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““METHOD”METHOD”
Cerny Games, Inc.Mark Cerny
““METHOD”METHOD”
1. Pre-Production vs. Production2. “Publishable” First Playable3. Macro vs Micro Design4. Gameplay Testing
Method, part 1: Method, part 1: Preproduction vs. ProductionPreproduction vs. Production
“Capturing Lightning”
Pre-Production
“Building the game”
Production
“IT IS POSSIBLE TO PLAN AND SCHEDULE THE CREATION OF YOUR GAME”
MYTH #1: PLANNING
Pre-Production: Pre-Production: Managing Chaos Managing Chaos
• assemble core team• create successive prototypes• prototypes become like game levels
“WORKING PRODUCTIVELY MEANS THROWING OUT NOTHING.”
MYTH #2: PRODUCTIVITY
Pre-Production Pre-Production
• you are not making a game
3 C's: character, camera, control game look key technology holistic game design (if appropriate)
• you are making a game design
Pre-Production Pre-Production
• take chances • build without knowledge of moveset• build without knowledge of tech limits• don’t know the context of what you’re
working on • etc…
“cutting edge technology is important, so build your technology first.”
MYTH #3: TECHNOLOGY
TECHNOLOGY TECHNOLOGY STANDARD PRACTICE STANDARD PRACTICE
Create Design Document
Create “Required Technology” Document
Build Technology
Build Game
DOUBLE-TRACK IT! DOUBLE-TRACK IT!
• Build, borrow or buy “Quick and Dirty” Tech for rapid prototyping
• Build “Cutting Edge” Tech for actual game
“FREQUENT PROJECT REVIEW IS IS ESSENTIAL TO GOOD MANAGEMENT.”
MYTH #4: MILESTONES
Pre-production and milestonesPre-production and milestones
• negotiated term for Pre-Production• strict deliverables for Pre-Production
first playable macro design
• results of experiments are visible externally• no “stench of failure”
• “offline” status for team during Pre-Production
Deliverables at end of Pre-Production
• “Publishable” First Playable• Macro Game Design
MYTH #5:
“ALPHA = FIRST PLAYABLE”
Method, Part 2: Method, Part 2: The First Playable The First Playable
OVERVIEW
• two levels• all local features, global features as appropriate• publishable quality
First Playable ChecklistFirst Playable Checklist Two levels of publishable quality, with:
__ player behavior fully defined __ basic technology done
__ enemy/obstacle behavior fully defined
__ art direction in place
__ all local features included, global features included as required
__ a touch of variety
__ scope of game defined
“A cancelled project is a sign of bad management or a bad team.”
MYTH #6: KILLING GAMES
Canceling Projects Canceling Projects
• Team cannot create “Publishable” First Playable
• First Playable shows game not worth publishing
• Your project will not miraculously get better during Production!
Method, Part 3: Method, Part 3: Macro vs Micro Design Macro vs Micro Design
• Macro in hand at start of Production• Micro created during Production
“THE MORE DEFINED YOUR INITIAL VISION, THE BETTER”
MYTH #7: DESIGN DOCUMENTS
“I NEED A 100-PAGE DOCUMENT DESCRIBING MY GAME.”
MYTH #7: DESIGN DOCUMENTS
Why no 100-page design document? Why no 100-page design document?
• waste of resources• deceptive and misleading• sets direction prior to verification of fundamentals
Method, Part 3: Method, Part 3: Macro vs Micro Design Macro vs Micro Design
Macro Design__ five pages__ character and moveset__ exotic mechanics__ level structure, size and count__ level contents__ overarching structure – linear, hub__ macro chart
Macro Chart Macro Chart locale level
structure exoticgameplay
required for level entry
received in level
1 Jungle 3-D Egg
2 Volcano 3-D run from lava Egg
3 Snow 2-D ice (training) Egg
4 Desert 3-D motorcycle 1 egg Egg
5 Locale A 2-D - 2 eggs Egg
6 Snow 2-D ice 4 eggs Key
7 Locale B BOSS - Key open hub 2
Benefits of a Benefits of a Macro Design Macro Design
• can accurately schedule Production
• can track progress during Production
• prevents feature creep and feature drop
• properly circumscribes creativity
[Macro Design extras] [Macro Design extras]
• brief story
• conceptual art
• acquired abilities or inventory (holistic games only)
Micro Design Micro Design
Micro Design• script• level maps• enemy descriptions, behaviors• puzzle descriptions• special gameplay descriptions• and much more
“If you want to make a hit, listen to the consumer.”
MYTH #8: THE CONSUMER
What You'll Learn from a Focus Test What You'll Learn from a Focus Test
• What's popular as of ten minutes ago
• How not to stand out
• The feature list of every recent game that was pretty good
Gameplay Testing Gameplay Testing
• two to five times
• watch what they do
• quantitative analysis
SETTING IT UP SETTING IT UP
• preproduction-based funding• greenlight is at first playable• best and brightest• ‘housekeeping’ deal during preproduction• production as usual
SETTING IT UP SETTING IT UP
• In the event of cancellation…• Publisher owns IP, but cannot develop it
with another team• Developer may purchase IP at cost of
development to date
Developer Risks Developer Risks
• Lack of full-term publisher commitment• Full team not employed during pre-
production• Uncomfortable level of transparency to
publisher
Publisher Risks Publisher Risks
• Start projects with only a rough release date• Preproduction is expensive• No milestones = no pressure?
Publisher Benefits Publisher Benefits
• Low cost of entry for projects• Very close publisher/developer relationship• Accurate production schedule and budget
Thank YouThank You