Game Design Foundations, 2/e

Contents:

Chapter 1: The Game Designer • Game Designers Are not Programmers • Game designers Are Not Artists • Game designers Are Not Audio Engineers or Musicians • Game designers Are Visionaries • The Pedersen Advice to Those Who Are Not Yet Gaming Professionals • Can My “Idea” Make Millions” • Why Make Game$” • Programmers” Salaries • Artists” and Animators” Salaries • Game Designers” Salaries • Game Producers Salaries • QA (Quality Assurance) Testers Salaries • Audio/Sound Designers” and Musicians” Salaries • Workshop • Assignments • All-Star Baseball • Burnout • XGRA: Extreme-G Racing Association • Forsaken • Shadow Man • Turok Dinosaur Hunter Series • Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen Series • Thoughts for Discussion

Chapter 2: The “Pedersen Principles” • Principle 1: Understand the Roles of the Designer and Producer • Principle 2: No Designer or Producer Is an Island • Principle 3: Let Professionals Do Their Jobs • Principle 4: KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid) • Principle 5: Schedules Are Like Rules • Principle 6: The Yardstick: One Day's Pay for a Week's Worth of Fun • Principle 7: I Never Met a Genre I Didn?t Like • Principle 8: Be True to Your License • Principle 9: Share Your Toys! • Principle 10: There's No Magic Formula for Success • Principle 11: The Importance of Networking • Workshop Assignments • Exercises • Unguided Exercises • Thoughts for Discussion

Chapter 3: Game genres • Choosing a Game Genre to Design • Action Games • Top-Selling Action Games • Adventure Games and Puzzles • Adventure puzzles • Top-Selling Adventure Games • Casual Games • Top-Selling Casual Games • Educational Game as an Adventure Game • Educational Game as a Sports Game • Top-Selling Educational Games • Simulation Games • Top-Selling Simulation Games • Sports Games (Including Fighting Games) • Top-Selling Sports Games • Strategy Games • Top-Selling Strategy Games • Other Games (Puzzles, Music, and Toys) • Top-Selling Puzzle, Music, and Toy Games • Online Games • Top-Selling Online Games • Last Thoughts • Games of the Year (By Platform) • Workshop • Assignments • Exercises • Unguided Exercises • Thoughts for Discussion

Chapter 4: Game Concepts and Ideas • Games Are Not Linear • Games Have a Goal • Games Must Be Winnable • Start of the Game • Middle/Ending of the Game • Interactive Games • Game Ideas • Sports • Board Games • Card and Gambling Games • Simulations • Science • History • Literature • Art • A Pulitzer Prize-Winning Play Based on a Painting • Music • Dance and Musical Instruments • Movies and Film • Workshop • Assignments • Exercises • Unguided Exercises • Thoughts for Discussion

Chapter 5: The Game Design Process • The “One Pager” Concept Document • “One Pager” Overview • Sample One Pager Documents • (Megan Pedersen)'s International Wakeboarding Open • Medical Kombat • Organic Game Design • Workshop • Assignments • Exercises • Unguided Exercises • Internet Reading Assignment • Thoughts for Discussion

Chapter 6: Game Research • Research Goals • Research Sources • Items to Research • Example: The Australian Great Barrier Reef Simulation • Researching a Historical Landmark • Expressing Research Findings • Researching a Licensed Property • Research Goals for Licensed Properties • Research Sources • Choosing an Appropriate Concept to Research • Researching a Simulation Game: The Survival of the Fittest • Homo Erectus • Neanderthals • Cro-Magnon Man • Final Thoughts • Researching a Classic Game: Poker • The Shuffle • Hand Rankings • Poker Variations • Special Considerations • Researching a Baseball Game • Research Conclusion • Workshop • Assignments • Exercises • Unguided Exercises

Chapter 7: Innovation in Gaming • Recent Gaming Innovations • Dance Dance Revolution • Guitar Hero/Rock Band • Spore • World of Warcraft • Second Life • Wii Remote • Handhelds • Future Innovation • Workshop • Assignments • Exercises • Unguided Exercises • Internet Reading Assignment • Thoughts for Discussion

