[Dr. CKeymaster Rupees: 1,000 RupeesRank: Magic Sword]

This week, you were asked to read all of Schell’s chapters 25 and 26 on working in game design teams — and pages 366 – 369 from Fullerton’s chapter 12. Each of these readings focus on the work of game design teams.

Use this forum to discuss your reading!

As in the past, you must post at least once by 11:59 pm on Friday, September 30th… and you must respond to at least two of your classmates’ posts by 11:59 pm on Monday, October 3rd.

Remember that the point is to have a conversation and to learn more about game design together. To that end, here are some things you might discuss in your post:

– Quotes that you found to be especially insightful, along with explanations of why you selected these quotes.
– Questions that the readings raised for you — especially as we approach the portion of the course where YOU begin working in game design teams!
– Any “AHA!” moments you might have experienced, if the readings prompted you to suddenly see or understand something in a different light.
– Connections to your own experiences playing, analyzing, or designing a game
– Questions you might have for your classmates (“Did anyone else think ___ about the part where Schell says ___…?”)
– Anything else, really, that’s notable, interesting, and discussion-worthy.

Have fun!

[ArchiveParticipant Rupees: 0 RupeesRank: Newbie]

This chapter was interesting because it pivoted (first it was fun elements, then technical elements, and now team qualities). Right in the beginning of Chapter 25, Schell says “the secret to successful teamwork is love” (414). What he talks about next really resonated with me because it is true of any team. In one of my other classes, my team is expected to make a song and music video. We can use whatever tools or connection we have/want. My team for that is as diverse in skill as we could get, and I can see that we are all passionate about getting it done; we followed Schell’s rules when picking teams. I have been in groups before however, where some people cared more than others, and often those other people would try to take a shortcut or neglect their work, which in turn compromises the project’s integrity and hinders it from being the best it can be.

Chapter 25 explained how organized the game design team has to be in order to stay true to the game’s theme, art, aesthetic, feel, and mechanics. Game design reminds me a lot of startups. If you’re starting a startup, you have to have a theme, you have to be passionate about it as well as like your team, different visions of the direction of a startup will divide the team and shatter the collective vision. They have to be organized with their documents, and they have to have good company/team culture (a fun, banter-y, unhostile relationship).

[ArchiveParticipant Rupees: 0 RupeesRank: Newbie]

Hi vallika!
I really liked your comparison between game design and startup companies. What is interesting about startups is that they are usually fueled by a creative passion/vision, which seems to be the same with the game design process. It seems like large companies are kind of going through the motions, and they’re so big that not everyone is on the same page with the goals of the organizations. However, startups can have more of that small-team vibe which allows creativity to flow. Interesting point! I also liked that you connected your own experience with teams in the past. I’ve also witnessed teams where some people were more engaged than others. Sometimes, it’s even the more engaged people that can overpower the team and make others feel unheard, so it’s good to strike a balance.

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Hi Valika,

The importance of a great team environment does not just apply to game designers as you mention. Being passionate about the work that one does is of great importance to get the desired outcome. However, when paired up with others that do not have the same drive or the same passion, this can become a problem. When everyone’s working towards the same goal though, this can result in a great project. Similarly, game designers, have the same problem when working on their designated projects, it is a matter of how they face this form of diversity to give their audience their best work.

[ArchiveParticipant Rupees: 0 RupeesRank: Newbie]

Hi Vallika.

I really like how you connected Chapter 25 to your own personal life. It’s really common to see dysfunctionalities in groups but it’s important to be able to work through them so the team can work together to accomplish the goals. I know that when I’ve been assigned group projects, some members contribute and some don’t and ultimately the workload falls on one or two people. Good team culture, like you mentioned, is also really important. With a healthy team culture, everyone in your team can be happier, more engaged, and productive in the work that they do. Your working environment is a direct result of the team culture you’ve created – it touches all aspects of the work you do as a group and can make the environment successful or unbearable.

[ArchiveParticipant Rupees: 0 RupeesRank: Newbie]

Hi Vallika!
Your experience with teams is extremely common! All throughout high school, I was always the one person in the group that cared about the assignment more than the others and did more work than I was supposed to. However, in game design, a team like that will never prosper. The reason being that you NEED more than one voice in a game. You NEED representation from all parties to ensure that the game isn’t just going to satisfy you, but others as well. It is really important to have a good, trusting relationship with your team members because, at the end of the day, it will never work is the love isn’t there, as Schell would say.

[ArchiveParticipant Rupees: 0 RupeesRank: Newbie]

Hi Vallika!

I really liked your post this week, especially the comparison between start-up companies and game design, I thought it was a great analogy. If everyone in the startup doesn’t love the company, why would they put 100% effort into it? They don’t have any motivation to see it succeed, other than monetary value, but this can be said for game designers as well. Also, I totally relate to the working in groups where people didn’t care for the project and made the experience extremely miserable. They wouldn’t do their work or would take shortcuts and it definitely made working together so much harder, so I can only imagine working on a game design with people who don’t have love for the game.

[ArchiveParticipant Rupees: 0 RupeesRank: Newbie]

Hi Vallika,
I really like how you are applying Schell’s work to your everyday life! It is so cool to see how his work is applicable not only to game design but other teamwork principles as well! Additionally, I also see where you are going with your idea of comparing the game design team to a new business startup. It makes sense and you can definitely see where Schell’s ideas come into play!

