Game Production: Introduction

Transcription

1 Game Production: Introduction Fabiano Dalpiaz 1

2 Outline Contents of the course 1. Course overview 2. Course schedule 3. Passing the course 4. Website and material 5. Q&A 6. Defining videogames 7. Game genres 8. The game industry 9. Social aspects 2

3 1. Course overview World of Warcraft as a videogame World of Warcraft" by juanpol is licensed under CC BY 2.0 3

4 1. Course overview (World of) Warcraft as a product The core business of Blizzard Entertainment 20+ years of history In 2008, peak of 11.5M subscribers Currently, 5.6M Almost 10M in the previous (2014) edition of this course Over 100 million accounts over the game s lifetime Retrieved from Wikipedia on August 5,

5 1. Course overview The Warcraft expansion mechanism The original WoW was released in 2004 Newer versions come as expansion sets Additional software (for sale!) that adds new content and features to the game Five expansions so far Burning Crusade (2007) Wrath of the Lich King (2008) Cataclysm (2010) Mists of Pandaria (2012) Warlords of Draenor (Nov 2014) Retrieved from Wikipedia on January 15,

6 1. Course overview Intended learning outcomes By successfully attending the course, the student: Learns the fundamentals of game production Knows the activities, roles, and tools in game production Is aware of the challenges of game production Has hands-on expertise with techniques that support game (and software) production Learns the difference between production in large studios and indie production 6

7 1. Course overview What is out of scope? The course is NOT intended to: Teach how to develop a game Explain in detail all existing techniques of phase in game production Build a professional that can immediately be hired as a game producer Experience is needed to do so Teach all the principles of game design 7

8 1. Course overview What do I (Fabiano) expect from the students? Active participation in the lectures Enthusiasm in the practical activities Timely delivery of assignments Attendance of the activities Not enforced, but warmly encouraged The exam will cover all the presented and discussed topics! 8

9 1. Course overview What can you expect from the lecturer? Interactive teaching mode Active practical activities Fast response to questions Initially via If needed, a meeting will be scheduled Well-defined grading scheme 9

10 2. Schedule Covered topics Production processes and roles Project planning Agile development via Scrum Indie games Concept and pitching Game design and development Project risk management Requirements engineering for games Game development Business models Argumentation to resolve conflicts Reuse of games Quality assurance: testing games 10

11 2. Schedule Instructional methods: overview Lectures given by the lecturer Guest lectures on selected topics Interactive hands-on sessions Discussion sessions Hands-on workshops 11

12 2. Schedule Guest lectures Garm Lucassen User stories workshop Ph.D. Student Floris Bex Argumentation workshop Assistant Professor 12

13 2. Schedule Do you wanna know more about the game industry? Great opportunity to meet Dutch game companies in Utrecht, and play games You are warmly encouraged to visit and interact! 13

14 2. Schedule Practical information The course is in timeslot D (D1, D4, D5) Three meetings per week Wednesday to 15.00: BBG-205 Friday 9.00 to 10.45: BBG-083 Friday to 12.45: BBG-175 CLZ + BBG-103 CLZ I will try to fit you all in one room though Lectures start on September 4, 2015 and end on October 30,

15 2. Schedule Detailed planning (may change) Week 1 Sep 4, Friday I: Introduction to the course Week 2 Sep 9, Wednesday: Game production Sep 11, Friday I: Planning and risk Sep 11, Friday II: Agile development Week 3 Sep 16, Wednesday: User stories workshop Sep 18, Friday I+II: Game production/pitching workshop 15

16 2. Schedule Detailed planning (may change) Week 4 Sep 23, Wednesday: Game development Sep 25, Friday I: Initial project presentations Sep 25, Friday II: Planning and risk workshsop Week 5 Sep 30, Wednesday: Game design Oct 2, Friday I: The business of games Oct 2, Friday II: The business of games: workshop Week 6 Oct 7, Wednesday: Midterm exam Oct 9, Friday I+II: Argumentation workshop (Floris Bex) 16

