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Pagc 1 Confdcntial Information

Contents 1
ExecutiveSummary 3
Product Overview 3
Team and Concept Strengths 4
Core Principles 4
MarketingStrategy 5
Summary 5
Te Changing Action/RPG Market 5
Action Gameplay Style 6
Marketing Hooks 6
TheCardSystem 8
What are Cards? 8
Types of Cards 8
Booster Pack Online Concept 8
Fate Cards: Our Hook 10
Business Model 11
VisualPresentation 12
Style Overview 12
Key Visual Elements 13
IntellectualProperty 15
Key Aspects 15
Content Teasers 15
ProductionInformation 17
Production Scope 17
Console Multi-Player Approaches 17
Content Generation 17
Value Added by EA 17
Technology Opportunities 17
TechnologyandTools 18
Middleware 18
Technologies 18
Tools Chain 18
Company/TeamInformation 19
Company 19
Team Members 19
Contents
A concept image showing a greater Djinn looming over a city and harbor scene. This is an example of our Magical Realism style, showing experimentation
with scale, elongation, use of extreme color, and silhouetting.
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Pagc 2 Confdcntial Information
Contact Inf ormation
Michael Scandizzo
President, Castaway Entertainment, LLC
3000 Bridge Parkway, Suite 103
Redwood Shores, CA 94065
Phone: (650) 610-9022 x107
Fax: (650) 610-9023
Legal
2005 Castaway Entertainment, LLC. Confdential material. Trade secrets. All rights reserved.
Xbox 360 and Xbox Live are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.
PlayStation 3 is a trademark of Sony Corporation.
Dungeons and Dragons is a trademark of Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
A concept image for a
dark magical monster,
the evil, mutant Sand
Priest.
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Pagc 3 Confdcntial Information
Product Overview
Genre: Action/RPG
HighConcept: We believe the console market is ready for
a next-generation Action / RPG that starts with Diablo IIs
defnitive blend of polish, accessibility and fun, and adds
next-generation entertainment advances, principles and
visuals to the mix. The idea of a next-generation, greatly
upgraded Diablo II on console forms the basis of the concept
and marketing strategy for our newest game, Djinn.
Djinn is a real-time 3D action roleplaying game of heroic
risks in an island world of ancient mythical beings and
forbidden magic. With non-stop pacing unfettered by text
dialog choices, and featuring larger than life ruins, temples,
and legendary creatures, Djinn reveals a realtime story told
not by signpost NPCs but by your very traveling companions
themselves.

VisualStyle: Magical Realism, a style that uses exaggerated
contrast, dramatic saturation and desaturation, out-of-scale
proportions, and a spectacular sense of depth to incorporate
surrealistic fantasy elements into an otherwise photorealistic
world.
MarketingStatement: Djinn combines Diablo II quality,
item collection, tactical equipment and skill choices, and
dynamic, user-friendly combat; Phantom Dust playfeld interac-
tion and destruction; Psi-Ops physics-based combat; Ratchet
and Clank: Up Your Arsenals varied attacks and situational
awareness; and Magic: The Gatherings highly addictive collect-
ible and customizable booster packs. Djinn is an elegantly
simple, mass-market Action / RPG that will appeal to a broad
range of players because of its addictive qualities.
Platforms: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC, other platforms to
be determined.
OnlineContent: Through online play, players can access
purchasable add-on content that allows them to endlessly
customize their gameplay experience using a drop-in card
system. These quest/item collections would be very addictive
purchases, something like collectible card bonus packs. Using
our adaptive content generation technology to generate both
quests and rewards, we would ensure that no two players
receive the exact same experience or item set. Online trad-
ing of cards, special unique cards, and sharing card benefts
with online teammates will make this a revolutionary method
of delivering new features to players, as well as increase the
desire to purchase more cards.
Similar/CompetingProducts: Fable 2, Dungeon Siege 2,
Diablo TitanQuest, Champions: Return to Arms, Gauntlet: Seven
Sorrows.
ProjectedRelease: 2007.
Executive Summary
A concept image for
a hybrid creature, the
Lion-Mummy.
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Pagc 4 Confdcntial Information
Team and Concept
Strengths
Our core team members were instrumental in shipping Diablo
and Diablo II, two of the most successful Action / RPGs ever
made. We are experts in the creation of top-selling, mass-
market games. We were part of the elite Blizzard team that
greatly expanded the moribund PC RPG market, and brought
a whole new generation of casual players into the Action /
RPG genre.
Our goal is to use our expertise to create an intense but
elegantly simple Action / RPG for next-generation consoles.
We are aiming at the same level of quality and mass sales as
console classics such as Final Fantasy VII or Legend of Zelda:
the Ocarina of Time, using the sophisticated PC-style approach
of believability and deep gameplay to take Action / RPGs to
a new degree of quality.
This approach will be ideal for the discerning older, hardcore,
or early adopter audience on next-gen consoles. The success
of products like Goldeneye 64 or Grand Theft Auto 3 demon-
strates that a PC-to-console approach can result in a big hit.
Our concept for Djinn takes the best aspects of PC gaming,
plus the special strengths of Diablo and Diablo II, and applies
them to console. Depth and believability are universals that
the best PC games are known for. Specifc elements that
Diablo and especially Diablo II are famous for include elegantly
simple design, a great variety of choices, addictive non-stop
gameplay, rich character customization, cooperative multiplay-
er interactions, wide-ranging loadout strategies, and diverse,
heroic mission design.

We also are adding new ideas to the mix. As members of the
team that brought you Diablo and Diablo II, we are experts
at bringing a casual gameplay experience to the public, and
appealing to wide audiences that never before played RPGs.
Extending this experience to the console opens up a huge
new market of players untapped by previous hardcore RPGs
such as Morrowind, while stepping the experience up to a new
level. We are going beyond Champions of Norrath and similar
old-school games by using powerful principles of entertain-
ment including Heroicism, Reactivity, Grand Scale, Slot
Machine Addictiveness, and Layered Rewards (see below).
