Video Game Design: Principles and Practices from the Ground Up

(Paperback)

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Description

Video Game Design is a visual introduction to integrating core design essentials, such as critical analysis, mechanics and aesthetics, prototyping, level design, into game design. Using a raft of examples from a diverse range of leading international creatives and award-winning studios, this is a must-have guide for budding game designers. Industry perspectives from game industry professionals provide fascinating insights into this creative field, and each chapter concludes with a workshop project to help you put what youve learnt into practice to plan and develop your own games. With over 200 images from some of the best-selling, most creative games of the last 30 years, this is an essential introduction to industry practice, helping readers develop practical skills for video game creation. This book is for those seeking a career making video games as part of a studio, small team or as an independent creator. It will guide you from understanding how games engage, entertain and communicate with their audience and take you on a journey as a designer towards creating your own video game experiences. Interviewees include: James Portnow, CEO at Rainmaker Games Brandon Sheffield, Gamasutra.com/Game Developer magazine Steve Gaynor, co-founder The Fullbright Company (Gone Home) Kate Craig, Environment Artist. The Fullbright Company (Gone Home) Adam Saltsman, creator of Canabalt & Gravity Hook Jake Elliott & Tamas Kemenczy, Cardboard Computer (Kentucky Route Zero) Tyson Steele, User Interface Designer, Epic Games Tom Francis, Game Designer, Gunpoint & Floating Point Kareem Ettouney, Art Director, Media Molecule. Little Big Planet 1 & 2, Tearaway. Kenneth Young, Head of Audio, Media Molecule Rex Crowle, Creative Lead, Media Molecule

Reviews

Offers readers a much more comprehensive view of the industry than other books of its kind. Practical game making information, analytic methods, and academic concepts are combined to give game designers a rich toolset for their own work. -- Christopher Totten, Game Artist in Residence, American University, Washington DC
An excellent, comprehensive book that successfully covers all areas of game design and development. It uses a good range of sources and a variety of styles and contexts. Easy to access and dip into. It's an ideal and thorough introduction to game design. * Ros Allen, University of Sunderland, UK *
Offers a complete breakdown of the process, context and application of how to make a game based on insightful information from a variety of studios at the cutting edge of game development. For anyone new to the subject area they will be under no illusion as to the depth of complexity and skill levels required to produce a video game for today's market place. From initial concept ideas and pre-production all the way to investment and management, the book goes to great lengths to cover all areas with as much clarity and precise, relevant information as possible. It is one of the best books available on the subject. -- Simon Reed, Course Leader BA Game Art, University of South Wales, UK
From games we play as kids in the schoolyard to video games we play as adults this well-designed book examines and explains the rules and mechanics that make them historically relevant for us humans. From the conceptual to the technical, dedicated chapters to every aspect of game design will help you understand the structure, depth and complexity of one of the most pervasive storytelling activities of our time. Aided by interviews with game makers, exercises and examples demonstrate how fluidity in a game arises from planning, execution and reiteration. But as the author states, and I could not agree more, If you want to make games, go make games. Make games, make mistakes and learn from them. This book helps you do just that. -- Arturo Sinclair, Assistant Professor, Media Arts, Sciences and Studies, Ithaca College, New York
Very rich in examples and exercises to develop necessary skills: a serious text for serious learners. * Luca Pulvirenti, Accademia di Belle Arti di Palermo, Italy *

Author Bio

Michael Salmond, Digital Media Design, Florida Gulf Coast University, USA. Michael is a digital interaction designer, video game artist and digital theorist. His work has been exhibited and published nationally, internationally and online. He has been teaching video game design and interaction design for over ten years in the UK and the USA. He is the co-author of The Fundamentals of Interactive Design (2013).