The Games Industry Eirplay Media www eirplaymedia com

The Games Industry Eirplay Media © www. eirplaymedia. com Eirplay. Media (c)

Computer Games Now a mainstream leisure activity…. Eirplay. Media (c)

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Topics of Discussion History of the Games Industry ► Profile of the Industry ► Dominant gaming platforms ► Mobile Games ► Game types ► Game design - why addictive ? ► Eirplay. Media (c)

A little history Eirplay. Media (c)

history. . . 1 st game : Core Wars on Unix - text based ► 1970’s : no of text based games running on mainframes. Mainly MUDs (multi-user dungeons ) ► 1 st real mass market game : Pong designed by Nolan Busnell. Atari was born. ► 1983 - industry slumps. Market saturation, lack of new product ► Eirplay. Media (c)

history. . . ► ► ► 1980’s : gaming machines were ‘home computers’ such as the Commodore 64 & Sinclair Spectrum. Consoles were NES and Sega Master system Early 1990’s dominated by 16 -bit consoles from Sega and Nintendo 1994 : Sony Playstation launched - mainstream games moved from 2 D to 3 D Mid 1990’s : enter the games PC with CD ROM, 3 D graphic cards plus online capabilities 2000 - 32 bit consoles (PX 2, Xbox). Move to online and mobile 2005 – Playstation 3, Xbox 360 and online games such as WOW Eirplay. Media (c)

Industry Profile A ‘hits’ driven media market Key Players Publishers Hardware Manufactures Developers Retailers Consumers Market segments Core gaming - PC, console, handheld, online Casual gaming - Web, mobile, PC Eirplay. Media (c)

Why as big as Hollywood Deliberate attempt to become a mass market product ► Though production costs are rising, cheaper to develop (average console $15/30 m) ► Shelf life can be extended due to add-ons, expansion packs, peripherals etc. ► Different game genres suit different players - more gamers over the age of 30 ► Replacing the TV as the entertainment centre ► Eirplay. Media (c)

Games - a popular medium Highly interactive medium - immediate feedback - very satisfying for young people ► Early games tended to be quite abstract due to the limitations of the techology - a favourite of mine : Thrust. Simple, yet addictive ► With the introduction of more advanced game systems (16/32 bit), 2 D/3 D games allowed basic character representation ► Eirplay. Media (c)

Games - a popular medium ► 3 D technology means that games can more accurately simulate real world scenarios Eirplay. Media (c)

popular medium. . ► Online play - the most addictive ! Even with the most advanced AI, it is hard to beat the behavior of your friends Eirplay. Media (c)

Gaming Platforms Eirplay. Media (c)

‘Console is king’ Eirplay. Media (c)

Social Games: Playza Eirplay. Media (c)

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Mobile Games Curse of Khofu Eirplay. Media (c)

Positioning for mobile phone entertainment ENTERTAINME NT GATEWAY The mobile platform has huge potential amongst a broader base than a GBA or console… MOBILE PHONE ENTERTAINMENT MOBILE HOME CURRENT EMBEDDED GAMES PURE GAMING Eirplay. Media (c)

Games types 1 st person shooters , FPS ► Sports ► Fighting ► Arcade/platform ► Simulations ► Strategy ► Interactive stories/adventure ► Puzzle/board ► Retro ► Eirplay. Media (c)

Designing addictive games ► Play a lot of games ! ► A good hook is essential ► Create a fantasy world that make ‘sense’ ► Keep the gameplay progressively challenging - “Final Boss” syndrome ► Make sure the game is fun ► Know your gaming audience ► High quality production values - good graphics and sound Eirplay. Media (c)

Trends…. MMORPG advanced online gaming ► Mobile & Tablets i. Phone and Android ► Eirplay. Media (c)

Final though. . . Though technology and online play will allow bigger, brighter and more sophisticated environments, games are all about fun Good games are made by good players Eirplay. Media (c)