Game Design Pathfinder

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Game Design Pathfinder

North Carolina Central University

LSIS 5240 Final Project Joy Bailey

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Game Design

11/2011

This pathfinder will be useful in finding information about designing video games. Chandler and Chandler (2011) describe video games as “a play activity defined by interactive challenges, discernible rules, and attainable goals” (p.1). There are three main platforms that video games are created for. These platforms are PCs, consoles, and mobile or handheld devices (Chandler and Chandler, 2011). A game designer’s job is to come up with a concept for a game (or work with a concept the designer has been given), and then create, test, and debug the game (Chandler and Chandler, 2011).

Chandler, H.M. and Chandler, R. (2011). Fundamentals of game development. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Learning.

The resources in this guide have been compiled for an audience of beginning game designers and any other individuals interested in learning about how to design games and/or enter the game industry. All resources were gathered from East Carolina University’s J.Y. Joyner academic library in Greenville, NC. WorldCat (http://www.worldcat.org) may be used to find these resources and others in a library near you.

This pathfinder is organized by type of resource, and then alphabetically within each type. The types of resources used in this guide are articles, books and eBooks, conference proceedings, journals, magazines, multimedia resources, and Web resources. For an introduction to the topic, see:

• Chandler, H.M. and Chandler, C. (2011). Fundamentals of

game development. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Learning.

o This book includes a detailed history of video game development, as well as current developments. Information is presented on the gaming industry, roles of different individuals in the industry, the production process, creating a game concept,

developing characters, testing, marketing, and more.

ü Book available through East Carolina University’s J.Y. Joyner Library: QA76.76 .C672 C437 2011

Click here to check availability

Search Terms

(Use for computer searches)

• Game design • Game development • Game industry

Subject Headings

(Use in card catalogs and print indexes)

• Computer games -- design • Computer games --

programming

• Computer games --

programming -- vocational guidance

• Computer games industry • Video games -- design • Video games industry

Call Number

• 794(Dewey Decimal) • QA(Library of Congress)

Indexes and Abstracts

• ACM Digital Library • Applied Science and

Technology Full Text

• E-Print Network

• IEEE Xplore Digital Library

Library catalogs

• J.Y. Joyner Library

http://www.ecu.edu/lib

• World Cat – Worldwide Catalog

http://www.worldcat.org

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Reference Background

• Henderson, H. (2003). Encyclopedia of computer science and technology. New York, NY: Facts

on File, Inc.

o Entry on computer games includes information on the types of games and today’s game market.

ü Available from East Carolina University’s J.Y. Joyner Library: QA 76.15 .H43 2003 (Reference)

• Rojas, R. (Ed.). (2001). Encyclopedia of computers and computer history (Vol. 1). Chicago, IL:

Fitzroy Dearborn Publishers.

o Entry on computer games includes history and evolution of electronic games. ü Available from East Carolina University’s J.Y. Joyner Library:

QA76.15 .E52 2001 V1 (Reference) Click here to check availability

Resources

Articles from Magazines and Journals

• Blow, J. (2004). Game development: Harder than you think. Queue - Game Development, 1(10),

pp. 29-37. Retrieved from ACM Digital Library.

o Written by a game development consultant, this article compares how games are developed today to how they used to be developed. Discusses difficulties related to game

development, the recent growth of games, tools used to develop games, workflow, development for multiple platforms, and more. Includes figures to illustrate his points.

ü Available from East Carolina University’s J.Y. Joyner Library: Click here to log in and view article

• Jamaa, P. (2007). Preparing for a game dev career. Computer Graphics World, 30(10), pp. 40-42.

Retrieved from Academic Search Premiere.

o Featured in a popular magazine, this short article’s purpose is to help readers prepare for a career in game development. Provides information about the field involved with game development, educational needs, job hunting suggestions, and more.

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• Phelps, A.M. and Parks, D.M. (2004). Fun and games with multi-language development. Queue -

Game Development, 1(10), pp. 47-56. Retrieved from ACM Digital Library.

o This article discusses the use of multiple programming languages in the development process of game creation. Describes some of the benefits and some of the problems related to using multiple languages. Includes a case study.

• Sweetser, P. and Wyeth, P. (2005). Game-flow: A model for evaluation player enjoyment in

games. ACM Computers in Entertainment, 3(3), pp. 1-24. Retrieved from ACM Digital Library.

o The authors of this article present their model for evaluating player enjoyment in games. Discusses the importance of player enjoyment as well as the aspects of player enjoyment that game developers should consider during the designing phase. Uses modern games as examples, and includes screenshots of gameplay to help illustrate their points.

