Game Design Perspectives (with CD-ROM) (Advances in Computer Graphics and Game Development Series) (Paperback)

by Francois Dominic Laramee (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Interactive Game Design is a new field, and as such its boundaries have yet to be explored. Even within the industry, game designers are treated with a mix of awe and fear, because design is not as predictable as artwork production, or as tangible as programming. And, more important, it lacks formal documented procedures for predictable and repeated success. This unique compilation of design articles provides designers with insight into how their colleagues approach game design, where they have stumbled, and how they have succeeded.

The articles are written by a diverse group of designers with a wide variety of gaming backgrounds. The topics covered range from proper design documentation, user interfaces, design theory, characters and storytelling, to quality management, platform- and genre-specific design issues, relationships between designers and the user community, and game development project management. If you are just beginning in game design, youíll find new ideas to complement and compare with your own designs. Producers and managers will also benefit from The User Community and Managing a Game Development Business sections.

****What You'll Gain From This Book****

* An overview of how to write effective game design documents

* Insightful tips and techniques from a variety of designers

* Practical ideas about game design theory

* Key design issues for a variety of genres (e.g., turn-based games, multiplayer) and platforms (e.g., wireless, ITV)

* New ideas for character and story development, including screenwriting techniques for games

* Useful information on designing for different types of communities (e.g., online, female, children)

* Details on some key aspects of managing a game development business

About the Author
Francois Dominc Laramee has designed, programmed, and/or produced over 20 games for consoles, personal computers, interactive television and online networks over the last decade. He is a prolific writer and the holder of graduate degrees in computer science and business administration.

Product Details

• Paperback: 420 pages
• Publisher: Charles River Media; 1st edition (June 15, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1584500905
• ISBN-13: 978-1584500902
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #689,277 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

• This item is part of The Charles River Media Game Development Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good content, slightly too specialized, September 2, 2002

By	Greg Rozon (Ontario, Canada) - See all my reviews

This is a very good read, and offers a lot of good information for the budding game designer. There are lots of issues to ponder and the book certainly manages to raise some good ones. My only complaints about the book are the lack of strong examples for some key concepts (naming specific games, and perhaps detailing how said game illustrates the concept would be nice) and the fact that it is rather focused on the RPG and Adventure genres. For that reason I would highly recommend it to designers interested in those genres, but would caution those who are not interested in designing RPG/Adventure games.

5 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Great book on Design and Perspective, August 14, 2002

By A Customer

This is a nice book with some technical issues that could be better but still a nice book to have for any one interested or that has a career in game design. you should read this book and understand at least a nice outline of how to design a game. you should'nt buy this if you are just starting and have no clue how to design games it is a nice book to try for starters even though there is a chance they will not know what it is talking about.