Development Discussion February 5 2010

Pitch one: Extreme Chemistry Simulator Pro

A game to teach 8-12 year olds Chemistry and Biology.

Ideas:

• Applied science like Mythbusters is entertaining
• Cooking mama is fun but you don't actually learn how to cook.
• Get sponsored by Bill Nye
• Kids are against "the point of this game is to teach me" so instead teach them along the way to another goal.
• Balance learning and other aspects of the game. Parents want a higher learning percentage.
• Experimentation
• If they don't want to learn you need to motivate them.
• Not possible to get a lot of heavy science in the game.
• The ClueFinders

Pitch two: Slingshot tree game

Eric Raue pitched a game he's working on for IAT 410 which has a slingshot as an essential experience.

Comments/Ideas:

• Want more options for strategy
• To throw a seed to plant a tree it should grow first and this gives the opponent a chance to target it.
• Instead of growing a tree anywhere, fertile soil patches would require the player to aim.
• What about defense? Both players could setup their shots and then they would fire at the same time.
• Trees could weigh down platforms
• Play with the narrative: leaves, pollen, hippies chained to trees, beavers
• Hit thunder clouds over a tree to set the tree on fire with lightning.
• Have night and day cycle with weather
• Coniferous or deciduous tree types and weather that affects them
• It is difficult to estimate how wind will affect the shot so instead rely on environmental obstacles instead.

Game Design Education

Game design education at an academic level is often not focused on material that is actually useful in designing games.

Points

• companies are looking for experience; usually 2-3 years
• how do you work under pressure?
• classes should be taught by dynamic people who are able to learn and teach new things
• students should make many games
• students should modify and iterate their games multiple times
• be innovative
• there is no common game design language