d esign in the g ame c offee d g c 2011 swery point 01: make gamers think about your game when they...

Design in the

Game

Coffee

D

G

C 2011 SWERY

Point 01: Make gamers think about your game when they aren't playing it

Point 02: Make gamers actively "want" to play through your meticulously scripted story

Point 03: Creating a storyline for a free roaming open world game

Point 04: Prevent players from quitting the game at the result screen

Point 05: Make appealing characters

Point 06: Direct voice recording sessions

Point 07: Use what‘s most important? Your…..

Today’s 7 Points

How to make gamers think about your game when they aren't

playing it.

Deadly Point 01：Games you don’t remember when you aren’t playing them

are already dead.

How to make gamers think about your game when they aren't playing it.

York smokes in the game, players smoke in front of TV

Causes

How to make gamers think about your game when they aren't playing it.

Eating, sleeping, and shaving in the game, reminds player outside of the game

Causes

How to make gamers think about your game when they aren't playing it.

Memorable and Relatable: “Fortune Telling Coffee” and “Conversations About Old Movies”

CausesRemembers

How to make gamers actively "want" to play through a

meticulously scripted story

Deadly Point 02：Being forced to play through a tightly bound storyline is a

chore.

How to make gamers actively "want" to play through a meticulously scripted story

Two Pre-Existing Methods for Creating a Sense of Freedom in a Story

01　 Multiple Endings Player’s intent expressed with “story branches”

02　 Side Quests Player’s intent expressed with “side trips”

Deadly Premonition Used a 3rd Method

03　 Freedom of Timing

Allow for a “change of heart”

How to make gamers actively "want" to play through a meticulously scripted story

Standard Quest Flow DP’s Quest Flow

Start

Challenge

Judged

Success Fail

HintEnd

Start

Challenge

Judged

Success Change of Heart

Free PlayEnd

Fail

Hint

How to make gamers actively "want" to play through a meticulously scripted story

Spy Fiction Deadly Premonition

By supporting and allowing for the player’s “Change of Heart” we strengthen the sense of “freedom” and mitigate the sense of “being forced to do something against our will”

Oh, no... Damn,

the mission's been

compromised!

Zach, that's exactly what I was thinking. It's times like these which remind me of why we get along so

well."

How to make gamers actively "want" to play through a meticulously scripted story

And…

Story follows up and confirms, player’s desire gets fulfilled.

Timing is what is important.

Timing.

Speed is not important.

How to make gamers actively "want" to play through a meticulously scripted story

Not being forced feels like you have freedom

Allow and approve player’s actions

Player feels empowered due to decisionbeing allowed

Allow for a “Retry” at anytime

Support the player’sActions 100%

Modify story to allow for it too

Relaxes the player’s mind to be immersed deeper into the story and generates stronger

will to cooperate and suspend disbelief

Earn the Player’s “Cooperation with the Story” and “Suspension of Disbelief”

STEP 01

STEP 02

STEP 03

Architecting a storyline for a free roaming open world game

Deadly Point 03：Vague and obscure characters, universe and environments

won't find a home in anyone's heart

Single Path Storyline DP’s Storyline

Synopsis

Plot

Map CharacterDetails

Architecting a storyline for a free roaming open world game

Character List

Script

Synopsis

Plot

Map CharacterDetails

Script

Character 24 HourAction TableDetailed Map

Why did we need to create our storyline this way?

Architecting a storyline for a free roaming open world game

The universe, the environment, and the characters are just as important as the storyline for a free roaming open world game.

Preventing players from quitting the game at the result screen

Deadly Point 04：Any game that prioritizes

“Getting the player to finish the game" over “Getting the player to want to learn more of the story“

is already dead.

Preventing players from quitting the game at the result screen

Normally Game Storylines Do This…

Challenge Hint Clear Reward Result

Each sequence in the progression path causes a desire to quit

DesireTo

quit

Preventing players from quitting the game at the result screen

For Deadly Premonition we did this…

Challenge Hint Clear

Reward

Result

Intentionally divulge bits of the next challenge before the result screen and generate the desire to find out what happens next

Desire to

conti-nue

NextChallenge

3 Tips for making appealing characters

Deadly Point 05： If you can't remember any of the names of the characters,

then you have a crappy game.

3 Tips for making appealing charactersAgent York’s Profile (Mind Map)

His first love, his favorite picture book as a child…Memo everything imaginable about him and generate a résumé

MainCharacter

FBI Special Agent

Age 32

Blood TypeAB＋

MethodicalHas Two

Sides

Grew Up Near

Washington D.C.

Graduated George

Washington University

Double Major in

Forensics & Psychology

Clear Headed Bold Watches

Movies and Cartoons

Loves his 80’s

movies

Inconsiderate

Smoker

① Résumé

And…

And…And…

And…

3 Tips for making appealing characters

Mimicable & Memorable = Fan Friendly

② Habits and Signature Phrases

Causes

A slick lookin’ agent, but…

Intentionally create a negative side to make the character much more relatable

3 Tips for making appealing characters③ We take the good. We take the bad. And...

A beautiful heroine, but… A nice guy, good with kids, but…

How I direct voice recording sessions

Deadly Point 06： Can't remember how the characters talked? That's ludicrous.

How I direct voice recording sessions

Agent York's manner of speech is inspired by "Liverpool Sound"

and "British Invasion"

How I direct voice recording sessions

Emily Wyatt: Nostalgic and yet fresh sounding, oldies pop

George Woodman:　 Violent, destructive, hard rock

Other Characters

Your “ideas”

Point 07：What‘s most important? Your…..

Unnoticed Ideas Explode When They Do Get Noticed!

Use all of your ideas while you can use them!

Point 01: Make what happens in the game resonate with the player outside of the game!

Point 02: "Freedom" in gameplay is the freedom of timing!

Point 03: The story is important, but the universe and characters are just as important!

Point 04: Incorrect: Intro, Development, Turn and Conclusion, then Result Screen Correct: Development, Turn, Conclusion, Intro then Result Screen

Point 05: ① Résumé ② Habits and Signature Phrases ③ We take the good. We take the bad. And...

Point 06: Agent York's manner of speech is inspired by "Liverpool Sound" and "British Invasion"

Point 07: Use all of your ideas while you can use them!

Review Today’s 7 Points

SWERY

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