Specifc console issues, such as controller layout, online
support, and use of vibration, are areas where we expect to
create interesting variations on established console practices,
rather than completely reinventing the wheel. See the Dif-
ferentiating Factors section, below, for details.
We believe our approach is optimal for reaching the older,
next-generation console adopters. These new customers are
going to demand a lot from their games, and a best of the
PC approach can attain a very high level of quality and ad-
dictive gameplay.
Core Principles
Djinn is based on fve core principals that together form the
basis of our world, our gameplay, our story and our visual
look. These principles are mutually reinforcing. They are:
1. Heroicism: The feeling of accomplishing signifcant
feats of courage or nobility of purpose.
2. Reactivity: The ability to affect the world both physi-
cally and historically (and the physical and historical
consequences thereof).
3. GrandScale/Verticality: A perception that the
world is much bigger, deeper, and taller than the
player envisioned.
4. SlotMachineAddictiveness: An addictive quality
created by random reinforcement of behaviors, much
the way playing a slot machine entices a gambler to
keep putting coins in the slot. Payoffs are given just
frequently enough to keep a person playing, but not so
often as to make the gamble predictable.
5. LayeredRewards: The idea that the more risky a
challenge, the greater the potential reward, with pos-
sible rewards available for all things that players can
achieve in the game.
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Pagc 5 Confdcntial Information
Marketing Strategy
Summary
Our current game as initially funded by Electronic Arts
was a PC game with an addictive, rapid-click mouse-based
combat model. However, we are now working on a new
implementation of our concept for next-generation consoles.
The console version will be the focus of our next phase of
development.
The interface and other aspects of the EA-funded game will
be modifed to suit next-generation console technology and
to match the preferences of the console audience.
The goal is to create a uniquely recognizable and enjoyable
Action/RPG on next-generation consoles that will resonate
with the early adopters and other anticipated purchasers of
these new machines. A PC version will also be released.
The Changing Action/
RPG Market
Lessons of Diablo and Diablo II
As noted above, many members of our team were instrumen-
tal in creating Diablo I and Diablo II. Djinn will allow us to
apply our experience and knowledge of the inner workings of
this game to our product, in effect making Djinn a spiritual
successor to these titles.
Consoles: the Growth Market
Following is a chart showing estimated purchaser breakdown
on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, assuming the audience is
composed almost entirely of early adopters and hardcore
gamers in 2007:
Action/RPGs have become a hot genre on consoles. Recent
data indicate that console gamers are willing to buy several
different Action/RPG games and will play them concurrently,
rather than just buying one game and staying with it for a
long time. In our opinion, this means that more titles can
come into the market before the market becomes saturated.
Recently released new Action/RPG titles from major publish-
ers such as Champions: Return to Arms, Fable, Drakengard, Untold
Legends and Jade Empire, have shown that Action/RPG on the
console is a still-evolving genre. Each of these games has a
unique approach on how to make RPGs work on the console.
And, according to press releases, sequels to most of these
games are already in the works, which we believe indicates a
high level of expected market growth. Djinn will bring its
own spin to this vibrant market and will compete with the
best console products of 2007.
The PC Market
The entrance of casual gamers into PC gaming and the
unexpectedly low sales of hardcore FPS games in 2004 indi-
cate that the demographics of the PC market are changing.
Additionally, the size of the PC market has been diminishing
over the last few years. However, sequels to PC Action/RPG
franchises such as Diablo III, Dungeon Siege, Elder Scrolls and
Neverwinter Nights are still in the works or already have been
given release dates. New PC Action/RPG products such as
Hellgate: London and Twilight of Larabeth have also been an-
nounced. So in spite of changes in the market, it appears that
there is still strong sales potential in the genre.
Diablo II has continued to enjoy strong sales many years after
its release. Even recently, the game sold over 100,000 units in
2003 and then sold another 100,000 in 2004. We believe that
these sales numbers show that the market for simple, light PC
games remains robust.
Our goal for the PC platform is to create a PC game with
clarity, free choice of actions, visual appeal and a very mass-
market, recognizable IP, in order to attract the new gamers
who like lighter, open games such as The Sims. At the same
time, we will offer the same fast-moving combat and deep
item collection that attracted traditional PC gamers to Diablo
II.
In its PC version, Djinn is intended to appeal to a broad
spectrum of different PC gamers. The PC market has grown
increasingly fragmented and the trend is likely to continue.
We believe the best strategy for a triple-A PC title in 2007 will
be to appeal to many consumer segments rather than trying
to own a single consumer niche. Following is a chart showing
a rough estimate of the purchaser breakdown of Djinn on
the PC platform:
A concept image for our hero, showing an action pose.
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Pagc 6 Confdcntial Information
Action Gameplay
Style
RPGs vary greatly in terms of action content, especially
on console. Our brand of light RPG / intense action
game design can be mapped to a bar graph that shows
the full range of action styles and RPG styles, as follows:
As can be seen in the diagram above, this game will
be more intense, yet simpler than many competing
products. Combat will not be complex, but it will have
moments of extreme pressure where events unfold
very rapidly, and players have to make fast decisions to
survive. For more information on combat, see Marketing
Hooks and the Differentiating Factors section, both below.
Marketing Hooks
The following game features are currently hot buttons for
players. These hooks provide entertainment value to play-
ers and can be found implicitly in most reviews of successful
Action / RPGs. Djinn incorporates all of these features:
Collectible Cards
In 1993, a small startup company introduced a collectible card
game originally titled, Mana Clash. Twelve years later, there
are an estimated six million active players in seventy countries,
and Magic: The Gathering earned Wizards of the Coast enough
money to acquire TSR, the makers of Dungeons &Dragons, the
game that inspired Magic in the frst place. Imitators, such as
Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh, have copied the formula and reached
even greater heights, with Yu-Gi-Oh having sold an estimated
3.5 billion cards in Japan alone.
How could collectible cards reach such incredible sales in the
era of video games while board games, paper-and-pencil roll-
playing games, and regular card games remain a niche market?
