popular misconceptions about gamedesign

Matthias NockSenior Game Designer

Years in industry: 6Years in company: 4

Dirk RiegertCreative DirectorHead of Game Design

Years in industry: 8Years in company: 8


Your Referees

• Founded in 1995

• More than 25 projects released

• Leading German developement studio

for PC Strategy Games

• Located in Mainz - Germany

• 50+ Employees In-house

Overview


• Game developement in time, budget

and quality

• Innovative high-class technology

• Professional Project Management

• An experienced and highly motivated

team


Philosophy

2000 – 2003: Becoming strategy experts

• Developing 3+ A-titles for national publishers

• Classic RTS (Real-Time-Strategy) Games

2000 2003 2003


Projects – 2000 - 2003

● Best selling PC game in 2006 in Germany(Media Control)

● Avg. Press Ratio: 89% in Germany

● Avg. int. Press Ratio: 78%(gamerankings.com)

● Collected more than 50 Awards

2004 – 2009: The ANNO years

● Team Size was ramped up from 10 to 40+

● Developing first AAA title for Sunflowers


Projects – ANNO 1701 / 1701 A.D.

● Released in June 2009

● Avg. Ratio: 90% in Germany

● Avg. int. Press Ratio: 83%(gamerankings.com)

● Collected more than 50 Awards again including the Red Dot Design Award and other high profile awards

2004 – 2009: The ANNO years

● Developing second AAA title for Ubisoft


Projects – ANNO 1404 / Dawn of Discovery

Popular Misconceptions About Game Design


Introduction


Three questionsI‘ll try to answer

• What is a Game Designer?

• What are Game Designers doingall day long?

• What kind of misconceptions arethere about Game Design?

What is a Game Designer?

• Game Designers are artists

• Game Designers live in an ivory tower

• Game Designers rule the development team

• Game Designers are waitingto be kissed by the muse

• Game Designers play gamesall day long

Looking at Clichés


„Can you believewe get payed to do this?“



What is a Game Designer ?

• What is a Game?

• What is Game Design?

• What is a Game Designer?


• A game is not a painting

• A game is not a story

• A game is not a puzzle

• A game is not a toy

What is a Game?



• A game is a balanced system

• A game is a set of rules

• A game is a cause forinteraction

• A game is a source foremotions

all kind of emotions…

What is a Game?



„ A game is a system in whichplayers engage an artificialconflict, defined by rules, thatresults in a quantifiableoutcome.“ Katie Salen/Eric Zimmerman

whAt???????11

A definition


systemplayers artificialconflict rules

quantifiableoutcome



What is Game Design?

„Game Design is the act of decidingwhat a game should be.“Jesse Schell

• it is not one decision but hundredsand thousands of them

• You don`t need special tools

• You don`t have to be able to programm or to draw

• You don`t just make decisionsand move on

• You`re not the only one to decide


• He is a creater of interactivesystems

• He is moderator and dictatorat the same time

• He listens, encourages, challenges and constitutes

• He is someone the teamtrusts to make the rightdecisions



What is Game Designer?

Who are you?I am a Game Designer!Really? You‘re sure?I am a Game Designer!So you design stuff?I am a Game Designer!You mean you play games?I am a Game Designer!Sorry, who are you again?

A matter of will and a question of confidence

I

am

Game

Designer



What are Game Designers doing all day long ?

• What is a typical day in theoffice like?

• What are his skills?

• What are his tasks?

What are Game Designers doing?

What are Game Designers doing all day long?

10:00 a.m.

11:30 a.m.

14:00 p.m.

15:30 p.m.

17:30 p.m.

Looking at a typicalday in the office

19:00 p.m.

19:30 p.m.


Designers must listen

GameDesigner

to the Team

Management

Programmers

Graphic Artists

Level Designers

Quality Assurance

to 3rd Parties

Producer

Marketing

Community

Press

Outsourcing Partners




• Communication

• Documentaion

• Management

• Creativity

• Public Speaking

What kind of skills doesa Game Designer need?

• Analysis

Primary Skills:



• Brainstorming techniques

• General knowledge

• Visual Arts

• Music and Sound Design

• Cinematography

• Psychology


What kind of skills doesa Game Designer need?

Secondary Skills:


What are a Game Designer`smost important tasks?

• identify the game`s meaning

• set up the game rules

• properly document the design


• build game assets

• specificate and iterate the design

• balance the game

• improve the gameplay experience

What kind of misconceptions are there about?

• A lot of people try to becomeGame Designers for the wrongreason

• Game Design is not abouthaving genius ideas

• or about bossing around the team

• It is not a stage to shine

• It is a professional workenviroment

Misconceptions aboutGame Design

• and a money making business



1st Misconception:

Mistaking Game Designers forartists• Some Game Designers love to be seen as artists

• then why isn`t it called Game Artist?

• Maybe there is a reason for that

• Maybe even a good reason

• A Designer should not take art as an excuse• for a lack of logic or the absenceof skill



2nd Misconception:

Refusal of Project Management

• Some Game Designers hate Project Management

• They think Game Design can‘t be planned

• This maybe comes from dreaming of being an artist

• but it‘s wrong!

• Solid planning creates free spacefor Designers

• Good Project Management enablesgood Game Design



3rd Misconception:

Loss of focus• Some Game Designers fear not knowing enough

• They try to know all areas of developement

• They end up with a lot of dangeroushalf-truths

• instead of focusing on the core of Game design

• as a fundamental discipline for itself

• They lack of focus



4rth Misconception:

Overestimation of fun

• Many Game Designers think fun is the most important characteristic of a game

• This is a gamer‘s perspective

• Game Designers love to pretendthey‘re gamers

• but they‘re not!

• With the rise of F2P games it‘s hardto deny

• first comes the money, then comesthe fun


Rules of PlayKatie Salen and Eric Zimmerman 2004- THE Book about Game Design - Fundamental work of reference- maybe too theoretical to begin with

The Art of Game DesignJesse Schell2008- My favorite book about Game Design - clear and colorful language- lots of useful insights

Literature


The End

popular misconceptions about gamedesign

Education

game rules

game designersdoing

game designerdesigner

artists game designers

clichs game designers

muse game designers

related designs

philosophy game developement