Logan Mulhill
Mrs. Tranel
Eng IV/2
29 April 2014
Ingredients of a Game
“Every age has its storytelling form, and video gaming is a huge part of our culture. You can ignore or embrace video games and imbue them with the best artistic quality. People are enthralled with video games in the same way as other people love the cinema or theatre”- Andy Serkis. Today, video games are at the point of being an interactive movie. The beginning of a game is usually the introduction or opening into the game and the levels are the different chapters and scenes within the story of the game. In order to make a game successfully, one needs to know the different ingredients into making a successful video game. There are several different components which go into making a game, the developer type, story, gameplay, art style and programming.
There are two kinds of developers which make video games, Triple-A and independent developers. The Triple-A (AAA), or the larger development corporation, such as 2K Marin, Ubisoft and EA, are the developers who employ large amounts of people who participate in the development process, as well as having a large budget. Because of this, they are able to employ top talent in many different areas of development such as voice acting, motion capturing and screenwriting (Csurics amd Gilbert). The advantage of a Triple A developer, is that they are able to work on different areas of the game at the same time and have experts working for them in their area of expertise. Due to the high cost of developing a game, sometimes up to over a million dollars, the price of games made by these large companies can sometimes run up to $90 (Indie). AAA companies have a long standing history of making games for consoles such as the Xbox, Playstation and the Wii.
The second kind of developer is the independent developer, or Indie. Indie developers are people who are not associated with the large development companies and produce a video game from start to finish, normally publishing the game on mobile platforms or on computers. These developers are normally a small group of people, or even just a single person. Indies develop video games either on a very small budget, or no budget at all. Normally, Indie developers have limited access to equipment that the need, such as a game engine, recording equipment and voice actors. Indie games normally cost very little, around ten or twenty dollars, if they cost anything at all to purchase. Indie developers can self publish or can sometimes take a contract with larger development firms or console developers. There are several Indie developed games which have been created and have a massive following and a lot of success, such as Minecraft, Braid and Cave Story, and have sold thousands of copies (Indie).
Regardless of who produces a video game, the ones which are successful have a fantastic story that adds to its success. These games include The Uncharted Series, The Halo Series, the Mass Effect series and the indie produced title, Limbo. The story in a video game is unique as a player can sometimes dictate how it ends (Understanding). The story of a videogame can be affected by the gameplay, where a single decision by the player can change the story, even if just a little. This can make the player more enticed in the game, and increase the interest in the game. A player might see every change possible and begin to talk about it to other gamers want to know the story and the ending. This helps to build interest in the game and people may rent or buy the game in order to know the story. As with movies, the story of a game is normally made using a storyboard and an idea pool. Once ideas have been written out, they are put into a storyboard and formed into the story. One game with a great story is Bioshock, developed by Irrational Games. Bioshock takes place in the underwater dystopia of Rapture, a city turned mad by a gene altering drug called ADAM. In the game the player must navigate the city with the help of an irishman named Atlas and escape. But it isn’t that simple, throughout the story the founder of the city is trying to stop the player before they eventually meet him and kill him, but Atlas, whose true name is Frank Fontaine, takes over the city while using the player to do his bidding. The story is amazing and the gameplay is on par as well.
The story of a game doesn’t always come first, as games can have very little story and more emphasis on the gameplay, an example is the popular game Angry Birds (Masters). The gameplay is what keeps the player enticed in the game and is what is the most fun part of the game. The Oxford dictionary defines game play as “The tactical aspects of a computer game, such as its plot and the way it is played, as distinct from graphics and sound effects”. The more interesting the gameplay, the more enticed a gamer will get. Gameplay doesn’t always come first, and might not be as developed as the story, but be extremely well made as is in the game Batman: Arkham Asylum (Masters). There are also multiple types of gameplay to be mentioned. Asymmetric, cooperative, deathmatch, hack and slash, leveled, micro managment, nonlinear and twitch are all different types of gameplay. Asymmetric gameplay is a form of multiplayer (multiple players playing with one another and against each other) where two players are playing the same game but are playing in different ways. Cooperative gameplay is usually where a number of players, usually two to four, play with one another to complete a single goal as a team. Deathmatch is normally a gamemode in a shooter, usually in the form of a military simulator like Call of Duty, or a real time strategy game where players are pitted against the other players in a free-for-all, all versus all, match. Hack and slash is normally a type of gameplay where a player controls a character who wields a sword or other bladed weapon and presses one or two buttons to attack and slay their enemies. Leveled gameplay is where enemies and difficulty are changed based on how far into a game a player is, an example of this is the Dark Souls series. Micromanagement gameplay is a form of gameplay where a player must manage an economy, purchase buildings and units to build and fight and is mainly used in real time strategy games. Nonlinear is a form of gameplay where a goal can be met in any way the player can think, unlike linear gameplay where a player must reach a goal in a way set by the developers. Twitch gameplay is a form of fast paced gameplay used in shooter type games, it is used to test a player’s reaction time and is used in games such as the Call of Duty series (Goldstein).
