Game Development Essentials

An Introduction
(2nd Edition)
Game Applications
Entertainment
Communitybuilding
Education
Recruitment&training
Marketing&advertising
Health&fitness
Platforms
Arcade

Mach3
 Platforms
Console

Microsoft Sony Nintendo

Xbox360 PS3 Wii
Platforms
Computer
 Platforms
Online (Multiplayer)
 Platforms
Online (Multiplayer)
 Platforms
Handheld

NintendoDSLite SonyPSP
 Platforms
Smart Phones

iPhone7
 Platforms
VR and AR

ViveVR OculusRiftVR

MicrosoftHoloLensAR
Platforms
Tabletop

Pen&paper
Dice
Board
Card
Tile
 Time Interval

Turnbased Realtime Timelimited

 Player Mode

Singleplayer
(HardwoodSolitaire3) Twoplayer Localtwoplayer
(Indy500Arcade) (DanceDanceRevolution)
 Player Mode

LANbasedmultiplayer
Localmultiplayer (Fragapalooza Onlinemultiplayer
(Gauntlet) LANparty) (Counterstrike)
 Game Genres
Thereareaboutadozenorsodifferenttypes
ofvideogames,dependingonhowyou
decidetoclassifythem.
Eachvideogamebelongstooneormore
ofthesegenres.
Whilegamesinthesamegenrecanlook
vastlydifferent,theysharemanyofthesame
properties.
Similardesignissuesandproblems.
Insomecases,similargameplaymechanics.
 Game Genres
Action
Realtimegamesthatrequirequickreactionstowhatis
happening.
Includesfirstpersonshooters(FPSs)likeQuakeand
UnrealTournament,platformgames(platformers)like
MarioandSonictheHedgehog,mazegameslikePacMan,

andshooterslikeSpaceInvaders,MetalSlug,orGradius.
Opponentsareeithercomputergeneratedorotherhuman
players.
Farlesscerebralthanadventuregames.
Playersarelookingforfastpacedaction.
Someactiongames,however,alsoaddadventure,
strategic,
ortacticalelementsforadifferentkindofexperience.
Game Genres
Action

Platformer
(Mario
Galaxy)

Racing
Fighting
(TestDrive
(SoulCaliburIII)
Unlimited)
 Genres
Action

FirstPersonShooter[FPS] ThirdPersonShooter
(Resistance:FallofMan) (GearsofWar)
 Game Genres
Simulation
Simulations(sims)attempttoemulaterealworld
operatingconditionswithgreatdetail.
Themoreseriousthesimulation,themoreimportantaccuracy
is.
Greattimeandeffortmayberequiredtolearn
alloftheintricaciesofthegame.
Mostsimulatesomekindofcomplexmachinery,suchas
aircraft,tanks,cars,andsoon.
Theresultisracinggames,flightsimulators,etc.
Notallsimulationsaresoserious.
Simplifiedtoallowplayerstoplaymoreeasily.
Suchgamesarereferredtoasarcadesimulations.
Game Genres
Simulation

Process
(Spore)

Vehicle
(MicrosoftFlight
Participatory SimulatorX)
Sports
(TopSpin2)
 Game Genres
Simulation

GranTurismo5Prologue MicrosoftFlightSimulator

RailSimulator
 Game Genres
Strategy
Playersmustmanagealimitedsetofresourcesto
achieveapredeterminedgoal.
Resourcemanagemententailsdecidingwhatunitsto
createandhowtodeploythem.
Tradeoffsintime,money,andrawmaterials.
Canbeeitherturnbasedorrealtime.
Turnbasedstrategiesgiveyoutimetothinkand
implementdecisionsatyourownpace.
Realtimestrategies(RTSs)haveallopponents
thinkingandactingatthesametimewithnoturns.
Opponentscanbecomputergenerated,humanplayers,
orsomecombinationofthetwo.
 Genres
Strategy

