What does a Game Designer do?

Jesse Schell

REJECTED!

DisneyQuest

Head Mounted Display

CAVE - Computer Augmented Virtual Environment

Game Design Class

Pixie Hollow

Toy Story Mania

Sum of All Thrills

What kinds of companies are involved making videogames?

Development Studio

Publisher Console Manufacturer

What kinds of people are needed to make games?

• Programmers• Artists• Animators• Writers• Musicians• Sound Designers• Producers• And, oh, yeah, Game Designers

What does “game design” mean?

Game Design is the act of

deciding what a game should be.

What skills does Game Designer need to be good at?

• Animation• Anthropology• Architecture• Art• Brainstorming• Business• Cinematography• Communication• Creative Writing• Economics• Engineering

• History• Interface Design• Management• Mathematics• Music• Psychology• Public Speaking• Sound Design• Technical Writing• Visual Arts• …and much more!

So… How do you make a game?

1) Think of an idea.2) Try it out.3) Keep changing it and testing it until it seems

good enough.

The Eight Filters of “Good Enough”1) Artistic Impulse – Does this game feel right?2) Demographics – Will the intended audience like this game?3) Experience Design – Is this a well-designed game?4) Innovation – Is this game novel enough?5) Business and Marketing – Will this game be profitable?6) Engineering – Is it technically possible to build this game?7) Social / Community – Does this game meet our social and

community goals? 8) Playtesting – Do the playtesters enjoy this game enough?

TeamClient

Game

Audience

Self

1. Team

Improvisational Acting

Building Virtual Worlds

2. Client

3. Audience

4. Game

Technology

StoryMechanics

Aesthetics

The Elemental Tetrad

Two Key Questions

• What is the GOAL?• What are the OBSTACLES?

Low Interest

Medium Interest

High Interest

A Good interest Curve

Interest

Time

A Bad Interest Curve

Interest

Time

The Flow Channel

Skills

Fun

Challenges

Boredom

Anxiety

The Flow Channel

Skills

Fun

Challenges

Boredom

Anxiety

5. Self

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But why go through all this?

                      

        

                      

        

                           

   

                      

        

                      

        

                           

   

Email: jesse@schellgames.comTwitter: @jesseschell

Slides: slideshare.net/jesseschell

Thanks!