Anatomy Of A Game Design Document

Readings 9 Anatomy of a Design Doc parts 1 and 2 Why Design Docs Matter The ten page design document

Guidelines for game concept and proposal • The purpose of design documentation is to express the vision for the game, describe the contents, and present a plan for implementation • Design documents come in stages that follow the steps in the development process • Documentation does not remove the need for design meetings 1 -2

Guidelines for game concept and proposal • A game-concept document expresses the core idea of the game. It's a one- to two-page document that's necessarily brief and simple in order to encourage a flow of ideas • A game concept should include the following features: – Introduction – Background – Description – Key features – Genre – Platform(s) – Concept art 1 -3

Guidelines for game concept and proposal • Introduction: The introduction to your game concept contains what are probably the most important words in the document. – In one sentence, try to describe the game in an excited manner. Include the title, genre, direction, setting, edge, platform – Breaking the introduction up into several sentences for the sake of clarity is acceptable. 1 -4

Guidelines for game concept and proposal • Background: The background section of your game concept simply expands upon other products, projects, licenses, or other properties that may be mentioned in the introduction; so it's optional 1 -5

• • Guidelines for game concept and proposal Description: In a few paragraphs or a page, describe the game to the readers as if they are the players Make this section an exciting narrative of the player's experience. Encompass all the key elements that define the core game play by describing exactly what the player does and sees. Avoid specifics such as mouse-clicks and keystrokes 1 -6

Guidelines for game concept and proposal • Key features: Your game concept's key features section is a bullet point list of items that will set this game apart from others • Provide goals to which the subsequent documentation and implementation should aspire. • It's a summary of the features alluded to in the description 1 -7

Guidelines for game concept and proposal • Genre: define the game genre and flavor. • Use existing games' classifications from magazines and awards as a guide 1 -8

• • Guidelines for game concept and proposal Platform(s): list the target platform(s). If concept is applicable to multiple platforms indicate which platform is preferred or initial. If you intend multiplayer support on the Internet, indicate that as well 1 -9

Guidelines for game concept and proposal • Concept art: A little bit of art helps sell the idea and puts the readers in the right frame of mind. • Use art to convey unique or complex ideas. • Screen mock-ups help to express your vision 1 -10

Guidelines for game concept and proposal • common mistakes – concept is inapplicable to the company's current plans – concept outside the realm of possibility – document lacks content – game isn't fun – The game-concept document employs poor language and grammar – The designer gives up. Don't give up submitting ideas 1 -11

Game concept doc • The one-sheet template is a very important document; not just for the team and managers to " be on the same page " with the project priorities and objectives, but as a tool to pass on to management, marketing, sales, licensors, and get them excited about your game. 1 -12

concept doc sample 1 (s rogers level up) 1 -13

concept doc sample 2 (s rogers level up) 1 -14

Guidelines for game concept and proposal • A game proposal is a formal project proposal used to secure funding and resources for a game development project • The proposal is an expansion upon the game concept. Writing a proposal may involve gathering feedback and information from other departments • The programming staff should perform an initial technical evaluation of the concept. They should comment on the technical feasibility 1 -15

• • Guidelines for game concept and proposal The game proposal includes the following features: Revised game concept Market analysis Technical analysis Legal analysis (if applicable) Cost and revenue projections Art 1 -16

Guidelines for game concept and proposal • Market analysis • The target market is defined by the genre and the platform. Identify specific titles that epitomize this market. The most successful of these titles will indicate the viability and size of the market • List the top performers in the market. Express their sales numbers in terms of units • Identify the selling features of these top performers. Compare and contrast them to the key features described in the concept document. Try to provide some specifics 1 -17

Guidelines for game concept and proposal • Technical analysis • Identify the features in the design that seem experimental such as untried or unproven technologies, techniques, perspectives, or other unique ideas • Major development tasks: In a paragraph or a few bullet points, make clear the major development tasks. Use language that non-technical people can understand • List any technical risks • Alternatives are suggestions for working around some of these experimental or risky features and major development tasks 1 -18

Guidelines for game concept and proposal • Technical analysis • List the estimated resources: employees, contractors, software, hardware • Estimated Schedule: an overall duration of the development cycle followed by milestone estimates, starting with the earliest possible start date, then alpha, beta, and gold master. 1 -19

Guidelines for game concept and proposal • Legal analysis • If this game involves copyrights, trademarks, licensing agreements, or other contracts that could incur some fees, litigation costs, acknowledgments, or restrictions, then list them here 1 -20

Guidelines for game concept and proposal • Cost and revenue projections • Resource cost: Resource cost is based on the estimated resources within the technical analysis. Employee costs should be based on salaries and overhead. Include any hardware or software that you purchase • Suggested Retail Price (SRP) The price should be based on the price of existing games and an assessment of the overall value being built into the product and the money being spent to develop and manufacture it 1 -21

Guidelines for game concept and proposal • Revenue projection: The revenue projection should show pessimistic, expected, and optimistic sales figures using the costs that you've already outlined and the suggested retail price. • Art: If your game concept did not include any art, then the game proposal certainly should. The art should be created by skilled artists 1 -22

Common Proposal mistakes • The analysis is based on magic numbers • The proposal is boring • The proposal fails to anticipate common-sense issues and concerns • The proposal writer is overly sensitive to criticism • The proposal writer is inflexible to changes to the game 1 -23