[ArchiveParticipant Rupees: 0 RupeesRank: Newbie]

Chapter 25 focuses on the production cycle, beginning with how to work in teams. This chapter is useful for designers interested in keeping their team cohesive, productive, and in communication, with tips on how to achieve those ends. Chapter 26 is a primer on the technical writing that goes along with game design, from story overviews to concept art reviews to budgeting documents. Schell explains to the reader that there is no single format for a master game design document, so it is up to each designer to ensure that the team receives documentation that keeps records in a clear and concise manner. A quote that really stood out to me in Chapter 25 was when Schell said:

“Think of a time when you went through a great deal of preparation to give someone you love a special gift. Think how excited you were about seeing the expression on their face when they opened it up and saw it…If you can take that kind of love and put it into the game you are creating for your audience…the game will feel special to them, as they realize that someone really cared how they would feel when they played the game, and knowing that someone cares about you is a very special feeling. A designer cannot fake this—you must really feel it” (416).

The analogy Schell uses is really wholesome and captures the feeling he is talking about perfectly. When you work hard towards something for someone, the ultimate joy and pleasure you get from their reaction makes all your hard work valuable. Knowing that somebody is working towards something because they care about you is priceless, something money simply cannot buy. In that sense, when game designers do not love their work, it’s important to remember who they are creating the work for. Knowing you were able to deliver something so amazing that resonated with your audience even though it may not have resonated with you is powerful. Being able to overlook temporary dissatisfaction for permanent happiness is what can be so rewarding for game designers.

[ArchiveParticipant Rupees: 0 RupeesRank: Newbie]

Hi Meeteeka,

You touch on a very important point when mentioning the importance that a game has on the player. It is very important because creating a game that means something to the consumer, can be very rewarding. Knowing that one creates a memorable game for the audience. Imagine making a game like Fortnite that marked a generation of kids. A game that they will remember for the rest of their lives. Also, creating a game like COD, that becomes a franchise, captivating gamers from all different age groups. I believe that is the ultimate goal for game designers when they’re creating games.

[ArchiveParticipant Rupees: 0 RupeesRank: Newbie]

Hey Meeteeka!
I really love the way Schell used the metaphor of giving a gift to explain game design. I think this also ties back into his ideas of love and that you must love every aspect of your game, your team, and your audience to create something really special for them. I think having this special feeling further develops the experience that a player will have while playing your game. It makes them feel as though the game was made just for them, which in most cases it should be. As you said, this feeling is priceless, and it is also essential. Great analysis!

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Hi Meeteeka!

What you said about the metaphor Schell talked about really stuck with me, because giving a gift is one of those things that has a selfish and unselfish part to them. Selfishly, you want to feel the joy of having given a good gift, and unselfishly, you want the gift receiver to be happy. This combined with how well the gift giver knows the likes of the gift receiver and the love/care they feel for them usually makes for a good combo and a great gift. In game design, the designer has to know their audience. They have to be passionate about the game’s story and care about the final product. They have to selfishly want to succeed and unselfishly create joy around them. I really love the idea that love is what makes a game more fun; it is just such a beautiful way to look at design.

[ArchiveParticipant Rupees: 0 RupeesRank: Newbie]

Comparing game design to giving presents is a good way of explaining the “love” that should be felt. If the gift meant something to the giver, then it would be that much more precious to receive.

I remember making a visual novel last year, and it was a very short, 5 minute game about someone who lost their father and is trying to find their direction in life. It was a very short game, but someone messaged me afterward saying how touched they were by my game. They had been going through a loss, and the game helped them, they said. I’m really glad I made that game. I should try to rekindle this feeling.

[ArchiveParticipant Rupees: 0 RupeesRank: Newbie]

In these chapters, I learned the importance of “team love” and communication when creating games. In order to develop a great game, game designers must be passionate about the work they do. They must communicate their ideas to the team if they lack a sense of motivation when developing a game. A team of designers must come to a consensus when creating a game so their ideas are all taken into account when the game is being developed. For the employee, they will feel heard and motivated to keep expanding on their idea, while others might fall in love with the idea proposed. Like in anything in life, one must be passionate when creating something. It is only then that one will create a great piece.

[ArchiveParticipant Rupees: 0 RupeesRank: Newbie]

Hi Jose!
Your comment on having team members feeling heard and motivated is very important. One quote on this topic that stood out to me on this topic from chapter 25 that connected to your response was: “It is not uncommon for many different people on a project to feel that their contribution was the most important part of the game— and not unhealthy, either! This just means that many different team members feel personal ownership and responsibility for that game.” This really validated my previous experience working on teams when we couldn’t strike an agreement because everyone wanted to take ownership. I’m now understanding that this is healthy and we just need to strike a balance of contributing and listening at the same time.
I also think I’ll have to disagree with your last point about passion. As Schell mentioned, you don’t always need passion for your project. What’s more important, in my opinion, is passion for the audience you plan to reach, and the feeling/experience you hope to elicit.

[ArchiveParticipant Rupees: 0 RupeesRank: Newbie]

Hi Jose!

I think it’s also really important for game designers to communicate with their team. Good communication is the crucial component of making goals reachable. I think conflict is likely to arise but being able to effectively communicate with the team lets everyone have a voice and feel heard. When it is safe to express thoughts clearly, honestly and tactfully, it is easier to move forward with a solution that has everyone’s best interest at heart. I also talked about how designers need to be passionate, and if they are not passionate about the work, then they should think about who they are creating it for and how their hard work can foster joy for someone else.

[ArchiveParticipant Rupees: 0 RupeesRank: Newbie]

Hi Jose!
I also mentioned the idea of love in game design in my response. It’s something I never really thought about but actually makes a lot of sense. There is a saying that goes, “If you love your job, it’s like you’re never working a day. in your life”, and I think that really holds true in game design. In fact, I think it MUST hold true in game design. If you don’t love your game, how do you expect anyone else to?