By packaging rare cards with common cards, collectible card
games allow the buyer to gamble every time they purchase a
new pack of cards. In addition, by permitting players to pick
and choose from their vast collection of cards and build their
own customized deck of cards, collectible card games permit
player to personalize the game in ways video games are only
beginning to.
By carrying over this addictive gambling and customizing to
online content purchasable as low-cost transactions, Djinn
will run on a business model new to video games but already
well tested in the collectible card market.
Broad Customization and Identity
Choices
RPG players want to create personal heroes whose achieve-
ments can be differentiated from heroes created by other
players. They want to both live through their characters
and make their characters uniquely their own. Our exten-
sive character development and reactive content generation
systems will allow players to create their own special identity,
encounter unique quests, gain unique items, and feel a strong
sense of ownership over the character that results.
Uber-Collection Experience
Djinn will have a more detailed and customized item collec-
tion system than any Action / RPG previously created. The
range of items, and the different ways they work, will be both
deep and highly colorful. This is a key part of the classic
Diablo model that we know players will fnd entertaining,
especially when expanded upon using our Core Principles.
Deep, Dynamic Combat Encounters
Especially for console gamers, combat must be immediately
thrilling, but it must be balanced by gameplay that is easy
to get into and understand. And players demand believable
A concept image for the heros ship. This is an experiment in creating a mood of fantasy.
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Pagc 7 Confdcntial Information
combat situations, not old-school gags where a monster is
frozen, waiting to attack when the player enters the room.
Instead, Djinn will use advanced AI, level layout concepts
such as lairs, and tactical situations that evolve in real time, to
create a next-gen feel. These encounters will always be easy
to understand. In addition, factors such as rock/scissors /
paper tactics will add depth and split-second decision-making,
to further raise intensity.
Advanced Physics
We will be showing off our combat moves, interactive
environments and highly vertical levels using advanced phys-
ics. Players will be able to do many things with our physics
engine, including:
Push victims off ledges or slam them into spikes.
Drop objects onto targets far below.
Knock over pillars and break platforms, in order to
damage opponents.
Knock back enemies who fall down with rag doll phys-
ics.
Create domino effects where one object knocks into
another.
Intelligent Companions
Companions are becoming a more important part of many
game franchises. Giving the player assistance, support and
praise through believable NPCs is an essential component
of Djinns brand of heroic questing. Our unique twist on
companions is the Crew concept. The crew members are in-
triguing, multi-purpose characters who are also lesser heroes
in their own right, much like the Argonauts (the Greek heroes
who made up the crew of Jasons ship Argo). They can be
added or removed at any time to the questing party, and each
one has unique powers that the player will enjoy experiment-
ing with. In combination, crew members may reveal addi-
tional abilities. They will never compete with the hero.
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Pagc 8 Confdcntial Information
The Card System
What are Cards?
Djinn is designed to be a modular system that allows the
player to make signifcant changes to their own game play
experience. A player may alter their characters skills, recon-
fgure their quests, select their companions, and even make
changes to the world itself. These modifers are contained
in virtual cards that the player may collect, trade, buy, or
sell with other players. Cards are currently being used
as a metaphor for a system of tokens that can be applied
within the game. The fnal game pieces will most likely take
the form of artifacts or scrolls, not tarot or playing cards.
Regardless of how the player wishes to manage their cards,
everyone begins with a basic set (a virtual deck) that contains
fve types of cards: SkillCards, HeroCards, QuestCards,
WorldCards, and CrewCards. By playing combinations of
these fve types, the player is able to explore different locales
over and over with very different experiences. The frst step
in using them effectively is understanding the different types
of cards.
Types of Cards
Skill Cards:
Skill cards are a collection of spells and physical talents that
the hero can use to affect the world. Most, but not all, are
combat related. These cards are further divided into seven
sets: Sorcery, Curses, Enchantment, Archery, Brawling,
Profciencies, and Swordfghting. When a player prepares
to enter the world, he may select cards from any two sets (up
to ten from each set). These skill cards then represent the
players abilities as well as defne the players class (each com-
bination of two sets of skills represents a unique character
type which in turn provides the player with additional abilities
unique to that class). These cards can later be removed from
play so that the player may try other combinations (provided
there are cards from only two sets at a time) at limited inter-
vals during the game.
Hero Cards:
Hero cards are similar to skill cards in that they provide the
player character with additional abilities. There two major
differences. First, these cards may be used regardless of the
characters class. Second, only fve of these cards may be
in play at a time. Hero cards are also different in that the
abilities they provide are usually on a grander scale than skills
and the frequency in which they are available to apply is much
lower. Moreover, hero cards are most effective when used in
conjunction with runes.
Quest Cards:
Quest cards serve two purposes. They specify the goals that
a player must accomplish in order to continue in the narrative
and/or receive rewards. Quest cards also defne the amount
and type of modifcations that may be applied to quests. For
example, a player may activate a quest card that tells him to
slay an evil ogre in order to rescue a wise man. It may further
defne the quest by limiting the number of world cards to
three (see World Cards) and allowing two crew members to
accompany him.
World Cards:
World cards are played at the same time as quest cards, just
before an adventure begins. While their effects are quite
diverse, they primarily modify the playfeld based on their
description (though it is often a cryptic description, the
player will grow to learn how to apply their powers to suit
his needs). This diversity will add to the games capacity for
exploration and replay as well as reward the player for his
efforts. Examples of world altering effects include decreased
gravity, slowing of time, always daylight, and dampened
magic. World cards other function is largely altering the pa-
rameters within the quest such as experience, gold, type and
number of enemies, and value of dropped items.
Crew Cards:
Crew cards defne the non-player characters that can be
included in the heros party during a quest. Different cards
may describe the same crew member at differing ability levels
or slightly different skills. While these cards are played at the
time a quest card is used, crew members may be swapped at
any time during an excursion by sending one member back to
the ship in exchange for another member.
