CEGD Game Design Document in Thought and Action Part1
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The document discusses the different approaches to game development, contrasting aspiring developers who take risks with established professionals who manage risks. It emphasizes the importance of having a Game Design Document (GDD) to reduce uncertainty and outlines the process from concept to support. The document also encourages game developers to start small and seek feedback to avoid substantial losses from poorly planned projects.
![“A person often meets his destiny on the
road he took to avoid it.”
- Jean de La Fontaine, in Fables Book VIII
(1678–1679)
“A game project can be overcome by risks
on the road it took to avoid it.”
-[cegd] (2013)](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/cegd-gamedesigndoc2013part1-130115191019-phpapp01/85/CEGD-Game-Design-Document-in-Thought-and-Action-Part1-13-320.jpg)
![“If you are starting your GDD in
• Concept planning... You are already too late.”
-[cegd]
• Planning
• Research
• Pitch
• Implementation
• Testing
Start
• Submission Here
• Support](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/cegd-gamedesigndoc2013part1-130115191019-phpapp01/85/CEGD-Game-Design-Document-in-Thought-and-Action-Part1-21-320.jpg)
CEGD Game Design Document in Thought and Action Part1
- 1. Part I: Philosophy (Thought)
- 2. Who are we? How did we get here? How do we go forward?
- 3. Reflection: “There are two paths”
- 4. Aspiring v. Established Otherwise known as „Amateur‟ and „Professional‟
- 5. Aspiring: Loves to take risks. Risks are thrilling. Does not know the risks.
- 6. Established: Loves to reduce unnecessary risks Shipping a game is thrilling Is aware of the risks
- 7. 18 Million To 28 Million Dollars to Make a Console Game. (Morris, “As Video Game Development Costs Rise, So Do Risks”)
- 8. $150,000 To Make a AAA Casual Game (Meer, “Angry Birds revenues at $70m from $140k costs”)
- 9. Cutting Cost By Going Solo Commando? One Man, a compiler and a two-liter, making a $150 game
- 10. “For every Cliff Harris or Jeff Minter making awesome software by themselves from their homes, there are a hundred would-be ninjas who have no sense of the real scale of what they are trying to attempt.” -whatgamesare.com You Need Four Coders
- 11. Consider: “Risk is greater than cost.”
- 12. “The exposure to a company that arises from taking on a particular task. A project risk can be internal to the business, it can involve external events or it can stem from any other circumstances that can hamper the project's overall success and result in loss or embarrassment to the firm undertaking it.” -businessdictionary.com
- 13. “A person often meets his destiny on the road he took to avoid it.” - Jean de La Fontaine, in Fables Book VIII (1678–1679) “A game project can be overcome by risks on the road it took to avoid it.” -[cegd] (2013)
- 14. Consider: “Do not fear Risk. Manage it.”
- 15. Start by having a plan.
- 16. Game Design Document (GDD) Reduce uncertainty in your project by actually knowing what your game project is.
- 17. Concept (Dream It) Micro Pitch/Directive Sell Sheet Draft Exits To „A‟ A Planning (Draft It) GDD Art/Sound Concept Research (Research It) POC Demo or Play Proto
- 18. Pitch (Pitch It) Enters From „A‟ A Full Sell Sheet Early Collateral Creation Implementation (Code It) Engineering Coding B Testing (Test It) Exits To „B‟ Internal Alpha/Beta
- 19. Submission (Ship It) Wait Worry Support (Patch It) B Bug Fixes DLC Enters From „B‟ Vacation and/or Therapy
- 20. “In the planning phase, start your GDD.” • Concept • Planning • Research • Pitch • Implementation • Testing • Submission • Support
- 21. “If you are starting your GDD in • Concept planning... You are already too late.” -[cegd] • Planning • Research • Pitch • Implementation • Testing Start • Submission Here • Support
- 22. Fail Early Life is short. Don‟t invest 2,000 pages and 18 Million on bad ideas.
- 23. Consider: “If you must be bad, be brief.”
- 24. Consider: “Let Your Sell Sheet be the first page of your GDD”
- 25. Noun. 1. A document designed to give any company, perspective team member or potential investor a brief overview of the game. 2. The one page start of your GDD (CEGD idea).
