Designing Character-based Console Games
Designing Character-based Console Games

Author: Mark Davies

Publisher:

Published: 2007

Total Pages: 570

ISBN-13: 9781584505211

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In today's game market more games are developed for the Xbox?, PlayStation?, and Nintendo? systems than for the PC, so designers and developers need to hone their skills and learn console specific techniques in order to succeed in this very competitive field. Designing Character-Based Console Games delves into the intricacies and technical details of console design, while covering the broader aspects of design that apply to all types of games, including action-adventure, first person shooters, and role-playing games. It offers a starting point for any budding designer, a point of reference for anyone who wants to learn more about how games are made, and a few choice nuggets of information for the expert. By following the process of design from start to finish, the book teaches best-practice design methods to help designers avoid repeating common mistakes. It provides a thorough discussion of gameplay and how to design it effectively, and how to write the narrative and develop the characters. It explores the important aspects of a character-based game design, including game structure, character control, and combat. Specifics on viewpoint & cameras, artificial intelligence, physics, environments, audio, interface design, economies, and game balancing are also covered in detail.

Better Game Characters by Design
Better Game Characters by Design

Author: Katherine Isbister

Publisher: CRC Press

Published: 2022-04-29

Total Pages: 443

ISBN-13: 1000688860

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Games are poised for a major evolution, driven by growth in technical sophistication and audience reach. Characters that create powerful social and emotional connections with players throughout the game-play itself (not just in cut scenes) will be essential to next-generation games. However, the principles of sophisticated character design and interaction are not widely understood within the game development community. Further complicating the situation are powerful gender and cultural issues that can influence perception of characters. Katherine Isbister has spent the last 10 years examining what makes interactions with computer characters useful and engaging to different audiences. This work has revealed that the key to good design is leveraging player psychology: understanding what's memorable, exciting, and useful to a person about real-life social interactions, and applying those insights to character design. Game designers who create great characters often make use of these psychological principles without realizing it. Better Game Characters by Design gives game design professionals and other interactive media designers a framework for understanding how social roles and perceptions affect players' reactions to characters, helping produce stronger designs and better results.

Character-Driven Game Design
Character-Driven Game Design

Author: Petri Lankoski

Publisher: Taik Books

Published: 2011-05

Total Pages: 184

ISBN-13: 9526000021

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How do game characters contribute to shaping the playing experience? What kinds of design tools are available for character-based games that utilize methods from dramatic writing and game research? Writer Petri Lankoski has a theory for this. There is a need to tether character design to game design more tightly than has been the case in the past, as well as to pay attention to social networks of characters by the means of finding useful design patterns. “The use of Lajos Egri’s bone structure for a three dimensional-character and of Murray Smith’s three levels of imaginative engagement with characters allows the candidate to expose the full complexity of the imaginary persons represented and controlled in a single-player game. What makes his design-center approach even more interesting is that game play is an integral part of it.” Comments Bernard Perron, Associate Professor of Université de Montréal on Lankoski´s work.

Creating Characters with Personality
Creating Characters with Personality

Author: Tom Bancroft

Publisher: Watson-Guptill

Published: 2016-02-16

Total Pages: 162

ISBN-13: 0399578730

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From Snow White to Shrek, from Fred Flintstone to SpongeBob SquarePants, the design of a character conveys personality before a single word of dialogue is spoken. Designing Characters with Personality shows artists how to create a distinctive character, then place that character in context within a script, establish hierarchy, and maximize the impact of pose and expression. Practical exercises help readers put everything together to make their new characters sparkle. Lessons from the author, who designed the dragon Mushu (voiced by Eddie Murphy) in Disney's Mulan—plus big-name experts in film, TV, video games, and graphic novels—make a complex subject accessible to every artist.

