Video Game Design: Game content: An Open Learning Guide

The importance of having a good portfolio of conceptual art in the early steps of game implementation is extremely important not only to permit a richer visualization of the concept but to coordinate development across a team of developers.

The game content can be static or dynamic, in relation to movement, and depending on how it is created (set or procedural) and even a mix of both, generation can also be in real-time or from storage data, this is mostly dependent by the level of interaction or hardware capability.

Presentation in a game, like in most things in real life is extremely important. The wow factor, the creative ways simple mundane things can be changed so that the player becomes engrossed in the production is one of the more important factors for the success of a game.

Presentation encompasses how all visuals of the game are utilized, from selecting between a 2D or 3D implementation to the quality of all game artwork, from in-game artifacts to real life marketing adds and exposure and game boxes designs.

There are many repositories of freely licensed content that one can use not only for prototyping games, but even to build a fully fledged game implementation.

OpenGameArt.org (http://opengameart.org/) - a all type of media repository with varying copyleft status intended for use with free software game projects.

ccMixter (http://ccmixter.org/) - a community music site that promotes remix culture and makes samples, remixes, and a cappella tracks licensed under Creative Commons available for download and re-use in creative works.

The Freesound Project (http://www.freesound.org/) - a repository of Creative Commons licensed audio samples. Sounds uploaded to the website by its users cover a wide range of subjects, from field recordings to synthesized sound effects.

Game composition has much in common with cinematography and animation. Like in movies most games tend to tell a story, even if in an interactive way. Anyone doing a 3D game today should learn for instance on how properly do camera cuts, wide angles and montage. Understand the relation between the focal point and the zero plane.

Animations are one example of dynamic content, they may be necessary in a game for plot advancements or to provide background information. The level of complexity of the production may require also a more complex staff, writes, directors and animators are often utilized. Since cinematics, the use of cinematic techniques; producing material that will make effective cinema viewing would be important.

Source and licence

Text adapted from Video Game Design/Game content by Wikibooks contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0. Paragraphs have been selected and abridged, and formatting adjusted. This adapted text is shared under the same licence. Contributor history.