EirplayMedia (c) 2009 EirplayMedia Game Production Cycle

EirplayMedia (c) 2009 Standard Games

EirplayMedia (c) 2009 Making Games – A Dynamic Process Concept Design Production Marketing Rest !

EirplayMedia (c) 2009 Games Development Process Conceptual Phase Document: Game Concept Document: Game Proposal Design Phase Document: Functional Specification Document: Technical Specification Documents: Tool Specifications (if applicable) Production Phase Project Development Schedule Programming schedule Programming schedule Art schedule Art schedule Level design schedule Level design schedule QA schedule QA schedule Technology and Art Demo (looks good approval) First Playable Level (plays good approval) Documents: Paper Level Designs (not always a deliverable) Alpha - Functionally Complete Testing Phase (Quality Assurance) Beta - First Potential Code Release Gold Master - Code Release

EirplayMedia (c) 2009 Game Design Document The essence of the game ! Do everyone share the same vision Short, simple document

EirplayMedia (c) 2009 Functional Specification It’s important that it is all written from the user perspective. In other words, what is seen, experienced or interacted with should be the focus of the document. Readers are really just looking to this document to visualize what’s in the game, not how it works. 1.Game Mechanics 2.User Interface 3.Art and Video 4.Sound and Music 5.Story (if applicable) 6.Level Requirements 7.Game demo – pass/fail

EirplayMedia (c) 2009 Software Plan Project Overview Target gaming platform Development environment Game specific Game code architecture Resources AI Multiplayer (if applicable) User interface Art & video Sound and music

EirplayMedia (c) 2009 Testing and QA Vital to good commercial games Linked to Software Plan Alpha Beta Release Linked to Game Design

EirplayMedia (c) 2009 Making Mobile/Web Games 3.1 Team Size Conventional PC and console games typically require teams of 15 to 50 people. Because most mobile games are less extensive than their console counterparts, they are typically developed by teams of 3 to 10 people, and often by lone programmers/designers. 3.2 Budget Conventional games have budgets in the $5 million to $25 million range. Most mobile games are implemented on budgets of less than $100,000. Essentially, the limited display capabilities of mobile phones, coupled with limitations on application size, make it difficult to spend the huge amounts devoted to conventional games. This is, in a way, a strong advantage. 3.3 Development Cycle Conventional games typically take two to three years to develop. Most mobile games are developed in a few months. In other words, with a small team, and a small budget, you can develop and deploy a professional-quality mobile game. For many developers, frustrated by the conditions of the conventional game market, it is one of mobile game development’s strongest appeals. 3.4 Networked Devices Mobile games can be unlike any games we’ve seen before: limited in terms of media, but networked and multiplayer. Modems for PCs have been widely deployed only for the last eight years or so; consoles are only now going online. Mobile phones are networked devices by their very nature. Even though their processing capabilities are reminiscent of older computing technologies, their network capabilities are far superior.

EirplayMedia (c) 2009 Making Mobile/Web Games 3.5 Open Standards Console development requires authorization and support from console game manufacturers, who use their control to require high “platform royalties” from game publishers, and to control what sorts of games get developed for their hardware. In the world of wireless (as in PC game development), you are free to develop whatever sorts of games you like, without paying Nokia, Sun, or anyone else. 3.6 Deployment Conventional games are (mostly) purchased in software outlets. Mobile games are (mostly) downloaded and installed by the user. In most cases, they are downloaded over the air network; some phones allow you to download an application to a computer, then hotsynch (send) it to the phone. Consequently, the distribution channels for mobile games are quite different.

EirplayMedia (c) 2009 Games - Marketing Build the brand – pre release Marketing as costly as production Preparation of marketing materials Videos Printing The box, packaging Game sales channels: retail, online Success difficult Over 10,000 games released, will yours be noticed? Over 10,000 games released, will yours be noticed?

EirplayMedia (c) 2009 Working on Web/Wireless Games Much of the same skills needed for PC / console games Much of the same skills needed for PC / console games Software: Java, though other languages always preferable Art: same tools such as Photoshop, 3D Max. More focus on 2D, plus drawing skills vital!!! Level Design: Experience of PC, console, online & mobile games, plus other media Qualifications count…..

EirplayMedia (c) 2009 Eirplay Media