• Taylor, J. (2011). You’ve designed a game- Now what do you do? Computer Graphics World,

34(1/2), pp. 8-10. Retrieved from Academic Search Premiere.

o This article makes suggestions for promoting and distributing games. The author focuses on using Adobe services like Flash and LiveCycle Collaboration Service for game

development. Also suggests social networking sites and app stores for promotion and distribution, among other things.

Books and eBooks

• Adams, E. (2003). Break into the game industry: How to get a job making video games. Retrieved

from eBook Collection (EBSCOhost).

o The focus of this book is to provide information about the gaming industry, and how interested and skilled individuals can become involved in the industry. Includes

information like educational institutions that offer courses in game development, the skills required to work in the industry, the types of careers available, an inside perspective on the industry, and more.

ü eBook available through East Carolina University’s J.Y. Joyner library: Click here to log in and view eBook

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• Amresh, A. and Okita A. (2010). Unreal game development. Natick, MA: A K Peters, Ltd. o This book requires no prior knowledge of game design from its readers. It teaches game

design based on Unreal Engine 3, available as an online download. Includes color photographs, making following along very easy.

ü Book available through East Carolina University’s J.Y. Joyner library: QA76.76 .C672 A52 2010

• Bethke, E. (2002). Game development and production. Retrieved from eBook Collection

(EBSCOhost).

o This book provides detailed information about what is needed to develop a game, from the planning stage to beta testing. Describes successful and unsuccessful techniques for project management, where to find outside help, how to ship the game, challenges involved with game development, and more. Also describes the reality of the gaming industry and how to get in.

• Dille, F. and Platten, J.Z. (2007). The ultimate guide to video game writing and design. New

York, NY: Lone Eagle.

o Game storylines and graphic appeal are the focus of this book. Also included is a chapter on career options in the industry, characters, and dialogue.

ü Book available through East Carolina University’s J.Y. Joyner Library: QA76.76 .C672 D52 2007

• Dunn, F. and Parberry, I. (2002). 3D math primer for graphics and game development.

Retrieved from eBook Collection (EBSCOhost).

o This book teaches readers about 3D math, which can be used for programming games. It is an introductory book, but readers should possess basic math skills already. The authors use C++ for their examples, which are illustrated in the book. Suggestions for 3D math books that go beyond an introductory level are offered.

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• Dunniway, T., and Novak, J. (2008). Game development essentials: Gameplay mechanics.

Clifton Park, NY: Delmar Cengage Learning.

o This book states that it was written for students and professionals, as well as general interest consumers. Includes key chapter questions and exercises at the end of each chapter to help readers get the most out of the text. Discusses the evolution of games, the design process, player options, storylines, gameplay strategies, and more.

ü Book available through East Carolina University’s J.Y. Joyner Library: QA76.76 .C672 D865 2008

• Gonzales Sanchez, J.L., Padilla Zea, N., and Gutierrez, F.L. (2009). From usability to

playability: Introduction to player-centred video game development process. In M. Kurosu (Ed.), Lecture Notes in Computer Science: Human Centered Design (pp. 65-74). Retrieved from SpringerLink.

o These authors discuss and contrast user experience with player experience. They also discuss in detail playability and its attributes.

ü eBook chapter available through East Carolina University’s J.Y. Joyner Library: Click here to log in and view eBook

• Gregory, J. (2009). Game engine architecture. Natick, MA: A K Peters, Ltd.

o The authors note that this book is designed for students, but can also be used by hobbyists and self-taught game designers. Focuses on game engines, such as first-person shooters. Discusses C++, coding, graphics, and other aspects of a game engine.

ü Book available through east Carolina University’s J.Y. Joyner Library: QA76.76 .C672 G77 2009

• Hattan, J. and Sikora, D. (Eds.). Beginning game programming: A GameDev.net collection.

Boston, MA: Course Technology Cengage Learning.

o Aimed at beginners, this book covers some of the programming languages game developers use, information on writing code, debugging, graphics, and more. Includes examples to help readers follow along.

ü Book available through East Carolina University’s J.Y. Joyner Library: QA76.76 .C672 H38 2009

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• Isbister, K. (2006). Better game characters by design: A psychological approach. San

Francisco, CA: Morgan Kaufman Publishers.

o The focus of this book is on creating game characters that players can relate to. The author writes about how game designers should consider the psychological and social aspects of players when creating game characters, and uses characters from existing games as examples.

ü Book available through East Carolina University’s J.Y. Joyner Library: QA76.76 .C672 I72 2006

• Seddon, C. (2005). OpenGL Game Development. Retrieved from eBook Collection

(EBSCOhost).

o Walks readers through developing a map editor and game engine for a 3D video game, using OpenGL. Offers examples throughout that should help beginners follow along. Index provided.

