For any entertainment property knowing how to pitch it is integral to getting funding, backers, and sales.
A few weeks back, Paradox did an hour long stream on how to pitch to them. If you’re thinking of pitching to Paradox then you really need to watch it – or any other studio for that matter. They go into brand building, familiarity with consumers, and they reveal that game studios propose non-strategy games (90% of all pitches get rejected!). Be sure to know what a publisher actually publishes before pitching them!
Paradox takes board games pitches on based on their intellectual property, and of course the best way to do that is to send them a copy of the game. For more on board game pitches check out the panel we did with Bamboozle Brothers at Board Game Jam.
Never just pitch an idea – show something that reveals it!
You have to be really short and concise with you pitch! Panelists on the Pitching Secrets Revealed session at GDC 2013 all agree that you should use the minimum amount of time you need to describe your game, then use any remaining time to go into more details. For example, if you have a 15 minute pitch session you should use the first 5 to deliver your pitch and the rest of the time to answer questions.
Pitch for a card game
Similarly, at GDC Europe in 2014 Rami Ismail (from Vlambeer) gave a talk about how to sell and why it’s important to be able to do pitch well. Basically, if you don’t know how to talk about your game then you can’t sell it. And if you can’t pitch it then you can’t sell it. If you can keep the summary of your game in one sentence then that’s even better.
Level design is a key part of game design because it forms what the player has to do and the environment in which the player performs. The look and the feel of a level can change how a player plays and how immersed the player feels, because of this level design ought to be consciously thought through with intent.
If any of the material below gets you more interested in level design you can keep on researching. There are links below to good GDC Vault presentations. Another great resource for level designers is Level-Design.org.
Conceptual approaches to level design:
“Spaces like identities are constructed.” Is the summation of the this video and it’s worth watching!
Level Design Histories and Futures Robert Yang examines how level design tools and techniques have evolved over the years. Towards the end he argues that we ought to use architecture terms to talk about levels (I agree!). The talk finishes at the end looking into possible futures of level designs.
Gain deep insights into the level design process for our industry’s biggest games, including Gears of War, Bioshock, and Skyrim in this intense day-long tutorial, moderated by Coray Seifert. The most respected voices in level design weigh in on all aspects of their craft, engage with attendees via numerous Q&A sessions, and offer a once-in-a-career opportunity: a mock interview with a panel of the most veteran level designers in the business.
Gradients on limited palettes, dust clouds kicked up in places where there is no dust, bouncy tweens on hard rocks — through the idea that adding polish makes a game feel more alive, we’re actually losing a level of immersion. There has been such a tremendous focus on putting eye candy in our games that the context doesn’t get considered.
While there exists a myriad of well-documented algorithms for generating procedural content, the combination and usage of these techniques is far more of an art than a science, and one that’s inherently unique to each game project. In this talk, lead engineer Zach Aikman will discuss a few different failed approaches before presenting a detailed breakdown of Galak-Z’s dungeon generator, including its usage of some unorthodox math, and his thoughts on the proper balance between hand-crafted and procedural content.
Jobye Carmaker works at Ubisoft and has made a ton of levels. On his blog he reflects on some key things that he takes into consideration when making levels. He tries to use assets in creative ways to ensure a playable experience while adding texture, narrative, and more to each level.
Imperfection – This is a tenant I’ve carried with me ever since our very first high-level Art Direction meeting with Scott Lee. One of the art pillars of Splinter Cell: Blacklist was Imperfection. That’s something that applies whether you’re making something for a war-torn map, an abandoned warehouse or a perfectly pristine government facility or private estate. Nothing in life is ever really perfect. There’s always some sort of imperfection whether it be in its placement, its shape, its material quality (this is where you get a lot of your imperfections for ‘clean’ environments), etc.
This talk will focus on the subtle aspects of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive level design which have proven critical to creating a successful, popular, and well-designed experience for professional players and those aspiring to become professional players. Designing levels for Counter-Strike: GO is illustrative of broader challenges in multiplayer game design. For instance, Counter-Strike levels should always reward players and teams for skillful play, while at the same time providing ample opportunities for individual and team creativity.
Ben Burkart reveals eight secrets of multiplayer maps over at 80 Level. It’s good series of tips to keep in mind when making multiplayer experiences.
It is always important to have a goal and purpose for your level, deciding this early on should influence how you make decisions regarding layout/visuals/balancing through every step of your levels creation. When preparing to design your level you should have a clear indication as to what kind of visual theme you are going for as it should influence your layout as well as allow you to get the right assets together or to get a better idea of what kind of assets you are going to need.
Just for fun:
A fast level design exercise making a medieval inn:
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