Covering the process of game design, the book builds up a set of techniques used by designers within the industry. It will show and tell, explaining how and why things are done the way they are, and will feature first-hand experiences, examples and case studies from the creators of successful games such as ?Lara Croft/Tomb Raider? and Peter Molyneux?s ?Black and White?. Throughout the book an imaginary game "Jumping Jack" will be discussed, taking the reader through the process of developing a design from the initial idea through to the full-blown specification. Demonstration levels and the design documents will be included on the accompanying CD, and these documents can be used as templates for future designs.

• Shows how to avoid design pitfalls and use story, motivation, feedback, reward and punishment to produce a game worth playing.
• The running case study takes the reader through the entire game design process.
• Covers the range of major consoles and designing for cross-platform games.
• An accompanying CD provides demonstration levels, as well as a collection of design documents the reader can use as templates to create new games.

Part I Design DNA
1 Introduction to Game-Play
2 Knowing your Audience
3 Ideas and Themes
4 Player Motivation
5 Feedback and Satisfaction
6 Rules and Boundaries
7 Rewards
8 Level Design
9 Education the Player
10 Stories and Movies within Games
11 Design Pitfalls
12 Punishing the Player
13 Game Designs of the Future
14 Interface
15 Artificial Intelligence
Part II Building the Design
16 The Creative Process
17 The Concept Document
18 The Full Design Document
19 Implementation
20 Production ? Is it Done when it?s Done?
21 Tools of the Trade
22 Defining the Designer?s Role
23 The Finished Product
24 Entering the Games Industry

"A must-have for almost all games software development companies and also for the literally hundreds of freelancers working in the industry"

Julian G Hicks, Managing Director, Gameworld Seven Ltd

"Takes you step-by-fascinating-step through all the ins-and-outs of life as a game designer"

Kevin Buckner, Game Design Consultant, Design Games Ltd

What is the elusive ingredient that makes a game worth playing? It can be the scream of Daytona, the kill thrill of Quake or Doom or maybe the sense of achievement from finally completing Dungeon Siege. There is no instruction manual for making great games and it's certainly not easy to create a masterpiece. What it takes is passion, imagination, talent, a good understanding of gameplay and game design principles, experience, a dedicated team, efficient project management and good old-fashioned hard work.

Every game is individual, but there are techniques and fundamentals that can be learnt to understand the creative process of game design. These fundamentals are discussed throughout the book, enabling you to:

·         learn the art of creating fun and absorbing gameplay

·         recognise and create components of a game

·         create coherent game design documents

The book is in two parts. The first discusses the components that make up gameplay using case studies and examples. The second goes through the stages of creating and formatting design documents, showing how to approach the industry to start or further your career.

Whether you are a student studying game design, a practitioner working in the industry or simply someone wanting to take your first steps in this area, this book will give you new insights on many aspects of game design that will prove invaluable for your ongoing or future career in game development.

Kevin Oxland has worked in the games industry for more than twenty years, holding positions such as Creative Director at Virgin Interactive in London. He has worked at Westwood Studios in Las Vegas on Disney's The Lion King and Pinocchio, and has also been involved in setting up two successful development studios and creating numerous games for many top publishers around the world.

View a Sample Chapter PDF:

Pearson Higher Education offers special pricing when you choose to package your text with other student resources. If you're interested in creating a cost-saving package for your students, contact your Pearson Higher Education representative for pricing and ordering information.

Pearson Higher Education offers special pricing when you choose to package your text with other student resources. If you're interested in creating a cost-saving package for your students contact your Pearson Higher Education representative.