IF I SHOULD DIE TODAY AN ÉRIC CHAHI INTERVIEW sf_gd_june10.pdf 1 4/29/2010 5:46:05 PM C M Y CM MY CY CMY K Create animated 3D interfaces using Scaleform GFx 3.2 CONTENTS.0810 VOLUME 17 NUMBER 7 POSTMORTEM 20 ACCESS GAMES’ DEADLY PREMONITION Access Games’ DEADLY PREMONITION had a long and difficult DEPARTMENTS development period that was beset by technical problems. The game was dragged from the precipice of cancellation several times and 2 GAME PLAN By Brandon Sheffield [EDITORIAL] ultimately persevered to become an underground hit. In this candid Constrained Design postmortem, the staff of Access Games describes how a passionate commitment to their game saw them through the production’s highs 4 HEADS UP DISPLAY [NEWS] and many lows. By SWERY and the staff of Access Games The link between review scores and sales, the Indie Fund, Fantastic Fest game festival, and more. FEATURES 34 TOOL BOX By Matthew Burns [REVIEW] 7 MAKE IT FAST! Unity Technologies' Unity Pro 3 Developing a social game in less than two months presents a challenge, but only after it is launched does the real work start. In an 37 THE INNER PRODUCT By Colin Crenshaw [PROGRAMMING] inside look at Zynga’s development process, Amitt Mahajan describes Downloadable Hero how the studio uses a client-server model in order to quickly tune play mechanics, add content to games, and stay on top of the 41 PIXEL PUSHER By Steve Theodore [ART] evolving Facebook platform. By Amitt Mahajan Trust Me 13 FINDING PERSONALITY IN GAMES 44 DESIGN OF THE TIMES By Damion Schubert [DESIGN] Designing characters that players will take to heart is a tricky The Casual/Hardcore Continuum business. It may seem easy; simply dress them in primary colors and slap on some attitude, but for every Sonic or Mega Man there are 46 EYE ON GDC By Staff [EDUCATION] countless Busby’s thrown into the dust bin of video game history. GDC board members announced and the Developer's Twisted Pixel’s Josh Bear looks beyond visual design and finds the Choice Awards. keys to creating appealing characters in the complex intersection of animation, audio, gameplay, and environment. By Josh Bear 47 AURAL FIXATION By Jesse Harlin [SOUND] Tools of the Trade 29 INTERVIEW: ÉRIC CHAHI After years in self-imposed exile from the game industry, ANOTHER 48 GOOD JOB! By Brandon Sheffield [CAREER] WORLD creator Éric Chahi has returned. Far from idle, Chahi spent much Dan Teasdale Q&A, new studios, and who went where. of the past decade on such diverse pursuits as volcano exploration and writing complex music synthesis software. These non-game 51 EDUCATED PLAY By Jeffrey Fleming [EDUCATION] experiences have had a deep influence on his design thinking and in Team 3's GEAR this interview he describes how witnessing the volcanic processes of the Earth first-hand led to his upcoming PROJECT DUST. By Brandon 56 ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT By Matthew Wasteland [HUMOR] Sheffield and Chris Remo A Day in the Life of an Email Alias COVER ART: ACCESS GAMES AND JOSEPH MITCH WWW.GDMAG.COM 1 GAME PLAN // BRANDON SHEFFIELD www.gdmag.com 600 Harrison St., 6th Fl., San Francisco, CA 94107 t: 415.947.6000 f: 415.947.6090 SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES FOR INFORMATION, ORDER QUESTIONS, AND ADDRESS CHANGES HEADLINECONSTRAINED t: 800.250.2429 f: 847.763.9606 DEK e: [email protected] FOR DIGITAL SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION DESIGN www.gdmag.com/digital THE SIMPLER THE GAME, THE MORE IMPORTANT YOUR DESIGN DECISIONS BECOME EDITORIAL PUBLISHER Simon Carless l [email protected] AROUND CHRISTMAS HERE IN there is a set placement for the game work versus other similar EDITOR-IN-CHIEF the office, a coworker was given icons or dots (what we might call products was a good reminder of Brandon Sheffield l [email protected] PRODUCTION EDITOR a very simple LCD game as a sprites in a traditional game), what’s important in game design. Jeffrey Fleming l [email protected] joke. The game was SUPER RACING which can simply be on or off. At this scale, basic elements ART DIRECTOR from Techno Source, and as we In SUPER RACING, the background of art, gameplay, and systems Joseph Mitch l [email protected] PRODUCTION INTERN kept it on a divider between is a road, and approaching cars design can have a huge impact on Tom Curtis our cubicles, the staff of Game are indicated by larger and larger fun—and so too in casual games CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Developer and Gamasutra wound identical vehicles that simulate and the social space. Jesse Harlin Steve Theodore up playing it more than any other increased proximity. Here’s PopCap’s BEJEWELED, for Daniel Nelson game we have in the office. where the first critical design instance, has had