This tutorial is for everyone out there who might have suffered the dilemma of coming up with a totally awesome video game idea, but didn’t know what to do to turn this idea into a reality. The first step to this process is easy… write it down!
There are two different ways that
you can go about making your video game of awesomeness. You can:
a) Do it yourself or
b) Get a job in a game company
a) If you choose to create the game yourself, you will need to train
yourself in all the aspects of video game design; Designing, drawing, modeling,
programming, etc, as well as learn management, business and marketing skills. The first step for all this will be to draft a game design document, but more about that will be described later. You may even choose to go back to school if you wish to accomplish your goal this way.
Make sure that you learn as much as you can about computers, art, music and business as well. This way you will be prepared for any challenge that may come your way.
b) If you choose step two, you may have a way to go, but at least you will have the connections. Write your idea down, and along the way, re-write your idea over and over in whatever new format exists at the time for a game designer. Also, try to come up with more than one idea – If one does not work out, you will always be able to fall back on another one. After having a portfolio of game ideas and designs, find a game company and take a job – any job – that you can. Now that you are inside a company, you will have the opportunity to learn the process on how games are made and what you might need to do to get one of your games in there. Do not get discouraged if your designs never get made into playable games. Instead, learn from the company and make your current ideas better and better until they do get created.
Both of these paths require the first same step: Writing. You have to write down your game idea. There are three levels of documents, each one having a particular purpose.
The Concept Paper – this document is fairly short. The concept paper describes just the basic idea of your game in exiting terms so that someone can get excited about your game, making them wanting to know more.
The Treatment – The treatment tells someone more about your game, maybe ten to twenty pages worth. This documents purpose is to answer any questions that a lender or publisher might have before they risk any money on your idea.
The Game Design Document – A full description of every aspect of the game, so that anyone from any position on the team dedicated towards your game knows what needs to be done and how to do it.
Both paths require the 3 P’s: Perseverance, Passion and lots of Perspiration!
Before you continue, ask yourself this: Do you want to be a game designer, or just come up with the ideas? If you just want to come up with the ideas, there is a 100% chance that your game will not me made. Why? Because your idea must not be worth enough to you to be made a game because you do not want to work hard to get it done. If you are willing to put in the effort to get your game created, please continue with these readings and tutorials.
No matter what path you choose, your final destination is the same: being an active member of the Game Industry.
---End Part 1