Chapter 8: Game Design Documents • The Executive Summary and the Game Proposal • Development Team Details • Milestone Scheduling • How Do you Get a Publisher to Want to Meet Your Team” • A sample Game proposal: 13 Mirrors • Relevant Team Experience • Target Demographic • The Competition • 13 Mirror Feature Summary Sheet • Game play Summary • Game Specifics • Game Modes • Training • Points Gained and Lost in 13 Mirrors • Personalization of Game play • Player Awards • Budget • Milestone Schedule • Candide 2517: The Storyline (a Futuristic Version of Voltaire's) • Classic Novel • Workshop • Exercises • Unguided Exercises • Internet Reading Assignment • Thoughts for Discussion

Chapter 9: Design Principles • Game Mechanics • Othello • Backgammon • Same Look, Different Game Mechanics • The Goal in a Game • Examining Game Mechanics • Victory Conditions • Game Balancing • Deliberate Imbalance • Creative Balancing • Extra Tidbits on Balancing • AI (Artificial Intelligence) • Cheating AI • Pathfinding • Basic Pathfinding Algorithms • The “Pedersen-Housman” Method (Blind Person's Algorithm)Further Explained • Other Pathfinding Solutions • Designing the Game System Architecture in Tier or Modules • Workshop • Exercises • Unguided Exercises • Internet Reading Assignment • Thoughts for Discussion

Chapter 10: Knowing the Entire Team • Game Designer • Senior Game Designer • Lead Game Designer • Technical Game Designer • Game System Designer • Game Designer • Game Content Designer • Game Level Designer • Producer • Executive Producer (Project Manager) • Senior Producer • Third Party Producer • External Producer • Associate Producer (Assistant/Junior Producer) • Programmer • Technical Director (Director of Development/Engineering or Software Director) • Senior Tools/Engine Programmer • Senior System Programmer • AI (Artificial Intelligence) Programmer • Physics Programmer • Server/Network Engineer (Programmer) • Audio Software Programmer • Lead Programmer • Senior Software Engineer • 3D Software Programmer • Senior Graphics Programmer • Game Programmer • Junior Programmer (Entry-level Programmer)
“ Artist • Art Director • Art Technical Director • Senior Cinematic Environment Artist • Senior Environment Artist • Lead Environment Artist • Environment Artist • 3D Environment Artist • Visual Effects Artist • Special Effects Artist • Technical VFX (Visual Special Effects) Animator • Lead VFX (Visual Special Effects) Artist • Senior VEX (Visual Special Effects) Artist • Lead Character Artist • 3D Character Modeler • Character Animator • Character Rigger • Senior Cinematics Animation Artist • Cinematics Artist • 3D Artist • Lead Animator • Senior Animator • Technical Animator • Animator • Intermediate Animator • Lighter • Senior Technical Artist • UI (User Interface) Artist • Front End Graphic Designer • Texture Artist • Senior Concept Artist • Concept Artist (Junior Concept Artist) • Audio Engineer and Composer • Audio (Music) Director • Senior Sound Designer • Technical Sound Designer • Sound Effects Designer • Music Composer • Audio Mixer • Audio Editor • Audio Scripter • Audio Assistant • QA (Quality Assurance) Tester • QA Manager • QA Lead Tester • QA Tester/Analyst • QA Senior Tester • QA Tester (Entry Level) • Other Positions • Workshop • Assignments • Exercises • Internet Reading Assignment

Chapter 11: Game Narrative Scriptwriting • Linear vs. Nonlinear or Games vs. Films and Books • A Linear Format Story • An Overview of Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland • Nonlinear, Game Interactive Format • Alice in Planet Wonderland • Nonlinear Game-Oriented Scripting Standard • Scheduling a Shoot or Voice-Over Session • Workshop • Suggested Activities • Assignment • Exercises • Unguided Exercises • Internet Reading Assignment “