Booster Pack Online
Concept
Castaway is ready to take for-pay online content (micro-
transactions) to a new level of addictiveness and fun in
Djinn. Players can buy new quests that they and their friends
can access, with unique new items and other cool things
becoming available only from these quests. This concept
essentially lets players consume content at their own rate,
allowing casual and hard-core players to both enjoy the game
their way.
Quests are derived from Booster Packs that are simi-
lar to those used in collectible card games, and open
up new quest locations, islands, factions, etc. when
purchased online.
Booster Packs would come out every 2-3 months,
and like collectible card games, you can only get the
latest cool stuff by buying the Booster Packs.
Pagc 9 Confdcntial Information
Booster Packs have particular favors or styles that
are overtly designed in, and listed online. This means
that players can have a more open game where they do
what they like best.
Booster Packs allow players to play forever, a
common request from fans.
Some Booster Packs would open up entire new
islands or even continents or magical planes that were
previously inaccessible to players.
Each additional pack allows unique, customized item
drops within the Booster Packs-specifc quests. New
booster items are generated reactively, based on their
personal PCs current story path and class choices.
Players have a chance to fnd new items every time
they play an Booster Packs, because the system cre-
ates content procedurally, rather than simply accessing
a fnite database of hand-generated items.
Some Booster Packs items are famous, with a leg-
endary heritage, or a special requirement or limitation
that is well-known. Some even have special aspects
not available in the basic game, like a demon bound
into a weapon. Some may even cause the user to
become hunted or favored by magical beings such as
Djinn.
Players can also fnd unique ship modifcations. For
example, some ship modifcations are linked to their
monster kills, like a head of a unique creature mounted
on the prow of the ship. Other modifcations might
include a special ship-borne weapon like a magical ice
ballista that can be added to the ship, or even a potent
magical enchantment to the ship.
Booster Packs reveal new NPCs who offer special
quests, skills, information, enchantments, or legendary
items only available on that island.
Booster Packs may also include new shrines and
such locations previous secret or hidden.
Some packs may offer new crew members with special
knowledge and skills, who are not available to ordinary
players who play only the basic game.
The base set or starter pack has everything you need
to play a great game playing only with this is not a
crippled experience, by anybodys standard.
Adjustments to the game world the player accesses via a
Booster Packs include:
Their world map is updated if there are any new
islands opened up.
They gain the ability to contact and join new major
factions based on the island, and gain new quests,
items, and allegiance from them.
New trade routes open up for them, with new ship-
based adventures becoming available that may include
special events not seen previously, such as a water-
spout that leads up to a city in the clouds.
New monster ecologies are created.
Additional secret locations, often magical in nature,
and contiguous or accessed from the new island,
become accessible for purchase of entry, along with a
chart or secret map.
Pagc 10 Confdcntial Information
Fate Cards: Our Hook
Why do we think our hook is such a strong one? The following diagram shows all the diverse ways Fate Cards contribute to the game:
Pagc 11 Confdcntial Information
Business Model
The business model predicts that increased play will add increased value to additional micro-transactions and time spent online, with
the process being self-reinforcing. The fow of customer choices and achievements can be diagrammed as follows:
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Pagc 12 Confdcntial Information
Visual Presentation
Style Overview
Next-generation platforms will require much higher quality
visuals. Excellent graphics are increasingly expected by cus-
tomers and both high visual quality and a recognizable overall
style will be essential for games that wish to stand out.
Magical Realism Style
Djinns photorealistic, but uniquely surreal and magical visual
style will be achieved by a combination of art direction and
technology. This will give the game an overall recognizable
look, validate the game for next-generation hardware buy-
ers, and add interest and immersiveness to the overall game
experience.

Key Style Factors
Factors making up our style will include the following:
Selective use of exaggeration. For example, unusually
rich, intense colors and details, used on an otherwise
realistic model or object, creating a surreal juxta-posi-
tion.
Incredible sense of scale.
Use of selective blurring to create areas of soft focus
on actors, objects and the playfeld.
Dramatic use of lighting to create hot spots and
areas of darkness within scenes. Actors and magical
FX will move in and out of these areas, creating an
unusual stylistic feel.
Elongated shadows.
Selective desaturation technology, for making hot-
spots stand out against mute darkness.
Modeling of certain costume elements and objects
that are just slightly distorted, to add another touch
of surrealism to an otherwise very realistic shape.
Mild stylization to certain elements. Weapons and
armor will be only slightly stylized. Background ele-
ments will have more dramatic stylization.
Subtle but very pervasive use of FX to create the
feeling that magic is everywhere. Even such elements
as water, fre, mist and light may have magical tinges
of FX and color. This concept also includes subtle
motion blur and trails.
Visual Themes Used f or Style
The following visual themes will be a part of our treatment:
Extensive use of imaginary Moorish-style calligraphy,
integrated into location elements such as rugs, books,
tapestries, etc., and also used in interface art and in
magical incantation FX. These magical letterforms
will help give the whole game a unique look. For ex-
ample, note the red calligraphic section headers, such
as the one to the upper right, and the gray decorations
on certain pages.
Visual references to story elements, such as the impris-
onment of the Djinn.
Gameplay-related visual elements, such as decorative
gems for a statues eyes that can be collected.
Magic expressed through environmental decorations,
such as symbols shown in wall carvings that also ap-
pear in powerful new magical spell incantations.
Foreshadowing of gameplay within environmental
artwork such as paintings or tapestries depicting
faces that match the faces of nearby powerful boss
characters.
Hidden or only faintly seen magical forms, items and
beings, at the edge of visibility. Heat shimmers and
other effects give the player a hint of what is out there.
Only the right Crew member or spell will reveal these
things.
Ocean edge locations such as beaches, cliffs, seaside
villages, coves, ports, and mysterious sea grottos.
Weather. Rain, clouds and mist, storms are heavily
used.
Magic, as expressed not only as FX but in calligraphy
and symbols that are uniquely created for this game.
Extensive weathering effects, such as tarnished areas
on weapons or crumbling areas on a building.
Atmospheric shading (focus, color) and forced per-
spective, to enhance the vast scale of playfelds.
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Pagc 13 Confdcntial Information
Other Key Visual Techniques
Use of magical trails for magical weapons.
