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Discussion on Computer Game Development

Discussion on Computer Game Development. Friday, February 6, 2004 DePaul University Jason Compton. A Brief, Incomplete Overview of the Video Game Industry. Real Businesses In-Demand Talent Real Work. History: The 1960s. Gaming history begins in academia Mainframes Open source

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Discussion on Computer Game Development

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  1. Discussion on Computer Game Development Friday, February 6, 2004 DePaul University Jason Compton

  2. A Brief, Incomplete Overview of the Video Game Industry • Real Businesses • In-Demand Talent • Real Work

  3. History: The 1960s • Gaming history begins in academia • Mainframes • Open source • Academic, sideline projects • Action games, AI experiments (chess) • First head-to-head: Spacewar • Distribution: tiny universe, donated paper tapes

  4. History: 1970-1975 • Pong! • Crude hardwired consoles • Mainframe gaming: getting more sophisticated • Still largely academic • Play via screen or printer

  5. History: 1975-1982 • Dawn of personal computers and consoles • One-man teams • Programming = research = programming • Largely self-published, direct sales • Birth of publishers (Activision, Sierra, EA) • Birth of franchises (Ultima, Zork) • Distribution: paper tapes, cassettes, floppies, magazine type-in

  6. History: 1982-1985 • Personal computers go mass-market • First signs of design teams/studios (Free Fall, Ozark Softscape, etc.) • Console crash (E.T.), rebirth (NES) • Studio->Publisher->Retail model starts to take hold • More franchises (King’s Quest, Castle Wolfenstein, Donkey Kong/Mario) • Distribution: Cassette, floppy, type-in

  7. History: 1986-1991 • Gaming computers get better (Commodore Amiga, DOS EGA/VGA) • Projects get bigger (larger, cheaper disks, consumer hard drives) • Teams get bigger, but still occasional “bedroom millionaire” • All-text dies

  8. History: 1986-1991 • Start to see specialists (artists, musicians, etc.) • Consoles: closed systems from here on out • Still more franchises! (Police Quest, Final Fantasy, Wing Commander) • Distribution: Floppies (and lots of them), type-in

  9. History: 1991-present • “Wintel” PC crowds out the desktop pack • Studios spring up all over • “Cinematic” gaming comes, goes, comes, goes... • Publishers merge, submerge, re-emerge, re-invent... • Mass retailers take charge

  10. History: 1991-present • Arcade gaming peaks, declines as PC/console catches up • A few independents find refuge online • Fade of gaming “rockstars”—for most, game creation is a salaried job • Distribution: Floppies give way to CDs, DVDs, and direct download

  11. The Business of Games • 2003: $7 billion in sales • More for the money ($40 in 1983 = $73 today) • Big-time companies (multiple publishers >$1 billion market value) • Big-time budgets (6 figures and up per game)

  12. How Games Get Made Concept Studio Publisher Distributor Retail

  13. Programmers Code graphics engines Code rules engines Code AI Code design tools Pays to be able to think small Designers (Writers) Create story Create world Create characters Create levels/quests Write dialogue Use design tools Jobs In Gaming

  14. Producers Build teams Keep project on deadlines Manage budget Coordinate teams Coordinate between studio, publisher, licensor Artists 3D: work in major 3D environments 2D: Portraiture, texturing Sketches, storyboards Jobs In Gaming

  15. Audio Directors Coordinate with designers Hire voice talent Direct recording sessions FMV Directors Oversee production of cinematics Coordinate live-action production, post-production FX, 3D, etc. Jobs In Gaming

  16. QA Test, test, test Test some more Troubleshoot, report, repeat Other Roles Webmaster Community Managers Marketing Simulations Journalism Education Jobs In Gaming

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