 |
|
|
Category: Game Design
Expert Blogs 
Autonomous AI and the First Dinosauria  |
| Posted by Andy Schatz on 02/18/09 03:02:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| This is the story of how Dinosauria came to be. In fact, the entire Venture series was born in a dorm room in 1998, and has been percolating in my head all these years. |  |
| Read More... | 1 Comment |
| Conversations with a Crocodilian |
| Posted by Andy Schatz on 02/09/09 02:48:00 pm
in
Game Design,
Visual Art
|
| As part of my dinosaur research, I've been speaking with Adam Britton, a real-world crocodile handler and researcher. The following is a bit of concept art from our artists at and the conversation with Adam that ensued. | |
| Read More... | 0 Comments |
| The Evolution of Indie |
| Posted by Andy Schatz on 02/06/09 03:22:00 pm
in
Game Design,
Production
|
| We always knew "indie" meant SOMETHING. But no one could ever define what it was. With the success of high-wattage IGF winners and the divorce of the casual gaming market from the indie gaming market, it has become clear what indie games are. | |
| Read More... | 0 Comments |
| GDC Austin Indie, iPhone Summits - A Cog Speaks Out |
| Posted by Simon Carless on 08/28/09 06:10:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| Though I don't update my Gamasutra Expert Blog too often, a semi-sekrit GDC Austin pass discount code has roused me from my slumber, to inform and hector. |  |
| Read More... | 0 Comments |
| Note: Indie Game Trends/Sales - Autumn 2009 Update |
| Posted by Simon Carless on 10/25/09 08:33:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| Links to some slides (and a taped lecture) about independent game trends and stats that I presented in recent weeks in Asia and Australia. | |
| Read More... | 2 Comments |
| Mutual Storytellers |
| Posted by Tynan Sylvester on 02/23/09 08:09:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| The best thing about the old tabletop role-playing games is the Game Master concept. wonder if we can make this work in games? |  |
| Read More... | 5 Comments |
| A New Word for Game |
| Posted by Tynan Sylvester on 04/21/09 12:38:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| I don’t like lugging around the cultural legacy of Space Invaders whenever I try to explain to laypeople exactly what I’ve chosen to spend my life creating. | |
| Read More... | 46 Comments |
| How to replace levels in MMOs |
| Posted by Brian 'Psychochild' Green on 03/06/09 02:04:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| One of the common topics on how to "fix" online games is to get rid of levels. It's easy to say, but hard to do; especially if all you know is levels. Let's take a look at levels, their history, and the design goals they accomplish. |  |
| Read More... | 11 Comments |
| How To Replace Levels In MMOs, Part 2 |
| Posted by Brian 'Psychochild' Green on 03/12/09 04:22:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| In my previous post, I discussed the history and design goals of levels. This time around, I'll take a look at the pros and cons of using levels in an online RPG, as well as some systems that work to eliminate some of the problems with levels. | |
| Read More... | 6 Comments |
| How To Replace Levels In MMOs, Part 3 |
| Posted by Brian 'Psychochild' Green on 04/22/09 02:38:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| Previously, I detailed some of the pros and cons of levels. Let's define what the goals of a replacement system are, and take a look at why we want to replace levels. | |
| Read More... | 11 Comments |
| Me and Miyamoto |
| Posted by Ian Bogost on 03/07/09 10:33:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| "You'd be completely shocked at the things we can convince people do with a vacuum cleaner." |  |
| Read More... | 0 Comments |
| Killer Flu, the Game |
| Posted by Ian Bogost on 05/01/09 05:25:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| A game about seasonal and pandemic flu. | |
| Read More... | 3 Comments |
| A Theory of Cuteness |
| Posted by Ian Bogost on 08/12/09 12:59:00 am
in
Game Design,
Visual Art
|
| Graham Harman and a Tiny Horse, or, cute is not what something looks like, but how it behaves. | |
| Read More... | 3 Comments |
| Rise, Crossover |
| Posted by Ian Bogost on 10/27/09 09:22:00 am
in
Game Design,
Production
|
| Learning from the jazz pop instrumental | |
| Read More... | 0 Comments |
| The 5 Reasons Video Game Writing Sucks (And How to Fix It) |
| Posted by Adam Volk on 03/03/09 08:08:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| While there are a number games with strong narratives, for the most part, game writing often remains mediocre at best and downright shameful at worst…Why is this the case? Look no further than....THE 5 REASONS VIDEO GAME WRITING SUCKS (AND HOW TO FIX IT). |  |
| Read More... | 13 Comments |
| The Case for Writers as Game Designers |
| Posted by Adam Volk on 03/20/09 12:58:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| A look at three of the top video game writer-designers who have revolutionized the industry by creating titles with gripping narratives AND innovative gameplay. | |
| Read More... | 6 Comments |
| The Play’s the Thing: What Stage Plays Can Teach Game Designers |
| Posted by Adam Volk on 04/16/09 02:06:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| While the mediums of film and television undoubtedly have much to inspire today’s game designers, a medium which is almost never mentioned - and which actually bears more in common with video games than one might think - is that of the stage play. | |
| Read More... | 9 Comments |
| Applying Robert McKee’s “Story” to Video Games |
| Posted by Adam Volk on 08/21/09 03:12:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| Applying the principles of screenwriting guru Robert McKee to interactive game narratives. | |
| Read More... | 6 Comments |
| This Developer's Life |
| Posted by James Portnow on 03/06/09 05:50:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| This will be the first in a weekly series syndicated from Game Culture about the trials and tribulations of being a game developer. They'll be out every Friday |  |
| Read More... | 0 Comments |
| This Developer's Life: DICE |
| Posted by James Portnow on 03/13/09 01:11:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| Week 2 of This Developer's Life, where I cover DICE and talk about pitching your game at conventions. | |
| Read More... | 1 Comment |
| This Developer's Life: GDC |
| Posted by James Portnow on 04/11/09 02:17:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| So how did GDC go for this developer? Read on to find out. | |
| Read More... | 2 Comments |
| This Developer's Life: Entertainment |
| Posted by James Portnow on 05/16/09 10:12:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| Someone sent me an email asking me what I'm playing...wow what a question. I guess here's the list.
| |
| Read More... | 6 Comments |
| This Developer's Life: The Universal Game |
| Posted by James Portnow on 07/20/09 06:10:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| This week I have a question for you: what makes a game universal? As our audience expands and what a "gamer" is loses meaning we must begin exploring what universal ideas are best expressed through games. I don't have the answer, but I'm hoping you do. | |
| Read More... | 13 Comments |
| This Developer's Life: The Universal Game, Part 2 |
| Posted by James Portnow on 07/28/09 01:36:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| Last week I asked you how we create a "Universal Game". After a week of listening to your responses and hashing it over with other designers I've come to realize that I need to start by asking, "How do we make games that work on many different levels?" | |
| Read More... | 2 Comments |
| This Developer's Life: Intrade |
| Posted by James Portnow on 08/18/09 02:50:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| Sorry for having been gone so long, you'll find my excuse in this article...
You'll also find a great deal about games as prediction markets and what that could mean for the future. How do we develop such a thing without it being turned to great evil? | |
| Read More... | 0 Comments |
| This Developer’s Life: Guns Germs and Steel (and some Civilization) |
| Posted by James Portnow on 08/25/09 01:32:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| I'm going to take a departure this week and talk about a game, specifically Civ 4, and what it taught me about design by playing it while reading Guns, Germs and Steel... | |
| Read More... | 3 Comments |
| This Developer's Life: PAX! |
| Posted by James Portnow on 09/22/09 03:13:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| Finally I catch up enough to burble out my ramblings on PAX. Mostly I cover the three panels I was on: Game Design 101, Game Culture and How to Educate a Game Designer.
Read the two Game Culture quotes, I thought they were worth thinking about... | |
| Read More... | 0 Comments |
| Bring on the Advertising |
| Posted by Brenda Brathwaite on 02/28/09 08:52:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| Should we have advertising in games? Is it an inevitable step? Would advertising absorb some of the risk and allow more people to keep their jobs? |  |
| Read More... | 0 Comments |
| Types of Conflict in Games |
| Posted by Brenda Brathwaite on 03/02/09 08:55:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| Struggling to find the way into your game? Consider these classic forms of conflict that allow any idea for a narrative to develop into a design. | |
| Read More... | 5 Comments |
| Irish History Week (and Games) |
| Posted by Brenda Brathwaite on 03/14/09 10:12:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| In a region so full with myths, legends and battles as Ireland, why does the Emerald Isle show up so little in games? | |
| Read More... | 0 Comments |
| The +1 Road to Happiness |
| Posted by Brenda Brathwaite on 07/20/09 09:12:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| Why delaying gratification can often lead to much larger gratification, and fun is often in the small, small things. | |
| Read More... | 9 Comments |
| The Four Stages of Wii |
| Posted by Don Daglow on 03/23/09 03:05:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| Comsumers' acceptance of the Wii as a new game platform came much more readily than Game Developer acceptance. What can we all learn from the patterns of Wii history? |  |
| Read More... | 31 Comments |
| In Appreciation of Dave Arneson |
| Posted by Don Daglow on 04/10/09 03:33:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| The passing of Dave Arneson represents the end of an era, and the loss of an important historical figure in the development of Games. | |
| Read More... | 1 Comment |
| Global Game Jam @ Mekensleep. |
| Posted by Olivier Lejade on 03/23/09 03:29:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| At Brandon Sheffield's request, here's a repost of what happened during the Global Game Jam at Mekensleep on the last days of January 2009. |  |
| Read More... | 0 Comments |
| GDC 09: Meaningful Social Reality Games |
| Posted by Olivier Lejade on 03/24/09 03:37:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| First session I did at GDC this year was about Akoha, a meaningful social reality game in the making. | |
| Read More... | 0 Comments |
| Looking for the Good |
| Posted by Russell Carroll on 03/03/09 09:33:00 am
in
Game Design,
Production
|
| When people care, they see the good. That is true in every aspect of life from your relationship with your significant other to the Wii. |  |
| Read More... | 1 Comment |
| They're Called Games |
| Posted by Russell Carroll on 06/24/09 12:50:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| Sometimes we lose what's good along the way. | |
| Read More... | 7 Comments |
| Big Fish - Little Pond |
| Posted by Russell Carroll on 10/29/09 01:13:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| Older people don't play games. Why not? What needs to change so that they do (we'll assume it's not the people who need to change). | |
| Read More... | 11 Comments |
| Welcome to Gamasutra Blogs! |
| Posted by Chris Remo on 03/04/09 11:52:00 pm
in
Audio,
Game Design,
Programming,
Production,
Visual Art
|
| Welcome to Gamasutra Blogs. We've put together a brief summary of our plans and goals with this new section of the site, as well as some handy guidelines for prospective bloggers. Get in on the ground floor! |  |
| Read More... | 24 Comments |
| Hello, Gamaworld |
| Posted by Steve Swink on 02/26/09 03:02:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| Just a quick test post to get things rolling. Topic brain blast:
-The Indie brand, and how it's being built with each "indie" release
-The 'novel mechanic' movement in game design
-The Mr. Peters button and expression through system design |  |
| Read More... | 0 Comments |
| A GDD Template for the Indie Developer |
| Posted by Jason Bakker on 06/04/09 04:58:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| This article outlines a Game Design Document template for independent developers, that's less focused on target markets and saleability and more on information that's actually useful in small-scale game development. |  |
| Read More... | 6 Comments |
| Ze iPhone Game: Choosing an Engine |
| Posted by Jason Bakker on 07/21/09 01:26:00 pm
in
Game Design,
Programming
|
| This post covers my development team's first steps in making our iPhone game, describing the engines and APIs that are currently out there and the decision-making process that I went through in choosing which engine to go with. | |
| Read More... | 20 Comments |
| Things That Suck About the Magnetic Butterfly Public Prototype |
| Posted by Trent Polack on 03/04/09 06:22:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| I released a prototype of my Unity-made physics game prototype: Magnetic Butterfly. It sucks. It's also about a butterfly with an enormous wrecking ball attached to it.