[ArchiveParticipant Rupees: 0 RupeesRank: Newbie]

Hi Jose!

I totally agree with your analysis! I included something similar in my own discussion post, but how can people actually develop a successful game if they have no love or passion for the game itself? You went deeper and talked about the mechanics in the actual team, which I didn’t do, but I thought it was really interesting to think about. If the team isn’t successful, the game won’t be, so the communication is essential for every game design team. They need to feel like their ideas are being heard and taken into consideration, even if some of their ideas don’t make the final cut. But, passion, love, and communication are vital for a motivated team of game designers to produce a successful game.

[ArchiveParticipant Rupees: 0 RupeesRank: Newbie]

Hi Jose,

You mentioned the importance of passion and I think that comes when a team has common goals. In game design, there are so many factors that will impact the final outcome — how a player experiences the game. Because of this, everyone has to be on the same page. When a team has common goals, I think that makes communication easier as well.

[ArchiveParticipant Rupees: 0 RupeesRank: Newbie]

Hey Jose,

I agree that passion is essential to creating any meaningful project, because if you don’t believe in your own skills and abilities, no one else will. I think that the more a creator enjoys their project, the more effort they give towards making it perfect. They allow their creativity to flow at its maximum potential. When creating a project you don’t really have passion for, it usually offers a dull experience to others.

[ArchiveParticipant Rupees: 0 RupeesRank: Newbie]

Hi, Jose! Indeed, “lack of motivation” is one of the killers of game design. We really need some level of love for what we are making, in order for us to keep working at it. Money is a good motivator, but money might not persuade us to go the extra mile and tie a bow on top of that present. Passion is what keeps us from doing just the bare minimum.

[ArchiveParticipant Rupees: 0 RupeesRank: Newbie]

I really enjoyed that chapter 25 took a different approach to game design compared to previous readings. Rather than discussing the technicalities, formalities, and defining characteristics of a game, Schell took a step back and reflected on the people behind a game’s design. Schell’s analogy of giving a gift to someone when describing the emotion of loving your audience more than your game really resonated with me. When I watched the first screencast for this course, I was really concerned with the culminating project of designing our own game, because I really don’t have much interest in games at all. However, this excerpt made me realize that it’s about the feeling that you elicit and not really the game itself. I also really liked how the lenses used in this chapter can relate to teamwork on any project or shared goal, not just game design. A quote that stood out to me is the following: “game. If all of these people have a solid, shared understanding of the game design, these little decisions will all reinforce the design of the game, and the project will have a unified robustness and solidity that it can’t get any other way”(Schell 418). Even when playing on a sports team, everyone should have the same unified vision in mind, or else there isn’t the comradery needed to succeed. Additionally, when listing out the ten keys to team communication, one that caught my attention was the idea of privacy, because this isn’t something I usually correlate with teamwork the same as with ‘honesty’ or ‘respect’. It’s always a good idea to ensure that you’re not singling out people in your team or addressing all issues in a public space. Something else I’ll add to the concept of privacy in a team is that not every issue needs to have a why. If someone is unable to complete a task, it might not always be a good idea to pressure them into revealing why they weren’t able to meet a deadline. This might hurt the team dynamic if it becomes too invasive.

As for Chapter 26, one thing I really enjoyed was Figure 26.2, which highlights the groups of documents and their inter-relations. It was interesting to see the paths of memory and communication in a team. I wonder how these kinds of documents look like in a digital space, especially with complex video games in today’s day and age that require software engineers/ UI/UX designers, and so many other technical people working cohesively. It would have been interesting to see an excerpt from an engineering pipeline design from a modern video game, so I could have an image in my head of what it looks like. Another oddly interesting concept was that of an ‘art bible’, which maintains consistency. It reminded me of a mood board, something that is used in the fashion/social media space that collects similar images/aesthetics/color schemes & hues to establish a ‘mood’ for a project. Does anyone have any insight on how an art bible and a concept art overview differ (on page 429)?

Lastly, for Fullterton’s Chapter 12, I appreciated how he broke down the players in the team as opposed to defining teamwork skills that harmonize a group. For example, the leadership chart on page 349 showed me how the leadership of a game design team is broken down into sub-teams. One concept I enjoyed reading about was the potential areas of conflict that people of different technical/artistic backgrounds might have in a game design team. For example, Fullerton writes: “closely. To use an analogy, if you were starting a rock-and-roll band, you might think twice about hiring a percussionist from a philharmonic orchestra to play drums for you (“Fullerton 358). This reinforced Schell’s previous idea that everyone on the team needs to have a cohesive understanding of the goal in mind, which can be difficult when some folks are more interested in the beauty of the game while others are more interested in the functionality. One question I had was about usability testing. While this is briefly touched on on page 365, I wonder what those usability tests look like: are consumers surveyed for their experience? Are they watched while playing, almost like an experiment or case study? It would be interesting to learn about what this looks like in action.

[ArchiveParticipant Rupees: 0 RupeesRank: Newbie]

This week’s readings were actually kind of surprising. The first thing that really stuck out was talking about love in a game design textbook. However, after reading Schell’s ideas on love in game design, I can understand why it is so important. Making sure team members love the same versions of games or visions of the game is the only way for a team to work together successfully. I also really liked how Schell brought us back to week one by reminding us that we ARE game designers, and we must act accordingly. The Lens of the Team is especially important with the upcoming projects in this class and. in any setting where teamwork is required. You have to be confident and clear with your team. Otherwise, it’s just. a bunch of people working separately on the same thing. Chapter 26 was also. really helpful in directing us where to start when we begin designing our own games. As Schell says, there is no magic template which is both great that it provides freedom, but scary in that there’s an unlimited amount of ways to start. However, after breaking. down the game into several sections, I am certainly more comfortable in starting a game. I am most excited to start the art aspect of game designing and I cannot wait to work with my team!

