game pitch - department of computer science, university of...

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GAME PITCH

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PITCHING A GAME

• In this course, you’ll be practicing the elevator pitch for your game.

• Need to win the audience in the 30 seconds it takes to ride the elevator with the

CTO or Lead Game Designer

• There are no absolute rules that need to be followed, but there are things

that will help you succeed.

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MILESTONE #1 PRESENTATION• 5-10 minute presentation that describes your game to our industry panel,

such that they understand• what your game is about• what makes it interesting/unique• what your theme and audience are

• Include elements that communicate your vision• References to other games that inspired your pitch• Images (mood boards), early sketches, character design• Videos• Comparisons to other media

• Show what you build during Game Jam #2 and why you decided to build that first

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MILESTONE #1 CREATIVE BRIEF

• Due the day of the presentation at 4:59 PM

• Description of your game, in more detail than your pitch presentation:

• Gameplay: Genre, number of players, game mechanics, overall experience, fun elements, etc.

• Inspirations: aesthetic (mood board), similar games, images, videos, backstory, etc.

• Storyboard, character & level designs, level progression, etc. are fine but not necessary.• Save these for the design document milestone

• Remember the TA is marking this without seeing your pitch J

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PRESENTATION OUTLINE

• Introductions• Your team

• Due to presentations being via Discord, it’s faster to have 1 person introduce everyone

• The name of your game

• The game• What the game is about

• What’s cool, fun or unique about it

• Special details worth mentioning

• Describe gameplay, style, main mechanics, secret ingredients

• Demo

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THINGS WE WANT TO SEE

Getting feedback

• Assign somebody to take notes

• Be gracious in accepting suggestions

• Avoid debate as much as possible

• Use industry guest to resolve design issues

• You don’t have to have everything figured out

• Don’t read from your phone or from the slides

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THINGS WE WANT TO SEE

Be prepared:

• Figure out how to connect to A/V ahead of time

• Prepare slides with imagery to accompany presentation

• You should be able to pitch without slides

• Practice with your group

• Know who is going to speak, when and what each will talk about

• Know EXACTLY what everyone is going to say

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THINGS WE WANT TO SEE

• A picture is worth 1,000 words

• Present images from similar games that you will draw inspiration from.

• Early sketches.

• Character designs.

• Mood boards.

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NOTE

This presentation might be recorded.

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PREPARING FOR THE PRESENTATION

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STEP #1Know your game

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BE PREPARED

Picture your game exactly how it’s going to work

Figure out things like

Type of gameLook & feelControlsGameplayChallenges and rewards

You need to be able to answer any question from the audience

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FOCUS ON THE 3 CS

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Character Camera Controls

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CHARACTER,CAMERA &CONTROLS

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Responsible for your initial experience

Sets the tone for the game

Helps create flow

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STEP #2Good presentation

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PRESENTING

• State the purpose of the presentation• Start with one-sentence description

• Slides should build to game’s overall goal

• Ensure clarity and flow

• Keep points brief• No long, rambling points

• Presentation provides cues to the presenter, not a full description.

• They’re meant to help you, not replace you.

• Figure out the technical setup ahead of time

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BAD PRESENTATION

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STEP #3Engage the Audience

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AUDIENCE

PRESENT, DON’T READ

MAKE IT INTERESTING GET PEOPLE INVOLVED

IT’S NOT ABOUT YOU, IT’S ABOUT THEM

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STEP #4Delivery

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DELIVERY

Be confident

Be comfortable

Speak clearly

Don’t rush

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TIPS

• Stop thinking about the presentation• Focus on the story you’re telling

• Keep it short• Know when to stop talking

• The less you talk, the more feedback you’ll get

• Practice!

• Don’t stress

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EXAMPLEFall Guys – Ultimate Knockout

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IMAGINE THIS

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PLUS THIS

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OVERVIEW

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• 60 player battle royale.

• Chaotic gameplay.

• Each stage has several players to

eliminate or advance to the next

round.

• The last jellybean standing wins!

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EXPERIENCE

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• Mechanics:

• Jumping

• Grabbing

• Diving

• Competitive and cooperative levels.

• Accessible (to play) and

challenging (to win).

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CHAOS

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ART STYLE

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• Colorful

• Adorable

• Everything looks like candy!

• Jellybeans!

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[ INSERT MOOD BOARD HERE ]

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CONCEPT ART

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(OPTIONAL)

CONCEPT LEVEL

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(OPTIONAL)

[ INSERT MUSIC SLIDE HERE ]

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[ DEMO GAME JAM 2 BUILD ]

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