Basically, it's a prototype game design and it needs comments and feedback. |  |
| Read More... | 1 Comment |
| An Economy of Fun |
| Posted by Trent Polack on 03/23/09 10:43:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| A "brief" comparison of the benefits of a truly emergent and open-ended game design and structure as opposed to a game of a more traditional, Hollywood-inspired structure. | |
| Read More... | 3 Comments |
| Challenge in Games: Everyone Hates Nathan |
| Posted by Trent Polack on 04/13/09 02:00:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| A discussion which attempts to strike a formal difference between challenge in games and the misapplication of challenge (frustration) through Insomniac's Resistance 2. | |
| Read More... | 8 Comments |
| Revisiting Halo 3 |
| Posted by Trent Polack on 07/08/09 11:16:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| An analysis of the little talked-about Halo 3 (in the critical/design circle) and what it does so right and how missteps at the worst times. | |
| Read More... | 5 Comments |
| Epic Scale |
| Posted by Trent Polack on 07/16/09 11:38:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| A look at how The Darkness manages to make a more meaningful gameplay experience by using the intimate focus of its core storyline to infuse the small central characters to give the player a relate-able context for actions throughout the game. | |
| Read More... | 7 Comments |
| Lie to Them |
| Posted by Trent Polack on 07/28/09 10:25:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| A discussion of the possibility of applying the concept of the "unreliable narrator" and distorted concepts of reality to game design. | |
| Read More... | 14 Comments |
| Game Design Logophilia |
| Posted by Trent Polack on 09/10/09 11:14:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| A column about the desire (and opposition) for game designers to focus on establishing a proper vocabulary for game design. | |
| Read More... | 23 Comments |
| Gaming Generation Y |
| Posted by Trent Polack on 10/04/09 03:15:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| Taking a look at generational thought to analyze what the traits of Generation Y mean for game design as we go forward into an increasingly Y-filled industry (and culture). | |
| Read More... | 14 Comments |
| Innovative or just Good Art? |
| Posted by Benjamin Quintero on 03/04/09 11:49:00 pm
in
Game Design,
Visual Art
|
| All too often it seems that games are given the title of innovation, even if the game itself is simply a solid execution of a specific genre. I suppose that is the question. Is something innovative, just because it incrementally improved on a ... |  |
| Read More... | 1 Comment |
| Why It’s Bad To Try |
| Posted by Benjamin Quintero on 08/03/09 04:56:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| I rediscover how 5 minutes can turn a great game into just a good game. | |
| Read More... | 16 Comments |
| Uncanny Likeness |
| Posted by Benjamin Quintero on 05/01/09 02:41:00 pm
in
Game Design,
Visual Art
|
| I can't put my finger on it but I know I've seen this before. | |
| Read More... | 4 Comments |
| What's Wrong With Being Indie |
| Posted by Benjamin Quintero on 05/25/09 11:22:00 pm
in
Audio,
Game Design,
Programming,
Production,
Visual Art
|
| In my various failed attempts to find strong partners through the years, I've come to a few conclusions. | |
| Read More... | 5 Comments |
| Multiplayer Can Hurt You |
| Posted by Benjamin Quintero on 06/09/09 12:16:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| There’s been a lot of talk over the last couple of years that games could not succeed unless they shipped with a multiplayer component. | |
| Read More... | 32 Comments |
| What's the Deal with Casual Games? |
| Posted by Benjamin Quintero on 06/11/09 10:55:00 pm
in
Game Design,
Production
|
| I have my reservations about casual games. How can I be profitable when I don't know what makes them fun (for others)? | |
| Read More... | 14 Comments |
| Morally Ambiguous Gameplay |
| Posted by Benjamin Quintero on 08/18/09 11:52:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| I recently finished Dexter Season 2. It really got my gears turning; thinking of what kind of game Dexter would make. It also raised a few moral questions.
| |
| Read More... | 7 Comments |
| Wolfenstein: A Sad Day for PC’s |
| Posted by Benjamin Quintero on 08/24/09 03:20:00 am
in
Game Design,
Programming,
Production
|
| Getting something that feels more like a port than a PC game... | |
| Read More... | 2 Comments |
| Steak > Gameplay |
| Posted by Benjamin Quintero on 09/05/09 04:01:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| After reading a recent post by Tadhg Kelly, the following stream of comments made me hungry. | |
| Read More... | 5 Comments |
| Beyond Spore: Ideas for Connective Games (Part 1) |
| Posted by Neil Sorens on 04/06/09 03:06:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| Using network connectivity for more than multiplayer gaming. |  |
| Read More... | 3 Comments |
| Beyond Spore: Ideas for Connective Games (Part 2) |
| Posted by Neil Sorens on 04/13/09 03:46:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| Continuing a discussion on ideas for connective games, Part 2 discusses uses for distributed computing. | |
| Read More... | 0 Comments |
| The Importance of Readability in Games |
| Posted by Nels Anderson on 04/22/09 02:10:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| The introduction to a series of posts on game system readability, and the important role it plays in design. |  |
| Read More... | 6 Comments |
| Improving Readability: Empathy |
| Posted by Nels Anderson on 04/27/09 09:00:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| A call for greater designer empathy when creating readable systems. | |
| Read More... | 5 Comments |
| Improving Readability: Data |
| Posted by Nels Anderson on 04/29/09 08:00:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| Thoughts on the importance of scientific rigor when evaluating game design. | |
| Read More... | 5 Comments |
| Without Readability - The Decline of Adventure Games |
| Posted by Nels Anderson on 05/05/09 08:00:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| A discussion of how poor readability contributed to the decline of adventure games. | |
| Read More... | 5 Comments |
| Toward Better Readability in Adventure Games |
| Posted by Nels Anderson on 05/07/09 08:00:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| More readable systems could contribute to creating games that offer the same satisfaction as classic adventure games. This article looks at some places to start. | |
| Read More... | 2 Comments |
| Fallout and The Procedural Skald |
| Posted by Nels Anderson on 06/08/09 05:30:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| A discussion of how the extended epilogues in Fallout 1 & 2 compare to Fallout 3's procedural skald of Three Dog in add gravitas to player decisions. | |
| Read More... | 0 Comments |
| Kohlberg's Moral Development Comes to the Mushroom Kingdom |
| Posted by Nels Anderson on 07/13/09 07:25:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| This post looks at moral reasoning in games through the lens of Dr. Lawrence Kohlberg's six stages of moral development, providing further evidence that games are neglecting a powerful opportunity to engage players. | |
| Read More... | 15 Comments |
| Say No to "Fun" |
| Posted by Nels Anderson on 08/27/09 07:00:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| Using the word "fun" to discuss the core value of games is deeply problematic. Conversing with new players and non-gamers is going to require a new term. I propose "engagement" (even though it's still the "fun" most of us are used to). | |
| Read More... | 26 Comments |
| Game Design in South Africa |
| Posted by Joshua Dallman on 03/21/09 01:25:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| Yesterday I returned home from six months as a game designer in South Africa. I went there looking for job experience, not outback safari adventure, though got both. However, this isn't a travelogue, but an analysis of the game industry in South Africa. |  |
| Read More... | 18 Comments |
| Designer Postmortem: Porting Marble Blast from XBLA to iPhone |
| Posted by Joshua Dallman on 05/17/09 06:20:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| This is the designer's postmortem for Marble Blast Mobile and discusses the game design considerations and challenges that went into porting the XBLA hit game onto the iPhone platform. | |
| Read More... | 4 Comments |
| Psychology of Achievements & Trophies |
| Posted by Aki Jarvinen on 03/05/09 02:00:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| Aki Järvinen takes a look at the motivational factors behind Xbox Live achievements and PSN Trophies. Is there room for qualitative achievements, and what would they be like? |  |
| Read More... | 4 Comments |
| Twitter Game Design: Observations & Principles |
| Posted by Aki Jarvinen on 07/08/09 06:53:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| Aki Järvinen takes a look at the emerging space of Twitter-based games from a design perspective. | |
| Read More... | 0 Comments |
| Book Project on Social Games |
| Posted by Aki Jarvinen on 09/01/09 06:16:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| Here's a sneak peek to the book I will be working on for the next six months. Drawing from a number of design methodologies, case studies,and interviews, the book will introduce a variety of methods and perspectives to games in social networks. | |
| Read More... | 0 Comments |
| The Framers Were Gamers |
| Posted by Eric Hardman on 09/17/09 12:01:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| The US Constitution as a Game Design Document |  |
| Read More... | 7 Comments |
| Legend of Zelda has No Coherent Timeline? |
| Posted by Seth Sivak on 07/16/09 10:01:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| Nintendo responded to a fan that “there isn’t a true frame of reference or timeline possible for the series” based on the fact that “each new game represents a new Link” main character. This annoyed fans, what does it really mean for the franchise? |  |
| Read More... | 8 Comments |
| Fallout 3 And The Sixth Sense Of Time |
| Posted by Ted Brown on 03/10/09 08:40:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| Reveling in one thing that games can do better than any other medium. |  |
| Read More... | 3 Comments |
| Ideas I Did Not Own |
| Posted by Ted Brown on 10/28/09 04:53:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| A story about letting go of a game concept I believed was unique and original, and the happy results. This one is from way back in the memory vault, folks... 8-bit and CGA! | |
| Read More... | 4 Comments |
| Alzheimer's -- The Game |
| Posted by Luis Levy on 05/19/09 02:20:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| While watching The Alzheimer's Project, we started thinking: what would be like to make a game about Alzheimer’s? What kind of game would it be? |  |
| Read More... | 9 Comments |
| Hello Gamasutra World |
| Posted by Stephen Dinehart on 03/16/09 02:09:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| A virgin-user takes his first steps in playing with the new Gamasutra features. |  |
| Read More... | 1 Comment |
| On Murderous Video Games |