[ArchiveParticipant Rupees: 0 RupeesRank: Newbie]

Hey Gabby!
I’m also really excited! I’m still a little nervous about the project, though. Even with breaking down the game, it still feels like a really daunting task (though, I admit, not as much as it was on the first day of class)! I also think the Lens of the Team is really important, and often overlooked! If a team can’t communicate well or see eye to eye, there’s no hope in making a satisfactory final product. I like how Schell broke down the different facets of good communication in a team; like the breakdown of the game in Chapter 26, it gave me better perspective and will help me when it comes to the final project by giving every team a framework/blueprint on what to do.

[ArchiveParticipant Rupees: 0 RupeesRank: Newbie]

I think that communication with the team is going to be a massive part of the success. It makes sense when you think about it. If everyone is working on their own version of the game, then it will look like it was made by a bunch of random people instead of having a clear cohesive theme. I think that this relates back to some of the previous lenses we talked about. Just like how every element needs to support the team, every team member needs to support the same unified project in order for it to be successful.

[ArchiveParticipant Rupees: 0 RupeesRank: Newbie]

I am excited to start this project as well! It is nice to know that these chapters directly connect to what we will be working on in the near future. I understand that it is important to not only be confident in and happy with what you are working on, but also be able to work cooperatively and effectively with each and every team member. I look forward to seeing what everyone is able to create!

[ArchiveParticipant Rupees: 0 RupeesRank: Newbie]

These two chapters felt like common sense, but they were things that I never really thought about in terms of game designs. The example that was given with the animators of the pirates game was really interesting. There are so many different departments that come together to make a game, and every has their own personal ideas and excitements regarding the project. The animation team was disappointed when they found out they wouldn’t be able to animate cool pirates, and their love for the project started to die. It’s a great point that everyone needs to be passionate and believe in the project, so that it comes out as good as possible. This all makes sense, but what I really liked was the idea that in the event you lose the love of a project to shift your perspective on it. The animation team changed their perspective to who could create the coolest ship explosion, and they were all on board once again. It’s such a small change, but they essentially gamified their perspective. They made it a competition to see who could do the best, and they turned their job into fun. It’s really interesting to see how it all comes around full circle.

[ArchiveParticipant Rupees: 0 RupeesRank: Newbie]

Hey Chris!
I also really liked that part! I struggle with perspective sometimes; I often end up focusing on the final product more than the process of making it, and that leads me to resent the process and negate any love I felt for it in the beginning. Schell talking about shifting perspective and how to do that really opened my eyes, and I can’t wait to apply it not only to this class but to different areas of my life. It really can be such a small change, but it can make a world of difference in how you approach life.

[ArchiveParticipant Rupees: 0 RupeesRank: Newbie]

Hello,
I really like how you mentioned that everyone needs to really be passionate about the project. This is something that’s always been on my mind whenever I think about game development. You have to really be passionate about the game if you want it to be actually good. When I was studying computer science in high school, and was told to produce different games. It was obvious which games I actually cared about, and which ones I put minimal effort into. It’s very obvious when one department clearly isn’t putting enough passion into the game. There was a youtube video by Videogamedunkey where he talked about games with bad voice acting, and it clearly shows that there wasn’t any passion put into the voice acting. It made those games hard to play because of how bad the voice acting was.

[ArchiveParticipant Rupees: 0 RupeesRank: Newbie]

I really liked these chapters! I think my favorite part was the “Designing Together” section in Chapter 25. I usually really struggle with group projects because of some of the problems Schell mentions: differing levels of interest in the class, conflicting ideas on how we should proceed with the project, and contrasting levels of effort within the group. I don’t think I’ve ever been able to successfully involve everyone in my group in a process, so that might have contributed to my problems in group projects. My most successful time was actually when I was designing a board game with some friends for a competition. We worked really well as a team, but we all had so many different ideas that we weren’t actually able to get anything done. I think it would have been better if we could use Schell’s ideas and split up certain parts of the designing process, and leave some more ambiguity in our individual ideas that we could fill with more solid ideas as a team. I also really appreciated Schell reiterating that love for what you’re making is the most crucial aspect of game design. I believe love and passion for what you do is the key to happiness in all aspects of life, and it was really validating to see the same message in the book.

[ArchiveParticipant Rupees: 0 RupeesRank: Newbie]

First off, I want to say that it’s really cool that you already have some prior experience in game design. You have firsthand experience with what Schell was talking about when working with groups. On the bright side, if all your teammates were excited and throwing around ideas, it sounds like everyone was completely on board and passionate about the project. I do think it’s a little funny that the team wasn’t able to get anything done. I find that happening also. Sometimes when you’re os overwhelmed with choices and options, it becomes really hard to narrow in on something.

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Yeah, it was a really fun experience, but it was also really stressful! All five of us were so passionate about our ideas and had our own ideas about what the final product should look like. Thankfully, we all respected each other’s opinions enough that we never got into any terrible arguments, but it made things almost impossible to be productive. I’m hoping our final project will go differently than my previous attempt at a board game (I would say the name of it here, but we literally couldn’t even decide on that! I feel like I underplayed just how bad and unproductive we were, but it was really bad).

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Hi Anna!