The art style and the graphics are the third ingredient. This is important as the graphics and art style are what the player sees. Many games have their own art style, be it realistic or cartoony, having it fit the game and the story being told. A unique artstyle is very important (Masters). Games, such as Bioshock and Fallout, have very unique art styles that added to the game’s success, and the success of the game which came afterwards in the series, along with an original story. Though most games now have very realistic and detailed graphics, sometimes old fashioned bit graphics, like the style of older arcade games, make a game successful as well, these games include Braid and Fez. Speaking of bit graphics, there are five notable kinds of graphic types. First there is 8-bit games then 16-bit, 18-bit, 32-bit and finally, 64-bit. Each of these bits refers to the generation of consoles in which a game was released as well as the range of the RGB (Red, Green, Blue) palette. A game with 8-bit graphics comes from the earlier generation of games, such as Pong and the first Mario game, and have a color range of 16.8 million colors were red had 256 values, green had 256 values and blue had 256 values. As the generations went by, these values increased in size until the 64 bit generation, the current generation, when the total colors possible equals eighteen-quintillion. All these colors can give the game smoother or more blocky visuals. As a comparison between the graphics and the bit style, take Pong, one of the first games ever made, and compare it to the newest Call of Duty. Pong, which used 8-bit graphics, was blocky meaning everything you saw on the screen, such as the ball and paddles, were rectangular or square and it was only in 2d as the limited color range didn’t allow for 3d effects. The newest Call of Duty on the other hand looks smooth, realistic and is in three dimensions, this game uses 64-bit graphics. Everything in a game that is seen plays a role in the look of a game (Masters).
Programming is “The action or process of writing computer programs” (Programming). It is the backbone of a game as it makes the gameplay and graphics possible and gives the non-player controlled characters and enemies life within a game. Using code in different code languages, programming is a form of coding that puts a series of commands into the script of a game. The game’s script is written using code and the code’s language. A programming or coding language is “a vocabulary and set of grammatical rules for instructing a computer to perform specific tasks” (Beal). The people who use these coding languages are called programmers. The term programmer can be used to refer to anyone with a background software developer, web developer, software engineer, computer scientist, or software analyst. Collins English Dictionary says a programmer is “a person who writes computer programs; a person who programms a device, especially a computer.” Most programmers have a degree in computer science or a related field, giving them an understanding of the coding languages used, such as JavaScript, C# and LiveScript.
Developer, story, artstyle, gameplay and programming are all important and the key ingredients when making a successful game. Video games are now one of the most popular forms of entertainment, it is a 10.5 Billion dollar industry and continues to grow. Video games are designed for young and old alike with many different kinds of stories told by both the player and the developer, but the way the developers put the game together dictates its success. Now when you play your favorite video game, you’ll understand all the different ingredients which make the game possible for you to enjoy.
Works Cited
Beal, Vangie. "What is Programming Language? Webopedia." Webopedia: Online Tech Dictionary for IT Professionals. Webopedia, n.d. Web. 14 Mar. 2015.
Csurics, Michael and David Gilbert. “Spot the Difference: AAA vs Indie VO Production” GDC Vault, GDC Vault, n.d. Web. 3 Mar. 2015.
“Gameplay.” Def. 1. Oxford Dictionaries, Oxford Dictionary, n.d. Web 14 Mar. 2015.
Goldstein, Hilary. "Shenmue II: QTE." IGN. IGN, 30 Sept. 2002. Web. 22 Mar. 2015.
"Indie Games Increasingly Competing with AAA Titles on Game Consoles." NDTV Gadgets. Agence France-Presse, 25 Nov. 2013. Web. 1 Mar. 2015.
Masters, Mark. "What Are the Key Elements of Successful Games?" Digital-Tutors Blog. Digital-Tutors, Apr. 2014. Web. 1 Mar. 2015.
“Programming.” Def. 1. Oxford Dictionaries, Oxford Dictionary, n.d. Web. 12 Mar. 2015.
“Programmer.” Def. 1. Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition. HarperCollins. 13 Mar. 2015.
"Understanding the Makings of a Video Game Story." Talk Amongst Yourselves. N.p., 7 May 2014. Web. 2 Mar. 2015.
