE ELEMENTS:
Firstly, what is a game anyway? Essentially according to copstick.com, it is a creative way of teaching through coding. I agree. It can be based on history, society, technology , anything! But it is also psychological because as a developer we need to understand our audience first before we make a game. For example children learn by reward. Therefore a game will need to be rewarding. Here forms my first point. We need to brainstorm, find secondary research, inspiration on what has already been done and primary research to develop a good solid idea. Then, make that idea as unique as possible. At this initial IDEATION stage I will call it, you will need to know your audience too. Hence the research approach mentioned above-what makes YOUR audience interested and keep on buying the game?
Secondly, board games and where they came from as the first basic game. Euro or germanic gaming is a type of game where its make easy. Rules are easy, there is a small amount of players and they are played for 1 hr max. Just as described in the games journal. Developers need to adapt to this. They (or we rather) need to research, learn and adapt to the ever changing world. Well in the first point this is pretty much explained. Bar one part. You need to test your INITIAL concepts on REAL audiences and receive feed back from them. Weigh up the good and figure out how to fix the bad. Only now will you be able to make a game which will develop slowly over time , thus creating interest in your audience and developing a long lasting game YOU have produced.
Thirdly , pulling the plug. This article shows us how games can actually help students learn. Games are a bi product of what the wold wants entertainment wise after all! Through this, you will need to gain experience through other people or your own previous projects to know what works or doesn't. No point in re-inventing the wheel when you have LEARNED that the current one works if that makes any logical sense? You can now formulate a masterplan to kick start your games development as you , like the students, have understood and can now delve into the game making world.
What else have I found?!?!
Fourthly, based off of Costikyan’s "I Have No Words", I found it is really important to have a storyline thats a bit "weird". In order for your game to stand out. You have to have a look at what is already out there ( remember don't reinvent the wheel if you don't need to), research it , and then think outside the box ignorer to form YOUR OWN NON PLAGIARISED idea you can form your plan of action off of. This article was on the game "Pinball". It was considered a really weird concept but it worked for just that reason. People were curious and loved it!
Link to article http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/233340/postmortem_pinballrpg_hybrid_.php
Fifthly, the storyline and characters. As in any story it is important to have characters and a storyline which goes with your whacky idea. They give a boring 2-D game a real life 3-D effect essentially. Just like a movie would, the audience needs to be grasped by relatable characters who develop your storyline , build tension and simply, develop a loyal audience who will constantly recommend your game and so you can keep it and its upgraded versions alive for years ! ( The absolute dream of a developer I would say.)
Sixthly, unity. I may sound biased as unity is the only program I have learned ( well started to over the past few weeks). However, unity is hands down, the easiest gaming program to use (most of the time). You won't be bogged down by complicated ways , you simply can be more creative , according to my interpretation anyway! Through tutorials clearly thought out and provided by unity, you can pick it up pretty quickly.
Finally, and most importantly. Make the game interesting and ensure it can grow. Rounding up everything said,once you have an interesting and constantly evolving game the audience will keep on buying it. On that note however, the article of www.gamasutra.com really emphasises how not to count your chickens before the hatch , in the form of selling your game before its even good enough. Make sure to plan ahead, do many tests till its perfect and stay positive through out, no such thing as mistakes just happy accidents.
No comments:
Post a Comment