What you said about passion being the most crucial element of life really rang true for me. In one of my other classes, we were asked to watch a video of Steve Jobs explaining how Apple “thought different” than other computers competitors in the 90s. He said something along the lines of passion, innovation, and diverging from the beaten path. Finding these patterns is so interesting, because it seems that aside from technical knowledge and a good team dynamic, passion is the only thing that can keep a game together, and it is the only thing that makes playing the game worth it. In game design, passion is almost a given. You also can’t make the same game twice, so diverging from the conventional is important. Finally, changing with the times and innovating helps to keep designers on top of their audiences’ changing interests, and ultimately improves their reactions to new games.

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The drive to create and make something better is really fruitful once it comes to life. I think that main focus of game design fails to describe the mood that is required. You must be ready for failure and you must be ready for the adversity of certain elements not working while others are flowing perfectly. Game designers have the ability to create an environment that is completely unknown but must remember to never be stagnant, in better words designers must be ready to move on and develop more without trying to remix again and again previous projects.

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Hi Meeteeka!

What you said about the metaphor Schell talked about really stuck with me, because giving a gift is one of those things that has a selfish and unselfish part to them. Selfishly, you want to feel the joy of having given a good gift, and unselfishly, you want the gift receiver to be happy. This combined with how well the gift giver knows the likes of the gift receiver and the love/care they feel for them usually makes for a good combo and a great gift. In game design, the designer has to know their audience. They have to be passionate about the game’s story and care about the final product. They have to selfishly want to succeed and unselfishly create joy around them. I really love the idea that love is what makes a game more fun; it’s just such a beautiful way to look at design.

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Please ignore this, I don’t know why it posted twice. Thanks!

[ArchiveParticipant Rupees: 0 RupeesRank: Newbie]

These chapters were quite different than the other chapters that we have discussed, mostly because they focused on the actual design teams rather than the design of the game itself. A quote that stuck with me was at the very beginning of Chapter 25, in which Schell states, “And there is a simple secret shared by all teams that have ever successfully collaborated to make something great. It is so simple that when you hear it, you will likely think I’m not being serious. But this is the most serious thing I will say in this book. The secret to successful teamwork is love.” I’m going to be completely honest and say that I actually laughed when I first read this, mainly because I wasn’t expecting Schell to pull out the love card. It sounds ridiculous, but when I actually thought about it and read more of the chapter, I realized that that it is actually really accurate, which is fascinating. It’s like being forced to play a sport that you don’t really like, you won’t ever put 100% effort into it, and your attitude or dislike of it may actually ruin it for your teammates. So, people designing a game together are not going to like working with those “party poopers”, and it may actually make them dislike working on the game. Schell mentioned that people can start loving the game they are working on, if they find just one thing that they love about the game, whether it is a moment or a specific mechanic that is designed in the game. However, personally, I don’t think that would be completely true, because if I loved just one aspect of the game, but hated or was indifferent to everything else, I don’t think I would love the game enough to make sure that it really succeeded. What about you guys, what do you think?

In Chapter 26, Schell points out that there is no universal template, or any template at all really, and anybody that says otherwise is simply lying. I guess this served as my “AHA” moment, because I never really realized that until this very moment, I always kind of assumed that there was some type of template. I’m learning now that there isn’t really a template, per say, but more of a series of guidelines to design your game, such as for design, the group would have to make a game design document, then create a detailed design document, and then end up with a story overview. There’s guidelines like this for different aspects such as engineering, art, production, and so on, but not really an actual template that people can just fill in or recreate.

[ArchiveParticipant Rupees: 0 RupeesRank: Newbie]

This chapter was very interesting to read, because it talks about something that is true in most facets of life: teamwork makes the dreamwork. I like how this chapter focuses on how game developing companies must work as a unified team in order for the games they design to be successful. Aside from indie games, games are developed by multiple designers, who must mush their visions together to create a cohesive gameplaying experience, which sounds like no easy task. I like how Schell also provides 3 big examples of situations where game designing goes wrong, and all of them have to do with love. Either the designers have no passion for gaming in general, they are in “love” with a different game than the one they are making, or each individual developer has different ideas for what the game should be. When one of these situations arises within a developing team, it is evident in the final results of the game, but especially in the last situation. Some games get carried away with different mechanics, and it can sometimes seem as though each person responsible for designing the game wanted it to be something different. This often results in games where you are playing normally during one level, flying a plane in the next, and then snowboarding down a mountain in the subsequent level (*cough* *cough* most 2000-2010 Sonic games *cough* *cough*). The playstyle just seems confusing and disconnected, and can be overwhelming.

However, it is also extremely evident when you can tell developers share the same vision. Take Grand Theft Auto V, for example. It’s a huge, open world map of a city where you can literally do anything. You can fly planes and jets, drive a tank, even start a business. Even though these mechanics are wildly different from one another, the vision that this game takes place in an open world where players can pretty much do anything, ties all these things together. You can tell by how cohesive GTA is that all the developers working on the project shared the same vision for the final result.

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Hi Dalen,
First off, great analysis! I loved how you went about using the old Sonic games as an example of no fluidity and extreme confusion (I agree!!) and how you used GTA V as the exact opposite. I have to say, although the wait for GTA VI is making me more anxious by the day, there really is not much you can improve on besides little things such as graphics or new weapons, which could easily be added in an in-game update rather than a whole new game. So I definitely agree with you on the fact that the developers really put their blood sweat and tears into the game!

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My favorite part about these two chapters has to be about the Lenses of Love and team. Now, these lenses are especially important to me because they make up the core of game design. You could be working on an amazing and never before seen video game with the best idea, mechanics, and aesthetics, but, if you do not have a team that (1) loves what they are doing and (2) works well together, there will be no success. If there is no love into a project that is being created by the creators, the project will either turn out half baked at best, or not even happen at all. I have had personal experience with this factor in many of my projects over the course of my life. I know for a fact that if even one person is disinterested, they will ruin the project for everyone else just by trying to do something else and treating the project as an obligation.