| Posted by Stephen Dinehart on 05/14/09 01:12:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| Do we need gore in video games? Is there a reason for horror? Does it serve a social or psychological purpose? This post addresses potential answers to those questions, and suggests horror game makers have a meaningful place in our cultural lexicon. | |
| Read More... | 11 Comments |
| The Origin Of Serious War-Gaming |
| Posted by Stephen Dinehart on 05/27/09 07:36:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| When did military individuals start expecting the playing of strategic game systems, specifically war-games, to create narratives which can be used in real life? As a narrative designer and game maker I can't help but wonder. | |
| Read More... | 10 Comments |
| Lucky Number 7: Game Writers in the Trenches |
| Posted by Stephen Dinehart on 07/30/09 08:45:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| This is a brief overview of interviews conducted with video game writers; a small but in-depth taste of narrative goodness in a world gone to game. | |
| Read More... | 1 Comment |
| Calling all Narrative Designers! |
| Posted by Stephen Dinehart on 09/25/09 12:38:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| NarrWare recently launched The Narrative Designer's Network™ and with the help of the growing community we are creating a global movement. Here is a brief call to those which seek to change the face of game design. | |
| Read More... | 10 Comments |
| Ideas From Your Team: The Pooling Ideas Philosophy |
| Posted by Urbain Bruno on 04/15/09 01:48:00 am
in
Game Design,
Production
|
| After reading Damion Schubert’s excellent article on pooling ideas in May 2008's Game Developer magazine, something came immediately on our mind: the problem, with designers, is not exactly the will to get ideas from everyone but how they gather it. |  |
| Read More... | 4 Comments |
| Gaming Syntax: Using Sentence Construction to Think About Level Design |
| Posted by Jason Rice on 09/07/09 11:10:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| Sentences only make sense when the words are organized using syntax to create meaning. This post explores what game designers can learn from sentence construction to create truly engaging levels that say something meaningful to their customers. |  |
| Read More... | 7 Comments |
| Co-op/social Dungeon Master: Left 4 Dead as a proof of concept |
| Posted by Jason Schklar on 03/07/09 03:55:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| Creating and DM'ing an RPG is time intensive, can result in unbalanced and unpolished levels, and is generally a thankless and lonely task. Playing as Infected in Left 4 Dead led me to rethink how a game might make DM'ing fun for both DMs and Adventurers. |  |
| Read More... | 4 Comments |
| Imperishable Night: Easier challenge means more adrenaline? |
| Posted by Michael Molinari on 03/06/09 08:27:00 pm
in
Game Design,
Visual Art
|
| Dissecting just what makes my adrenaline pump during a specific portion of Imperishable Night, wherein gameplay is simplified and I really shouldn't be breaking a sweat at all. |  |
| Read More... | 0 Comments |
| Galaga: When Going Left Isn't Always Right |
| Posted by Michael Molinari on 03/10/09 08:34:00 pm
in
Game Design,
Visual Art
|
| Taking a look at the shmup's earliest integration of having to go out of one's way in order to trick that evil AI. And yes, I discuss why the first game to do so isn't Space Invaders. | |
| Read More... | 6 Comments |
| Radiant Silvergun: Takin' The Dog For A Walk |
| Posted by Michael Molinari on 03/08/09 08:41:00 pm
in
Game Design,
Visual Art
|
| Examining the little-known phenomenon of collecting hidden dogs in Radiant Silvergun for the sake of saying one collected hidden dogs in Radiant Silvergun. | |
| Read More... | 0 Comments |
| Sin & Punishment: Reading Between The Dimensions |
| Posted by Michael Molinari on 03/13/09 08:04:00 pm
in
Game Design,
Visual Art
|
| Taking a look at one of many instances where Treasure (♥) will slip in a boss battle from another genre. | |
| Read More... | 0 Comments |
| Ikaruga: Eating Dots For A Healthier Life |
| Posted by Michael Molinari on 03/16/09 08:10:00 am
in
Game Design,
Visual Art
|
| Taking a breather from all of the manic-shooting curtain-fire mayhem to which we so commonly subject our mortal bodies, immersing ourselves instead in the serenity and beauty of "dot eating." | |
| Read More... | 1 Comment |
| Warning Forever: Your Own Personalized Frankenstein |
| Posted by Michael Molinari on 03/19/09 06:11:00 pm
in
Game Design,
Visual Art
|
| Exposing how crucial your every move is in dictating just how hard this game beats you up. Also: a brief look at an ingenious control scheme that simplifies the complex. | |
| Read More... | 1 Comment |
| Raiden III: That poor, hapless driver |
| Posted by Michael Molinari on 03/24/09 09:22:00 pm
in
Game Design,
Visual Art
|
| Revealing one of the finer details in Raiden III: The ability to make a conscious decision to kill an unknown civilian. | |
| Read More... | 2 Comments |
| Squares 2: Is [Not] A Shmup |
| Posted by Michael Molinari on 04/02/09 01:28:00 am
in
Game Design,
Visual Art
|
| Defining, undefining, and redefining again what it means for a game to be a shmup. [spoiler alert: discussion includes an outweighed number of contradictions over solid fact and resolution. Read with caution and an open mind] | |
| Read More... | 1 Comment |
| Battle Garegga: More Pink Flamingos, Please |
| Posted by Michael Molinari on 04/08/09 07:23:00 pm
in
Game Design,
Visual Art
|
| Justifying proof that arcade cabinets are designed to eat your quarters, to the point where the number of quarters inserted is irrelevant - unless of course you enjoy inevitable defeat. Also: video of pink flamingos! | |
| Read More... | 2 Comments |
| Sinistar: Things I Just Can't Do. |
| Posted by Michael Molinari on 04/14/09 05:55:00 pm
in
Game Design,
Visual Art
|
| Revealing the true inspiration for fear within my body, at least in regards to the 80s. | |
| Read More... | 2 Comments |
| Project RS3: I'm No Fanboy, I Just Appreciate Art |
| Posted by Michael Molinari on 04/21/09 04:41:00 pm
in
Game Design,
Visual Art
|
| Dare I tackle the subject of art, let alone that which may exist in games? To my own rhetoric I say, "Yes." | |
| Read More... | 2 Comments |
| Dual Play: When Playing With Yourself is a Gameplay Mode |
| Posted by Michael Molinari on 04/28/09 02:50:00 pm
in
Game Design,
Visual Art
|
| Twice the action. Double the stakes. Unfathomably more challenging. If I told you this existed, you'd say it was impossible for anyone to complete, let alone perform. And yet, this world in which we live houses some very talented people. | |
| Read More... | 7 Comments |
| Boss Rush Mode: Boss Yes, Not So Much Rush |
| Posted by Michael Molinari on 05/13/09 12:07:00 am
in
Game Design,
Visual Art
|
| You've played it before. Now find out why the joy you may have felt while playing it was all for nothing. Also: niche references to the Star Wars universe. | |
| Read More... | 2 Comments |
| Where Have All The Shmups Gone!? |
| Posted by Michael Molinari on 05/20/09 03:25:00 pm
in
Game Design,
Visual Art
|
| A dying genre is kept alive, if only for one more moment, by a blog entry on Gamasutra. Clap if you believe in shmups! | |
| Read More... | 9 Comments |
| Ikaruga: Practicing Faith |
| Posted by Michael Molinari on 06/07/09 08:22:00 pm
in
Game Design,
Visual Art
|
| An in-depth look at one level of Ikaruga, examining just what makes people love it (i.e. shmups) so much and keep coming back for more. Perfect for the curious. Even better for anyone who knows the game by heart. | |
| Read More... | 2 Comments |
| The Blame Game: It's Not Me, It's You |
| Posted by Michael Molinari on 06/18/09 07:53:00 pm
in
Game Design,
Visual Art
|
| Do I like a challenge? Yes. Do I like an unfair challenge? Definitely. Do I like unfair? Well, of course not. | |
| Read More... | 6 Comments |
| Ikaruga: Line Graphs Don't Lie |
| Posted by Michael Molinari on 07/09/09 05:22:00 pm
in
Game Design,
Visual Art
|
| An analytical look at Ikaruga's Xbox 360 leaderboard scores. Prepare to not be shocked by the results. | |
| Read More... | 0 Comments |
| Chilling in Leeuwarden |
| Posted by Noah Falstein on 03/07/09 02:45:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| My impressions of game design students in Northern Holland. |  |
| Read More... | 0 Comments |
| Serious Games in Europe |
| Posted by Noah Falstein on 03/10/09 08:22:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| Reporting on a Serious Games Conference within CeBIT, a half-million person trade show in Hannover, Germany. | |
| Read More... | 0 Comments |
| Time Travel, Poetry, And The 4th Dimension |
| Posted by Noah Falstein on 03/30/09 01:24:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| The experimental games session at GDC 2009 was full of mind-blowing, exciting new ideas. The future looks bright for game design diversity. | |
| Read More... | 0 Comments |
| The Triumph of Will |
| Posted by Noah Falstein on 04/08/09 06:20:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| Will Wright's departure from EA is one more sign that the industry is heading in an exciting new direction - or more accurately, many exciting new directions. | |
| Read More... | 4 Comments |
| What Use Is A Baby? Part 1: Post-Natal |
| Posted by Noah Falstein on 06/05/09 03:47:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| Why Microsoft's "Project Natal" will be more than Microsoft Bob and Weave | |
| Read More... | 12 Comments |
| What Makes Me Think I'm Suddenly A Game Designer? |
| Posted by Glenn Corpes on 03/10/09 03:52:00 pm
in
Game Design,
Programming
|
| After twenty plus years working in games, mostly as a programmer, I suddenly think I have what it takes to be a game designer as well. Am I kidding myself? |  |
| Read More... | 2 Comments |
| Zening: Balancing A Casual Flash Strategy Game |
| Posted by Chris Pasley on 03/27/09 08:36:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| A breakdown of how the multiplayer mode of Kongregate's turn-based Flash strategy game "Zening" was balanced. |  |
| Read More... | 1 Comment |
| Games Shouldn't Be Anything |
| Posted by Chris Pasley on 04/07/09 09:00:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| A small rant about how words should be followed with actions when debating how games "should be." | |
| Read More... | 18 Comments |
| Key Questions for Choosing a Camera Perspective |
| Posted by Reid Kimball on 03/12/09 04:27:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| Reid Kimball offers some possible questions to ask before you decide on a 1st or 3rd person camera perspective for your game. |  |
| Read More... | 1 Comment |
| Could Permanent Death Ever Work? |
| Posted by Reid Kimball on 03/21/09 11:58:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| Reid wonders if it's possible to design a single player game where players accept that death is final, at least until they start the game over again, from the start. | |
| Read More... | 8 Comments |
| On World Of WarCraft's Color Blindness Patch |
| Posted by Reid Kimball on 03/31/09 04:27:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| Ablegamers.com has info on WoW's upcoming 3.1 patch, which adds features that help the color blind. However, more work remains. | |
| Read More... | 4 Comments |
| Forget Fun. Is It Engaging? |
| Posted by Reid Kimball on 04/04/09 04:33:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| Fun can have a variety of meanings to many people. Reid explains how fun has a very specific meaning and how its overuse restricts our acceptance of games that can't be described as fun. He offers a new descriptor for all games to strive for. | |
