Spore: Preproduction through Prototyping

1
Spore Preproduction through Prototyping
2
A Brief History of Spore
Concept Development
Preproduction
Production
3
Disclaimers

• Spore hasnt yet shipped!
• Mostly not my work!
• Many of the mistakes are mine.

4
Framing

• Most applicable to new IP-preproduction
• Take the work of others for granted
• Cernys Method
• LeBlancs Mechanics, Dynamics, Aesthetics
• Several others
• This is an advanced talk, skipping foundations
• Except one

5
What Is Preproduction?

• WHAT you are going to build,
• HOW you are going to build it
• Convince others that concept and team are worth
  the risk of full production

6
A Virtuous Preproduction Cycle
Clear Design Progress
Motivated Developers
Team-wide Ownership
7
A Virtuous Preproduction Cycle
Clear Design Progress
Motivated Developers
Team-wide Ownership
8
Describing Design With Words

• A I think that when the player manipulates
  torso they should be moving around the spine and
  scaling each of the vertebra.
• B No way! Thats too complicated. We already
  have enough nouns for the player to be moving
  around in the creature editor.
• A But its the perfect analogy! It
• B No its not.
• A Yes it is.

9
Describing Design Via A Prototype
10
Decomposition
Game Mechanics
Kinesthetics
Aesthetics
Technology
11
Describing Design Via A Prototype
12
Polish Matters
13
Polish Matters
Game Mechanics
Kinesthetics
Aesthetics
Technology
14
Watch Out For Inappropriate Questions
15
A Virtuous Preproduction Cycle
Clear Design Progress
Motivated Developers
Team-wide Ownership
16
Integrate Only When You Must
17
Not So Bad
Game Mechanics
Kinesthetics
Aesthetics
Technology
18
Integrate Only When You Must
19
Ouch
Game Mechanics
Kinesthetics
Aesthetics
Technology
20
Delight The Team
21
Delight The Team
Game Mechanics
Kinesthetics
Aesthetics
Technology
22
Delight The Team
Game Mechanics
Kinesthetics
Aesthetics
Technology
23
A Virtuous Preproduction Cycle
Clear Design Progress
Motivated Developers
Team-wide Ownership
24
Cultivate Experimentation
25
Cultivate Experimentation
26
Cultivate Experimentation
27
Increasing Investment
Game Mechanics
Kinesthetics
Aesthetics
Technology
28
Increasing Investment
Game Mechanics
Kinesthetics
Aesthetics
Technology
29
Increasing Investment
Game Mechanics
Kinesthetics
Aesthetics
Technology
30
Enable Tight Iteration... For Everyone!
31
Q A