Honestly the idea that a good team leads to a good game is so simple but often not thought of when one is in the preliminary stages of game design. Looking back at some of the sub-par games I have played (Cyberpunk would be the most recent) I notice how much is lacking in terms of fluid storylines and mechanics and how aesthetically displeasing some areas are. This could 100% be traced back to shoddy teamwork or miscommunication. Overall, I definitely agree that communication, teamwork, and love for the game is very important when designing and producing a game.

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Reading about the lens of love and communication in teams was interesting. Whenever I think about developers that don’t love their game, I usually imagine triple A games like Battlefield or Call of Duty. The prior information I’ve had on this is that they work insane hours on something that doesn’t give them a lot of pay usually. The people working on these games just want the job experience, and want to make a name for themselves. It’s interesting thinking about which games have developers who actually love the game they’re making. I think games like Hollow Knight and Super Auto Pets have developers who actually care about their game. I see the super auto pets developers responding to feedback to their game on Twitter, and they actually implement suggestions. In their update notes patch, someone tweeted at them to not change the giraffe noise, and in the patch notes, there was the line “giraffe sound was unchanged”. It was something simple, but it shows they really love the game and the community.

Hearing about communication between teams makes me think about the stuff that was going on behind the scenes over at Blizzard Entertainment. There was a youtube video I watched by the Youtuber Atrioc who talked about Riot and Blizzard. One of the things that really stuck out to my from Blizzard was their lack of communication not just with the fans, but with their own company. There was a massive amount of higher ups from Blizzard who have left which shows that there really isn’t a sense of teammwork within the company. If the people who have been there the longest, and are getting paid the most don’t want to work there, who would? These are some of the things I thought about as I read about these two lenses.

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Hi Drew,

I actually had very similar thoughts about AAA games. I also thought of Battlefield and Call of Duty, as well as Cyberpunk and any Rockstar game. Being forced to work overtime for years to complete a game will probably burn some people out. I can’t imagine the team environment in those companies would be ideal, according to Schell’s guidelines on proper comfort, trust, and communication. When its developers don’t have that inherent passion for the game design process, it will almost certainly be felt by the players. Some of those AAA games we mentioned are a result of that.

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I found it most interesting how Schell says that there’s no universal template for game design. use a lot of “gamers” complain that certain gaming franchises always feel the same. Take Call of Duty, sports games, the Assassin’s Creed series — groups of critics across the Internet, from journalists to disgruntled fans, will often complain that it feels like modern game are just copy-and-pasted. Maybe Schell speaks from the perspective of making a new game from the ground up, and not building upon a previous game in the series? Or is the process still unique for each of them?

When it comes to making a brand new game, I definitely agree that there’s no universal template. If we relate the template idea to group work, I took a course called “Virtual Team Dynamics” in the School of Communication, which essentially broke down the importance of teamwork and how to be an effective leader in group projects. That class said essentially the same thing — team dynamics will differ based on the type of people in the group, what they are working on, and how they are able to work together. Finding your role within a group is something that will take time; it isn’t something that can just be fulfilled by a template. The same goes for the broader idea of game design. There are a lot of parts that will influence how a game turns out, and each game will likely have its own dynamic (unless, perhaps, they’re just copied and pasted from the previous iteration?).

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Chapter 25 discusses how to efficiently work on a game design team. Some of these teamwork issues are unique to game design, but many are universal “team” issues. However, I feel that these issues are somehow amplified when working in a game design team. In a corporate setting, there will be teammates with differing perspectives, lack of respect, or dislike for the field — just like in a game design setting. However, what makes game design different is that designers usually “love” their project — they are extremely invested in the outcome of the project. The game is a piece of art that is an extension of themself. Yes, corporate workers may disagree on what approach is best for the company, but at the end of the day, it isn’t something that workers are deeply invested in. This makes game designing in a team all the more challenging.
This made me wonder if the difficulty of collaborative game design has caused the recent trend of games being made with increasingly small groups of developers. “Indie” games are becoming more and more popular and are usually only developed by a handful of people. For instance, the extremely popular game “Undertale” was mostly developed by just two people. Is a smaller team more efficient for game design? What are the pros/cons of having a small vs. large team?

Something I found interesting about Chapter 6 was the concept of design documents made by players. Chapter 26 mostly discusses the documents needed to design the game, from the general game overview to the story outline to the art concepts. Schell then said that one of the documents included “game walkthroughs” created by players. I was surprised because I didn’t consider that documents made by players were part of the overall “documentation” process. But, after thinking about it, I realized just how important post-release player documents were to the game developers. For instance, the developer of the “Ace Attorney” series said that after the release of the first game, he went on the internet to see what fans were saying about the game. He then took all of their ideas and preferences into consideration when creating the second and third series installments. Certain games will also release documents outside of the official game as a sort of supplement. For ex., there are several published fictional books based on”Minecraft”, as well as many “Minecraft” player guides. It’s interesting to see how the documentation for a game can grow beyond that of the production/game itself.

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Hi Julia,
I love the comparison of game developing teams to something like a cooperate team, but obviously there are some differences in the two. Like you mentioned, a lot of cooperate people tend to not really love what they’re doing. With game designers however, it’s a lot easier to find that love when creating a game because it’s almost like a form of art to these people. They get to express their thoughts and ideas in such a creative way that not many other jobs could really fulfill.

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Thanks for your comment Jared. I definitely agree that there are differences between game design teams and corporate teams, and that one of the major differences is that game design is a form of art. My question, then, is if making game design more “corporate” (i.e. more focused on profits) results in a loss of love among the team.