Character 12: Character Design Document • Bingo Poker • Bingo Poker Characters • Fabio Balboa • Johnny Rocket • Captain Richard Kelly • Dr. Drake Ramore • Ariel Nikon • Aries Warmonger • Dr. Ashley Suuri • Chaz Rivers • Professor Daniel Potter • Donna Dallas • Elizabeth Julia • Dr. Emily “Jersey” Jones • Ethan Wong • Madison St. Claire • Olivia Bloom • Congresswoman Penelope Park • Ryan Getty • Tyler Franks • District Attorney Venus Vette • Zip Martin • Lord Nigel Smythe • Dr. Isabelle Dupree • Workshop • Assignments • Exercises • Unguided Exercises • Internet Reading Assignment • Thoughts for Discussion

Chapter 13: Basics of Programming and Level Scripting • A Look at Programming • Operating Systems • Programming Commands • Conditional Statements (Also Called “if” Statements of Decision Blocks) • Compound “if” Statements (Multiple Conditions) • Mathematical Statements • A “loop” Statement • Computer Concepts • Min-Mix Gaming Theory (with Alpha-Beta Pruning) • Tic-Tac-Toe • Forced Move • Forced Move Revised • Visual Basic Tic-Tac-Toc • Visual C ++ Tic-Tac-Toc • Basic Level Scripting • Workshop • Suggested Activities • Assignments • Exercises • Unguided Exercise • Internet Reading Assignment

Chapter 14: Game Design Outlets • The Top Publishers in the Gaming Industry • The Outlets • Internet Game • Machinima • The Casual Market • Modding a 3D Game Engine • Cell Phone Games • Handhelds • Homebrew Games • Workshop • Suggested Activities • Assignments • Exercises • Unguided Exercises • Internet Reading Assignment “

Chapter 15: The Game Design Document • Background • Reel Deal Poker Challenge Design Document • Table of Contents • Overview • Rules of Poker • Hand Rankings • Poker Variations • Start of the Game (or After the Game Icon Is Clicked On) • The Cashier's Cage • VIP Register • The Lobbies • The Prize Vault • Audio • Artwork • Lobbies • Tournament • Tournament Information • Tournament Place Finished • First Floor • Third Floor • Special Floor • Four-Player Poker Characters • First Floor: Roman Motif • Second Floor: Oriental Motif • Third Floor: Egyptian Motif • Special Floor: World Championship Poker Room • Eight-Player Poker Characters • Cards • Whole Cards • Discarded Cards • No Alpha Round Cards • Fake Drop Round Cards • Fake Drop Shadow Cards • Cashier's Cage • VIP Casino Card • VIP Clipboard • Casher's Cage • Credits Screen • Statistics Screen • The Prize Vault • Chips • Tournament First Prizes • Floor 1: $5,000 Tournament Prizes • Floor 1: $25,000 Tournament Prizes • Floor 2: $25,000 Tournament Prizes • Floor 2: $100,000 Tournament Prizes • Floor 3: $100,000 Tournament Prizes • Floor 3: $500,000 Tournament Prizes • Special Floor: $2,500,000 World Championship • Exit Game • Betting/Raising • Scriptwriting • Programming • Basic Poker AI • The AI to Determine the Best Poker Hand Using Five to Seven Cards • Draw Poker (No Openers and Jacks or Better to Open) • Five-Card Stud • Seven-Card Stud, Chicago Low, and Chicago High • Texas Hold “Em and Omaha • Game Variations Order of Play • Draw Poker No Openers and Jacks or Better to Open • Five-Card Stud • Seven-Card Stud, Chicago Low, and Chicago High • Texas Hold “Em • Omaha • Workshop • Exercises • Unguided Exercises • Internet Reading Assignment • Suggested Activities

About the Author:

Roger E. Pedersen has been designing, producing, and programming games since the early 1980s for companies such as CBS Software, Gametek, Hi-Tech Expressions, Merit Software, Villa Crespo Software, Acclaim Entertainment, Phantom EFX, Walker Boys Studio, 3D Open Motion, Hypnotics, Merit Industries, Game Trust, Slingo, Digital Embryo, and Cellufun, His cumulative title sales have surpassed 10 million copies on over 50 titles for multiple platforms, including the personal computer, video consoler, location-based, internet, arcade, and hand held. He is the author of award-winning articles for Gamasutra.com, Gamedev.net, and Gignews.com. Mr. Pedersen is an adjunct professor in game design and curriculum advisor for NYU and other institutions. He is currently working on a master's in Game Production and Management from the University of Advancing Technology.