Game Development Fundamentals

Isometric

(3/4 perspective-example:q-bert)

Two-Dimensional

(flat, 2D-world, platform games are usually 2Dgames)

First-Person

(from the character's point of view -- you don't see the character)

Top-Down

(looking down from the top -- you usually see the character)

Third-Person

(view from behind the character -- you see the character -- often an over the shoulder view)

North American Video Game market crash

1983; popularity of home consoles declined; NES and Mega Drive from Japan saved the market

Sega Dreamcast

32-bit system, included capability for online gaming, Sega's final home console (1998)

Game Immersion

A game design aesthetic-Feeling part of the game, emotions, etc.

Player View

A game design aesthetic-The viewpoint from which the player views the game

Diegetic Element

A game element that is part of the game's world

Non-Diegetic Element

A game element that isn't part of the game's world; usually a HUD

Storyboard

A sequence of drawings that show the levels of the game or the different scenes and goals

Multiplayer cooperative

All of us in this together to defeat the enemy

Sega Saturn

CD based (1995)

Pitch Document

Covers many points relevant to getting someone interested in your game such as goal, platform, environment, characters, etc.

Game Design Document

Created and edited by the development team; highly descriptive; includes items such as: title, genre, game type, brief description, rules of the game, design of levels and rooms, script, storyboard, etc.

Shigeru Miyamoto

Designer and producer for Nintendo, created Mario, Legend of Zelda, Donkey Kong, etc.

Design Functionality

Designing 'how' the game strategies will work (movements, power-ups, avoiding obstacles, etc.)

ESRB

Entertainment Software Rating Board

Multiplayer competitive

Every player for themselves, against each other

Ralph Baer

Father of Video Games, helped to create a prototype for the first multiplayer, multiprogram video game system

Pong

First game created by Atari (1972)

Tennis for Two

First known video game, created by William Higibotham (1958)

Sony Playstation

First wide successful use CDs instead of Cartridges and introduces 3D games to the home market and 32-bit graphics (1994)-games played on it:spider man, tetris

Nolan Bushnell

Founder of Atari, popularized video gamed and arcade consoles

Strategy

Game genre-Decision making, skillful thinking and planning

Adventure

Game genre-Focuses on an interactive story

Action

Game genre-Includes physical challenges

Role Playing Game (RPG)

Game genre-Player undertakes a quest in a fictional world

Simulation

Game genre-Used to simulate a real setting

Game Release

Game is open for playing

Game Duration

How long a game lasts;-Example: number of levels, time, etc.

Game Accessibility

How the game is played physically; Keyboard, Mouse, Gamepad, etc.

Nintendo NES

Improved 8-bit graphics, colors, sound and gameplay over previous consoles. Helped the industry to recover from Market Crash of '83-games played on it:mario bros,kirby

Alpha Testing

In-house/controlled, small group testing to find and repair bugs and glitches, make needed adjustments

Golden Age of Arcade Video Games

Late 1970s to Mid 1980s; Time when arcades were more popular than home consoles

Xbox

Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console market (2001)-games played on it:mortal kombat, halo

Game Boy Color

Mobile-Has four times as much memory as the original, capable of showing up to 56 colors simultaneously (1998)

Nintendo DS

Mobile-Not immediately well received by gamers, built in WiFi (2004)

Playstation Vita

Mobile-Successor to the PSP. competes with Nintendo 3Ds (2011)

Nintendo 64

Named for it's 64-bit central processing unit. Last major home console to use cartridges (1996)

SuperNES

Nintendo's answer to the Sega Genesis. 16-Bit graphics, launched the first real "console war" (1991)-games played on it: supermario, yoshi's island

IOS and Android

Other mobile gaming platforms

Team-based

Our team vs. their team, each team controlled by one or many players

Beta Testing

Outside, large group testing to receive feedback from selected end users, make needed adjustments and repairs that were not discovered in-house

Post-Production

Phase that includes game testing and release of the game

Single-player

Player vs. the situation

Earliest Games

Pong,Pacman,Space Invaders, Donkey Kong, Centipede,Missile Command, Asteroids, etc..

Atari 2600

Popularized the use of microprocessor-based hardware and games contained on ROM cartridges (1977)-games played on it:pong,pacman

Sega Genesis

Processors doubled to 16-bit with the release of this console. Sonic the Hedgehog (1989)-games played on it:sonic,streets of rage

Game Maintenence

Provide updates, repair more identified bugs and glitches

Game Engine

Software used to create video games (Scratch, Sploder, Unity, Construct 2, GameMaker, Game Salad, Unreal, etc.)

Production

The Create phase: make assets such as character models, sprite sheets, sound effects, original score, program the mechanics, etc.

Pre-Production

The Design phase: create game design document with description of game play, rules, mechanics, storyboard, script, etc.

Antagonist

The character who actively opposes or is hostile to someone or something; an adversary( Villain)

Protagonist

The main figure or one of the most prominent figures in a game ( Hero)

University of Utah and UVU

Two universities with actual gaming degrees

Spatial Element

Understanding of how the elements are placed in the game; uses layers

Game Feedback

Various indicators of progress given to the player; can be visual, audio, or physical (vibration)-Example:map

Game Strategies

What is needed to complete a level/game/end goal for the player-Example:button smashing

Two-player

player vs. another player

Spacewar!

the first known multi-station video game, developed by students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology M.I.T. (1960's)