Challenges for Game Designers - Softcover

Brathwaite, Brenda; Schreiber, Ian

Softcover

ISBN 10: 158450580X ISBN 13: 9781584505808

Publisher: Charles River Media, 2008

Synopsis

Welcome to a book written to challenge you, improve your brainstorming abilities, and sharpen your game design skills! Challenges for Game Designers: Non-Digital Exercises for Video Game Designers is filled with enjoyable, interesting, and challenging exercises to help you become a better video game designer, whether you are a professional or aspire to be. Each chapter covers a different topic important to game designers, and was taken from actual industry experience. After a brief overview of the topic, there are five challenges that each take less than two hours and allow you to apply the material, explore the topic, and expand your knowledge in that area. Each chapter also includes 10 "non-digital shorts" to further hone your skills. None of the challenges in the book require any programming or a computer, but many of the topics feature challenges that can be made into fully functioning games. The book is useful for professional designers, aspiring designers, and instructors who tea

About this title

About the Author:

Brenda Brathwaite is an award-winning game designer, artist, writer, and creative director with 30 years of experience in the industry. Before founding Loot Drop, Brenda worked for a variety of game companies including Atari, Electronic Arts, Sir-tech Software, and numerous companies in the social games space. She has worked on many Facebook games, including Cloudforest Expedition, Ravenwood Fair, Critter Island, SuperPoke Pets!, SPP Ranch, Garden Life, Rock Riot, and Top Fish. Brenda served on the board of the International Game Developers Association (IGDA) and presently chairs the IGDA's Women in Games Special Interest group. Brenda was named Woman of the Year by Charisma+2 Magazine in 2010 and also was a nominee in Microsoft's 2010 Women in Games game design awards. In 2009, her game Train won the coveted Vanguard Award at IndieCade. She was named one of the top 20 most influential women in the game industry by Gamasutra.com in 2008 and one of the 100 most influential women in the game industry by Next Generation magazine in 2007. Nerve magazine also called her one of the 50 artists, actors, authors, activists, and icons who are making the world a more stimulating place.

Review:

Introduction BUILDING BLOCKS Chapter 1: The Basics Chapter 2: Mechanics & Dynamics Chapter 3: Puzzle Design Chapter 4: Converting Digital to Physical WRITING GAME CONCEPTS Chapter 5: Working with Licenses and IP Chapter 6: Creating Sequels Chapter 7: Targeting a Market Chapter 8: Learning an Unfamiliar Genre Chapter 9: Designing a Game to Tell a Story THE DICE VS. THE BRAIN Chapter 10: Elements of Chance Chapter 11: Elements of Skill Chapter 12: Balancing Challenge and Skill ADDITIVE AND SUBTRACTIVE DESIGN Chapter 13: Adding and Subtracting Mechanics Chapter 14: Technological Constraints Chapter 15: Incorporating New Assets Chapter 16: But Make it Multiplayer THE USER INTERFACE Chapter 17: Designing for a Special Controller Chapter 18: Creating a User Interface OFF THE BEATEN PATH Chapter 19: Games as Artistic Statements Chapter 20: Games for Education/Teaching Chapter 21: Serious Games Chapter 22: Casual Games Chapter 23: Social Networking STUFF THAT FIT NOWHERE ELSE Chapter 24: You want me to do what?

About this edition

• Publisher: Charles River Media
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 158450580X
• ISBN 13: 9781584505808
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 352