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Schell’s section on the myth of the game design document is the most intriguing section of the chapters to me & challenged preconceived notions on what game development consists of. Schell relays criticisms of design documents and at the same time professes their uses: design documents, while being crucial to team communication, cannot make up for a lack of communication, and can only serve to augment a consistent system of communication.

It is exceedingly obvious that, upon analysis of the games industry, some video games are inspired by, or designed after another game. Schell’s own gameography includes the MMOs he developed for Disney, which use elements from one another. Pirates of the Caribbean Online’s character creation system is obviously mostly taken from the earlier Toontown Online. However, what Schell’s section seems to imply is that this was not necessarily the case upon Pirates of the Carribbean’s conception: it would be bad game design to write a document that rigidly outlines a certain character creation system, because this might not have good chemistry with the rest of the game’s design. As the Jason Vandenberghe quote goes: “GDDs are literally out of date the moment you write them.” Prior to reading this, I typically thought of game development as a progressive process rather than a dynamic one that can be torn down at any moment.

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Kwabena, thanks for the callout to game design documentation! When I came upon the different types of game design documents, I was intrigued by the “art bible.” Specifically because it made me think about the World of Warcraft concept art books made for each expansion pack. I have always wondered what the purpose of selling those types of books was or even in creating them. First, I realize now that game design documentation (because it can be such an abstract, dynamic process) is a treasure to be able to document. My boyfriend values these so much because of how much he values the experience when playing it; he can bring himself to better imagine what the creators were thinking before launching the final product he came to know! Second, I understand the need for this document. It allows artists to have a “norm” and a guide for which to follow their creative expressions. Similarly, it reminds me of how Schell says it is hard to put games into rigid boxes of definitions. If you were, you would limit the creativity of the designers and/or developers. To your point, I love how you took it an extra step and said the responsibility doesn’t end there. Actual and meaningful conversation cannot be replaced with even the most resourceful of documents!

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I found Schell’s chapters on working in game design teams extremely applicable to all team scenarios. As someone who works in HR, I found a lot of value in the 10 keys issues he identified that are pertinent for game design because I think they are pertinent for any impactful project team. Objectivity and Unity really stuck with me because I think Schell touches on two really uncomfortable feelings that can start brewing within a team. Yet, if avoided can result in catastrophic delays for the project. For Objectivity, when people are “married” to their ideas, as we say at work, it becomes difficult to collaborate on the project. Schell’s suggestion to separate yourself from the idea and instead call it by what it is… is simple and perfect. Accordingly, when Schell discusses the issue of Unity, I am reminded of my Conflict in the Workplace class where we learned conflict is inevitable. As such, you must be proactive and practice collaboration. Schell suggests asking questions like, “What would it take to bring you in?,” which gets to the core of the issue and allows your counterpart to find solutions for the widening gap in unity.
Ultimately, it comes down to making the choice to work together, knowing it won’t be easy. I think the quote Schell chose by Patrick Lencioni was perfect: “Teamwork is not a virtue. It is a choice.” In other words, you’ll need to step outside yourself and LOVE the project/game more than you love being ‘right.’ Schell basically tells you to put your ego aside for the sake of the game, which to me, is just another projection of how passionate he is about his field. Lastly, I agree with Schell that Trust is important for teams and he suggests great ways to foster it. However, I think he forgot to touch on the fact that you should really always trust your teammates’ ideas and that they are coming from a genuinely knowledge place. It is good to be curious and ask questions, for the sake of the game, but I think Trust and Respect for the other’s intellect is really important as well. Specifically in a field as creative as Game Design because brainstorming off even the worst idea could come to be the greatest. You have to Trust and Respect what everyone in the room did to get where you are today, just as much as you have had to trust and respect your ideas to get where you are.

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Hello,
I agree a ton with what you said about how trust and teamwork is important for the team. When developing a game, would you trust the programmer to come up with what the character looks like or would you trust the artist designing the character? Likewise, would you ask the artist to come up with how the character should move? It’s better to trust each other especially when it’s in fields where their expertise is more useful in designing that aspect of the game.

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“The secret to successful teamwork is love” (Schell p.414). I see where Schell’s coming from… If nobody on the dev team cares about what they’re doing, it’s likely to flop.

“Regardless, there is only one cure for a team member with this problem: get them off the team” (Schell p.414). Ouch… but it’s probably better this way, in order for there to be efficient teamwork.

“Do I love my project?” is one of the questions Schell asks under #100: the Lens of Love. Thinking of my own projects, I should love them more than I do… I’m definitely excited to be working on them, but while I enjoy them, I don’t love them, if that makes sense. Even the project that I’ve been mulling over for a long time, one that came straight from my heart, I don’t think it’s quite going in the right direction. I’ll have to replan.

Regarding GDDs, I used to think they were long summaries to read, but a well-written, fully-fleshed-out GDD is extremely useful for communicating ideas quickly.

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Hi Bunbun1k! I relate to the feeling of losing love for a project over time. Often when I begin a project (of any kind) I’m immediately excited and fixated on creating it. But, as frustrations or problems arise, my excitement lessens. Looking back at it, though, I think I still “loved” these projects — I still cared deeply about creating them and wanted them to be good. I think that truly caring about the end quality of the project means you “love” it in a Schell sense.

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Hi Bunbun1k, nice observations based on this week’s chapter. Regarding kicking the member off the team, I would like to think that perhaps there is a way to make them love the project. To instill love for the project in them. I would at least try to get them to be passionate about the project, and if I see they are not passionate or interested in the work I would kick them out then.

