Discussion on Computer Game Development

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 (Kings 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 rockstarsfor 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
Jobs In Gaming

• 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

14
Jobs In Gaming

• 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

15
Jobs In Gaming

• 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.

16
Jobs In Gaming

• QA
• Test, test, test
• Test some more
• Troubleshoot, report, repeat

• Other Roles
• Webmaster
• Community Managers
• Marketing
• Simulations
• Journalism
• Education