| Read More... | 15 Comments |
| "It's Not Just a Game. It can save a life." |
| Posted by Reid Kimball on 04/10/09 11:33:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| Here's a video interview with a woman who has a metabolic disorder, who talks about the value of games for disabled people. | |
| Read More... | 1 Comment |
| Opinion: Too Much Action and Not Enough Adventure Gameplay |
| Posted by Reid Kimball on 04/18/09 03:39:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| Reid Kimball thinks narrative driven action games overuse action gameplay and believes western adventure gameplay and other examples can help. | |
| Read More... | 18 Comments |
| Commentary: Design Lessons from Torture in Games |
| Posted by Reid Kimball on 04/22/09 05:30:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| Reid gives a quick overview of torture in videogames and discusses how one of them has an important procedural message embedded in its mechanics. | |
| Read More... | 26 Comments |
| The Interactive Montage |
| Posted by Reid Kimball on 05/01/09 02:30:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| Reid Kimball covers the idea of an interactive montage, adapted from the western film montage technique to include gameplay interactivity. | |
| Read More... | 10 Comments |
| Responses to The Interactive Montage |
| Posted by Reid Kimball on 05/20/09 03:00:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| Reid covers some interesting feedback on his article about using interactive montages in games. | |
| Read More... | 4 Comments |
| Using Games As A Dialog With Players |
| Posted by Reid Kimball on 06/15/09 10:15:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| Reid discusses one way he thinks games can become more artful, by engaging players in a dialog on specific topics. | |
| Read More... | 21 Comments |
| A Philosophical Riddle from a Game Designer |
| Posted by Reid Kimball on 06/27/09 11:33:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| In this two sentence post, Reid takes an ancient philosophical riddle and adapts it to a pressing question most designers and writers may want to ask themselves. | |
| Read More... | 9 Comments |
| Infusing Games with a Moral Premise |
| Posted by Reid Kimball on 07/06/09 10:30:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| Reid Kimball puts forth an idea of how to use the concept of a Moral Premise to synchronize both gameplay and narrative to create more meaningful gaming experiences with progressive moral arcs. | |
| Read More... | 60 Comments |
| The Future Of The IGDA Is Written By You. |
| Posted by Reid Kimball on 08/03/09 03:19:00 pm
in
Audio,
Game Design,
Programming,
Production,
Visual Art
|
| How the recent controversy regarding Tim Langdell opens the door to shape the IGDA into what its members want from it. | |
| Read More... | 6 Comments |
| Breaking the Vicious Cycle |
| Posted by Reid Kimball on 08/17/09 11:00:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| "In this article, game designer Reid Kimball posits that instead of striving for replayability, game designers can strive to create inspirational games that need only be played once." -Sande Chen | |
| Read More... | 11 Comments |
| Opinion: Create a Real PSA Against Online Hate Speech |
| Posted by Reid Kimball on 11/04/09 04:00:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| Reid Bryant Kimball urges developers to create real, sincere and genuine PSA's reminding people that hate speech is not cool and is not tolerated in online gaming experiences. | |
| Read More... | 54 Comments |
| Street Fighter Vs. Soul Calibur - The Showdown |
| Posted by Neil Gower on 06/11/09 10:50:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| Soul Calibur 4 was the office favourite, but looming on the horizon was Street Fighter 4 - maybe the most anticipated fighting game release ever. So which one is actually better? |  |
| Read More... | 6 Comments |
| Is "unity" too few clicks to ask for? |
| Posted by Neil Gower on 04/06/09 01:55:00 am
in
Game Design,
Programming
|
| Dave Perry recently commented that a major advantage of Gaikai over OnLive is it does not require a download. Tonight I finally got around to trying out Unity3d, which faces a similar obstacle. My impressions of the download barrier... | |
| Read More... | 6 Comments |
| The taste of TOJam |
| Posted by Neil Gower on 06/03/09 12:17:00 am
in
Audio,
Game Design,
Programming,
Visual Art
|
| I've worked in games and entertainment for years, but in the back of my mind I always envied indie projects. This year, I finally stopped thinking about it and jumped in to TOJam #4. | |
| Read More... | 0 Comments |
| What Does It Cost To Play For Free? |
| Posted by Neil Gower on 06/30/09 01:10:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| "Free to play" Battlefield Heroes inspires some thoughts about the impact of in-game spending on game design. | |
| Read More... | 10 Comments |
| Optimization And Game Mechanics |
| Posted by Erin Hoffman on 03/14/09 09:44:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| So, because the big project at the new place is large and Flash-based, right now we're doing a systematic analysis of Ferry Halim's Orisinal games. |  |
| Read More... | 6 Comments |
| Quick Post: User-Generated Content And Game Developers |
| Posted by Erin Hoffman on 10/23/09 10:30:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| But no one's managed to create a truly workable, accessible UCG-friendly area yet. Second Life isn't it. Metaplace isn't it (sorry Raph). Thus far, properties that have made UGC their core mission have not been successful. | |
| Read More... | 13 Comments |
| Understanding Synaesthesia for Better Games |
| Posted by Armando Marini on 05/06/09 03:51:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| Understanding the disorder known as Synaesthesia can help to better communicate with your team and achieve a media harmony. |  |
| Read More... | 5 Comments |
| The Cost Benefit Analysis and The Sorites Paradox |
| Posted by Armando Marini on 05/20/09 10:48:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| Using some deep thinking and philosophy to help clarify the murky world of creative choices in game design. The cost benefit analysis and the Sorites paradox are forever linked in the process of game creation. | |
| Read More... | 1 Comment |
| Of Monkeys and Shiny Things |
| Posted by Armando Marini on 06/17/09 12:02:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| When there are tough choices to make, a rule of thumb is always great to fall back on. I want to share with you one that I have used for many years and it has never steered me wrong. | |
| Read More... | 15 Comments |
| AI Lessons from Un-Balancing Scrabble |
| Posted by Dave Mark on 03/18/09 03:05:00 pm
in
Game Design,
Programming
|
| By gradually changing the number of words with odd letters that are in the Scrabble dictionary, the scoring system gradually became unbalanced. This sort of math juggling is something that game designers and AI Programmers deal with all the time. |  |
| Read More... | 2 Comments |
| Choices: Not Just For Players Any More! |
| Posted by Dave Mark on 04/10/09 10:36:00 am
in
Game Design,
Programming
|
| Providing non-linear, non-calculatable choices for players is all well and good. However, if we are going to achieve depth in gameplay we need to provide that same depth of choice to our AI NPCs as well. | |
| Read More... | 7 Comments |
| And the Award for Best Artificial Intelligence goes to... |
| Posted by Dave Mark on 05/28/09 11:34:00 am
in
Game Design,
Programming
|
| Why is it the arguably single most important element of many interactive games isn't prominently rated, judged, or given awards? | |
| Read More... | 6 Comments |
| AI and MMOs - The Controversy |
| Posted by Dave Mark on 09/06/09 04:52:00 pm
in
Game Design,
Programming
|
| There have been numerous posts on Gamasutra lately discussing various aspects of MMOs and how better AI can help. Coincidentally, this is the topic of my lecture at GDC Austin next week. As a sort of "coming attraction" I weigh in on these issues. | |
| Read More... | 25 Comments |
| An Ode To A Jaded Gamer |
| Posted by Alexander Brandon on 08/03/09 09:07:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| An analysis of the power of narrative compared to realistic graphics. |  |
| Read More... | 5 Comments |
| The Importance Of Skill |
| Posted by Alexander Brandon on 08/30/09 08:23:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| How important is dynamic difficulty? Let's explore that question over a small cup of coffee. | |
| Read More... | 18 Comments |
| GDC 2009 - Day 4.1 - GDC MicroTalks and Hideo Impossible |
| Posted by Jim McGinley on 03/27/09 07:27:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| One man sits in a chair listening to ten speakers with too little time, and one speaker with too much. Starring the whose whose of game design, and Hideo "you know me from Mega64" Kojima. |  |
| Read More... | 0 Comments |
| GDC 2009 - Day 4.2 - All About NOBY NOBY BOY |
| Posted by Jim McGinley on 03/29/09 11:36:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| One man attempts to separate fact from fiction while listening to Keita Takahashi talk about NOBY NOBY BOY. That man determines that it's not possible. Starring: King of All Cosmos | |
| Read More... | 2 Comments |
| GDC 2009 - Day 4.3 - Experimental Gameplay Sessions |
| Posted by Jim McGinley on 03/29/09 11:45:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| One man watches 10 developers present 10 mind blowing games. Confession: Mind only slightly blown. Starring a lot of cool, strange people. | |
| Read More... | 11 Comments |
| GDC 2009 - Day 3.1 - Hocking's Faults, Wu's Momentum, Dim Sum 13/17 |
| Posted by Jim McGinley on 03/30/09 08:41:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| One man's experiences learning improvisation, watching animation, and paying affirmation. Starring: Clint Hocking's charisma, David Wu's physique, and Sam Roberts' brain. | |
| Read More... | 0 Comments |
| GDC 2009 - Day 5.1 - Breakfast with 6 Gaming Titans. Scrambled Eggs. |
| Posted by Jim McGinley on 04/03/09 01:30:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| One man attends a GDC panel where the ideas flow freely. Officially "Stretching Beyond Entertainment: The Role of Games in Personal and Social Change". Starring Rusel deMaria, Peter Molyneux, Will Wright, Bing Gordon, Lorne Lanning, Ed Fries and SomeGuy. | |
| Read More... | 0 Comments |
| GDC 2009 - Day 5.2 - My First Date with Dusty, Rich, Steve and Wendy |
| Posted by Jim McGinley on 04/05/09 04:34:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| One married man attends a GDC panel about "The Dating Game". Specifically, why don't people play games on a first date? Generally, why are games still only for nerds? Starring Dustin Clingman, Richard Dansky, Steve Meretzky and a brave Wendy Despain. | |
| Read More... | 3 Comments |
| GDC 2009 - Day 5.3 - The Bogost with the Most, a Complex Sandwich |
| Posted by Jim McGinley on 04/07/09 01:10:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| One man gets drunk with Ian Bogost. They wax nostalgic about the good ol' days. Days when games were good, and you didn't have all those newfangled keyboards, mice, hard drives, CDs, monitors, joysticks, quarters, oscillators, etc.