Virtual Character Design for Games and Interactive Media
Virtual Character Design for Games and Interactive Media

Author: Robin James Stuart Sloan

Publisher: CRC Press

Published: 2015-05-07

Total Pages: 248

ISBN-13: 1466598204

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While the earliest character representations in video games were rudimentary in terms of their presentation and performance, the virtual characters that appear in games today can be extremely complex and lifelike. These are characters that have the potential to make a powerful and emotional connection with gamers. As virtual characters become more

Game Design
Game Design

Author: Jim Thompson

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Published: 2007-03-09

Total Pages: 193

ISBN-13: 0471968943

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Practical, complete coverage of game design basics from design process to production This full-color, structured coursebook offers complete coverage of game design basics, focusing on design rather than computer programming. Packed with exercises, assignments, and step-by-step instructions, it starts with an overview of design theory, then progresses to design processes, and concludes with coverage of design production. Jim Thompson, Barnaby Berbank-Green, and Nic Cusworth (London, UK) are computer game designers and lecturers in animation and computer game design.

Character Design from the Ground Up
Character Design from the Ground Up

Author: Kevin Crossley

Publisher: Hachette UK

Published: 2014-10-06

Total Pages: 208

ISBN-13: 178157183X

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All stories have characters, and whether its a film, game, book, or comic, all characters need to be designed. Character design has become a distinct discipline in the entertainment industry, and character designers are employed by film and game companies across the globe to bring life to scripts and ideas. In this book, illustrator and character designer Kevin Crossley provides a complete overview of character design. Starting with the basics of materials, equipment, and sofware, Kevin will explain the processes professional character designers follow to develop characters for publishing, games, and film. From ideas and thumbnails, anatomy and reference, through effective drawing, 3D mock-ups and full turnarounds, Kev explains how a character designer works to achieve professional results.

Level Up!
Level Up!

Author: Scott Rogers

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Published: 2010-09-29

Total Pages: 515

ISBN-13: 0470970928

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Design and build cutting-edge video games with help from video game expert Scott Rogers! If you want to design and build cutting-edge video games but aren’t sure where to start, then this is the book for you. Written by leading video game expert Scott Rogers, who has designed the hits Pac Man World, Maxim vs. Army of Zin, and SpongeBob Squarepants, this book is full of Rogers's wit and imaginative style that demonstrates everything you need to know about designing great video games. Features an approachable writing style that considers game designers from all levels of expertise and experience Covers the entire video game creation process, including developing marketable ideas, understanding what gamers want, working with player actions, and more Offers techniques for creating non-human characters and using the camera as a character Shares helpful insight on the business of design and how to create design documents So, put your game face on and start creating memorable, creative, and unique video games with this book!

Character Design Collection: Heroines
Character Design Collection: Heroines

Author: 3dtotal Publishing

Publisher: Character Design Collection

Published: 2021-05-04

Total Pages: 224

ISBN-13: 9781912843268

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New series Character Design Collection features 50 expert artists using professional techniques and approaches to create a library of inspiring sketches.

Video Game Storytelling
Video Game Storytelling

Author: Evan Skolnick

Publisher: Watson-Guptill

Published: 2014-12-02

Total Pages: 210

ISBN-13: 0385345836

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UNLOCK YOUR GAME'S NARRATIVE POTENTIAL! With increasingly sophisticated video games being consumed by an enthusiastic and expanding audience, the pressure is on game developers like never before to deliver exciting stories and engaging characters. With Video Game Storytelling, game writer and producer Evan Skolnick provides a comprehensive yet easy-to-follow guide to storytelling basics and how they can be applied at every stage of the development process—by all members of the team. This clear, concise reference pairs relevant examples from top games and other media with a breakdown of the key roles in game development, showing how a team’s shared understanding and application of core storytelling principles can deepen the player experience. Understanding story and why it matters is no longer just for writers or narrative designers. From team leadership to game design and beyond, Skolnick reveals how each member of the development team can do his or her part to help produce gripping, truly memorable narratives that will enhance gameplay and bring today’s savvy gamers back time and time again.