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Schell’s discussion in Chapters 25 and 26 revolved mostly around one particular integral aspect of game design: working in a team. It is imperative for people to be able to cooperate as a team to work towards their goals; if this is not possible, the project will turn into chaos before one knows it. Team members may feel disunited and want to branch off into different tasks and goals, but by doing so the entire project is put into jeopardy, as the specialists that would improve upon a particular aspect of the game are not on board with the rest of the team members. The importance of unity in a team is very important, not just in game design but in all group projects as well. Without mutual love for the project, a united goal, and a united team, it is very difficult, if not impossible, to produce a product that meets or exceeds the audience’s expectations.

An interesting point mentioned by Schell is that when one pretends to love something, love for that thing actually grows within a person. I have personally seen this as well, as it was a reading trick that I had learnt years ago in school: if you do not enjoy the text, pretend to enjoy it. Not only does this allow you to get through the monotonous text, but it also allows one to pay more closer attention and do a better job in reading comprehension. Similarly, when it comes to gaming if one pretends to love the audience, the game designing actually starts to become fun. Schell mentions, “If you don’t know how to love something, just ask yourself what kinds of things someone who really loved the game would say and do, and start doing those things. You may be surprised at the transformation that starts to take place within yourself” (Schell, 2008, p.417),

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Hi Mahir! The idea that “pretending to love something” will cause real love is interesting. While reading Schell, I was wondering if the opposite sometimes happens. For instance, can a designer start out by loving something, but then become frustrated with the game design process and lose love for the game? If this happens, how does one remedy that? Perhaps the designer would need to “pretend to love” the game and try to find something new within it to love.

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Hi Mahir,
I think that these two chapters where very important in learning about the teamwork skills necessary to create a good game. I also thought that the point made by Schell with pretending to love something is a very interesting thought. I feel like this could work circumstantially, but I’m not sure if this could work for every single occasion. Maybe in regards to game designing it would work like this, but in real life scenarios I feel like it would be tough to love something you started off disliking it or even hating it.

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I really enjoyed reading about Schell’s Lens #100, the lens of love. It helped me realize that there is more that goes into a game than just its physical components, as game designers should also have a passion for the game they are creating. Otherwise, it makes their game seem insincere. I learned that it takes more than one person to create a successful game, and a solid team is needed. The people who make up this team must be able to work well together and contribute wholeheartedly.

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Hi Altay! I totally agree. Can you imagine how hard it would be to keep working on a project you inherently didn’t enjoy? Hardship is inevitable, so I can presume once too many hardships arise and the love isn’t there… one might end up throwing in the towel. Likewise, it makes me wonder whether there are two types of people: those who enjoy the physical components or those who enjoy the experience of creating the game?

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Hi Altay, that’s a great observation. Without love or passion for a subject, it is not possible for someone to really put forth their best work. When you love your work you are more motivated to put your sweat and tears in your project, while if one does not have passion for their work, their work will likely be mediocre.

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As simple as it is to say “The secret to successful teamwork is love” it cannot be more true. Schell describes how in order to create a successful game design team there must be a proper flow of opinions and emotions. Without having an emphasis on the relationship, two developers may head into completely opposite directions without the proper communication between the parties. Learning to appreciate the process and how meticulous it is to fully develop a game, the parties must learn how to put aside differences or even accept differences for the better of the product. Without putting a overpowering presence from one party to another, many developing teams host parties and bonding experiences so developers will not be shy communicating opinions and messages.

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Hey Rameet, I enjoyed your takeaways from this week’s readings. I do agree with your point that communication is extremely crucial to the “love” aspect of a game, because the producers must communicate to the designers and developers what the vision is. Furthermore, there will often be more than one engineer working on a game, so they have to communicate with each other to make sure they all share the same vision of the game. Otherwise, the end product becomes disjointed and confusing. I can think of many games and game franchises where it is clear the communication aspect for some or all of the series’ installments was missing (thinking of one about a speedy blue hedgehog in particular). As a communications major, I understand the importance it has on any organization, but I think it has very interesting implications in the game development industry. No matter what size team you work with, communication is essential.

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The topics Schell discusses in the 25th and 26th chapters are in regards to game designers working with a team. Something that caught my eye was in the very beginning of the 25th chapter, when Schell writes, “The secret to successful teamwork is love.” (pg. 414). When discussing this phrase, it’s noted by Schell that they’re not talking about specifically loving your colleagues that work with you (although it definitely does help), but loving the work that you do and truly having a passion for it. This leads right into the 100th lens, which is the “Lens of Love”. There are many aspects of game developing, but this is arguably one of the most important, because it gives the developing team a sense of drive and motivation to make the game the best it could possibly be. In chapter 26, Schell goes into detail about communication through documentation. The 102nd lens is titled, “The Lens of Documentation”, and it goes over the ideal points about how documentation is important to communicating with your team. The lens asks the questions, “What do we need to remember while making this game? What needs to be communicated while making this game?” (Schell pg. 432). These questions prompt the designer to be aware and present of the things that need to be remembered by the whole team while designing their game.

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Hey Jared, I liked your analysis of these chapters. I was just curious what you think about the lens of love. More specifically, what do you think happens when there is no love or passion put into a game? Have you ever played a game like that? Now, have you played any games where you can tell right away that the whole thing was made with love?

It really is such a big part of game design that often gets overlooked. Just like a secret family recipe, a good game is designed with lots of love, and it’s easy to tell when it’s not. I think that’s because when something becomes a passion, it is easy to put love into it. That’s why I think indie games always go above and beyond my expectations, whereas as a lot of “Triple A” games fall through the cracks. When game design becomes a profession, it can feel like a chore, and all “love” gets removed from it.

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