ü eBook available through East Carolina University’s J.Y. Joyner Library: Click here to log in and view eBook

Conference Proceedings

• Hagen, U. (2009). Where do game design ideas come from? Invention and recycling in games

developed in Sweden. Breaking New Ground: Innovation in Games, Play, Practice and Theory. Proceedings of DiGRA 2009, London. Retrieved from E-Print Network.

o This author writes about the origin of game design ideas. He conducted a study of twenty-five actual games and used information from that study to develop a game concept model, which is presented in the text. Uses examples from the twenty-five games in his study.

ü Available through East Carolina University’s J.Y. Joyner Library: Click here to log in and view conference proceedings

• Niedenthal, S. (2009). What we talk about when we talk about game aesthetics. Breaking New

Ground: Innovation in Games, Play, Practice and Theory. Proceedings of DiGRA 2009, London. Retrieved from E-Print Network.

o This resource discusses game aesthetics in terms of game mechanics, pleasure, and more. Lists and describes the core meanings of game aesthetics in detail.

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• Pena, J. (2011). Collaborative framework for browser games development. OSDOC ’11.

Proceedings of the 2011 Workshop on Open Source and Design of Communication, Lisbon, Portugal, (pp. 65-71). Retrieved from ACM Digital Library.

o A framework for open source browser game development is presented in this article. The author explains how using open source tools to create and modify games can be beneficial and practical. Also discusses commercial game development, game modding, and software licensing.

• Petrillo, F., Pimenta, M., Trindade, F., and Dietrich, C. (2008). Houston, we have a problem…: A

survey of actual problems in computer games development. SAC ’08. Proceedings of the 2008 ACM Symposium on Applied Computing, Ceara, Brazil, (pp. 707-711). Retrieved from ACM Digital Library.

o These authors gathered information from game postmortems and other literature to discuss problems that occur in the software industry and the gaming industry. The information is used to compare the two industries and to fill a gap in the current literature about gaming industry issues.

• Petrillo, F. and Pimenta, M. (2010). Is agility out there? Agile practices in game development.

SIGDOC ’10. Proceedings of the 28th ACM International Cpnference on Design of Communication, SP, Brazil, (pp. 9-15). Retrieved from ACM Digital Library.

o This article studies postmortems in order to gather information about good practices in the gaming industry. They compare the good practices used in the gamin industry to hose used in the software industry. The authors are attempting to add to what they consider a limited body of literature about gaming industry and software industry practices.

• Ramli, R.Z., Zin, N.A.M., and Ashaari, N. (2011). Factoring culture as the main role to design

game interface model. 2011 International Conference on Pattern Analysis and Intelligent Robotics, Putrajaya, Malaysia, (pp. 203-206). Retrieved from IEEE Xplore.

o Discusses how culture affects the way individuals play games or their gaming preferences. Lists elements of culture that game developers could consider during the development process. Includes figures to illustrate points.

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Journals

• International Game Theory Review (IGTR)

o This is a scholarly journal that includes articles and short papers on game theory and applications.

ü Full text available through East Carolina University’s J.Y. Joyner Library: Click here to log in and access journal issues

Magazines

• Game Developer

o This magazine targets an audience of professional game designers, providing technical game designing information, information on the industry, and reviews.

ü Full text available through East Carolina University’s J.Y. Joyner Library: Click here to log in and view magazine issues

Multimedia Resources

• Films for the Humanities and Sciences. (2009). Getting into games [video]. New York, NY: Films

Media Group.

o This thirty-minute video includes information on the gaming industry, necessary skills for getting into the industry, current trends in the industry, the process of designing games, and the future of games.

ü Video is available through East Carolina University’s J.Y. Joyner Library: Click here to log in and view video

• InsideEA (Poster). (2009, February 12). EA game design career paths. Retrieved from

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvPZ8xG4LlQ

o This YouTube video was created by EA, a major gaming company in the industry. It offers excellent information on what companies look for in game designers, and goes over career paths.

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Web Sites

• Gamasutra

o This is an online version of Game Developer. Lists job postings, featured blogs, and articles that users can access for free. Users can view content by PC and console games, social and online games, smart phone and tablet games, independent games, serious games, or all games.

ü Available online at http://www.gamasutra.com

• GameDev.net

o This Web site offers community forums and a live chat room that can be used to share information with others interesting in game development. It also offers articles, conference summaries, book suggestions and reviews, job postings, and more. Membership optional.

ü Available online at http://www.gamedev.net/

• The Escapist

o The Escapist is a free online magazine with articles and industry news and updates. In addition to accessing the magazine, its Web site also offers reviews of games, community forums, videos, and more. Registering for an account is free and optional.

ü Available online at http://www.escapistmagazine.com/

** You can evaluate other resources using criteria at: www.THEpathfinderproject.org/evaluate.html ** This pathfinder has been provided to you by THE Pathfinder Project and your local library. Production funded in part by Library Services and Technology Act funds administered by the State Library of Iowa.