17 2. Schedule Detailed planning (may change) Week 7 Oct 14, Wednesday: Advanced requirements engineering Oct 16, Friday I: Designing serious games Oct 16, Friday II: Workshop on advanced RE Week 8 Oct 21, Wednesday: Reuse Oct 23, Friday I: Testing Oct 23, Friday II: Workshop on reuse Week 9 Oct 28, Wednesday: Testing workshop Oct 30, Friday I+II: Final project presentations + wrap up 17

18 3. Passing the course Overview Midterm exam: 25% Final exam: 35% Team project: 40% Project = simulation of game production Teams of 3 students Delivered in four assignments 1. Game pitch and initial requirements for the game backlog [Sep 25] 2. Detailed planning and business model [Oct 9] 3. Game design, requirements alternatives and prioritization [Oct 23] 4. Reuse-oriented design and testing techniques [Nov 6] For a grade of 8.5 or above, a prototype shall be delivered 18

19 3. Passing the course Retake rules In order to pass, At least two of the three components should be fully sufficient (6.0 or above). Two presentations are given by the team on the project What happens if this is not the case? Failing midterm or final exam retake exam Failing part of the project hand in a revised version 19

20 3. Passing the course Important dates 20

21 4. Website and material Syllabus, news, lecture slides, schedule 21

22 4. Website and material Lecture slides 20+ mandatory papers to study Will be covered by the exams No mandatory textbook A list of optional books is provided online Additional links on the website 22

23 5. Q&A Don t be shy, ask! 23

24 6. Defining videogames Pictorial definition #1 Unnamed picture by herzeleyd is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 Game: The Fallen Angels 24

25 6. Defining videogames Pictorial definition #2 GTA V Gameplay (57) - SMADE MEDIA by SMADEIMEDIA Galleria is licensed under CC BY-NC

26 1. Defining videogames Towards an intuitive definition? 26

27 6. Defining videogames Textual definition #1 [Tavinor 2008] it is an artefact in a digital visual medium, is intended primarily as an object of entertainment, and is intended to provide such entertainment through the employment of one or both of the following modes of engagement: rule-bound gameplay or interactive fiction Examples Rule-bound gameplay: Tetris Interactive fiction: text adventures 27

28 6. Defining videogames Textual definition #2 [Djaouti, 2007] Videogames are interactive applications that enter into interaction with a player 28

29 6. Defining videogames Play vs. game (an ontological/epistemological study) 29

30 6. Defining videogames Concluding A big debate exists on what videogames are but we are very good at recognizing whether something is a videogame or not In this course, we won t be strict: flight simulators are videogames Simcity is a videogame but MS Word is not a videogame and FourSquare is not a videogame too 30

31 7. Game genres How to classify games? Just like for the definition of a videogame, many videogame taxonomies exist Let s review some! One of the earliest [Crawford 1984] Skill and action game vs. Strategy game Half-Life 2: Episode One by kartooner is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 Freeciv 31

32 7. Game genres Wikipedia s classification (retrieved Jan 19, 2014) Scientifically weak, but these terms are pervasive Action Adventure Action-Adventure Role-Playing Simulation Strategy Sports 32

33 7. Game genres Action games: examples Quick reflexes, accuracy, timing to overcome obstacles Many have emphasis on combat Fighting games First-person shooters Half-Life 2: Episode One by kartooner is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 Unnamed picture by herzeleyd is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA

34 7. Game genres Adventure games: examples Unimportance of action and reflex Solving puzzles in the environment Maniac mansion (1987) Myst (1993) 34

35 7. Game genres Action-adventure games Combine action and adventure With the advent of 3D, most adventures include action elements Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of time (1998) 35

36 7. Game genres Role-playing games The players controls the actions of a protagonist immersed in a fictional world Final Fantasy XI (2003) but isn t this an action-adventure game? 36

37 7. Game genres Simulation games They closely simulate aspects of a real or fictional reality Construction and management Life Vehicle Simlife (1992) Flightgear 1.0 (2008) 37

