Game Design Essentials

Game Design Essentials

by Briar Lee Mitchell
Released March 2012
Publisher(s): Sybex
ISBN: 9781118159279

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Book Description

An easy-to-follow primer on the fundamentals of digital game design

The quickly evolving mobile market is spurring digital game creation into the stratosphere, with revenue from games exceeding that of the film industry. With this guide to the basics, you'll get in on the game of digital game design while you learn the skills required for storyboarding, character creation, environment creation, level design, programming, and testing.

  • Teaches basic skill sets in the context of current systems, genres, and game-play styles

  • Demonstrates how to design for different sectors within gaming including console, PC, handheld, and mobile

  • Explores low-poly modeling for game play

  • Addresses character and prop animation, lighting and rendering, and environment design

  • Discusses the path from concept to product, including pre- and post-production

  • Includes real-world scenarios and interviews with key studio and industry professionals

With Game Design Essentials, you'll benefit from a general-but-thorough overview of the core art and technology fundamentals of digital game design for the 21st century.

Table of Contents

  1. Cover Page
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright
  4. Dear Reader ,
  5. Dedication
  6. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  7. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  8. CONTENTS AT A GLANCE
  9. Contents
  10. INTRODUCTION
    1. Who Should Read This Book
    2. What Is Covered in This Book
  11. CHAPTER 1: Game Design Origins
    1. What Is a Game?
    2. History: Going Way Back
    3. Going Electronic
    4. And Now We Are Digital
  12. CHAPTER 2: Gameplay Styles
    1. What Defines a Gameplay Style?
    2. Clustering Game Types
    3. Playing for Fun and to Learn
    4. Entertainment Software Rating Board
  13. CHAPTER 3: Core Game Design Concepts
    1. Writing the Game
    2. Creating the Characters
    3. Designing props
    4. Creating Environments
    5. Understanding the Basics of Animation
    6. Understanding Cinematics and Cutscenes
  14. CHAPTER 4: Visual Design
    1. Developing Concept Art
    2. Previsualization
  15. CHAPTER 5: Detailed Development of Visuals
    1. Overview of Designing Graphics
    2. 3D Models
    3. Color, Texture, and Lighting
    4. Animation
  16. CHAPTER 6: Navigation and Interfaces
    1. Guides for the Player
    2. Interface Design
    3. Testing!
  17. CHAPTER 7: Designing Levels and the Game Design Document
    1. Level Design
    2. Spatial Design
    3. Hub-and-Spoke Design
    4. The Game Design Document
  18. CHAPTER 8: Sound
    1. Organization and Planning
    2. Music
    3. Ambient Sound
    4. Sound effects
    5. Speech
    6. Sound-Based Computer Games
  19. CHAPTER 9: Job Descriptions, Game Tracking, and Legal Issues
    1. Job Descriptions
    2. Pipelines
    3. Tracking Progress
    4. Copyrights and Licenses
  20. CHAPTER 10: Distribution and Marketing
    1. Platforms
    2. Online
    3. Using Games for Marketing
  21. APPENDIX A: Answers to Review Questions
    1. Chapter 1
    2. Chapter 2
    3. Chapter 3
    4. Chapter 4
    5. Chapter 5
    6. Chapter 6
    7. Chapter 7
    8. Chapter 8
    9. Chapter 9
    10. Chapter 10
  22. APPENDIX B: Education, Training, and Working in Games
    1. Education
    2. Getting Started in the Field
    3. Applying for Jobs and Internships
    4. Networking
  23. APPENDIX C: Game Design Document
    1. Red Harvest Overview
    2. Player Characters
    3. Narrative
    4. Levels
    5. Interface—HUD
  24. INDEX

Product Information

  • Title: Game Design Essentials
  • Author(s): Briar Lee Mitchell
  • Release date: March 2012
  • Publisher(s): Sybex
  • ISBN: 9781118159279