Turnbasedstrategy Realtimestrategy(RTS)
(CivilizationIV) (TheLordoftheRings:
TheBattleforMiddleEarth2)
 Game Genres
Adventure
Generallystorybasedgamesthatrelyuponpuzzle
solvingtomovethestoryalong.
Canbetextbased(requiringaparserofsomekind)
orgraphical(pointandclick).
Canbefirst,second,orthirdperson.
Generallyhasalarge,complexworldwithmany
interestingcharactersandagoodplot.
Generallynotrealtimegames.
Cantakeasmuchtimeaswantedtotakeaturn;
nothingelsehappensinmeantime.
Actionadventurehybridscanberealtimethough.
 Game Genres
Adventure

ZorkI(Text MystV:EndofAges
Adventure) (GraphicalAdventure)

TombRaiderLegend(ActionAdventure)
 Game Genres
Role-Playing Games (RPG)

Inroleplayinggames,thegamergenerallydirectsa
heroorgroupofheroesonaseriesofquests.

Hugeworldwithunfoldingstory.
Playersmicromanagetheircharacters.
Throughthegame,characterstendtogrowin
strengthandabilities.
Combatistypicallyanimportantelementthatis
usuallyhowexperience,moneyandstrengthare
accumulated.
 Game Genres
Role-Playing Games (RPG)

FinalFantasyXIII ElderScrollsIV:Oblivion

MassEffect SuperPaperMario
 Game Genres
Sports
Allowplayerstoparticipateinasportingeventoractivity
ofsomekind.
Cantakeplayer,owner,manager,orcoachingroles.
Canbeasinglematch,series,entireseasonor
lifetimeoftheteamorfranchise.
Prowessintherealsportdoesnottranslatetothevideo
game,butthatisthepoint!
Mustaccuratelyandrealisticallyreproducetherulesand
strategiesofthesport.
Arcadeversionswithrelaxedrulesorreducedrealism
canalsobeentertaining.
 Game Genres
Sports

NHL2008 Torino2006
 Game Genres
Fighting Games
Playerscontrolfiguresonthescreenandusea
combinationofmovestoattackopponentsanddefend
fromattacks.
Playersexpectasetofbasicattacksandcountersto
start,aswellasmorecomplexcombinationsto
masterovertime.
Mostfightslastonlyafewminutes,buttheremaybe
manyroundsinacompletebout.
Gamesaregenerallyviewedfromtheside.
Newerversionshave3Delementsandmultipleview
anglesandcamerapositions.
 Game Genres
Fighting Games

MortalKombatArmageddon Tekken6

VirtuaFighter5 DeadorAlive4
 Game Genres
Casual Games
Casualgamesareeasytoplay,shortsessiongames
withlittleornolearningcurve.
Includesadaptationsoftraditionalgameslikechess,
hearts,andsolitaire.
IncludestelevisiongameslikeJeopardy,Wheelof
FortuneandWhoWantstoBeaMillionaire?
Alsoincludesoriginalconcepts,suchas
Minesweeper,Bejeweled,andsimilargames.
Playersarealreadyfamiliarwiththerulesofthegame
andexpectthemtobefollowedhere.
Playersgenerallywanttodropintoandoutofthese
gamesquickly.
 Game Genres
Casual Games

Minesweeper Solitaire

WhoWantstobeaMillionaire?
Bejeweled
 Game Genres
God Games
Gamesthatdonothavearealgoal,otherthanto
encourageplayerstofoolaroundwiththemtoseewhat
happens.
Thereshouldreallybenowrongwaytoplaythe
game.
Thegamesshouldbeopenendedwithfeworno
presetwinningconditions.
Sometimes,theyarecalledsoftwaretoys.
 Game Genres
God Games