38 7. Game genres Strategy games Require careful thinking and planning to win FreeCiv Scorched 3D but what about action games or role-playing games? 38

39 7. Game genres Sports games Enable the virtual playing of some sport How do they relate to previous categories??? FIFA 14 (2013) 39

40 7. Game genres7. Game genres A more conceptual approach [Lindley 2003] 40

41 7. Game genres A more conceptual approach [Lindley 2003] Gambling: decisions of gain or loss made by chance within a framework of agreed rules Ludology: a game is a goal-directed and competitive activity conducted within a framework of agreed rules Narratology: an experience that is structured in time Simulation: a representation of the function, operation or features of one process or system through the use of another 41

42 7. Game genres Exercise: apply the framework! 42

43 8. The game industry Recent stats on who s playing 2015 Data from the Entertainment Software Association Data from the US 43

44 8. The game industry Recent stats on who s playing 2015 Not only men Not youngsters 44

45 8. The game industry Recent stats on who s playing 2015 Social games! 45

46 8. The game industry Recent stats on who s playing

47 8. The game industry Recent stats on who s playing

48 9. Social aspects Crime, violence, racism An often-heard adagio is that playing (violent) games incurs in aggressive people Is that true? Correlations have been found, e.g., [Gentile 2003] However, no definite conclusion can be drawn [Griffiths 2005] Racism a famous example is GTA: Vice City (2002) In a fictionalized Miami, war between Haitians and Cubans Coarse discriminatory language was used between the gangs Rockstar (the developer/producer) changed a sentence 48

49 9. Social aspects Addiction The excessive or compulsive use of video-games, which interferes with one s life Social isolation Mood swings Diminished imagination A special sub-case is internet gaming addiction This term started as early as 1978 with Space Invaders! In some countries, this is recognized as an actual addiction, and treatment centers have been opened South Korea, China, the Netherlands (now closed), Canada, US, Australia 49

50 9. Social aspects Rating and censorship In most countries, before release, games need to get a rating certification based on their content US: Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) Europe: Pan European Game Information (PEGI) Censorship applies to games too, and some games had to be modified accordingly Call of Duty: World at War removed all Nazi-related content Resident Evil 4 in Japan, decapitations are not shown Metal Gear Solid (Game Boy) in North America, no reference to smoking Irrespective of whether one agrees or not, when producing a game, these are key aspects to consider 50

51 9. Social aspects Positive effects Unlike other media, gain full attention by the player They can be used for learning Already used in the army and to train pilots They can become the unlikely champion of education [Fergusson, 2007] Hand-eye coordination Full-body movement, with new consoles such as Wii Relief of stress This leads to serious games (also called applied games): games used beyond the mere purpose of entertaining 51

52 Forming the teams By September 9,

53 References Mandatory 1. Lindley, Craig A. "Game taxonomies: A high level framework for game analysis and design.", Gamasutra. URL: www. gamasutra.com/features/ /lindley_01. shtml, (2003). 2. Walther, Bo Kampmann. "Playing and gaming." Game Studies 3, no. 1 (2003):

54 References Optional Crawford, Chris. "The art of computer game design", (1984). Djaouti, Damien, Julian Alvarez, J. P. Jessel, G. Methel, and P. Molinier. "The nature of gameplay: a videogame classification." Cybergames2007 (2007). Ferguson, Christopher John. "The good, the bad and the ugly: A metaanalytic review of positive and negative effects of violent video games." Psychiatric Quarterly 78.4 (2007): Gentile, Douglas A., et al. "The effects of violent video game habits on adolescent hostility, aggressive behaviors, and school performance." Journal of adolescence 27.1 (2004): Griffiths, Mark. "Video games and Health: Video gaming is safe for most players and can be useful in health care." BMJ: British Medical Journal (2005): 122. Tavinor, Grant. "Definition of videogames", Contemporary Aesthetics 6 (2008). 54