| |
| Read More... | 2 Comments |
| GDC 2009 - Day 5.4 - Those who seek Destruction, find Luke |
| Posted by Jim McGinley on 04/08/09 11:16:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| One man attends final GDC 2009 presentation, watches world go boom boom. Plans to buy sledgehammer. Starring Luke Schneider | |
| Read More... | 1 Comment |
| GDC 2009 - Epilogue - including Hidden Bonus Level |
| Posted by Jim McGinley on 04/10/09 11:41:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| One man spends 5 nights on the town, and learns absolutely nothing.
Discover Fonzies avoid GDC lectures, attend nightly parties instead.
Don wig, lipstick, bra, pantyhose. Ready. Set. Ayyyyy.
Featuring friends, food, a cable car, and heartwarming closu | |
| Read More... | 2 Comments |
| TOJam #4 - Day 0 - Upset Bowels, Sun Battles, A Lack of Bricks |
| Posted by Jim McGinley on 05/14/09 02:24:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| TOJam #4 took place May 1 - 3, 2009. Jim McG details his experience helping organize it. For no reason whatsoever. | |
| Read More... | 2 Comments |
| Montreal International Game Summit (MIGS) - The Pre-Show |
| Posted by Jim McGinley on 11/17/09 02:39:00 am
in
Game Design,
Production
|
| J'ai arrivé early and alone. Have time to reflect on the next 2 days of intense presentations... and my awesome hotel room! It's HUGE! For an extra 10 dollars a day we're living like kings. 2 bathrooms, 2 TVs, a kitchenette and place to entertain. WOW! | |
| Read More... | 1 Comment |
| Nitpicking Flash Gaming Summit |
| Posted by Greg McClanahan on 03/25/09 05:02:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| The first-ever Flash Gaming Summit featured a lot of prominent members of the Flash community, but it ultimately left the audience with information that was incomplete and often downright misleading. |  |
| Read More... | 2 Comments |
| Fatal Flaws in Flash Game Design and Development |
| Posted by Greg McClanahan on 07/23/09 04:03:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| Preparation notes from a talk I gave at this year's Casual Connect in Seattle regarding common mistakes made by new game developers. | |
| Read More... | 14 Comments |
| The 8 Types of Social Game |
| Posted by Tadhg Kelly on 03/30/09 04:04:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| This article describes 8 kinds of social game operating today (mostly on Facebook) and provides many examples. |  |
| Read More... | 5 Comments |
| Legacies |
| Posted by Tadhg Kelly on 04/09/09 10:00:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| With the sad passing of Dave Arneson this week, this article talks briefly about the tabletop roleplaying game, death, and the role of the next generation. | |
| Read More... | 4 Comments |
| Mightier @ GDC09: An IGF Show Report |
| Posted by Lucas Pope on 04/01/09 12:07:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| A rundown of our experience showing the independent game Mightier at the IGF pavillion during GDC09. |  |
| Read More... | 0 Comments |
| Failure and Learning |
| Posted by Robert Hale on 03/31/09 05:55:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| Failure is a positive experience when it is possible for us to learn from it. This may sound a bit like a line from a self-help book, but it’s something that is worth emphasising. |  |
| Read More... | 1 Comment |
| 7 Ways to Make Your AI Smarter |
| Posted by Robert Hale on 06/24/09 05:18:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| 7 Ways to make your AI appear smarter in action games without breaking the bank with middleware or expensive code rewrites. | |
| Read More... | 6 Comments |
| The Brief - GDC 09 &The Changing Face of Game Development |
| Posted by Wanda Meloni on 04/09/09 11:08:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| Looking at the changing dynamics of tool development, development teams and market growth. |  |
| Read More... | 5 Comments |
| Mass Effect Galaxy: A Design Analysis |
| Posted by Matt Allmer on 07/10/09 05:00:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| A detailed look at the focus of Bioware's recent iPhone game. |  |
| Read More... | 4 Comments |
| "Playing to Win" and a Philosophy of Competition in Gaming |
| Posted by Mark Newheiser on 04/14/09 03:50:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| My response to a popular online article which claims the best way to enjoy competitive games is to "play to win", and deal with games as they are rather than trying to impose additional rules. I get into why I think there are exceptions to both principles |  |
| Read More... | 53 Comments |
| Twiggy Game: Will Videogaming's Future Look Like Boardgaming's Past? |
| Posted by Greg Costikyan on 04/28/09 06:23:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| Games like the Twiggy Game nauseatingly demonstrate how low standards fall when "the brand is all," as it is in mass market boardgaming in the US. Is videogaming heading down the same path? |  |
| Read More... | 15 Comments |
| Welcome, if You are Not Indie |
| Posted by Greg Costikyan on 05/01/09 12:59:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| The video is over the top. If you are not indie, you can still be forgiven, if you repent and confess your sins. | |
| Read More... | 2 Comments |
| Well Played 1.0: Video Games, Value and Meaning |
| Posted by Greg Costikyan on 05/21/09 10:27:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| Well Played, a book that analyzes 20 something games in depth with pieces by lots of different folks, including me, is now available -- readable on the web, as a free text download, or for purchase. | |
| Read More... | 1 Comment |
| Randomness: Blight or Bane? |
| Posted by Greg Costikyan on 11/13/09 01:44:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| The virtues and dangers of randomness in game design; a presentation I gave at GDC Austin. | |
| Read More... | 8 Comments |
| Greedy Game Design |
| Posted by Adam Saltsman on 05/01/09 04:35:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| How greedy designers are taking the fun away from the players and keeping it for themselves. Why sometimes just the tip of the iceberg is enough. |  |
| Read More... | 8 Comments |
| My Favorite Game Design Book |
| Posted by Adam Saltsman on 05/05/09 02:11:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| Excerpts from Stephen King's "On Writing", the best game design book ever written. | |
| Read More... | 7 Comments |
| Game Changers: Dynamic Difficulty |
| Posted by Adam Saltsman on 05/07/09 12:08:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| A breakdown of some different approaches to dynamic difficulty adjustment, including one neat example that I don't see talked about much. | |
| Read More... | 10 Comments |
| Doomed to Invent Our Mistakes |
| Posted by Adam Saltsman on 05/13/09 12:03:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| A brief retrospective on the FPS that started it all, and how their successors ignored the stuff that made Doom such an accessible and fun experience. | |
| Read More... | 54 Comments |
| Swine Flu + Risk = Best Board Game Ever |
| Posted by Adam Saltsman on 05/18/09 04:39:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| Do you have what it takes to save humanity? A few of my favorite things about Pandemic, the best cooperative disease management board game I've ever played. | |
| Read More... | 3 Comments |
| Fishing for Compliments |
| Posted by Adam Saltsman on 05/19/09 09:49:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| A postmortem of my latest flash game, with a focus on comments and responses to the game during its first 24 hours roaming the aether. | |
| Read More... | 6 Comments |
| Accessible Provocation |
| Posted by Adam Saltsman on 05/22/09 02:27:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| Subjective reflections on works that combine both pure entertainment and something a little deeper, while still including the less passionate participants in the fun. | |
| Read More... | 2 Comments |
| Bytes: Gravity Porn |
| Posted by Adam Saltsman on 05/23/09 01:10:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| Short thoughts about gravity and accessibility. | |
| Read More... | 6 Comments |
| Procedural Level Generation for Artists |
| Posted by Adam Saltsman on 05/29/09 02:14:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| I'm an artist so I'm allowed to use the term interchangeably for idiot right? :D Another layman's breakdown of a potentially intimidating process that isn't (conceptually) all that terrifying in reality. | |
| Read More... | 4 Comments |
| Principles of Inspiring Creative Play |
| Posted by Adam Saltsman on 07/08/09 01:32:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| After finishing FATHOM I made some notes about things I should have done, but didn't. Since these same topics have come up a lot in conversations with other designer friends lately, I thought I'd EXPERT BLOG them. | |
| Read More... | 7 Comments |
| Bytes: Holistic Design |
| Posted by Adam Saltsman on 07/09/09 10:16:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| Reviews and development teams tend to be split up into sound, graphics, technology, writing, etc. Lately it's become more and more obvious that this compartmentalization is both artificial and hazardous. | |
| Read More... | 4 Comments |
| What Do Games Amount To, Really? |
| Posted by Lewis Pulsipher on 05/11/09 07:38:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| What are the building blocks of games? The goal here is not to list what the objective or victory condition is in a game, but to say “what the game amounts to” or “what is actually happening”, “what is the player actually trying to do?” | |
| Read More... | 5 Comments |
| 'Camping' As A Defect Of Game Design |
| Posted by Lewis Pulsipher on 05/17/09 11:20:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| Players attempt to discourage "camping" in shooters by peer pressure. If the game allows camping to be a good practical strategy, yet the result is undesirable, there's a defect in the design. Some players will do whatever they're allowed to do. | |
| Read More... | 9 Comments |
| Defining "Hard Core" and "Casual"? |
| Posted by Lewis Pulsipher on 11/06/09 11:39:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| In class we spent some time trying to differentiate between “Hard Core” and “Casual” video game players. This usually results in a fairly good list, but it’s likely more can be added to it. I’ve decided to post it to see what experienced people think. | |
| Read More... | 17 Comments |
| Interaction in Games |
| Posted by Lewis Pulsipher on 11/08/09 09:38:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| Initial attempt to categorize types of interaction in games. Once again, derived originally from class discussion. As with all such lists, there is no single or "right" way to categorize something this complex. | |
| Read More... | 5 Comments |
| Game Appreciation and Education |
| Posted by Alan Youngblood on 05/13/09 01:18:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| We've all heard the debate enough to make our ears bleed: "We need to make games more mature as a medium and make society take them seriously."
