Commercial Videogames
Design & Development
Edvin Aedma
Toomas Laasik Margus Luik
Course intro
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Context
Goals: experience, contacts, skills
3 design & development lectures
2 presentations/discussion seminars
4 practical tech sessions working with Unity3D
Working with an existing Unity game sample
10+10 design, development & tech coaching sessions
Final presentation, publishing cooperation possibilities
1: Game Design & Development Intro
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What is playing
What are games
How to approach game design
Game development & game industry
HOMEWORK: Essay
Essay
1) What kind of games I would like to make
2) What kind of game I could make
3) Seriously, what kind of game I could really complete?
2: Unity3D space game intro by
Toomas
3: Videogame elements & structure
1) Interactivity / Rules
2) Audiovisuals / Aesthetics
3) Context / Narrative / Meaning
4)HOMEWORK : Concept Document
Concept Documents
1) Start of the design process
2) Choosing a visual style, atmosphere, etc
3) Estimating & planning development
4: Mod your game and add
content in Unity
5: Narrative/Story Design
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Why stories are useful when designing experiences?
What are the principles of storytelling/narratives?
What to keep in mind when creating characters and environments.
Applying story design skills to group project
HOMEWORK: Expanded concept doc
Expanded Concept Document:
Meaning
1) Add to concept document based on lecture
6: Add new game mechanics to
your game
7: Random & Best homework
presentations, feedback,
discussion
8: Profits
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Publishing
PR
Marketing
Advertising
Monetizing
Financing & Crowdsourcng
HOMEWORK: PR assets
9: Add metaelements to your
game
10 : Possible Bonus: Level Design
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Why levels?
Designing an experience (like writing a story)
How to start designing a level?
What are the common mistakes in level design?
How level design provides indirect control?
Applying level design skills to group project
11 : 6-hour Devjam
* You can replace up to 3 lectures and a monster
homework if you take part
15 & 16: Two final presentations
Course outcome: knowledge,
experience, skills, contacts,
credibility, etc
COURSE EXPECTATIONS
1. Enjoy the process and be nice to each
other
2. Attend at least 4 design lectures
3. Present IT & DD homework
4. Partake in final presentation
5. Cooperate with external contributors,
especially audiovisual specialists.
Course Design
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Fundamentals of Game Design, 2nd Edition, Ernest Adams
The Art of Game Design: A book of lenses, Jesse Schell
A Theory of Fun for Game Design by Raph Koster
Challenges for Game Designers, Brenda Brathwaite & Ian
Schreiber
Richard Rouse III's book Game Design: Theory & Practice,
Game Design: From Blue Sky to Green Light, Deborah Todd
Replay: The History of Video Games, by Tristan Donovan
The Computer Game Design Course, Jim Thompson (2007)
+ Semiotics, Psychology, Anthropology, Communication,
Marketing, etc.
Thank You
Contact [email protected]