Description
By (author) Rogers Scott
:
Want to design your own video games? Let expert Scott Rogers show you how!
If you want to design and build cutting-edge video games but aren”t sure where to start, then the THIRD EDITION of the acclaimed Level Up! is for you! Written by leading video game expert Scott Rogers, who has designed for the hits Pac-Man World, God of War, Maximo and SpongeBob SquarePants, this updated edition provides clear and well-thought-out examples that forgo theoretical gobbledygook with charmingly illustrated concepts and solutions based on years of professional experience.
Level Up! 3rd Edition has been NEWLY EXPANDED to teach you how to develop marketable ideas, learn what perils and pitfalls await during a game”s pre-production, production and post-production stages, and provide even more creative ideas to serve as fuel for your own projects including:
- Developing your game design from the spark of inspiration all the way to production
- Learning how to design the most exciting levels, the most precise controls, and the fiercest foes that will keep your players challenged
- Creating games for console, mobile, and VR/AR/MR—including detailed rules for game play design and controls
- Monetizing your game from the design up
- Play test your game to get the best feedback from your players
Level Up! 3rd Edition features all-new content, including two new chapters and even a brand-new chili recipe—making it the most indispensable guide for video game designers both “in the field” and the classroom.
Table of contents:
Foreword xxiii
Introduction Press Start! xxv
No, You Can’t Have My Job xxviii
Who is This Book For? xxx
Level 1 Welcome N00bs! 1
A (Somewhat) Brief History of Video Games 4
The Brave New World of Gaming: Mobiles, Online Distribution and Touchscreens 9
What’s the Difference Between AAA and Indy? 10
Game Genres 11
Who Makes This Stuff? 14
Programmer 15
Artist 15
Designer 17
Producer 17
Tester 18
Composer 19
Sound Designer 21
Narrative Designer/Writer 22
Community Manager 23
Have You Thought About Publishing? 23
Product Manager 23
Creative Manager 23
Art Director 24
Technical Director 24
Marketing Team 24
And the Rest 25
Level 2 Ideas 27
Ideas: Where to Get Them and Where to Stick Them 27
Getting Ahead of the Game 30
What Do Gamers Want? 33
Brainstorming 34
Breaking Writer’s Block 37
Why I Hate “Fun” 38
Level 3 Writing the Story 43
Once Upon a Time 44
Narrative Design 47
Anything is Gameplay 50
The Triangle of Weirdness 51
A Likely Story 53
Time to Wrap It Up 56
A Note About “Lore” 57
A Game by Any Other Name 59
Creating Characters Your Players Care About 61
Games Are About Everyone 66
A Few Pointers on Writing for Kids of All Ages 67
Writing for Licenses 68
Level 4 You Can Design a Game, but Can You Do the Paperwork? 71
The Game Design Document 73
Game Design Document (again) 74
Writing the GDD, Step 1: The One-Sheet 75
ESRB Ratings 77
The Core Loop 78
Unique Selling Points 79
Competitive Products 79
Writing the GDD, Step 2: The Ten-Pager 79
The Rule of Threes 81
The Ten-Pager Outline 81
Writing the GDD, Step 3: The Beat Chart 88
Writing the GDD, Step 4: The Game Design Document 90
Writing the GDD, Step 4 1: Now, Unlearn What You Have Learned 91
Writing the GDD, Step 5: Be Responsible 94
Writing the GDD, Step 6 – Other Game Genres 96
Role-Playing Games 96
Real-Time Strategy Games 97
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