So I won't beat that dead horse again. Instead, I'll begin a discourse on a real solution... |  |
| Read More... | 12 Comments |
| Who's Afraid of Interactivity? |
| Posted by Jamey Stevenson on 09/13/09 02:41:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| A subjective comparison of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and Façade leads to considerations of how interactivity can alter our perception of a dramatic scenario. |  |
| Read More... | 5 Comments |
| Immersion vs. Flow? |
| Posted by Martin Nerurkar on 05/09/09 05:11:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| A few thoughts about Immersion and Flow as experiences that are somewhat opposed. |  |
| Read More... | 8 Comments |
| Verticality Is The New Co-op? |
| Posted by Martin Nerurkar on 05/29/09 05:35:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| Musing on the design trend of focusing on the exploration of verticality in recent games. | |
| Read More... | 4 Comments |
| No Murder - Mirror's Edge |
| Posted by Martin Nerurkar on 06/24/09 11:49:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| A couple months ago I began playing Mirror's Edge. In the game you play Faith, an underground courier trying to uncover a conspiracy. A feature of the game is that you can finish it without shooti | |
| Read More... | 18 Comments |
| No Unjustified Murder - Kane & Lynch |
| Posted by Martin Nerurkar on 06/27/09 12:16:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| Another personal experience with deep (albeit short) immersion. | |
| Read More... | 7 Comments |
| Level Design is Game Design |
| Posted by Martin Nerurkar on 08/28/09 07:30:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| Giving a few reasons why I think Level Design is just another form of Game Design. | |
| Read More... | 32 Comments |
| The Three Qualities of Level Design |
| Posted by Martin Nerurkar on 09/13/09 05:27:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| My attempt at applying an ancient theory of Architecture to the discipline of Level Design. | |
| Read More... | 11 Comments |
| Flash Game: Small Worlds |
| Posted by Martin Nerurkar on 11/18/09 02:58:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| Presenting an intresting little flash game that has a special way to deal with it's game space. | |
| Read More... | 4 Comments |
| Worlds of Abundance: Currency and Virtual Worlds |
| Posted by James Hofmann on 06/09/09 06:15:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| A summary of game design elements as metaphorical forms of money, and how video games are implicitly abundant economies. |  |
| Read More... | 5 Comments |
| Player Skill, Patterns, Randomization |
| Posted by James Hofmann on 07/14/09 10:26:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| A lengthy discussion of the relationships between skill, patterns, and randomization, and how they affect games. | |
| Read More... | 2 Comments |
| Game Formats |
| Posted by James Hofmann on 08/10/09 04:21:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| Thoughts on the concept of game "formats" as templates for game "designs." | |
| Read More... | 3 Comments |
| Gazing into Gameplay: Player Experience in an Eye Tracking Game |
| Posted by Lennart Nacke on 07/05/09 02:00:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| Moving around in a first-person shooter just by looking at your monitor is an exciting experience. Game researchers have tested gamers at Dreamhack and found players to be highly immersed in the game world when using gaze interaction. |  |
| Read More... | 0 Comments |
| The Elderly Enjoy Brain-Training With Video Games More Than The Young |
| Posted by Lennart Nacke on 09/29/09 06:30:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| A research study found that a logic problem-solving game is associated with positive feelings for the elderly but with negative feelings for the young. For all generations, brain-training was more exciting with video games than with pen-and-paper. | |
| Read More... | 2 Comments |
| Art Games |
| Posted by Tyler Glaiel on 06/15/09 12:53:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| A summary of my experience with art games. |  |
| Read More... | 11 Comments |
| Your Environment Is A Character Too! |
| Posted by Tyler Glaiel on 08/20/09 03:10:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| The environment, world, and level design of a game can be as much of, if not more of, a character than the bulky space marine walking through it. | |
| Read More... | 9 Comments |
| About Wanting What You Already Have. |
| Posted by Gabriel Lievano on 06/10/09 02:16:00 pm
in
Game Design,
Programming
|
| Artificial Intelligence is every day getting smarter and smarter. Not only it is simulating precise behaviour and calculations but also making intelligent mistakes so players think the computer is more like them and less machine. However there's more to |  |
| Read More... | 5 Comments |
| The Game Fortune Teller |
| Posted by Gabriel Lievano on 06/14/09 10:45:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| Most games deal with finding patterns. Sometimes designers try too hard to hide these patterns by adding some difficulty but by doing this they fails to deliver what the player is looking for. | |
| Read More... | 3 Comments |
| The Fast Thinker |
| Posted by Gabriel Lievano on 06/18/09 08:19:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| Evaluating the use of game mechanics based on fast reaction button pressing. | |
| Read More... | 19 Comments |
| It's OK To Feel Frustrated |
| Posted by Gabriel Lievano on 06/27/09 01:24:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| Describes frustration in games, how it is a good thing and how can it become the end. | |
| Read More... | 11 Comments |
| Upgrades And Achievements For Replayability |
| Posted by Gabriel Lievano on 07/13/09 10:17:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| Analyses 2 different mechanics used to prolong game experience exposed in two satirical games. | |
| Read More... | 15 Comments |
| Less is More. Minimalism in Games (Part I) |
| Posted by Gabriel Lievano on 08/13/09 09:50:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| Taoism brings simplicity into our lives and now into our videogames. | |
| Read More... | 6 Comments |
| The Surface. Minimalism in Games (Part II) |
| Posted by Gabriel Lievano on 08/18/09 09:32:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| Simplicity is all about exposing the right things into the surface. | |
| Read More... | 2 Comments |
| Your Head Is About To Collapse. This Could Be Good. |
| Posted by Gabriel Lievano on 09/23/09 08:55:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| Minimalism in Games (Part III). A little bit about relaxation games and puzzles. | |
| Read More... | 1 Comment |
| Designing Games Is About Matching Personalities |
| Posted by Gabriel Lievano on 11/19/09 09:01:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| Personality can explain why we like or dislike certain type of games. It can also explain why some developers are better at creating an specific type of game. | |
| Read More... | 1 Comment |
| The Bad Guy In Video Games -- Why So Much More Interesting? |
| Posted by Jeff Spock on 06/08/09 07:47:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| The player-characters (avatars) in video games tend to be similar and predictable, while the bosses and bad guys range widely across types and temperaments. In short, the bad guys are more interesting. Here are a few ideas why that may be so. |  |
| Read More... | 8 Comments |
| A Simple View of Game Story |
| Posted by Jeff Spock on 06/16/09 01:21:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| A story is characters, with goals, fighting against obstacles to achieve those goals -- or failing nobly in the attempt. Which, when you think about it, maps in an interesting way into the needs of game design. Theoretically. | |
| Read More... | 13 Comments |
| What Is A Good Game Story? |
| Posted by Jeff Spock on 06/25/09 12:37:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| Are the fundamentals of a good story medium-dependent, or is there such a thing as a universally 'good' story regardless of delivery? This is a question that I would like to address during the next few posts; it may or may not be answerable. | |
| Read More... | 21 Comments |
| When Designers Have Story Problems |
| Posted by Jeff Spock on 09/21/09 10:31:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| It occasionally happens that designers are frustrated by a writer who imposes 'his' story on 'their' level or game design. Here are five reasons why this might happen, and why the writer may not be the guilty party. | |
| Read More... | 0 Comments |
| Weapon Balancing Based On Gameplay Situations (Part One) |
| Posted by Daniel Helbig on 06/28/09 03:24:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| This is going to be the first post in a longer series of articles I want to write about the balancing of weapons in shooters via gameplay situations. |  |
| Read More... | 15 Comments |
| Weapon Balancing Based On Gameplay Situations (Part Two) |
| Posted by Daniel Helbig on 07/05/09 04:32:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| Hi and welcome to the second part of “Weapon Balancing based on on Gameplay Situations” series. | |
| Read More... | 10 Comments |
| Democratization of Game Development and Home Construction |
| Posted by Chris Melissinos on 07/24/09 11:55:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| The current trend towards the democratization of game development sounds all well and good, but how is it improving the output of the industry? And what the hell does this discussion have to do with home construction? |  |
| Read More... | 12 Comments |
| Space of Possibility and Pacing in Casual Game Design - A PopCap Case Study |
| Posted by Mark Venturelli on 11/07/09 10:57:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| A look at design principles related to space of possibility and how to pace your casual game designs |  |
| Read More... | 10 Comments |
| Time and Punishment |
| Posted by Chris Bateman on 07/30/09 10:31:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| What could we learn by examining the time penalties a game uses to punish its players? |  |
| Read More... | 7 Comments |
| An Interview With PixelJunk's Dylan Cuthbert |
| Posted by Chris Bateman on 11/03/09 02:05:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| Game designer Chris Bateman interviews Dylan Cuthbert of Q-Games, the company behind the PixelJunk games. | |
| Read More... | 1 Comment |
| Creating The Illusion Of Accomplishment |
| Posted by David Rosen on 08/24/09 03:03:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| Many game developers are starting to find that games with illusory challenges sell better than those with real challenge. This post explores 'parody' games as a means of highlighting techniques used to provide players with the illusion of accomplishment. |  |
| Read More... | 11 Comments |
| Designing The Solution Space |
| Posted by David Rosen on 08/31/09 03:33:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| One of our key jobs as game designers is to create a solution space for the player that is curved towards the 'correct' solution. | |
| Read More... | 9 Comments |
| The Value of Game Ideas |
| Posted by David Rosen on 10/27/09 03:21:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| Game ideas are important, but the execution of those ideas is much more important for creating a fun game. | |
| Read More... | 20 Comments |
| The Value of Game Design Docs |
| Posted by David Rosen on 11/17/09 02:59:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| Design documents are essential for large projects but may not be extremely useful for small indie teams. | |
| Read More... | 9 Comments |
| Vision vs. Passion |
| Posted by Timothy Ryan on 08/17/09 12:11:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| Exploring the distinction between Vision and Passion in video game design |  |
| Read More... | 6 Comments |
| Listening - The Lost Design Skill |
| Posted by Timothy Ryan on 08/21/09 12:15:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| As game design roles have evolved they often lose the most important part of game development - listening. | |
| Read More... | 7 Comments |
| Using Game Session Data to Balance |
| Posted by Timothy Ryan on 09/10/09 01:15:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| Why it's becoming more important to use game session data to balance and how it can be done ... | |
| Read More... | 5 Comments |
| Multiplayer Map Game Design Guidelines |
| Posted by Timothy Ryan on 11/14/09 11:27:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| Multiplayer map design guidelines: please read, debate, append ... | |
| Read More... | 8 Comments |
| Lead Designers Who Only Say 'No' |
| Posted by Timothy Ryan on 11/17/09 09:53:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| Lead designers are hired to make decisions - YES for what they want and NO for what they don't want. This is my rant on lead designers who only seem to say NO. | |
