Introduction to 3D Gaming Clint Edmonson

6 Average budget ( in $millions ) for a blockbuster game title.

50 Average size of development team for blockbuster game title.

10 Average number of programmers on development team for blockbuster game title.

32 Average number of months to develop a blockbuster 3D game from concept to delivery.

6 Average number of months for team of expert programmers to develop a complete game engine from scratch.

600,000 Number of dollars to license the Unreal game engine for 1 game on 1 platform.

6 Average number of months saved by licensing a game engine.

8 Current number of job openings at Epic Games, the makers of the Unreal game engine.

107 Current number of programmer/engineer job postings on Gamasutra.com.

9 Average number of gigabytes consumed by game installed to PC hard disk

5 Average number of terabytes consumed by game assets created by development team.

What is a Game?

Play Learning in a safe environment

Interactivity The illusion of control in a controlled environment

Toys, Games, and Simulations What’s the difference between a toy and a game?

Toys Abstraction of reality Don’t have goals

Toys, Games, and Simulations What’s the difference between a game and a simulation?

Simulations Try to closely mimic reality Complexity may affect fun

Toys, Games, and Simulations TOY GAME SIMULATION Complexity Abstraction

Formal Elements

Players Voluntary participants Roles Uniform Multiple, Balanced Interaction Player vs. Game Player vs. Player Unilateral Competition Multilateral Competition

Voluntary participants

Roles

Uniform

Multiple, Balanced

Interaction

Player vs. Game

Player vs. Player

Unilateral Competition

Multilateral Competition

Objectives Desire to work towards goal is key to game play and immersion Provides challenge and sets tone Symmetric/Asymmetric Examples Capture Chase Alignment Race Rescue/Escape

Desire to work towards goal is key to game play and immersion

Provides challenge and sets tone

Symmetric/Asymmetric

Examples

Capture

Chase

Alignment

Race

Rescue/Escape

Procedures Actions or methods of play allowed by the rules Examples Starting actions Normal actions Special actions Resolving actions (point scoring)

Actions or methods of play allowed by the rules

Examples

Starting actions

Normal actions

Special actions

Resolving actions (point scoring)

Rules Define game objects and procedures Describe allowable player actions Proscribe reactive events

Define game objects and procedures

Describe allowable player actions

Proscribe reactive events

Resources Items made valuable by their scarcity and utility Examples Tokens Currency Lives Health Points Units Actions Terrain Time

Items made valuable by their scarcity and utility

Examples

Tokens

Currency

Lives

Health Points

Units

Actions

Terrain

Time

Boundaries Defines the scope of the game procedures and rules and creates the game "reality" Examples Terrain Time Resources

Defines the scope of the game procedures and rules and creates the game "reality"

Examples

Terrain

Time

Resources

Conflict Relationship between objectives, procedures, and rules limiting behavior Examples Obstacles Opponents Dilemmas

Relationship between objectives, procedures, and rules limiting behavior

Examples

Obstacles

Opponents

Dilemmas

Outcome Measurement of achievement There must be a winner – a player who achieves a positive outcome

Measurement of achievement

There must be a winner – a player who achieves a positive outcome

System Dynamics

Objects Properties Behaviors Relationships

Properties

Behaviors

Relationships

Interaction Linear Branching Network Autonomous Agents

Linear

Branching Network

Autonomous Agents

Economies Currency, markets and bartering Resource pools Equilibrium states

Currency, markets and bartering

Resource pools

Equilibrium states

Dramatic Elements

Perspective Player’s point of view Top-Down Side-View Isometric First Person Third Person

Player’s point of view

Top-Down

Side-View

Isometric

First Person

Third Person

Challenge Creates tension A balance between frustration and boredom Focuses attention towards objectives

Creates tension

A balance between frustration and boredom

Focuses attention towards objectives

Play Mechanics that provide flexibility to allow player creativity and imagination Play styles/archetypes The Competitor The Explorer The Collector The Achiever The Joker The Artist The Director The Storyteller The Performer The Craftsman

Mechanics that provide flexibility to allow player creativity and imagination

Play styles/archetypes

The Competitor

The Explorer

The Collector

The Achiever

The Joker

The Artist

The Director

The Storyteller

The Performer

The Craftsman

Premise, Characters, and Story Provides context to the formal elements Story Arcs Character Arcs

Provides context to the formal elements

Story Arcs

Character Arcs

So what is a game?

A game is… Closed, formal abstract economic system Players involved in engaging structured conflict to achieve a goal Resolves to an unequal outcome

Closed, formal abstract economic system

Players involved in engaging structured conflict to achieve a goal

Resolves to an unequal outcome

Mastery Long plateaus of practice with spurts of progress Learning occurs during plateaus via repetition Great games allow players to achieve state of flow

Long plateaus of practice with spurts of progress

Learning occurs during plateaus via repetition

Great games allow players to achieve state of flow

Designing a 3D Game

Game Types Action Adventure Casual Fighting Platform Puzzle Simulation Sports Strategy Role-playing

Action

Adventure

Casual

Fighting

Platform

Puzzle

Simulation

Sports

Strategy

Role-playing

Genres Fantasy Science Fiction War Espionage Crime Mystery Horror Western Romance

Fantasy

Science Fiction

War

Espionage

Crime

Mystery

Horror

Western

Romance

Game Play Perspective First person Third person Top down Isometric Side scrolling Text based Modes Single player Multiplayer Mechanics

Perspective

First person

Third person

Top down

Isometric

Side scrolling

Text based

Modes

Single player

Multiplayer

Mechanics

Story (1) Dramatic writing = Conflict! Characters Name Motivation & back-story Appearance Catch-phrase Personality traits & quirks Every character is on a journey World Creation What is plausible? Ecosystems always seek an equilibrium Equilibrium drives motivations

Dramatic writing = Conflict!

