MarkSkaggs.com: Fast, Light and Right » New IP

Game Design: How to Make A Game

Mark Skaggs — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 14:30:17 +0000

Since I get the question a lot, here are the really simple steps for making a basic game.

1. Know the Game Pieces

a. List all the “game pieces” the player touches and interacts with during play.

b. Describe the game board where the pieces “sit”.

2. List the Player’s Goals

a. List the goals players want to achieve in the game (best score, most beautiful avatar, etc.).

b. Write down how players keep score.

3. Create the Rules of Play

a. Write down what each player does on their turn, including how they interact with other players.

b. Write the how each of the game pieces interact with the game board and other game pieces.

4. Play through the game and iterate until it’s fun.

a. Play through the game, either using pen and paper or creating paper cutouts to identify what’s fun and what’s not.

b. Get feedback from friends

c. Iterate until you know the game is fun and ready to be put into code, physical game pieces or whatever form you can share with the most people.

Start with these rules as a framework, and don’t be afraid to experiment and have fun.

These are the same basic steps I started with when making each game I’ve made, from FarmVille to Treasure Isle, C&C: Generals, Red Alert 2 and even NanoTek Warrior.

And don’t forget to have fun because, like the hokey pokey “that’s what it’s all about!”

Sparks of creativity

Mark Skaggs — Sun, 03 Oct 2010 18:46:54 +0000

Ever start a fire with flint and steel?

Small spark on some fine dry kindling …coax it, nurture it…shield it…feed it…give it room to breathe…

One wrong move and you can put it out before it gets going…even someone getting too close and accidentally breathing on it can put it out…or a pile of leaves can smother it.

That small spark can turn a small flame just for a lesson at Boy Scout camp or even the stone circled campfire for cooking and late night ghost stories…sometime even a powerful raging forest fire.

Sparks of creativity are like the tiny dots of fire that leap from flint and steel.

Everybody has them.

Next time, instead of letting life, work, hierarchy, bullies or lizard brain fear get in the way…take that spark and coax it, nurture it, shield it, feed it, give it room to breathe and keep the wet blankets off of it.

Whether it’s your spark or someone else’s, once it catches…and grows…the powerful ranging creativity “fire” can spread and change the world…or at least the face of gaming.

Trust the idea. I’ve seen it happen..whether it was on Nox, C&C: Generals, C&C: Red Alert 2, FarmVille or Treasure Isle.

Question is, what have you done with your sparks today?

EA “Take Two Not A Strategic Priority”

Mark Skaggs — Wed, 07 May 2008 15:27:19 +0000

Not that you should believe everything you believe, but www.gamesindustry.biz just posted an article full of quotes by Jeff Brown from EA.

I know Jeff, he’s a good guy and a master at public communication. He also makes some very clear comments (if he was quoted properly) about EA’s mindset about Take Two.

“Take-Two is just not a strategic priority for EA.”

“We think [Take Two's studios are] really great teams, that they’re creative people, and we would very much like to give them a home and access to our publishing capability, but we just don’t need it.”

Sounds like EA is moving on to “other opportunities”, especially with his comment about all the new IP in development.

Still, developing new successful IP is much harder than simply buying currently successful IP.

Also, there’s still the question of how EA is going to quickly grow revenues another billion or two billion dollars. (Maxis & Spore to the rescue?)

If the Take Two deal does fall through, there should be some interesting acquisition news in the next month or two.

Everyone knows that EA always has multiple irons in the fire right?