| Read More... | 24 Comments |
| Isn't Anyone Tired Of The Same Old MMO Classes Yet? |
| Posted by Edward Hunter on 08/25/09 06:50:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| Seems like today, if you play an MMO, that regardless of theme you will be playing either the 'tank', the 'healer' or the 'damage dealer'. Time and time again this formula is followed to the letter begging the question - is that all there is in MMO's? |  |
| Read More... | 62 Comments |
| Bring Real Socialization Back Into MMOs Or Else! |
| Posted by Edward Hunter on 09/01/09 11:23:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| Socially massive games are here. They've been here for a while sure, but the explosion of newcomers to social networking and thusly, social games, means we'll be seeing more and more online + socialization + game. This model sound familiar to anyone? | |
| Read More... | 15 Comments |
| Not All Research Is Good Research |
| Posted by Edward Hunter on 09/10/09 10:43:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| It's sort of my job to play the role of gamer/researcher, if anything, to ensure that as game players and creators we have a hand in the research that comes our way. But how do you sort out the l33t researchers from the n00bsicles? | |
| Read More... | 3 Comments |
| Planckogenesis, Part I: Quantizing Events |
| Posted by Matthew Burns on 11/10/09 05:58:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| First in a series about the design and development of Planck v.0, a "musical shooter" recently entered into the 12th Annual Independent Games Festival. |  |
| Read More... | 3 Comments |
| Planckogenesis, Part II: Song Structure & Gravy Train |
| Posted by Matthew Burns on 11/19/09 03:44:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| Second in a series about the design and development of Planck v.0, a “musical shooter” recently entered into the 12th Annual Independent Games Festival. | |
| Read More... | 1 Comment |
| Feast Your Eyes On This |
| Posted by Joel McDonald on 09/28/09 01:23:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| Are some experiences off-limits to games? I look at new research-game, Korsakovia, and how it conveys panic and frustration as player experiences. |  |
| Read More... | 3 Comments |
| What is Episodic Gaming? |
| Posted by Nick Halme on 09/28/09 03:32:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| An airy musing on the nature of episodic games. |  |
| Read More... | 9 Comments |
| It's No WoW, That's Why I'm Playing It |
| Posted by Nick Halme on 10/07/09 02:26:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| Why I think it's safe for someone like myself to jump into Warhammer Online when WoW is still alive and kicking. | |
| Read More... | 1 Comment |
| The Effects of Imaginary Value in Real Virtual Worlds |
| Posted by Nick Halme on 10/18/09 07:02:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| The MMO is governed by numbers and hierarchies whose arrangement has enormous effects on a game and its audience -- why a smaller ecosystem is probably safer. | |
| Read More... | 0 Comments |
| The Conundrum of the Multiplayer Mindshare |
| Posted by Nick Halme on 11/04/09 03:33:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| The pulsing, constantly dividing organism that is the multiplayer gaming community can only split its attention so much. Why do multiplayer games get made when they will predictably fail to grab part of that organism? | |
| Read More... | 8 Comments |
| Aggressive Games and Aggressive Behavior |
| Posted by Taekwan Kim on 09/30/09 10:09:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| Perhaps it's time to take those studies indicating that aggressive games produce aggressive behavior at face value, and attempt to understand why this may be the case, and what this should mean to gamers. |  |
| Read More... | 4 Comments |
| Why Metrics Matter for Team Play and Player Satisfaction |
| Posted by Taekwan Kim on 10/06/09 08:27:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| A look at Left 4 Dead and how scoring methods affect player satisfaction. | |
| Read More... | 6 Comments |
| What Can the Socratic Method Tell Us About Gameplay? |
| Posted by Taekwan Kim on 10/15/09 01:23:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| Maybe the "future of game narrative" is actually in the past--in the Socratic dialogues, that is. | |
| Read More... | 4 Comments |
| Understanding Gameplay |
| Posted by Taekwan Kim on 10/22/09 02:16:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| In which the concept of interaction is discussed, an attempt to understand gameplay through Jungian psychology is made, and a functional purpose of games is proposed. | |
| Read More... | 2 Comments |
| Comparative Ludology: A Case Study Using The Sims and Total War |
| Posted by Taekwan Kim on 11/05/09 11:01:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| A look at the shared game mechanics between The Sims and the Total War series of games | |
| Read More... | 1 Comment |
| Dragon Age: Gazing into the Abyss |
| Posted by Taekwan Kim on 11/16/09 08:23:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| A study of the engagement with the shadow and the dialectic between game and play in Dragon Age: Origins | |
| Read More... | 2 Comments |
| Bartle Player Types Revisited |
| Posted by Dan Bress on 10/13/09 11:04:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| The need to revisit the Bartle Player Type Test with the goal of producing a predictive Player Type test. |  |
| Read More... | 15 Comments |
| Player Types: The Tourist |
| Posted by Dan Bress on 10/22/09 03:20:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| Part of an ongoing series of articles on Player Types in AAA MMOs, with the goal of identifying and quantifying unique Player Types. | |
| Read More... | 12 Comments |
| Player Types: Casual and Hardcore |
| Posted by Dan Bress on 11/02/09 12:15:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| Casual vs. Hardcore Players may be more properly categorized as Entertainment-seeking vs. Challenge-seeking Players. | |
| Read More... | 2 Comments |
| Jake Song And The Evolving World of MMORPGs |
| Posted by Simon Lim on 10/28/09 03:35:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| Lots of you already know Jake Song, who often being introduced as 'Godfather of the Lineage'. He was invited as a keynoter to KGC2009, which held in Seoul from October 7th to 9th.Let's take a look at his keynote 'MMORPG, evolving world'. |  |
| Read More... | 2 Comments |
| Explaining the Decline of Guitar Hero and Rock Band |
| Posted by David Wesley on 10/28/09 11:46:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| In the years since the launch of the first Guitar Hero, the number of instrument simulation games has increased each year to unsupportable levels. |  |
| Read More... | 4 Comments |
| EA: Too Big to Succeed |
| Posted by David Wesley on 10/31/09 10:33:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| The video game industry's high variable cost makes economies of scale difficult to realize. | |
| Read More... | 0 Comments |
| "Enough Already!" - The Paradox of Choice |
| Posted by David Wesley on 11/03/09 12:58:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| A paradox of choice happens when customers become overwhelmed by options and then decide to avoid the entire product category. | |
| Read More... | 4 Comments |
| A Tribute to Alexey Pajitnov, On The 20th Anniversary Of The Berlin Wall's Fall |
| Posted by David Wesley on 11/09/09 10:52:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| On the anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, let's not forget the important contribution of Soviet era game developer Alexey Pajitnov | |
| Read More... | 3 Comments |
| An Indie Developer’s “Biggest Mistake” |
| Posted by David Wesley on 11/18/09 10:55:00 am
in
Game Design,
Production
|
| Red Orchestra developer John Gibson points out that the path to indie success is long and hard. However, certain pitfalls can be avoided. | |
| Read More... | 9 Comments |
| Fighting The Good Fight; Why Fighting Games Need Their Arses Kicked [Part 1] |
| Posted by Daniel Boutros on 10/21/09 01:43:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| Why fighting games need to change their game before they get K.O'd like an old Rocky. I'll update this in parts. Part 1 is up - Tension. |  |
| Read More... | 18 Comments |
| Fighting The Good Fight; Why Fighting Games Need Their Arses Kicked [Part 2] |
| Posted by Daniel Boutros on 10/23/09 10:10:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| Raw Aggression. A vital part of the fight, a driver for the motions or just a way to illustrate a character? | |
| Read More... | 1 Comment |
| Narrative Design And The Impending Tragedy Of Getting What You Ask For |
| Posted by Anthony Hart-Jones on 11/02/09 06:14:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| Last week, my manager approached the design team about a game on a very short time-scale. I said that we needed a narrative designer and then I put myself forward for it. I didn't expect to be given the job... |  |
| Read More... | 3 Comments |
| Roleplaying Among Mechanical Constructs |
| Posted by Victor Gont on 11/10/09 11:28:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| An innocent opinion on the way modern RPGs deal with the interactions between player and non-playable characters. What helps and (especially) hinders the immersion we need in single player games. |  |
| Read More... | 6 Comments |
Member Blogs
| Neverending Saga (Brainstorming) |
| Posted by Erick Passos on 03/12/09 08:39:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| Brainstorming for a future game design. Work in progress of an entry for gamasutra's Games of 2020 contest. Neverending Saga is an RPG where the player feel the world through the brain, including pain and other sensations. |  |
| Read More... | 2 Comments |
| Next-gen mmo or fail? |
| Posted by Denis Protsenko on 03/05/09 08:22:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| I found a post by Tynan Sylvester that raise some old ideas, that I have. I want to talk about current MMO designs and why it not fun :) |  |
| Read More... | 2 Comments |
| A Series of Thoughts |
| Posted by Andrew Hopper on 10/13/09 11:06:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| An assorted collection of thoughts on video games and game design. |  |
| Read More... | 0 Comments |
| KrabbitWorld Origins Employs Organic Game Design by Evolution |
| Posted by Teri Thom on 09/04/09 12:00:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| This is an article I wrote on September 4th just prior to our launch of KrabbitWorld demos for Mac and PC. It covers our dev history and gets into both technical and business decisions as well as risks and rewards. |  |
| Read More... | 0 Comments |
| Action-Packed Short-Form Games: An Ideal Date? |
| Posted by Sande Chen on 05/01/09 02:40:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| In this article, writer and game designer Sande Chen suggests that action-packed short-form games are ideal for dating and also might be a great way to get teenage girls interested in games. |  |
| Read More... | 34 Comments |
| Articles by Sande Chen |
| Posted by Sande Chen on 06/26/09 04:02:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| Feature Articles written by Sande Chen | |
| Read More... | 0 Comments |
| Reflections on Train |
| Posted by Sande Chen on 07/14/09 11:02:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| In this article, writer and game designer Sande Chen discusses her experience with Train and asks what happens when the player isn't providing context to the game experience. | |
| Read More... | 10 Comments |
| Console Continuation Means Sometimes Going Beyond Default |
| Posted by Edward Vertigo on 04/12/09 01:55:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| Six persistent problems that continue to plague most console games are addressed. |  |
| Read More... | 7 Comments |
| On Creativity, Motivation and Inspiration... |
| Posted by Winston Miller on 03/06/09 07:16:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| Often the most difficult part of creativity and design is getting started. It is often the first idea that sets the tone of the overall project, and many get stuck making that first leap. I discusses the problem and some ways to overcome this fear. |  |
| Read More... | 0 Comments |
| Hobby Video Game Studio looking for Concept Artists, Designers, Writers |
| Posted by Winston Miller on 04/29/09 12:08:00 am
in
Audio,
Game Design,
Programming,
Production,
Visual Art
|
| As an aspiring game designer/programmer, I am putting together a hobby project to get a bit more experience in team management, design, programming, and the industry as a whole. Posted a call on various sites, repeated here. | |
| Read More... | 9 Comments |
| Unsatisfied with gaming |
| Posted by John Petersen on 06/13/09 06:40:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| I love gaming and had hoped that it would've advanced further than it has today. And even though gaming has made leaps and bounds, i still can't find that one "Trick Pony".