Design Doc part 2 pg. 6 • Documentation Milestones and the Development Schedule • Conceptual Phase – Document: Game Concept – Document: Game Proposal • Design Phase – Document: Functional Specification – Document: Technical Specification – Documents: Tool Specifications (if applicable) • Production Phase – – – Production Schedule Technology and Art Demo First Playable Level Documents: Paper Level Designs (not always a deliverable) Alpha - Functionally Complete • Testing Phase (Quality Assurance) – Beta - First Potential Code Release – Gold Master - Code Release 1 -24

Why design documents matter • most common objections to writing design documents is that nobody reads them - - most design documents aren't intended to be read but referred to • Prototypes are made first, why not add features and go? Prototypes are testbeds, quick and dirty assemblies, not designs. Prototypes are used mostly to test mechanics and user interfaces 1 -25

Why design documents matter • Reason 1. Executive producers want to see something in writing. No document, no money • Reason 2: Design documents are sometimes the basis for contractual obligations • Reason 3: Design documents communicate your intentions to the rest of the team, and let them plan their tasks • Reason 4: Design documents turn generalities into particulars • Reason 5: Design documents are a record of decisions made; they create a paper trail 1 -26

Why design documents matter • communicates, organizes, and guides the entire process. A project manager can't create a schedule, task list and staffing allocation - and follow their progress - without knowing exactly what needs to be built, and that information must exist in written form. • Ultimately, writing (and sketching, and diagramming, and making tables and lists, and writing pseudo-code) is design. • You shirk it at your peril. 1 -27

The Ten-Page Design Document (s rogers level up) • The ten-pager is more a set of guidelines than a strict policy. It's more of a "ten-pointer" than a ten-pager, but feel free to dedicate a page to a topic. • What's important is that all the broad strokes of information are included and the document is accessible and exciting to read. 1 -28

The Ten-Pager p 1 • Page 1: Title Page – Include a graphic if possible, a title (preferably a logo) and your contact information, target platform, target audience, target rating, and expected shipping date. 1 -29

The Ten-Pager p 1 1 -30

The Ten-Pager p 2 • Page 2: Story and Gameplay – Page 2 should include a few short paragraphs about the story (beginning, middle, and ending. . . or at least a cliffhanger) mentioning the setting, the characters, and the conflict. – Gameplay description should give a brief idea of the flow of the game — break it into stages or bullet points if its easier to convey info that way. 1 -31

The Ten-Pager p 3 • Page 3: Game Flow – How does the player grow as the challenges increase? – How does this tie into the story? – Briefly describe how these systems will work (experience points, money, score, collectibles) and what the player gains as they grow (new abilities, weapons, additional moves, etc. ). 1 -32

The Ten-Pager p 4 • Page 4: Character(s) and Controls Who does the player control? What is his/her/its story? What can they do that is unique/special to this game? Can the player do several types of activities? (Driving, shooting, and so on. ) – Does the player ever change characters? – What is the difference in play? – Show control mapping highlighting some of the special/unique moves to this product. – – • Include an image of the controller for reference. 1 -33

The Ten-Pager p 5 • Page 5: Main Gameplay Concepts and Platform Specific Features – What kind of play does the player engage in? – What genres are they? (Driving, shooting, platform, and so on. ) – How is the sequence of play broken up? (Levels? Rounds? Story chapters? ) – If there are multiple mini-games, list them out by name and give short descriptions. – If there are specific cool gameplay scenarios, list them. – What game features are unique and capitalize on the platform's hardware? (Hard drive, touch screen, multiple screen, memory card, and so on. ) Provide examples. . 1 -34

The Ten-Pager pp 6 -7 • Page 6: Game World – Where does the gameplay take place? List the environments the player will visit with short descriptions. – How do they tie into the story? What mood is being evoked in each world? How are they connected? (Linear or hub-style navigation? ) – Include a simple flow diagram of how the player would navigate the world. • Page 7: Interface – – How does the player navigate the shell of the game? What mood is evoked with the interface screens? What music is used? Include a simple flow diagram of how the player will navigate the interface 1 -35

The Ten-Pager p 8 • Page 8: Mechanics and Power- ups – Gameplay mechanics. What unique mechanics are in the game? How do they relate to the player's actions? – How will they be used in the environment? – Power-ups. If applicable, what kind of powerups/collectibles can the player collect? – What are the benefits of collecting them? Can they be used to buy items, abilities, and so on? 1 -36

The Ten-Pager p 9 • Page 9: Enemies and Bosses Enemies. – Enemies: what kind of enemies does the player face? – What kind of cool attacks do they have? – Describe the enemy AI. – What makes them unique? • Bosses. – what kind of boss characters does the player face? – What environments do they appear in? – How does the player defeat them? – What does the player get for defeating them? 1 -37

The Ten-Pager p 10 • Page 10: Cutscenes, Bonus Material, and Comps • How are the cutscenes going to be presented? – When do they appear; in between levels? At the beginning and end of the game? What format have they been created in? (CG? Flash? Puppet show? ) • What material will the player be able to unlock? • What incentive is there for the player to play again? • What other games will be your competition upon market release? 1 -38

Anatomy Of A Game Design Document

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