Game Design Workshop: A Playcentric Approach to Creating Innovative Games Author: Tracy Fullerton | Language: English | ISBN:
0240809742 | Format: PDF
Game Design Workshop: A Playcentric Approach to Creating Innovative Games Description
Master the craft of game design so you can create that elusive combination of challenge, competition, and interaction that players seek. This design workshop begins with an examination of the fundamental elements of game design; then puts you to work in prototyping, playtesting and redesigning your own games with exercises that teach essential design skills.
Workshop exercises require no background in programming or artwork, releasing you from the intricacies of electronic game production, so you can develop a working understanding of the essentials of game design.
- Paperback: 496 pages
- Publisher: CRC Press; 2 edition (February 8, 2008)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0240809742
- ISBN-13: 978-0240809748
- Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.5 x 0.9 inches
- Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
The top rating is well-deserved -- this book is both thorough and well-written. Fullerton provides in-depth discussion and a progressive approach to introducing the material. It begins with the absolute basics, discussing the basics of where game ideas come from, and ends with a treatise on the inner-workings of the game publishing industry.
I highly recommend this book to anyone looking to learn more about game development, as a trade, and especially for anyone looking to do it as a profession.
There were so many things to love about this book, but three things really stand out in my mind as being particularly awesome:
1. The "Designer Perspective" sidebars (insight into how some famous game designers got started and some behind-the-scenes knowledge about the industry)
2. The focus on iterative-design (prototype and test early and often)
3. The Exercises (real application exercises that hold your hand through the development of games, and of yourself as a career designer)
There were basically only two things I *didn't* like about this book, and they are purely circumstantial.
The first thing is that this book is college-textbook dense. Seriously. The page-count is just shy of 450 pages, and each page is divided into two columns, with a relatively small font-size. It was a beast to get through. There were many times when finishing the book felt like a daunting task, particularly towards the end.
The second thing that I wished was different was that the book's focus changes almost completely to digital game development (video games).
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