Refections on water.
Mirrors.
Heat shimmers.
Sparks.
Blowing dust.
Dust trails.
Footprints.
Key Visual Elements
Character Design
Character design for the Hero, Crew, and monsters will use
layered elements of clothing and armor that will help to
achieve the following aspects: expound on their individual
roles, imbue each character with a sense of past, fesh out
their individuality as characters, and build in a level of detail
and believability.
Identif iers
The use of one or two elements as key identifers for each
character will make them instantly recognizable; a very useful
device for the player that is deep in a dungeon and involved
in intense combat.
Silhouette and Shape
In order to further develop a unique style, and give the player
additional visual information that will contribute to gameplay
clarity, we are creating characters and enemies that will have
highly recognizable shapes, even when only the shadow is
seen cast across the foor of a dungeon
Backgrounds
Backgrounds will start with real world cultural elements but
scale them out to give a greater sense of grandeur and a more
heroic setting. Using such real world elements will help to
give the player a sense of location and potentially an insight
into the myths that we will be drawing on.

Progression of Visual Fantasy
The deeper the player progresses into each island setting,
the more fantastic and magical the settings and locales will
become; taking cues from the story and borrowing elements
from each islands base cultural mythology. Yet even the fan-
tastic elements will keep a realistic level of detail to maintain a
sense of believability.

Color Use
Backgrounds will use colors that emphasize the exotic loca-
tions, and lights to set mood and give a sense of time. The
environments will also incorporate special accent colors to
work with lighting and atmosphere to unify the scenes and
create our signature surreal style. We will avoid the desatu-
rated earth tones prevalent in many RPGs, while also avoid-
ing the stylized hyper-saturated look of the more cartoony
RPGs.
Camera
Djinn will have a sophisticated 3rd-person camera system
that will be environment / combat situation specifc. The
following features will be developed:
Different camera treatments will be used to increase
immersiveness and to highlight specifc visual situa-
tions, such as a vast cavern with a narrow bridge over
it, or a dark dungeon lit by a single magic orb.
All camera behaviors will be programmatic, never
under user control.
Spline and zoom camera movements will be used
when appropriate.
Collision and camera are hand-mapped.
The camera will never be placed in an area that could
permit an object or playfeld element to get between
the camera and the hero.
Verticality
Djinn will present the player with intensely 3D levels and
verticality in terms of visual presentation. This is a world
that could not be depicted without 3D technology. Examples
of verticality will include:
Multi-tier levels.
Atriums inside buildings.
High fortress towers and walls looking down over a
plain.
Bridges and causeways that stand high above a lower
area.
Balconies looking across vast gaps.
Caverns with dramatic stalagmites and stalactites.
Distantly visible stairs and doorways that the player
will want to fnd a way up to or down to.
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Pagc 14 Confdcntial Information
Vast magical statues or enchanted tapestries that the
player will want to look at carefully, but where initially
the player will only be able to see the bottom. Climb-
ing stairs or ladders or fnding a way up to the top will
progressively reveal more and more of these special
objects.
Lighting
We are using advanced dynamic lights, per-pixel lighting, and
more. We are pushing lighting as a component of both visual
beauty and of gameplay, via creating situations with mystery
via pools of shadow or glowing magic, where creatures can
emerge or a magical item can be found. Lighting techniques
will include:
Dynamic lights for spell projectiles.
Bloom effects.
Extensive colored light sources for magical areas.
Realistic fickering for torches, fres, magical gems, and
similar objects.
Hot spots and shadow areas used to increase the sur-
real style.
Animation
Actor Animations
Extremely dramatic and fast combat moves with an
over-the-top style.
Not motion captured: this would detract from the
visual style and force excessive literal realism onto the
experience.
Killing moves will be spectacular, with variants.
Playf ield Animations
Water ripples.
Plants moving in the wind.
Morph targets for unusual magical areas that are
enchanted and alive.
Interf ace Presentation
Interface elements will be in full 3D with details of items
and player equipment / costume pieces normal mapped for
superb quality.
World Map
Our animated world map is an important visual element of
the game. The World Map not only shows exploration and
quest progress, but also highlights the fact that the player is
changing the world.
Features
Full 3D.
Gives a sense of the vast scale of the world, and the
enormous distances between the individual islands that
form the great Archipelago of the Shattered Isles.
Animated elements such as ships, fying Rocs, sea
serpents, and magical entities add a fantastical favor
to the otherwise photorealistic visual treatment of the
map.
Shows the next place that the player needs to go to.
Shows open quest locations.
Shows area explored.
Shows unexplored area (in shadow).
Changes based on story,
Changes based on player exploration.
Shows the edges of the known world.
yu

Pagc 15 Confdcntial Information
Intellectual Property
Key Aspects
1. Inspiration and Emotion
A key element of the Djinn IP will be the positive, heroic
feelings generated by the game. Players will fnd that they
are engaged in legendary voyages and quests within a magical
world that they care about, and that they can infuence. The
overall progress of the player through the game will be dra-
matized using the psychological factors of myth and heroism
expressed in the work of author Joseph Campbell.
2. Unique Content
Based on the classic voyages of Sinbad, Ulysses, and other
famous sea captains, Djinn focuses on heroic combat, bold
exploration, and the discovery of forbidden artifacts of
power, all within a vast ocean world of magical islands and
storm-tossed, sea-serpent infested waters. Unique concepts
include:
The player is a famous ship captain with an incredible
magical ship and a crew of heroes, like Jason and the
Argonauts.
Ocean game world flled with magical islands that
come in all shapes, sizes and cultures.
Forbidden magic.
Unique, intelligent monsters with ecologies and whole
civilizations, including the Djinns themselves.
Extraordinary companions who are members of the
Captains crew and support and advise him.
3. Visual Style
We are using the latest graphics technology to create a unique
Magical Realism look for the game that will sweep players
off into a realm of fantasy and beauty.
