Game design
In the context of computer game development, game design refers to the theoretical conception of game worlds, rules and characters with a view to a specific target group.
Range of tasks
In relation to the overall game development process , game design encompasses all subtasks that are required for creating the game vision and the game world (including the characters living there and the prevailing laws). For this purpose, narrative and interactive elements are combined , depending on the game . Depending on the target group, ethical and psychological aspects are also taken into account and included in the schedule. The preparatory work with regard to the marketing aspects of the product (here knowledge of the target group is of central importance) are often part of the game designer's areas of responsibility.
The result (the products) of game design in the narrower sense is a group of written design documents or game concepts . The theoretical game concept is often accompanied by a supplementary prototyping , ie the development of a (technically, playfully and multimedia "simple" - that should at least be the goal) game version, which can be used to gain a basic impression of the later gameplay in advance . With the help of the prototypes, the game concept is checked and refined before its completion. In this way, ambiguities and gaps in the game concept can be identified and eliminated in advance, before the costly implementation of the game version intended for sale by other specialists (programmers, graphic artists, musicians, designers) begins.
Despite the theoretical character of the conceptual work and the rather prototypical function of a possibly implemented preliminary version, game design cannot take place completely independently of the later technical platform targeted in the final version . Particularly with regard to usability and gameplay , questions that may initially seem very "technical" and not very relevant to the game can very well be serious in their effects. (Consider, for example, the atmospheric or control-related effects if an interactive 2D instead of a 3D world were used in a role-playing game , or the economic damage if the performance of the computer hardware or network infrastructure of the players turned out to be poor In general, it can be said that game designers can also serve other areas of game development (often programming or art) in order to understand the background and the interfaces and communication protocols. Only then can a concept be implemented in the increasingly complex game industry.
Study and training
For some years now, there has been the possibility in German-speaking countries to learn game design formally as a degree or as a training occupation. It must be taken into account that the majority of these offers give the term a wider definition than the terminology used in the game industry , in that they also integrate or even focus on typical tasks of the downstream development process (such as programming , graphic design, etc.).
Not an exhaustive list of some private and public universities offering game design as a degree or focus:
- Berlin University of Technology and Economics , Game Design BA
- Cologne Game Lab of the TH Köln
- Games Academy Berlin / Frankfurt
- Trier University of Applied Sciences , Intermedial Design
- Media campus of the Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences
- Media design University of Düsseldorf
- School for Games , Berlin
- HTBLuVA Vienna 5 Spengergasse , Vienna
- media Academy - Stuttgart University of Applied Sciences (mAHS), Stuttgart
- Bib International College , Paderborn, Hanover, Bergisch Gladbach, Bielefeld
- Harz University of Applied Sciences , Wernigerode
- University of Kaiserslautern , Virtual Design BA
Well-known game designers
- Alexei Paschitnow , Tetris
- Cevat Yerli , Far Cry , Crysis , Crysis 2
- Chris Roberts , Wing Commander , Star Citizen
- Daniel Dumont , Patrician 2/3/4, Port Royale 1/2/3, Darkstar One , Grand Ages: Medieval
- Gerald Köhler , kick-off and other football managers
- Hideki Kamiya , Resident Evil 2 , Devil May Cry , Bayonetta
- Hideo Kojima , Metal Gear
- Hironobu Sakaguchi , Final Fantasy , Blue Dragon
- John Carmack , Wolfenstein 3D , Doom , Quake
- Markus Persson , (called: "Notch"), Minecraft
- Michel Ancel , Rayman , Beyond Good & Evil
- Peter Molyneux , Populous , Dungeon Keeper , Black & White
- Ralf Glau , The Hanseatic League
- Richard Garriott , (called: "Lord British"), Ultima series
- Roberta Williams , King's Quest , Time Zone
- Ron Gilbert , Monkey Island , Maniac Mansion , Zak McKracken
- Shigeru Miyamoto , Super Mario series, Donkey Kong , Zelda series
- Shinji Mikami , Resident Evil , Dino Crisis , The Evil Within, Vanquish
- Sid Meier , Sid Meier's Colonization , Sid Meier's Civilization
- Tim Schafer , Day of the Tentacle , Grim Fandango
- Toby Gard , Tomb Raider , Tomb Raider: Legend , Galleon
- Todd Howard , The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim , Fallout 3 , Fallout 4
- Volker Wertich , Die Siedler , SpellForce , BattleForge
- Warren Spector , Wing Commander , Deus Ex
- Will Wright , SimCity , The Sims , Spore
- Yū Suzuki , Virtua Fighter , Shenmue , Out Run
- Yūji Naka , Sonic the Hedgehog , Phantasy Star , Phantasy Star Online , Samba de Amigo
literature
- Björn Bartholdy , Linda Breitlauch , André Czauderna and Gundolf S. Freyermuth: Studying games - what, how, where? State courses in the field of digital games. transcript Verlag, Bielefeld 2018, ISBN 978-3-8376-4032-8 .
- Bob Bates : Game Design - Concept, Creation, Marketing. Sybex, Cologne 2002, ISBN 3-8155-0433-3 .
- Michael Bhatty : Interactive Story Telling - For the historical development and conceptual structuring of interactive stories. Shaker Verlag , Aachen 1999, ISBN 3-8265-6717-X .
- Chris Crawford : On game design New Riders. Boston NY 2003, ISBN 0-13-146099-4 .
- Andrew Rollings, Dave Morris: Game Architecture and Design. New riders. Boston NY 2000, ISBN 0-7357-1363-4 .
- Eric Zimmerman, Katie Salen: Rules of Play. Game Design Fundamentals. The MIT Press, Massachusetts 2004, ISBN 0-262-24045-9 .
- Natascha Adamowsky (Ed.): Digital Modernism. Matthias Zimmermann's model worlds . Hirmer Verlag, Munich 2018, ISBN 978-3-7774-2388-3 .
Web links
- Game design training: daddling to a dream job - Unispiegel
- Information about game development and game design at Gamasutra.com English
- Game designer - a demanding job with a management function
Individual evidence
- ↑ Game design studies. In: medienstudienfuehrer. © Copyright 2017, TarGroup Media GmbH & Co KG, accessed on March 5, 2018 .
- ↑ Virtual Design - made in KL. Retrieved May 29, 2019 .