Characters

Name

Motivation & back-story

Appearance

Catch-phrase

Personality traits & quirks

Every character is on a journey

World Creation

What is plausible?

Ecosystems always seek an equilibrium

Equilibrium drives motivations

Story (2) Storyboards Plot out the overall story arc Analyze structure and refine to create rising tension Hollywood has proven the 3-act structure works Dialogue Avoid clichés Cinematics Pre-rendered In-game using 3D engine Take the player some place special and exciting Humor is hard

Storyboards

Plot out the overall story arc

Analyze structure and refine to create rising tension

Hollywood has proven the 3-act structure works

Dialogue

Avoid clichés

Cinematics

Pre-rendered

In-game using 3D engine

Take the player some place special and exciting

Humor is hard

Levels & Environments (1) Story Setup Continuity Objectives Goals Sub goals Previsualization Reference photos Concept sketches Low fidelity level blocking Zones, regions and rooms Power ups Enemies

Story

Setup

Continuity

Objectives

Goals

Sub goals

Previsualization

Reference photos

Concept sketches

Low fidelity level blocking

Zones, regions and rooms

Power ups

Enemies

Levels & Environments (2) Enriching the vision by layering in detail Location and terrain Time of day and year Weather conditions Boundaries and hazards Scripting of triggered events Lighting and special effects Prefabs and doodads Sounds and music Play test early and often Refine, refine, refine Looking to achieve player flow

Enriching the vision by layering in detail

Location and terrain

Time of day and year

Weather conditions

Boundaries and hazards

Scripting of triggered events

Lighting and special effects

Prefabs and doodads

Sounds and music

Play test early and often

Refine, refine, refine

Looking to achieve player flow

High Concept Title Type Genre Game Play Story Levels & Environments

Title

Type

Genre

Game Play

Story

Levels & Environments

Team Roles & Specialties

Production Executive Producer Line/Brand Manager Marketing Public Relations Producer/Project Manager Localization

Executive Producer

Line/Brand Manager

Marketing

Public Relations

Producer/Project Manager

Localization

Design Story Character Dialogue Game play Single Player Multiplayer World Creation Level Environments Scripting User's Guide

Story

Character

Dialogue

Game play

Single Player

Multiplayer

World Creation

Level

Environments

Scripting

User's Guide

Programming (1) Graphics Animation User Interface Shaders Terrain Sound & Music Physics Rigid Body Dynamics Collision Detection Particles & Effects AI Network File System

Graphics

Animation

User Interface

Shaders

Terrain

Sound & Music

Physics

Rigid Body Dynamics

Collision Detection

Particles & Effects

AI

Network

File System

Programming (2) Database Memory Management Engine Game play Tools Build R&D Web

Database

Memory Management

Engine

Game play

Tools

Build

R&D

Web

Art (1) Concept Story board Environmental Cartography Motion Capture Cinematics

Concept

Story board

Environmental

Cartography

Motion Capture

Cinematics

Art (2) Texture Character Modeler Animator Props User Interface

Texture

Character

Modeler

Animator

Props

User Interface

Audio Score Composer Sound Effects Voiceover Foley Artist (Cinematics)

Score Composer

Sound Effects

Voiceover

Foley Artist (Cinematics)

Quality Assurance Level testing Focus groups Technical Support

Level testing

Focus groups

Technical Support

Remember: Design accounts for ¾ of entire production timeline

Next Steps Join Gamasutra.com

Join Gamasutra.com

Next Steps Join the XNA Creator’s Club

Join the XNA Creator’s Club

Next Steps Play LOTS of games!

Play LOTS of games!

References (1) Aliens and Alien Societies: A Writer’s Guide to Creating Extraterrestrial Life-Forms – Schmidt Character Development and Storytelling for Games – Sheldon Designing 3D Games That Sell – Ahearn Game Architecture & Design - Rollings & Morris Game Design: Secrets of the Sages – Saltzman Game Design Workshop – Fullerton, Swain, & Hoffman Game Development and Production - Bethke Get in the Game: Careers in the Game Industry - Mencher

Aliens and Alien Societies: A Writer’s Guide to Creating Extraterrestrial Life-Forms – Schmidt

Character Development and Storytelling for Games – Sheldon

Designing 3D Games That Sell – Ahearn

Game Architecture & Design - Rollings & Morris

Game Design: Secrets of the Sages – Saltzman

Game Design Workshop – Fullerton, Swain, & Hoffman

Game Development and Production - Bethke

Get in the Game: Careers in the Game Industry - Mencher

References (2) The Hero With A Thousand Faces – Campbell How to Write a Damn Good Novel – Frey Mastery: The Keys to Success and Long-Term Fulfillment – Leonard Object-oriented Game Development - Gold The Writer’s Digest Character Naming Sourcebook – Kenyon The Writer’s Journey – Mythic Structure for Writers – Vogler Ultimate Game Design: Building Game Worlds – Meigs

The Hero With A Thousand Faces – Campbell

How to Write a Damn Good Novel – Frey

Mastery: The Keys to Success and Long-Term Fulfillment – Leonard

Object-oriented Game Development - Gold

The Writer’s Digest Character Naming Sourcebook – Kenyon

The Writer’s Journey – Mythic Structure for Writers – Vogler

Ultimate Game Design: Building Game Worlds – Meigs

About me… Clint Edmonson Architect Evangelist Microsoft Email: [email_address] Blog: http://www.notsotrivial.net Twitter: @clinted

Clint Edmonson

Architect Evangelist

Microsoft

Email: [email_address]

Blog: http://www.notsotrivial.net

Twitter: @clinted