Content Teasers
Myth: The Pre-History of Djinn
There have always been the Djinn. They are beings of varied
form, enormous power, and eternal life. But they have one
great faw: distrust. It is because of this overwhelming sus-
picion that they have been unable to create anything greater
than themselves.
Then there were the beasts: the playthings of the Djinn.
Many were tormented, afficted, changed. Some became
monsters that hid away from the world, some bred and grew
to vast numbers that thrived on other creatures, others just
withered away never to be seen again.
Finally, there was man. Man is weak, powerless, and fragile.
The Djinn hardly noticed man, at frst. A few were warped
like any other beast. But because of their frailty they were
mostly left alone. But men had a great ability that the Djinn
lacked: the ability to combine their efforts to accomplish
colossal feats. They built cities, created art, and discovered
magic, the domain of the Djinn.
When the Djinn discovered what men could do, they became
jealous and enraged. They turned on mankind and strove to
obliterate him from the world. They almost succeeded, but
some men studied the Djinn, and learned the ways of magic.
These few we know as the magi. After almost wiping out
every city but those on the edges of the great continent, a
band of mages came together and formulated a plan. They
reasoned that though they could not extinguish the Djinn
from the world they could contain them. So they created
magical vessels numbering seven hundred by seven hundred
to imprison the Djinn.
Unleashing the nearly limitless power of magic against the
Djinn, the mages rendered earth, sky, and sea, working in
unison against the solitary Djinn one by one, imprisoning
each before turning on the next. For thirteen generations
their war raged: not one of armies and soldiers but one of
storms and fre. In the end, the Djinn were all hunted down
and captured, but the world was shattered, splintering the
land into a thousand islands.
Pagc 16 Confdcntial Information
Despite their victory, the mages were feared and loathed by
mankind for the destruction they had wrought on the land.
Men who wielded the power of the Djinn were no better
than the Djinn themselves, and the forsaken mages quietly
disappeared.
Those people that survived eventually rebuilt their cities,
and while they could never again unify these now distant
provinces, there was one decree that they unanimously agreed
to enforce. Because of the great destruction and death it had
caused, magic was then and forevermore banned. Without
the Djinn, there was no need of magic. And without magic,
the Djinn could never harm man again.
World Design
A World of Islands
Djinn depicts a unique world that is very different from our
world in some respects. In the world of Djinn, there are no
large continents. Instead, the world is an archipelago of hun-
dreds of large islands, each separated by enormous expanses
of ocean. Many islands have never been explored. Others
are reputed to move from one location to another, or are lost
in magical fog. There are even legends of a waterfall at the
edge of the world.
As a result of the distances between islands, human cultures
are greatly diverse and often out of contact for many years.
Trade is limited to a few daring sea captains who brave the
monster-haunted waters between the major island civiliza-
tions. The player is one such captain. Only a true hero would
dare to sail the seas, much less explore new islands where
almost anything can happen!
Magic and Magic Users
Magic and supernatural phenomenon are known and accept-
ed, but both are greatly feared. The supernatural comes in
many forms: the cursed living dead, mythical beasts coming
out of hiding from their many secret locations in the world,
magic animating everyday inanimate objects through the
power of a sorcerer, and evil spirits that take physical forms.
The greatest of these spirits are known as the Djinn. These
evil spirits enjoy tormenting mankind either through minor
mischief, or through vast destruction. Most are capable of
turning invisible, though lunatics and madmen claim they can
see the evil spirits everywhere.
While the practice of magic is abhorred and considered a
corruption of nature, magic spells and magically enchanted
weapons are the only known way of combating the evil
spirits.
Some users of magic still exist. These feared magic casters
are the sworn enemies of the Djinn, as it was they who cap-
tured the Djinn and placed them in bottles and lamps. Magii
live in secret societies and fear being discovered by the known
populace. Some of these secret societies are specifcally dedi-
cated to combating the evil spirits of the world.
Monsters
Amongst the rare mythical creatures of the world are the
sphinx, the phoenix, the cyclops, and the Great Sea Serpent.
Stone sphinxes are guardians modeled after live sphinxes.
The live variety consists of wild and solitary beasts who feed
on any creature they can, including men. Stone Sphinxes are
living statues and either stand guard outside a doorway, or
reside as a solitary sentinel outside a building. The largest of
sphinxes traditionally require the answer to a riddle to allow
safe passage. The Great Sea Serpent is a legendary creature
that swims in the deepest ocean near the edge of the world.
Hundreds of feet in length, mere swords cannot harm it, and
it can destroy ships merely by bumping them. It is rumored
that near the edge of the world is a lighthouse with a horn
that is blown to keep the monster at bay.
Story Overview
Playing the role of a renowned ship captain, the player will
gather a crew of heroes in order to rescue a princess from a
recently released ancient being known as a Djinn. Competing
with a brash woman and a duty-bound captain of the guard,
each with their own ship and crew, the player will adventure
to strange and dangerous islands of seers, Cyclopeses, and
sphinxes to fnd the princess, only to be tricked by the Djinn
and trapped in a tormenting illusion inside the Djinns bottle.
After a daring escape involving enemy fortresses and a trip
over the edge of the world, the player will face not only his
feelings for the woman who thwarts him at every turn, but
also the man who seeks to stop him for the good of the
kingdom. Finally, the player will confront the Djinn in the
Sultans palace itself and re-imprison the Djinn for the safety
of the world.
Rps
Pagc 17 Confdcntial Information
Production Inf ormation
Production Scope
We recognize that the amount of resources that a publisher
puts into Djinn will determine the kind of game that Cast-
away can create. If a publisher wanted to create an AAA title
which had cutting edge graphics, advanced gameplay, and
high potential for replayability then a higher investment (in
terms of both time and money) will be required. We believe
that we have the right combination of team and technology
to make that investment proftable in the long run. We can
work with publishers to fnd the optimal balance of invest-
ment and risk to make the best game possible.