- 26. The Template
- 28. It answers the question: “Who are we?”
- 29. It generally contains: 1.1 Game Name 1.2 Game Developer 1.3 Game Genre 1.4 Game Detail Block (Platform(s), Player(s), Target Gamer) 1.5 High Concept Line 1.6 Special Features (Tip: No more than three) 1.7 Overview of the Game (Tip: 400 words or less)
- 30. The Sell Sheet drives some of your other efforts including: 1. Your GDD 2. Your Overall Scope 3. Your Funding and Marketing Considerations
- 31. You can probably write it in a weekend (and this is far less time than writing a good GDD)
- 32. Your game won‟t get magically better by explaining it in a 1,000 page document.
- 33. You can shop the idea around to get an idea of the potential risks.
- 34. Is it bad? Is it too vast? Is it too expensive?
- 35. Get a FriendDA If you are a tiny indie, a one-man band or a hobbyist, get a second pair of eyes to look it over. They won‟t steal it (hopefully)
- 36. Don‟t Aspire. Do It. If you can not find the will to write a 1-page document, you probably can not find the will to write a game.
- 37. •Brathwaite, Brenda.“Creating a Game Design Document.” Applied Game Design. Accessed 2 Jan 2013 <http://bbrathwaite.wordpress.com/2008/11/30/creating-a- game-design-document/> •Gershenfeld, Alan, et al. Game Plan. New York: St. Martin‟s Press, 2003. •Egsa SoftWorks, Egsa SoftWorks Concepts Guide. Chicago: Egsa Press, 2005. •“FriendDA.” Randsinrepose.com and Frienda.org. Accessed 11 Jan. 2013 < http://www.frienda.org > •Lang, Rob. “How to use a plan to create your RPG.” The Free RPG Blog. Accessed 1 Jan. 2013 <http://www.thefreerpgblog.com/2012/11/how-to-use-plan-to-create- your-rpg.html> •Marchant, Dan. “Preparing a product pitch.” Obscure: Biz Support for Creative Developers. Accessed 5 Jan. 2013 <http://www.obscure.co.uk/articles- 2/preparing-a-product-pitch”/>
- 38. •Meer, Alec. “Angry Birds revenues at $70m from $140k costs.” Games Industry International. Accessed 7 Jan. 2013 < http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2011- 03-09-angry-birds-revenues-at-USD70m-from-USD140k-costs> •Morris, Chris. “As Video Game Development Costs Rise, So Do Risks” CNBC. Accessed 6 Jan. 2013 <http://www.cnbc.com/id/35932496/As_Video_Game_Development_Costs_Rise_S o_Do_Risks> •“Project Risk” Businessdictionary.com <http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/project-risk.html> • Ryan, Tim. “The Anatomy of a Design Document, Part 1: Documentation Guidelines for the Game Concept and Proposal.” Gamasutra.com Accessed 3 Jan. 2013 <http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/131791/the_anatomy_of_a_design_docu ment_.php?page=1>
- 39. •Tusler , Robert. “The Elements of Project Risk Management.” Reducing Project Management Risk. Accessed 3 Jan. 2013 <http://www.netcomuk.co.uk/~rtusler/project/elements.html> •Tusler, Robert. “Low Risk Project Management.” Reducing Project Management Risk. Accessed 3 Jan. 2013 <http://www.netcomuk.co.uk/~rtusler/project/riskphas.html> •“What is a project risk?” Projectfuture.net. Accessed 9 Jan. 2013 <http://www.projectfuture.net/uk/projectfuture-software/frequently-asked- questions/what-is-a-projectrisk > •“You Need Four Coders.” Whatgamesare.com. Accessed 11 Jan. 2013 <http://www.whatgamesare.com/2011/02/you-need-four-coders-production.html>
- 40. The mission of the CEGD is to foster the gaming community in the Chicagoland area by working with professional and aspiring game developers that are actively engaged in furthering the boundaries of play. This presentation maybe reproduced as long as the CEGD is credited. Visit us at www.thecegd.org.
- 41. Follow us @chiexpgamedev on Twitter This presentation was made possible by the efforts of: Rev 3A: 2013