Assignment
Your assignment this week is the Midterm. It is to write a Game Concept Document for your proposed game. When you write your game concept document, please imagine that you are going to present it to the venture capitalist with the objective of securing funds to develop your game. It should be creative and original in concept. You need to differentiate your game from all the other proposals the venture capitalist will undoubtedly receive. In particular, please don't propose yet another game cliché as this is very unlikely to be funded. It has been done too often in the past! Please make sure your concept contains the following items: premise, player motivation, genre, goals, hook, gameplay, art and audio, backstory, story and character descriptions. You can find more information on these topics in Novak's book. Above all else, be sure you clearly explain how your game will integrate the story with the game play, and how the characters will appeal to the audience. An appropriate length will be 3 to 5 pages, single spaced.
You may choose any genre of game you wish (puzzle, adventure, maze, shooter, platformer) but you will want to give careful consideration to where you are going to get your artwork and music from. You may use 'ripped' assets from existing games if you like. I think you will find the tutorials in module 3 will show you where to find such assets and how to incorporate and animate them in your game using sprite sheets.Submit your Game Concept Document to the assignments folder for grading by uploading and attaching your proposal as a single .doc, .docx or .pdf file. Thank you.
• 1. Game AnalysisAn overview of the game - an introduction - what is the game (brief but complete "pitch" of the game- about 1-3 paragraphs). This will be your "elevator pitch" to the class.
A. Game Concept (see Chapter 5)Two to three sentences clearly stating the concept of the game - the premise of the game describing the mood and unique "hook" of the game. Think of the premise as something that will be used on posters and on the front of the game's packaging.
B. Game GoalsThree to five goals of the game itself - all future decisions will be measured against these goals. (i.e., Build hand-eye coordination; make learning to type fun, etc.). Make sure you go beyond the idea of "fun". Are you trying to provide excitement, tension, suspense, challenge, humor, nostalgia, sadness, fear or a "warm fuzzy" feeling? Discuss how the game will achieve these goals.
C. Game InformationOne paragraph describing the Genre (see Chap 3) and Target Platform (see Chap 2). Choice of platform will have a lot to do with the target audience and genre.
D. Target Audience (see Chapter 4)Define what market the game is aimed.
2. Game DesignA more detailed description of the game design - about 4-5 paragraphs.
A. Expanded Game Concept (see Chapter 5)
• Portland Community College
Introduction to Computer GamesTwo to three paragraphs - explain the game concept in slightly more detail. The purpose is to present the details of the game to a company or prospective partner that is already interested inthe idea. Oftentimes, a story-based treatment is created, focusing specifically on the premise and story elements such as the backstory (everything that has taken place prior to the beginning of the game), story synopsis (the main story idea; aspects of the story that might be unique or emotionally compelling) and the character descriptions (each character's name, physical description, personality characteristics, background/history and relevance to the game's story).
B. Game StructurePlayer modes, levels, etc. (see Chap 5)
C. Game PlayTwo to three sentences defining core gameplay. Describe the experience of playing the game. What types of challenges are in the game? What paths can a player choose from? Discuss any activities the player can engage in - such as exploration combat, collecting, puzzle-solving, construction, management, or cooperation with other players. (see Chap 6)
D. Player MotivationDiscuss game's victory condition. How does player win? What will drive the player to play to the end of the game? (see Chap 5)
3. Game SummaryProvide a summary of your game idea. What makes your game unique? Why would one want to play your game?