Console Multi-Player
Approaches
Djinn is being designed to be a primarily single-player experi-
ence, but we would like to take advantage of next generation
online services and features. We feel that online play should
compliment the single-player console action. Naturally
console online support is planned. Also, we have a very
experienced multi-player team (including some of the top
programmers and designers from Diablo II and battle.net) so
we are not opposed to the idea of pursuing a complex multi-
player design strategy, if a publisher is willing to invest in it.
We have intentionally created a universe which can accommo-
date extensive multi-player features which we can be ready to
pursue immediately. Our experience seamlessly melding the
single-player and multiplayer experiences in Diablo II will be
invaluable if a full console online approach is taken. As next
generation console requirements are revealed, we will further
address this issue.
Content Generation
We have the technology know-how to build a programmatic
content-generation engine for our RPG. This technology will
allow us to create exciting, always-new content that will make
the game feel different to the player with every replay. We
will be able to leverage our investment in our programming
and art resources to create a much larger world than would
otherwise be possible. This world would react directly to the
players actions by changing the players interactions with his
NPCs, creating new monsters or content depending on the
characters decisions, and change the world to ft the players
playing style.
Value Added by EA
Electronic Arts was an important resource for Castaway
throughout our 12 month partnership. They provided us
the resources to complete our preproduction, streamline
our production pipeline, and create several, playable levels in
which to test our technology and design concepts. In addi-
tion, after our partnership dissolved, the technology, IP, and
all milestone payments stayed with Castaway. This allows us
to proceed to the next partnership without any liabilities.
Using these resources, we have grown our team to 25 profes-
sionals, and are ready to start full production on our game as
soon a new publisher is signed.
Technology
Opportunities
Castaway is in the process of developing a very strong game
engine (technology) that is very effective in being the back-
bone for a variety of RPG games. While we think that we
have a very strong IP of our own, we are very open to talking
to publishers about using our engine with other projects and
a licensed IP. We think that we have a very capable team that
can add tremendous creativity to any RPG project and create
a fun, original, successful game.
Pagc 18 Confdcntial Information
Technology and Tools
Middleware
Past
We are a licensee for NDL and are using the latest version of
Gamebryo, so we have the basic framework for our graphics
engine, and have already made tools for exporting models and
animations and importing into the game engine. However,
we feel that Gamebryo has fallen behind in next-generation
compatibility and features.
Current
We are migrating the product to use Epics Unreal 3 Engine
to take advantage of the included physics engine, Novodex,
as well as more advanced rendering features.
Cross Platf orm
We are currently developing on the PC but are using Unreal
3, which supports current and future consoles.
Technologies
DX9 support, backwards compatible to DX8.
Stunning visual and special effects via Vertex and Pixel
Shaders including parallax mapping, normal mapping,
and unique x-ray technology.
Dynamic, real-time per-pixel lighting.
Bloom flter and other post-processing effects.
Real-time shadow casting.
Data driven design.
Capable of randomly constructing levels.
3D Sound.
Custom physics solution.
Unicode support from the start, foreign language sup-
port just requires translation of text and voices.
SpeedTree licensee for foliage.
Componenting of NPCs (not just PC).
WinXP/Longhorn, 1.7 Ghz P4, 256MB RAM, 128MB
DX9-compatible 3D card .
WinXP/Longhorn, 3 GHz P4, 512MB RAM, 128MB
DX9-compatible 3D card.
Adaptive Content Gen-
eration
One of our key technologies, procedural, or to be more
accurate, adaptive content generation, is also the crucial foun-
dation for much of the design innovation in Djinn. Features
of our system include:
Adaptive generation of content based on our proprie-
tary reputation system. Content includes 3D dungeon
/ outdoor foor plans, populations, treasure, etc.
Customized side quests are also generated based on
our reputation system.
Content is generated with a random element to create
unpredictability. Randomness is structured, and based
on playtest-proven tactical confgurations and tables.
Randomness is also calculated without replacement,
for the best player experience.
Adjustments are made to gameplay parameters and
rewards, based on the way the player plays the game, as
tracked by our reputation system.
Tools Chain
Powerful custom tools for assisting in creation and layout of
levels without the intervention of programmers, permitting
designers to preview game features without having to load up
the entire game.
Pagc 19 Confdcntial Information
Company / Team Inf ormation
Company
Castaway Entertainment is dedicated to making roleplay-
ing games that people like to play. We are a small team of
industry veterans with excellent experience in the creation of
top-selling RPGs.
Major Titles
Major titles the team has worked on:
Diablo
Diablo II
Diablo II: Lord of Destruction
Pool of Radiance
Munchs Oddysee
Sonic II
The Sims
Kid Chameleon
Unreal: Tournament Edition
Diablo II
Having worked side by side at Blizzard North for many years,
members of our team shared responsibility for the award-
winning titles Diablo, Diablo II and Diablo II: Lord of Destruc-
tion. Diablo II was the fastest game ever to sell one million
copies, according to PC Data, and sold over 10 million units
worldwide. Amongst Diablo IIs awards are:
Game of the Year - Academy of Interactive Arts and Sci-
ences
Game of the Year - PC Dome Magazine
Best PC Game of the Year -- 2000 ECTS Awards
Roleplaying Game of the Year - Academy of Interactive Arts
and Sciences
Roleplaying Game of the Year - PC Dome Magazine
Editors Choice Award - Computer Gaming World
Editors Choice/Game of the Month - PC Gamer
Editors Choice Awards - GamePro
Team Members
Michael Scandizzo, President, Project Lead
Michael designed and built the Diablo II Battle.net game
server network, supporting hundreds of thousands of users
around the world. In addition to architecting the structure
of the code, advancing random level generation, writing a
custom windowing system, and creating all the character
creation and chat screens, he was also behind many of the
popular skills in Diablo II, such as corpse explosion, necro-
mancer curses, and frewall. Before coming to Blizzard, while
working as a Windows and embedded system engineer for a
small startup, he was the creator and project lead of the most
popular Quake II mod ever made, Lokis Minions Capture the
Flag (LMCTF), as well as many shareware titles. Michael
worked at Blizzard for fve years.
