This document provides guidance on completing AO2, which asks students to create an initial game concept. It outlines the elements that should be included in the concept such as a 25-word summary, genre, setting, story, characters, structure, gameplay, perspective, design, success/failure conditions, and multiplayer potential. Students are advised to apply what they learned in AO1 and develop their own original game idea. The work will be posted to the student's blog and assessed for completion, competence, creativity, and originality.

1. Unit 30 - Design for Games
AO2 – Produce an Initial
Game Concept

2. AO2 asks you to create an initial game concept.
You are going to do this by:-
i) completing a standard form which summarise
your game concept
ii) supporting the information on your standard
form with additional writing, design and
illustration

3. Elements of the Initial Game Concept
●Twenty-five word summary of the concept
●Genre and Audience
●Game Setting
●Game Story Idea
●Main Characters
●Game Structure and Levels
●Game Play including Game Mechanics
●Player Perspective
●Visual Design
●Success and Failure Criteria
●Multiplayer and Online Potential

4. Allow me to state the obvious...
You've just completed AO1 on key concepts
in game design.
Use what you learned there in your design
ideas here.
For example – a three act narrative structure?

5. And a bit more of the obvious...
In this unit you are working on your game –
the one you are designing. Not the games
you wrote about in AO1. Not one example
you've chosen.
Your own game design ideas.

6. Twenty Five Word Summary
Get the absolute
basics down A first person stealth
game, using shadows and
Genre POV Story silence. In a steampunk
Setting Gameplay metropolis, a thief
trained by a secret
society undertakes
missions to steal
valuables.

7. Genre and Audience
Name your genre and subgenre as
appropriate
Identify your core audience
In the additional information:-
● What narrative, iconographic, sound
and game play conventions will
identify your genre
● Write a more detailed analysis of
your core audience and identify
secondary audiences, explaining how
the game will appeal to them in
different ways.

8. Game Setting
When and where is your
game set?
In the additional information:-
● Describe the setting in more detail,
including visual and/or audio visual
material (a short film clip to
illustrate what you want your world
to look like?)
● Justify your decision with reference
to your genre and target audience

9. Game Story
Not a 'blurb' but a full
summary of the story of
your game
In the additional information:-
● Three act structure
● Scenes within acts
● Interactive Narrative

10. Characters
What kind of character are they –
what is their role in the narrative?
In the additional information:-
For all playable characters and at least one NPC
What stereotypes do the characters embody?
What mythic role do the characters fulfill?
Visual and possibly Audio – Pictures of
character design and costumes, and possibly
theme music / voice / sound effects

11. Game Structure and Levels
Describe the different levels of your
game and explain how you progress
through them
In the additional information:-
● A large scale map of the whole of your
game's playing area
● Detailed maps of key playing areas (at
least one in each level – I suggest three
levels)
● Identify start and exit points in each level
● Describe ways to fail within each level
● Describe ways to succeed within each level

12. Game Play inc Game Mechanics
Describe the essentials of game play
– what is it like to play the game?
What do you do?
In the additional information:-
● Use the 'game mechanics' headings
from AO1 to analyse your game
ideas. How will your game use luck
– strategy and skill – diplomacy –
resource management – territory
control?

13. Player Perspective
What do we see on screen – what
view of the action do we have? 1st or
3rd person? Can we control it? Are
there map screens?
In the additional information:-
● Do we know more than we can see?
How do we learn things about the
game?
●
If 3rd person is it omniscient or
focussed? How?
● Draw/Design a typical screenshot
showing player perspective.

14. Visual Design
Describe the essential features of
your games visual design – what is it
going to look like.
In the additional information:-
● What are your influences
● How does your visual design fit the
genre
● Sketches and designs for different
screens/levels

15. How can you fail?
Describe the different ways
you can lose
In the additional information:-
● Explain the general ways you can
lose at any time
● Explain the specific ways you can
fail in the different levels
● Explain how you can protect your
progress with saving opportunities
● How will the game tell you you've
failed?

16. How can you win?
Describe the ultimate goal - what do
you have to do to win the game?
In the additional information:-
● How do you succeed in each
individual level?
● How is your success rewarded
● What potential is there for your
ultimate 'win' to carry over to an
expansion or a sequel?

17. Multiplayer and Online Gaming
Explain what potential there is for
multiplayer gaming and online
gaming.
In the additional information:-
● How can your game use different styles of
multiplayer gaming?
● What opportunities are there for 'focussed'
online gaming (XBox Live style) and for
more general online gaming (on the web)
● How else might your game make use of
the possibilities of an online
environment?

18. Presentation
All of your work needs to be posted on your
blog.
Some work will need to be scanned, with
the .jpg files uploaded as images.
You can link to other images, audio and video
content which is already online as well as
uploading your own content.

19. Assessment
All of the above work is required to complete AO2
Pass - Mostly complete
Merit – Competent, well thought through design. Creative
story, interesting characters, works as a game
Distinction – Outstanding originality and flair. Well
presented. Excelled in a number of areas.
These tasks are designed so that if you complete them in full
you should be working to Distinction