Gameplay and design [Paperback]

Kevin Oxland (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 25, 2004

What exactly is the elusive ingredient that makes a game worth playing? To create a great game you need passion, imagination, talent, a good understanding of game-play and design, experience, a dedicated team, good project management and lots of hard work. Every game developed is individual, but there are certain techniques and fundamentals that can be learnt to understand the creative process of game design, and those fundamentals will be discussed throughout this book. Covering the process of game design, the book builds up a set of techniques used by designers within the industry. It will show and tell, explaining how and why things are done the way they are, and will feature first-hand experiences, examples and case studies from the creators of successful games such as 'Lara Croft/Tomb Raider' and Peter Molyneux's 'Black and White'. Throughout the book an imaginary game "Jumping Jack" will be discussed, taking the reader through the process of developing a design from the initial idea through to the full-blown specification. Demonstration levels and the design documents will be included on the accompanying CD, and these documents can be used as templates for future designs. The book is divided into two parts. The first, Design DNA, discusses the components that make up a game design. The second part, Building the Design, describes the process of creating and formatting design documents. Using case studies and examples, the elements that create fun and absorbing game-play will be revealed. The book covers the range of major consoles such as PS2, Nintendo Gamecube, Xbox, Gameboy Advance and the PC, providing an insight into the different considerations a designer must be aware of for different platforms and producing cross-platform games.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

 

"A must-have for almost all games software development companies and also for the literally hundreds of freelancers working in the industry"

Julian G Hicks, Managing Director, Gameworld Seven Ltd

 

"Takes you step-by-fascinating-step through all the ins-and-outs of life as a game designer"

Kevin Buckner, Game Design Consultant, Design Games Ltd

 

What is the elusive ingredient that makes a game worth playing? It can be the scream of Daytona, the kill thrill of Quake or Doom or maybe the sense of achievement from finally completing Dungeon Siege. There is no instruction manual for making great games and it's certainly not easy to create a masterpiece. What it takes is passion, imagination, talent, a good understanding of gameplay and game design principles, experience, a dedicated team, efficient project management and good old-fashioned hard work.

 

Every game is individual, but there are techniques and fundamentals that can be learnt to understand the creative process of game design. These fundamentals are discussed throughout the book, enabling you to:

 

·         learn the art of creating fun and absorbing gameplay

·         recognise and create components of a game

·         create coherent game design documents

 

The book is in two parts. The first discusses the components that make up gameplay using case studies and examples. The second goes through the stages of creating and formatting design documents, showing how to approach the industry to start or further your career.

 

Whether you are a student studying game design, a practitioner working in the industry or simply someone wanting to take your first steps in this area, this book will give you new insights on many aspects of game design that will prove invaluable for your ongoing or future career in game development.

 

Kevin Oxland has worked in the games industry for more than twenty years, holding positions such as Creative Director at Virgin Interactive in London. He has worked at Westwood Studios in Las Vegas on Disney's The Lion King and Pinocchio, and has also been involved in setting up two successful development studios and creating numerous games for many top publishers around the world.

Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Addison Wesley (June 25, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0321204670
• ISBN-13: 978-0321204677
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,968,822 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Great discussion of fundamental gameplay elements, September 20, 2005

By 

Tasha Jessup (San Diego, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Gameplay and design (Paperback)

In "Gameplay and Design," Kevin Oxland describes the essential elements required to create compelling game design. Published by Addison-Wesley for $92 (ISBN 0-321-20467-0), the book is divided into two parts that span a total of 368 pages.

The first part of the book defines essential terms and techniques used by game designers. Starting with the basic principles of game design, Oxland emphasizes that good design follows a well structured approach that is consistent in delivery. To reinforce this, the text starts with a simple game concept idea, an adventure game called Norbot that features a robot with a missing hand, and layers in subtle and more complex elements to help illustrate the usage of many of the topics discussed.

The progression of Norbot's development follows logical steps: first deciding on genre, core game idea, and a unique selling point - then various game design elements that support the core idea. While more game design elements are presented than used in the game idea, Oxland does a great job providing examples and illustrations in other published games. It sounds simple, but in such a creative field as game design, there is room for a lot of variety.

Once the core objective is established, it is important to consider a host of other factors critical to design. The book moves from more abstract concepts such as player motivation to more concrete elements like level design and progression considerations. Oxland writes in a casual and familiar tone that is easy and enjoyable to read. Sprinkled throughout each chapter are game design axioms that are not always easy to spot. The book takes a much more narrative approach to each subject instead of presenting information analytically. Overall, I found the progression and presentation to be well done.

The second part of the book describes translating game design ideas into documentation suitable for a production team or publisher to understand. Often during the documentation phase, additional details are refined and improved upon prior to beginning production. While it'd be easy to dismiss the last half of the book, I've seen many good ideas fail to garner support due to the designer's inability to successfully convey their thoughts to teammates or decision makers. Providing good documentation also reinforces the main theme of the book by formally structuring an idea for others to consider.

Also, a description of various skills and characteristics typically required of workers in the game industry is provided as well as a chapter of references for those seeking to receive formal training in the field. Obviously this information has less value to those already in the industry and belies the book's target audience: those interested in becoming or already in junior game design roles.

With a focus on organization and a layered design process, the book is an enjoyable read that does a fine job covering many of the facets encountered in practice. While it may have less value to those already in the industry, I'd recommend this book to anyone seriously considering becoming a game designer.