21st Century Game Design (Game Development Series) (Paperback)

~ Chris Bateman (Author), Richard Boon (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

21st Century Game Design is not just a book about game design. It’s an answer to two important questions: who are we designing games for and how do we do it best? Written by industry pros, the book teaches designers how to design better games from a why perspective. All good designers know the fundamentals of how to design a game, but learning to design games that really satisfy your players takes more than technical skill. To do this successfully, you need to know your intended audience and understand their needs.

Throughout the book you’ll learn about defining and investigating player needs. A model of play styles is then presented that was developed by applying psychological metrics to survey data and case studies. This model identifi es some of the core themes in player needs as represented by four player types—Conqueror, Manager, Wanderer, and Participant.

In addition to discussing player needs, the book also explores how games can reach wider audiences by appealing to the interests of the core gaming community, and it considers the fundamental principles of game design. Methods such as interface design, structural elements, and game world abstractions are discussed in relation to the needs of the audience. The book does not attempt to present an absolute view of the craft of game design, but rather it demonstrates how an audience model can inform the design process and take the games industry forward at a time when it is facing a schism between the games that the audience would like to play, and the games the development community would like to make.

Game designers, producers, marketing executives, and anyone who wishes to understand the relationship between a game and its audience will find much to learn from 21st Century Game Design.

Key Features * Teaches the "why" behind game design versus the "how-to" * Provides designers with an insightful approach to game design that teaches them how to understand their audiences * Covers fundamental principles of game design, including interface design, structural elements, and game world abstractions as they relate to the audience * Details an audience model that can help inform the design process in terms of player needs * Includes fresh insights for all levels of designers from newcomers to grizzled veterans

About the Author

Chris Bateman is the managing director of International Hobo Ltd. and has been working in game design for almost fifteen years. He is best known for the game design and scripting of Discworld Noir, a platinum-selling game which was praised as the best game ever scripted by "The Times" (London). He has also reaped praise for his design of Ghost Master, which has been a huge critical success worldwide, and he is known worldwide for informative game industry articles published in dozens of magazines. Richard Boon has been involved in the development of dozens of games, and was a major source of information for the recent IGDA white paper on Game Writing. His articles have been published in the industry trade press and magazines, and he lectures on game writing

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Charles River Media; 1 edition (August 29, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1584504293
• ISBN-13: 978-1584504290
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #298,178 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A brain to supplant the heart of game design, September 30, 2005

By	Jack Monahan (Champaign, IL USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

21st Century Game Design's quiet brilliance lies in its logical, sensible treatment of game design in today's market. Things game designers may know on some intuitive level, but often have no conscious access to, no way of articulating, this book illuminates. Chris Bateman's DGD1 audience model allows designers to make more intelligent, informed decisions in the way they design.

Thorough implementation of the principles Bateman describes would help everyone: help publishers understand and support developers, help marketers know who to target, and most importantly of all, help gamers by making games that are made with their playstyles in mind. Not all gamers game alike, so as our industry grows and matures, understanding and identifying the different types of gamers is essential.

Of particular import for growth of our industry is appeal to women and the casual segment, considerations that Bateman shows need not be commensurate with alienating the hardcore segment. You don't need to "water down" a great game to broaden its potential audience; you just need to be aware of your audience and make design choices accordingly.
Bateman shows us that great game design is ultimately subjective; therefore an audience-driven approach to game design is essential to designing games in the 21st century.


For any colleges and universities that have or are developing game design based cirriculum, for all industry professionals: here is an indispensable text.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Understanding the Customer Wants, October 28, 2005

By	John Matlock "Gunny" (Winnemucca, NV) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I suppose it comes as no surprise to anyone to hear that game design has gotten very complex. The power of computers has grown tremendously since the first games like Pong. And with the ability to do more on the computer, and with more competition in the marketplace the need for a higher class of game designer has become clear.

Now game designers have to consider such things as the age, gender, ability, attitude of the player -- many years ago my daughter got hooked on the Roger Rabit game. I told an executive in the Disney game group that they needed some games for young girls. He turned me down with a huff. 'We have Mickey Mouse,' he said. 'Yes,' I told him, 'but you also have Minnie Mouse.' He tuned me out. Now such a manager couldn't afford to ignore such an audience.

This is a book written by professionals on what it will take to suceed in game development in the coming years. These people have 'been there, done that,' pay attention to what they say.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Examines how best to design games and tailor them for specific kinds of audiences, January 2, 2006

By	Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

An even wider audience will be found for Chris Bateman and Richard Boon's 21st Century Game Design, which examines how best to design games and tailor them for specific kinds of audiences. Chapters focus more on the psyche and needs of the player than most programming or game books, discussing both how games can address these desires and how they can appeal to a wider audience outside the hard-core gamer. Any game designer or those seeking to develop and distribute games would do well to examine 21st Century Game Design with its audience-oriented focus.