TheSims2 Black&White2

ZooTycoon2
 Game Genres
Puzzle Games
Puzzlegamesexistpurelyfortheintellectualchallenge
ofproblemsolving.
Thepuzzlesareanendinthemselvesandarenot
integratedintoastory,asisthecasewithadventuregames.
Puzzlescanbenonrealtimeorrealtime.
Therearelittleornotimeconstraintsinnonrealtime
puzzles.
Realtimepuzzleshavesometimingelementsand
containsomeaction.
Duetotheirscopeandgameplay,manyrecentwellknown
puzzlegamescouldbeconsideredcasualgamesaswell.
 Game Genres
Puzzle Games

Lumines Tetris

Portal TheIncredibleMachine
 Game Genres
Education Games

Intendedtoteachwhiletheyentertainatthesame
time.
Sometimescallededutainmentasaresult.

Thesegamesaregenerallyaimedatayounger
audiencethanmostothergamingproducts.
Designersmustworkcloselywiththesubject
mattertoensurethecontentisappropriateforthe
targetgroup.
 Game Genres
Education Games

ReaderRabbit CarmenSandiego

DisneyLearningAdventure
 Game Genres
Serious Games

Thepremiseistoapplygamedesign,technologies,
andskillstononentertainmentapplications.This
includes:
Medicalapplications.
Educationalapplications.
Socialandpublicpolicyapplications.
Businessandmanagementapplications.
Militaryapplications.
Plusmanyothertypesofsimulationsand
applications.
 Game Genres
Serious Games

ScreenshotsfromexampleseriousgamesfromtheSeriousGamesSummit
 Game Genres
Online Games

Onlinegamescanincludeanyofthepreceding
genresbuttheirdistinguishingfeatureismultiplayer
networkplay.
Somecanaccommodateonly24players,but
otherscantakedozens,hundreds,orpossibly
thousandsofplayers.
Hencethetermmassivelymultiplayer(asin
MMORPG,MassivelyMultiplayerOnline
RolePlayingGame).
Often,communitiesgrowaroundthesegames.
 Game Genres
Online Games

EverquestII UltimaOnline

CityofHeroes

DarkAgeofCamelot WorldofWarcraft
 Game Genres
Massively Multiplayer Online Games (MMOGs)

MMORPG MMOFPS
(Planetside)
(Worldof
Warcraft)

MMORTS MMOPG
(Shattered (PuzzlePirates)
Galaxy)
Game Genres

Adventure Casino
(Indigo (Bicycle
Prophecy) Casino)

Action
Adventure
(GodofWarII)

Puzzle(Lumines)
 Game Genres

Roleplaying(RPG) Survivalhorror Music/rhythm

(ElderScrollsIV:Oblivion) (AloneintheDark) (GuitarHero)
 Summary

Applications
Platforms
Timeinterval
Playermode
Genres
 Preserving (Emulating)
Arcade and Classical Games
MAMEMultipleArcadeMachineEmulator
http://www.amedev.org

ScummVMScriptCreationUtilityforManiac
Mansion(LucasArtsgamescriptinglanguage)
VM
http://www.scummvm.org/
 MAME (since 1997)
Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MAME
MAMEisanemulatorapplicationdesignedto
recreatethehardwareofarcadegamesystemsin
softwareonmodernpersonalcomputersandother
platforms(Windowsonly?SeeMAME4droid).
Theintentionistopreservegaminghistoryby
preventingvintagegamesfrombeinglostor
forgotten.
 ScummVM
Script Creation Utility for Maniac Mansion VM

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ScummVM
ScummVMisfreesoftwareconsistingofa
collectionofgameenginerecreations.
ItwasoriginallydesignedtoplayLucasArts
adventuregamesthatusetheSCUMMsystem.
ItnowalsosupportsavarietyofnonSCUMM
gamesbycompanieslikeRevolutionSoftware
andAdventureSoft.
ScummVM Supported Platforms
Windows
MacOS
Linux
Consoles
Mobiledevices(e.g.iPadandAndroidTablets)
 ScummVM Example
Zorkgames
http://www.thezorklibrary.com/installguides/