Stef an Scandizzo, Vice President, Creative Director
Graduating from University of California at Berkeley with
a degree in Integrative Biology, Stefan left medical school
to pursue a career in computer gaming. He began working
professionally in games at Banjo Software in 1997 where he
was a character modeler and animator for the Doom II total
conversion Hacx. Then after almost a year of work, he joined
Blizzard Entertainment in 1998 as a level designer. While at
Blizzard, he developed key functional elements for Diablo IIs
random maze generation and also created much of the dun-
geon layouts using both his artistic and programming skills.
He continued his level designing in Diablo IIs expansion: Lord
of Destruction. In 2000, Stefan started producing 3D monsters
for the character team for an unannounced upcoming sequel.
After fve years, he departed from Blizzard to co-found Cast-
away Entertainment in 2003.
Rick Seis, Technical Director
Richard is an industry veteran with more than 11 years of
experience on over 6 shipped titles with Blizzard Entertain-
ment. Starting in 1994 with Condor, Inc. which later became
Blizzard North, he saw the team grow from just 4 employees
to over 60 working on 2 simultaneous projects. He has held
positions of Programmer, Senior Programmer, Lead Pro-
grammer, Director of Technology, and Studio Lead. During
his time with Blizzard, Richard has learned countless lessons
about the development process, always maintain a standard
of quality, and most importantly, while development is fun, it
Pagc 20 Confdcntial Information
is also a business. Richard has worked on titles for the Game
Boy, Game Gear, Genesis, and the PC, but his real affection
lies with the Diablo universe. He was a primary contributor in
creating the Diablo universe and its subsequent games - Diablo,
Diablo II, and Diablo II: Lord of Destruction which have sold
in the 10s of millions of units. Before leaving Blizzard,
Richard held the position of Studio Lead on an unannounced
project.

Broderick Macaraeg, Art Director
Having graduated from U.C. Berkeley with a Bachelor of Fine
Arts, Rick has contributed artwork for thirteen titles in the
past thirteen years. Among his credits are Unreal: Tournament
Edition, The Sims, several Sim City titles, and Sonic 2. He has
created and animated 3D models, texture maps, user interface
art, storyboards, and served as both art director and game
designer on various titles. His abilities to both concept game
worlds and develop visually strong characters will help gener-
ate a strong foundation for the project.
Peter Brevik, Project Manager
Peter started his game developer career as a programmer on
Diablo and Diablo II. His work involved user interface, player
skills, party system, random level generation and group game-
play. He then moved on to a role as a producer on Diablo II:
LOD organizing workfow and assuring the integrity of the
content pipeline. As a result of his efforts and of many oth-
ers, Diablo II: LOD became the frst Blizzard North product
to ship on schedule. Peter has also worked as a producer on
other unannounced projects at Blizzard North. Peter worked
at Blizzard for seven years.
Bill Dunn, Lead Designer
Bill has a BA in Design from Stanford University. After
designing many paper RPG supplements during the 80s, he
began working in electronic gaming with Hound of Shadow,
an RPG based on the Call of Cthulhu license (PC, 1989, EA
Europe). At Sega he worked on Kid Chameleon (Genesis, 1991,
Sega). He co-designed Silencer, an online Action / RPG that
was one of the frst online games with full real-time combat
(PC, 1997, WON.NET). Bill has shipped 3D titles on PS,
PS2, N64, GCN and Xbox. In 2004 he was lead designer on
NBCs Fear Factor Unleashed game (Xbox / PS2 version, sched-
uled for release in 2005, Arush).
Alan Ackerman, Senior Artist, Designer
Alan joined the video game industry in 1990 when he was
hired at SEGA. While at SEGA he worked on projects for
the SEGA Genesis, Saturn, and Titan Arcade platforms;
and on such titles as: Kid Chameleon, Sonic Xtreme, the Ooze,
and Die Hard Arcade. His art skills evolved from 2D art and
animation to include real time 3D art and animation. In 1997
Alan worked at Sony Computer Entertainment America on
the real time 3D Playstation game Warhawk 2. In 1998 Alan
joined Blizzard North to work on Diablo II, Diablo II: Lord
of Destruction; doing background art; designing and creating
character specifc inventory items. Alan worked at Blizzard
for four years.
Marc Apablaza, Lead Character Artist
Marc began his game career in 1995 with Knowledge Adven-
ture as a character artist for KnowledgeLand and KnowledgeLand
2. He then moved on to Pulse Entertainment where he
developed real-time character assets for online avatars. In
1998, he joined 3DO and contributed character models and
animation for several titles including Crusaders of Might and
Magic, Sarges War, and Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Most
recently he worked at Pirate Games as a character creator. He
has the wide range of skills required for character creation:
modeling, texturing, and animating.

Kelly Johnson, Senior Artist
Kelly developed characters from their concept phase through
to the fnal animations. He modeled and animated several
NPCs and monsters in Diablo, including Deckard Cain, Adria
the Witch, and the Succubus. On Diablo II, Kelly designed
and animated the character of the Paladin, modeled and
animated the Fallen and Sand Raider monsters, and created
end-to-end the monsters Fetish and Shaman. While a skilled
modeler, Kelly prefers animating. He is skilled in both Maya
and 3D Studio MAX. Kelly worked at Blizzard for nine years.
Fredrick Vaught, Lead Background Artist
As a background artist he designed, constructed and built
several indoor levels that matched the overall atmosphere of
the Diablo universe. His diverse skill set not only as a back-
ground artist but as a technical background artist allows him
the opportunity to lead his team to resolve any confict with a
tile based system. Fredrick worked at Blizzard for four years.
Michael Huang, Technical Producer/IT Specialist
Michael is an avid gamer who has worked on multiple titles
for Blizzard starting in 1997, including Diablo II, and Diablo
II: LOD. Aside from his skills in networking, computer
maintenance, and application confguration, Mike has a great
deal of experience playing computer role-playing games
and has learned to analyze and evaluate game systems. This
knowledge makes him ideal for assisting our design team in
game balance. He is also well suited to organize play testing
and manage our bug database. Michael worked at Blizzard for
six years.