Mrs. Tranel
Eng IV/2
29 April 2014
Ingredients of a Game
“Every age has its storytelling form, and video gaming is a huge part of our culture. You can ignore or embrace video games and imbue them with the best artistic quality. People are enthralled with video games in the same way as other people love the cinema or theatre”- Andy Serkis. Today, video games are at the point of being an interactive movie. The beginning of a game is usually the introduction or opening into the game and the levels are the different chapters and scenes within the story of the game. In order to make a game successfully, one needs to know the different ingredients into making a successful video game. There are several different components which go into making a game, the developer type, story, gameplay, art style and programming.
There are two kinds of developers which make video games, Triple-A and independent developers. The Triple-A (AAA), or the larger development corporation, such as 2K Marin, Ubisoft and EA, are the developers who employ large amounts of people who participate in the development process, as well as having a large budget. Because of this, they are able to employ top talent in many different areas of development such as voice acting, motion capturing and screenwriting (Csurics amd Gilbert). The advantage of a Triple A developer, is that they are able to work on different areas of the game at the same time and have experts working for them in their area of expertise. Due to the high cost of developing a game, sometimes up to over a million dollars, the price of games made by these large companies can sometimes run up to $90 (Indie). AAA companies have a long standing history of making games for consoles such as the Xbox, Playstation and the Wii.
The second kind of developer is the independent developer, or Indie. Indie developers are people who are not associated with the large development companies and produce a video game from start to finish, normally publishing the game on mobile platforms or on computers. These developers are normally a small group of people, or even just a single person. Indies develop video games either on a very small budget, or no budget at all. Normally, Indie developers have limited access to equipment that the need, such as a game engine, recording equipment and voice actors. Indie games normally cost very little, around ten or twenty dollars, if they cost anything at all to purchase. Indie developers can self publish or can sometimes take a contract with larger development firms or console developers. There are several Indie developed games which have been created and have a massive following and a lot of success, such as Minecraft, Braid and Cave Story, and have sold thousands of copies (Indie).
Regardless of who produces a video game, the ones which are successful have a fantastic story that adds to its success. These games include The Uncharted Series, The Halo Series, the Mass Effect series and the indie produced title, Limbo. The story in a video game is unique as a player can sometimes dictate how it ends (Understanding). The story of a videogame can be affected by the gameplay, where a single decision by the player can change the story, even if just a little. This can make the player more enticed in the game, and increase the interest in the game. A player might see every change possible and begin to talk about it to other gamers want to know the story and the ending. This helps to build interest in the game and people may rent or buy the game in order to know the story. As with movies, the story of a game is normally made using a storyboard and an idea pool. Once ideas have been written out, they are put into a storyboard and formed into the story. One game with a great story is Bioshock, developed by Irrational Games. Bioshock takes place in the underwater dystopia of Rapture, a city turned mad by a gene altering drug called ADAM. In the game the player must navigate the city with the help of an irishman named Atlas and escape. But it isn’t that simple, throughout the story the founder of the city is trying to stop the player before they eventually meet him and kill him, but Atlas, whose true name is Frank Fontaine, takes over the city while using the player to do his bidding. The story is amazing and the gameplay is on par as well.
The story of a game doesn’t always come first, as games can have very little story and more emphasis on the gameplay, an example is the popular game Angry Birds (Masters). The gameplay is what keeps the player enticed in the game and is what is the most fun part of the game. The Oxford dictionary defines game play as “The tactical aspects of a computer game, such as its plot and the way it is played, as distinct from graphics and sound effects”. The more interesting the gameplay, the more enticed a gamer will get. Gameplay doesn’t always come first, and might not be as developed as the story, but be extremely well made as is in the game Batman: Arkham Asylum (Masters). There are also multiple types of gameplay to be mentioned. Asymmetric, cooperative, deathmatch, hack and slash, leveled, micro managment, nonlinear and twitch are all different types of gameplay. Asymmetric gameplay is a form of multiplayer (multiple players playing with one another and against each other) where two players are playing the same game but are playing in different ways. Cooperative gameplay is usually where a number of players, usually two to four, play with one another to complete a single goal as a team. Deathmatch is normally a gamemode in a shooter, usually in the form of a military simulator like Call of Duty, or a real time strategy game where players are pitted against the other players in a free-for-all, all versus all, match. Hack and slash is normally a type of gameplay where a player controls a character who wields a sword or other bladed weapon and presses one or two buttons to attack and slay their enemies. Leveled gameplay is where enemies and difficulty are changed based on how far into a game a player is, an example of this is the Dark Souls series. Micromanagement gameplay is a form of gameplay where a player must manage an economy, purchase buildings and units to build and fight and is mainly used in real time strategy games. Nonlinear is a form of gameplay where a goal can be met in any way the player can think, unlike linear gameplay where a player must reach a goal in a way set by the developers. Twitch gameplay is a form of fast paced gameplay used in shooter type games, it is used to test a player’s reaction time and is used in games such as the Call of Duty series (Goldstein).
