Designing a Game Concept

A game concept, in its simplest form, is the easy-to-understand vision you have for your game. It's also a way for you to sell your game idea. Your game concept should include exactly what the game is and what creating it involves. This includes the story, the art, and how you're going to make money with the game.

During this topic you will learn how to research and create your vision for your video game.

Term 3 + 4 KO - Year 11.pptx

Investigating Game Genres

A video game genre is a specific category of games related by similar gameplay characteristics. Video game genres are not usually defined by the setting or story of the game or its medium of play, but by the way the player interacts with the game.

Genres may encompass a wide variety of games, leading to even more specific classifications called subgenres. For example, an action game can be classified into many subgenres such as platform games and fighting games. Some games, most notably browser and mobile games, are commonly classified into multiple genres.

Popular Game Genres

- Sandbox

- Real-Time Strategy(RTS)

- Shooters (FPS and TPS)

- Multiplayer Online Battle Arena(MOBA)

- Role-playing(RPG,ARPG, and More)

- Simulation and Sports

- Puzzlers and Party game

- Action-adventure

- Survival and Horror

- Platformer

Investigating Game Objectives and Gameplay Loops

A Gameplay Loop is a game design term that is used to describe the repetitive activities that a player will take while playing a game. It, essentially, defines what the player DOES while playing. Every level you complete in Super Mario, Pokemon you catch in Pokemon Go, and level you gain in Final Fantasy XV is an example of one (or more) gameplay loops.

Designing a Game Concept

Planning a Digital Game concept

This slideshow explains the basics of planning a digital game concept. Starting by gathering ideas and refining them all the way to the narrative of your game, what will be happening and why are you actually playing.

Designing a Digital game Proposal

Designing a Digital Game Proposal

Content Descriptors:

There are a number of descriptors which allow developers to accurately show what elements are in the game.

These are:

Violence: The game contains depictions of violence. In games rated PEGI 7 this can only be non-realistic or non-detailed violence. Games rated PEGI 12 can include violence in a fantasy environment or non-realistic violence towards human-like characters, whereas games rated PEGI 16 or 18 have increasingly more realistic-looking violence.
Bad Language: The game contains bad language. This descriptor can be found on games with a PEGI 12 (mild swearing), PEGI 16 (e.g. sexual expletives or blasphemy) or PEGI 18 rating (e.g. sexual expletives or blasphemy).
Fear: This descriptor may appear on games with a PEGI 7 if it contains pictures or sounds that may be frightening or scary to young children, or on PEGI 12 games with horrific sounds or horror effects (but without any violent content).
Gambling: The game contains elements that encourage or teach gambling. These simulations of gambling refer to games of chance that are normally carried out in casinos or gambling halls. Some older titles can be found with PEGI 12 or PEGI 16, but PEGI changed the criteria for this classification in 2020, which made that new games with this sort of content are always PEGI 18.
Sex: This content descriptor can accompany a PEGI 12 rating if the game includes sexual posturing or innuendo, a PEGI 16 rating if there is erotic nudity or sexual intercourse without visible genitals or a PEGI 18 rating if there is explicit sexual activity in the game. Depictions of nudity in a non-sexual context do not require a specific age rating, and this descriptor would not be necessary.
Drugs: The game refers to or depicts the use of illegal drugs, alcohol or tobacco. Games with this content descriptor are always PEGI 16 or PEGI 18.
Discrimination: The game contains depictions of ethnic, religious, nationalistic or other stereotypes likely to encourage hatred. This content is always restricted to a PEGI 18 rating (and likely to infringe national criminal laws).

Age Ratings

An important piece of information to know is that each country has their own age rating system. The version we are going to be looking at is the European version.

Pan European Game Information (PEGI) is a European video game content rating system established to help European consumers make informed decisions when buying video games or apps through the use of age recommendations and content descriptors.

There are 5 main age ratings under the PEGI label:

PEGI 3: The content of games with a PEGI 3 rating is considered suitable for all age groups. The game should not contain any sounds or pictures that are likely to frighten young children. A very mild form of violence (in a comical context or a childlike setting) is acceptable. No bad language should be heard.
PEGI 7: Game content with scenes or sounds that can possibly be frightening to younger children should fall in this category. Very mild forms of violence (implied, non-detailed, or non-realistic violence) are acceptable for a game with a PEGI 7 rating.
PEGI 12: Video games that show violence of a slightly more graphic nature towards fantasy characters or non-realistic violence towards human-like characters would fall in this age category. Sexual innuendo or sexual posturing can be present, while any bad language in this category must be mild.
PEGI 16: This rating is applied once the depiction of violence (or sexual activity) reaches a stage that looks the same as would be expected in real life. The use of bad language in games with a PEGI 16 rating can be more extreme, while the use of tobacco, alcohol or illegal drugs can also be present. Good work done, Followed instructions and didn't talk over me.
PEGI 18: The adult classification is applied when the level of violence reaches a stage where it becomes a depiction of gross violence, apparently motiveless killing, or violence towards defenseless characters. The glamorization of the use of illegal drugs and of the simulation of gambling, and explicit sexual activity should also fall into this age category.

In-Game Purchases: The game offers players with the option to purchase digital goods or services with real-world currency. Such purchases include additional content (bonus levels, outfits, surprise items, music), but also upgrades (e.g. to disable ads), subscriptions to updates, virtual coins and other forms of in-game currency.
Online: Game has online elements or can only be played if connected to an online source. This might mean there are leaderboards or in-game purchases which need the internet.

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