countless Soren Johnson Why would this be? There are choice comes in—the road is match-three imitators, but none Damion Schubert ADVISORY BOARD a few reasons that are beyond curved, and all the cars are have achieved the former’s Hal Barwood Designer-at-Large the scope of the game itself. First, drawn with some perspective, success. BEJEWELED wasn’t the Mick West Independent its simplicity is inviting—we can which helps tremendously with first game to use the matching Brad Bulkley Neversoft Clinton Keith Independent play it while having conversations the sense of motion, compared of three or more items as a Brenda Brathwaite Independent about our plan of attack for the to the straight-on perspective of main gameplay feature, but it Bijan Forutanpour Sony Online Entertainment Mark DeLoura Google day, or simply to take a break many LCD racers. succeeded because of its polish Carey Chico Independent from work, and it’s a very low Then, as a step to distinguish and attention to small details, time and mental investment. your car from the others (which from the physics of the jewels, ADVERTISING SALES This has obvious parallels to are all drawn the same way), to the satisfying sounds, to the GLOBAL SALES DIRECTOR casual and social games, which other cars never pass into your visually uncluttered interface Aaron Murawski e: [email protected] have low barriers to entry, horizontal space, so it’s more and large, colorful graphics. t: 415.947.6227 simple mechanics, and (in some like you’re aiming your vehicle Without that focus on minutiae, MEDIA ACCOUNT MANAGER John Malik Watson e: [email protected] cases) almost no consequence into open spaces than actually it would’ve been just another t: 415.947.6224 for failure. passing cars in real time. The puzzle game. GLOBAL ACCOUNT MANAGER, RECRUITMENT These lessons can be Gina Gross e: [email protected] Obviously the game is not an final piece of the puzzle is that t: 415.947.6241 amazing world-changing piece the pattern has a degree of extended throughout game GLOBAL ACCOUNT MANAGER, EDUCATION of software, but more than the randomization, so there’s always development. It’s obvious that Rafael Vallin e: [email protected] fact that it’s easy and available, at least one space for your car, polish helps a game, and that t: 415.947.6223 the game’s simple design does a but you pretty much never play critical design choices work best good job of reminding us of the the same wave twice. when finalized early. But when you ADVERTISING PRODUCTION importance of each decision we And that’s it! There are look at it on the scale of an LCD PRODUCTION MANAGER Pete C. Scibilia e: [email protected] make when developing a game. a few more flourishes, like game, a social game, or a casual t: 516-562-5134 beeps for feedback when the game, you begin to appreciate the HOW IT PLAYS cars advance, and a visual gravity of each choice. REPRINTS The aim is to race down a » hit state if you’re struck by Applying these lessons WRIGHT'S MEDIA track, avoiding (or passing) another vehicle, and of course to create a game of similar Ryan Pratt e: [email protected] all other cars along the way. the necessity for responsive constraints, or even simply t: 877.652.5295 Your car can absorb three hits control, but that’s by and large paper prototyping an idea seems before it’s game over, and there all standard stuff. The game like a good exercise to help you AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT are three waves, each with proves that with a combination refocus on what’s important, TYSON ASSOCIATES Elaine Tyson increasing speed. All you can do of a few smartly-realized and in fact got me unstuck in a e: [email protected] LIST RENTAL Merit Direct LLC t: 914.368.1000 is move right and left. So why is elements, you can turn even the recent project of my own. And it this fun? That’s where some very most simplistic of interactions turns out that stepping back and simple design and art choices into something enjoyable. analyzing what makes games MARKETING help to elevate this game above fun, even something as simple MARKETING SPECIALIST Mellisa Andrade e: [email protected] the rest (we’ve since tried other WHAT DOES IT MEAN? as SUPER RACING, can be a real LCD games here, and most are » This may all sound silly, help in terms of getting your nowhere near as good). but the fewer game elements priorities straight. So break out LCD games usually play on you have, the more important your favorite Game & Watch and a static field with an image, or each one becomes, and for get on with the analysis! no on background at all, and me, dissecting what made this —Brandon Sheffield 2 GAME DEVELOPER | AUGUST 2010 WWW.UBM.COM Power up your game with advanced pathfi nding and movement – done by the experts.