The art style and the graphics are the third ingredient. This is important as the graphics and art style are what the player sees. Many games have their own art style, be it realistic or cartoony, having it fit the game and the story being told. A unique artstyle is very important (Masters). Games, such as Bioshock and Fallout, have very unique art styles that added to the game’s success, and the success of the game which came afterwards in the series, along with an original story. Though most games now have very realistic and detailed graphics, sometimes old fashioned bit graphics, like the style of older arcade games, make a game successful as well, these games include Braid and Fez. Speaking of bit graphics, there are five notable kinds of graphic types. First there is 8-bit games then 16-bit, 18-bit, 32-bit and finally, 64-bit. Each of these bits refers to the generation of consoles in which a game was released as well as the range of the RGB (Red, Green, Blue) palette. A game with 8-bit graphics comes from the earlier generation of games, such as Pong and the first Mario game, and have a color range of 16.8 million colors were red had 256 values, green had 256 values and blue had 256 values. As the generations went by, these values increased in size until the 64 bit generation, the current generation, when the total colors possible equals eighteen-quintillion. All these colors can give the game smoother or more blocky visuals. As a comparison between the graphics and the bit style, take Pong, one of the first games ever made, and compare it to the newest Call of Duty. Pong, which used 8-bit graphics, was blocky meaning everything you saw on the screen, such as the ball and paddles, were rectangular or square and it was only in 2d as the limited color range didn’t allow for 3d effects. The newest Call of Duty on the other hand looks smooth, realistic and is in three dimensions, this game uses 64-bit graphics. Everything in a game that is seen plays a role in the look of a game (Masters).
Programming is “The action or process of writing computer programs” (Programming). It is the backbone of a game as it makes the gameplay and graphics possible and gives the non-player controlled characters and enemies life within a game. Using code in different code languages, programming is a form of coding that puts a series of commands into the script of a game. The game’s script is written using code and the code’s language. A programming or coding language is “a vocabulary and set of grammatical rules for instructing a computer to perform specific tasks” (Beal). The people who use these coding languages are called programmers. The term programmer can be used to refer to anyone with a background software developer, web developer, software engineer, computer scientist, or software analyst. Collins English Dictionary says a programmer is “a person who writes computer programs; a person who programms a device, especially a computer.” Most programmers have a degree in computer science or a related field, giving them an understanding of the coding languages used, such as JavaScript, C# and LiveScript.
Developer, story, artstyle, gameplay and programming are all important and the key ingredients when making a successful game. Video games are now one of the most popular forms of entertainment, it is a 10.5 Billion dollar industry and continues to grow. Video games are designed for young and old alike with many different kinds of stories told by both the player and the developer, but the way the developers put the game together dictates its success. Now when you play your favorite video game, you’ll understand all the different ingredients which make the game possible for you to enjoy.
Works Cited
Beal, Vangie. "What is Programming Language? Webopedia." Webopedia: Online Tech Dictionary for IT Professionals. Webopedia, n.d. Web. 14 Mar. 2015.
Csurics, Michael and David Gilbert. “Spot the Difference: AAA vs Indie VO Production” GDC Vault, GDC Vault, n.d. Web. 3 Mar. 2015.
“Gameplay.” Def. 1. Oxford Dictionaries, Oxford Dictionary, n.d. Web 14 Mar. 2015.
Goldstein, Hilary. "Shenmue II: QTE." IGN. IGN, 30 Sept. 2002. Web. 22 Mar. 2015.
"Indie Games Increasingly Competing with AAA Titles on Game Consoles." NDTV Gadgets. Agence France-Presse, 25 Nov. 2013. Web. 1 Mar. 2015.
Masters, Mark. "What Are the Key Elements of Successful Games?" Digital-Tutors Blog. Digital-Tutors, Apr. 2014. Web. 1 Mar. 2015.
“Programming.” Def. 1. Oxford Dictionaries, Oxford Dictionary, n.d. Web. 12 Mar. 2015.
“Programmer.” Def. 1. Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition. HarperCollins. 13 Mar. 2015.
"Understanding the Makings of a Video Game Story." Talk Amongst Yourselves. N.p., 7 May 2014. Web. 2 Mar. 2015.