Working in The Computer Working in The Computer Game Industry Game Industry Tony Asleson Tony Asleson Human Code/Sapient 2000 Human Code/Sapient 2000
Business Model Business Model How games get funded and created (simplified) How games get funded and created (simplified) ● Studio has a great idea Studio has a great idea ● Pitch idea to a publisher Pitch idea to a publisher ● Publisher likes it and funds it Publisher likes it and funds it ● Studio builds game Studio builds game ● Producer puts game into production Producer puts game into production ● Game box ends up on your favorite Game box ends up on your favorite store shelf for everyone to buy store shelf for everyone to buy
Business Model Business Model How games get funded and created (real world) How games get funded and created (real world) Game accepted Game Realized Studio has idea 4000 year Studio misses milestone < 15 Publisher year > 40000 Publisher changes mind year Any number of reasons Game Rejected/ Game successful Canceled
Business Model Business Model How games get funded and created (real world) How games get funded and created (real world) ● Only studios that create a game that ships Only studios that create a game that ships >300,000 copies get royalties >300,000 copies get royalties ● Typically studio gets 5% of royalties, Typically studio gets 5% of royalties, publisher gets 95% publisher gets 95% ● Publishers can own all intellectual property Publishers can own all intellectual property used in the game, so the studio has to start used in the game, so the studio has to start from scratch if they work for another from scratch if they work for another publisher publisher ● Very few people in the game industry drive Very few people in the game industry drive Ferraris Ferraris
Careers in Computer Careers in Computer Game Creation Game Creation ● Artist Artist ● Designer Designer ● Audio (Musician/Sound effects) Audio (Musician/Sound effects) ● Developer Developer ● Producers Producers
Artist Artist ● Role Role Create all the visual game content for computer games Create all the visual game content for computer games – ● Education Education College degree desired College degree desired – Varies, personal interaction with BFA (Bachelor Fine Arts) Varies, personal interaction with BFA (Bachelor Fine Arts) – ● Skills relative to interactive game construction Skills relative to interactive game construction Produce the best looking content while working within the Produce the best looking content while working within the – technical game constraints technical game constraints Ability to visualize 3D space Ability to visualize 3D space – Experience with popular software packages Experience with popular software packages – ● Maya Maya ● SoftImage SoftImage ● 3D Studio Max 3D Studio Max
Conceptual Artwork Conceptual Artwork
Conceptual Artwork Conceptual Artwork
Artwork Artwork 3D Data 3D Data
Tool Demos Tool Demos ● PhotoShop PhotoShop – Bitmap graphics editor Bitmap graphics editor – Used for creating concept work and Used for creating concept work and textures for 3D models textures for 3D models ● Rhinoceros Rhinoceros – Dedicated 3D modeler (NURBS) Dedicated 3D modeler (NURBS) ● Maya Maya – Commonly used application used for Commonly used application used for generating 3D game content generating 3D game content
Designer Designer ● Responsible for overall design of game Responsible for overall design of game ● Has vision of what the game should Has vision of what the game should ultimately be ultimately be
Designer (cont.) Designer (cont.) Defines all or part of the following areas: Defines all or part of the following areas: ● – Story line Story line – Game play Game play – Rules Rules – Characters Characters ● Personalities Personalities ● Strengths/Weaknesses Strengths/Weaknesses – Sounds (what, where, when, and why) Sounds (what, where, when, and why) – Level layouts Level layouts ● Number of levels Number of levels – Camera angles Camera angles – Art elements, look and feel Art elements, look and feel – Create character AI (Artificial intelligence) depends on AI Create character AI (Artificial intelligence) depends on AI and the designer skills (shared with game developer and the designer skills (shared with game developer typically) typically)
Designer (cont.) Designer (cont.) ● Education Education – College degree preferred College degree preferred – Varies, can be from a technical or creative discipline Varies, can be from a technical or creative discipline ● Skills Skills – Creative (needs many ideas) Creative (needs many ideas) – Good written skills (documentation) Good written skills (documentation) – Must love games in general, not just playing but Must love games in general, not just playing but thinking about them and dissecting a game to its thinking about them and dissecting a game to its smallest components smallest components – Attention to detail Attention to detail
Designer trends* Designer trends* ● Recently designers are being separated into two classifications – Game design, rules and more high level design – Level design or 3D layout ● Design is being pushed into the art realm as scenes are getting higher quality as hardware gets faster *Recent input from John Talley, Technology director ion storm *Recent input from John Talley, Technology director ion storm
Audio Audio (Musicians/Sound Effects) (Musicians/Sound Effects) Role Role Role Role ● ● – Create original sound tracks and effects sounds for game – Create original sound tracks and effects sounds for game Create original sound tracks and effects sounds for game Create original sound tracks and effects sounds for game Education Education Education Education ● ● – College degree preferred. Varies, typically someone one – College degree preferred. Varies, typically someone one College degree preferred. Varies, typically someone one College degree preferred. Varies, typically someone one with either a musical background or technical with either a musical background or technical with either a musical background or technical with either a musical background or technical Skills Skills Skills Skills ● ● – Ability to compose music – Ability to compose music Ability to compose music Ability to compose music – Understand latest recording techniques – Understand latest recording techniques Understand latest recording techniques Understand latest recording techniques Samples Samples Samples Samples ● ● – Human Code – Human Code Human Code Human Code – Slot car game – Slot car game Slot car game Slot car game
Developer Developer Role Role ● Design and implement the actual game Design and implement the actual game – (Programming/Engineering) (Programming/Engineering) Education Education ● Varies, typically BSCS, BSCE or related engineering field Varies, typically BSCS, BSCE or related engineering field – Skills Skills ● Math Math – Physics Physics – AI AI – Software engineering Software engineering – Sample Sample ● Slot car demo Slot car demo –
Producer Producer ● Responsible for managing the game Responsible for managing the game development development – Budget Budget – Personnel needs Personnel needs – Handles communication between studio & Handles communication between studio & publisher publisher – Handles licensing issues Handles licensing issues – Any other roles as necessary Any other roles as necessary ● College degree preferred (BA, MBA) College degree preferred (BA, MBA)
Basics of 3D Basics of 3D Computer Graphics Computer Graphics ● Ultimately everything you see on your screen is: Ultimately everything you see on your screen is: – Points Points – Lines Lines – Triangles Triangles ● All triangles are typically texture mapped to All triangles are typically texture mapped to improve realism improve realism ● 3D Games created today all use hardware 3D Games created today all use hardware acceleration for the rendering process acceleration for the rendering process
Some Problems of Some Problems of Computer Game Development Computer Game Development ● Graphics (speed improvements) Graphics (speed improvements) – Why Why ● Games are real-time interactive environments Games are real-time interactive environments which need to provide 24+ frames/sec to provide which need to provide 24+ frames/sec to provide good game play good game play ● Hardware, although vastly improved needs to be Hardware, although vastly improved needs to be even faster even faster ● Give an artist a polygon, he will ask for 100x more Give an artist a polygon, he will ask for 100x more – How How ● Culling example Culling example ( (Frustrum Frustrum) ) ● Muti-resolution mesh example Muti-resolution mesh example (mrm) (mrm) ● Many, many other algorithms Many, many other algorithms
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