Video Game Design Revealed

by Lecky-Thompson, Guy W.

• ISBN13: 9781584505624
• ISBN10: 1584505621
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2007-12-11
• Publisher: Cengage Learning

Summary

Whether you are a professional game developer working in an established studio or a creative thinker interested in trying your hand at game design, "Video Game Design Revealed" will show you the steps and processes involved in bringing a video game from concept to completion. Beginning with an overview of the history of video games and an examination of the elements of successful games, the book breaks down the video game design process into its simplest elements and builds from there. You'll learn how to take an idea and tweak it into a viable game based on the genre, market, game style, and subject matter, moving on to creating and organizing a timeline for the production of the game. Once you've mapped out your game production plan and gathered all the information you need, you'll learn how to choose the development platform and other technologies that best suit the game you've designed, add sound and graphics, and apply game mechanics such as whether the game will be single-player or multiplayer and what levels and objects to add to your game to make it challenging and interesting. "Video Game Design Revealed" concludes with guidelines on how to compose a proposal to be used to present your idea to the game industry as well as tips and information on how to find and contact game studios, publishers, and investors to help you make your game design a reality..

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	p. ix
About the Author	p. x
Introduction	p. xi
A Brief History of Video Games	p. 1
In the Beginning...	p. 2
Arcade Systems	p. 5
A Timeline	p. 7
Technologies	p. 9
Home Entertainment	p. 12
Summary	p. 19
References	p. 20
Introduction to Video Game Design	p. 21
Gaming Perspectives	p. 23
Genres	p. 23
Perspectives	p. 33
Markets	p. 36
From Idea to Design	p. 39
Stories and Narrative Elements	p. 43
Descriptive Elements	p. 45
General Design Issues	p. 47
Summary	p. 50
References	p. 51
Video Game Design in Practice	p. 53
Information Organization	p. 56
Planning	p. 61
Documentation	p. 67
Summary	p. 76
References	p. 76
Platforms and Technologies	p. 77
Platforms	p. 79
The Design Platform	p. 89
Technologies	p. 91
Special Cases	p. 94
Summary	p. 97
References	p. 97
Sound, Music, and Graphics	p. 99
Sound Effects and Music	p. 100
Graphics	p. 108
Concept Art and Sound	p. 120
Summary	p. 123
References	p. 123
Object-Oriented Game Design	p. 125
OO Primer	p. 126
Relationships	p. 133
Object Model	p. 137
Summary	p. 139
Game Mechanics	p. 141
Game Rules	p. 143
Game Physics	p. 149
Game AI	p. 154
Summary	p. 159
References	p. 160
Mods, Scripts, and Development	p. 161
Modding Explained	p. 163
Scripting and Modding	p. 171
Developing in Perspective	p. 175
Summary	p. 182
User Interface Design	p. 185
The Physical User Interface	p. 186
The Graphical User Interface	p. 190
The Game Universe Interface	p. 198
The Logical Interface	p. 204
Summary	p. 206
References	p. 207
Level and Mission Design	p. 209
Introduction to Level Design	p. 210
Designing Buildings	p. 215
Mission Design	p. 219
Integrating Levels and Missions	p. 223
Other Level and Mission Types	p. 226
Summary	p. 230
References	p. 231
Using Vehicles and Objects	p. 233
Vehicles	p. 234
Objects	p. 239
Nonplayer Characters	p. 246
Summary	p. 250
References	p. 250
Video Game AI Design	p. 251
Genre-Based Video Game AI	p. 254
State-Driven AI	p. 259
Behavior-Driven AI	p. 261
AI and Evolution	p. 265
Communicating AI	p. 266
Beyond Event-Driven AI	p. 268
Summary	p. 279
References	p. 280
The Official Design Document	p. 281
Target Audience	p. 282
Content	p. 285
The Waiting Game	p. 293
Summary	p. 294
References	p. 295
Funding for Your Video Game	p. 297
The Role of the Studio	p. 298
Intellectual Property	p. 303
Distribution	p. 306
Banks and Angel Investors	p. 309
Summary	p. 311
References	p. 312
Appendix	p. 313
Index	p. 317
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