|  |
| Read More... | 2 Comments |
| My lil world-4-log cabin |
| Posted by John Petersen on 06/20/09 08:02:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| An explanation of some of the activities at my log cabin | |
| Read More... | 0 Comments |
| Basal Cell's "Monster Fish" |
| Posted by John Petersen on 06/24/09 01:56:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| A little fishing game I thought up a long time ago. | |
| Read More... | 0 Comments |
| My Mountain |
| Posted by John Petersen on 06/25/09 07:35:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| A hunting MMO concept | |
| Read More... | 2 Comments |
| Today's Concept (Map/Level Editor Game/s) Pt.1 |
| Posted by John Petersen on 06/29/09 12:21:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| This is another older concept. But a pretty cool one dealing with map/level editor games. | |
| Read More... | 0 Comments |
| New fishing games (OMG!) |
| Posted by John Petersen on 07/04/09 12:27:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| Oh my god! What is wrong with developers when it comes to fishing games?I realise they are plugging their gear and that's why the game is there, but somebody has got to do a righteous fishing/outdoors game...Right? | |
| Read More... | 0 Comments |
| Fishing game inspired by NATGEOTV |
| Posted by John Petersen on 07/07/09 10:27:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| This concept for a fishing game came from watching NATGEOTV.I have been trying to figure out a way to design a fishing game that teaches and is fun. I've always been an avid fisherman and a few years ago, I really wanted to do something to help the enviro | |
| Read More... | 0 Comments |
| Anticipation in Games |
| Posted by Christiaan Moleman on 03/19/09 07:08:00 am
in
Game Design,
Visual Art
|
| Anticipation in games? Balancing a sense of weight with player control? Shadow of the Colossus seems to prove it can be done. |  |
| Read More... | 5 Comments |
| Good practice - Animation As Gameplay |
| Posted by Christiaan Moleman on 04/05/09 03:22:00 am
in
Game Design,
Visual Art
|
| A quick glance at some examples of how animation can be used to convey important information to the player. | |
| Read More... | 5 Comments |
| Is There Now a Functional Language of Game Design? |
| Posted by Bart Stewart on 04/02/09 11:28:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| During a panel discussion at GDC 2009, Will Wright and Warren Spector briefly discussed the possibility that today's game designers inherit a working design language. If so, what is the nature of that language? |  |
| Read More... | 9 Comments |
| The "Living World" Game |
| Posted by Bart Stewart on 04/20/09 03:49:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| Single-player computer RPGs and massively multiplayer online RPGs each have strengths and weaknesses. The "Living World" concept explores a game design derived from blending the most desirable business and gameplay features of these two formats. | |
| Read More... | 12 Comments |
| New Worlds in Game Design |
| Posted by Bart Stewart on 05/12/09 12:02:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| A diagram showing the intersection of basic computer game styles reveals opportunities for new kinds of games. | |
| Read More... | 16 Comments |
| An Alternative to Aggro |
| Posted by Bart Stewart on 09/02/09 02:18:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| Why is the "aggro" mechanic still being baked into MMORPG designs? This essay considers the origin and side effects of implementing tactical combat as aggro management, and suggests an alternative to show that other models for combat are possible. | |
| Read More... | 28 Comments |
| Hey! You Got Your MMORPG In My Single-Player RPG! |
| Posted by Bart Stewart on 11/10/09 03:53:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| Dragon Age: Origins appears to have replaced typical single-player RPG gameplay mechanics with conventions taken directly from MMORPGs. What are the implications of this design, if any? | |
| Read More... | 10 Comments |
| I Love This Game. So Why Won't I Finish It? |
| Posted by Garth DeAngelis on 03/11/09 10:12:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| Have you ever played a game you really admired, but for some reason found yourself not playing it? This post takes a look at the dreary atmosphere and design of Fallout 3 and asks if a game can be too good at what it sets out to accomplish.
|  |
| Read More... | 18 Comments |
| The Single Antagonist |
| Posted by John Rose on 03/22/09 05:49:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| Why don't more games capitalize on the power of the single antagonist? A look at how and why movies can show us a thing or two. | |
| Read More... | 2 Comments |
| When knowledge becomes cheating |
| Posted by Roberto Alfonso on 03/20/09 11:02:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| Certain games still try to keep the mystery between guilds, sharing as little information as possible between non-members. However, the player accumulates the knowledge himself, and shares it between his characters. In certain cases, isn't that cheating? | |
| Read More... | 2 Comments |
| Opinion: I Want Passwords Back |
| Posted by Roberto Alfonso on 04/01/09 11:39:00 pm
in
Game Design,
Programming
|
| Passwords can let you experiment the game in ways the game designer did not expect. If they prolong the gaming time, why can't they be used again? | |
| Read More... | 6 Comments |
| My other BLOG |
| Posted by Randy Angle on 03/05/09 12:06:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| Link to my BLOG |  |
| Read More... | 0 Comments |
| XNA Quicks - My First Game |
| Posted by Marc Miles on 03/31/09 08:23:00 pm
in
Game Design,
Programming
|
| Long time web app developer takes a shot at game development and finishes his first game, video and source available as well. |  |
| Read More... | 2 Comments |
| Street Fighter IV and the defenseless genre |
| Posted by Ron Newcomb on 03/06/09 01:27:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| Street Fighter IV exemplifies the gaping hole in the design of fighting games: a lack of variety in defensive options that's as full-featured as the variety of offensive options. |  |
| Read More... | 16 Comments |
| Drawing Out the Fencer: A Design's Evolution |
| Posted by Ron Newcomb on 03/14/09 10:19:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| Few postpartums show a design's failed iterations. Here is one game's journey from concept to unimagined destination via the incremental decisions that got it there. Part 1 of 2 | |
| Read More... | 2 Comments |
| Drawing Out the Fencer: A Design's Evolution |
| Posted by Ron Newcomb on 03/23/09 12:51:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| Designers don't design games, they just record what a game wants. The story concludes, with screenshots of the prototype. | |
| Read More... | 0 Comments |
| Walking, not Violence, Kills Interactive Narrative |
| Posted by Ron Newcomb on 03/29/09 02:09:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| What destroys interactive story isn't the button labeled Shoot. It is the joystick labeled Walk. | |
| Read More... | 22 Comments |
| Six Choices Forbidden the Player-Protagonist |
| Posted by Ron Newcomb on 04/04/09 11:29:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| When a writer chooses the avatar as the story's protagonist, she forbids the player from making the richest choice of all. | |
| Read More... | 7 Comments |
| The Tin Idiot Manages Drama |
| Posted by Ron Newcomb on 04/13/09 03:16:00 am
in
Game Design,
Programming,
Production
|
| The drama manager: magicware that ensures a good yet interactive story. But why would a writer condone it? How could a programmer build it? And how much should a producer allot it? The first step is to rename it: enter the author-character. | |
| Read More... | 1 Comment |
| Merits of an Old Turn-Taking |
| Posted by Ron Newcomb on 04/18/09 12:51:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| It isn't sexy: the secret to interactive story could lie with the humble card game. | |
| Read More... | 3 Comments |
| Interactive Interiority |
| Posted by Ron Newcomb on 05/24/09 11:05:00 pm
in
Game Design
|
| Videogames claim to be "the" interactive medium. But there's a untapped form of interactivity only its sibling could do. | |
| Read More... | 5 Comments |
| PAX09 Special Report: A Console Love-in |
| Posted by Ron Newcomb on 09/11/09 08:44:00 am
in
Audio,
Game Design,
Programming,
Production,
Visual Art
|
| The Penny Arcade Expo was held last weekend in Seattle. What's a washed-up gamer with no reflexes do? Watch the gamers, and consider the past and future. | |
| Read More... | 0 Comments |
| Usage of the Rules of Fiction Versus That of Games |
| Posted by Ron Newcomb on 09/21/09 12:13:00 am
in
Game Design
|
| An understanding of how the rules of gameplay differ from the rules of narrative -- and acknowledging that the latter exists -- may help us close the disconnect between the two. | |
| Read More... | 3 Comments |
| Sequels Are Better. For Now. |
| Posted by Ron Newcomb on 09/26/09 06:25:00 pm
in
Game Design,
Programming,
Production
|
| Technological constraints temporarily defined a "gamer" to mean a solitary individual, in defiance of the traditional norm. In the same fashion, another unique characteristic of the videogame medium, "sequels are better", is destined to fall. | |
| Read More... | 3 Comments |
|
