Thesis Statement
Utilizing a structured web based interactive presentation framework to expedite the process of games being accepted, funded and developed.
Concept
There is a growing number of games being developed and published by AAA publishers like Ubisoft and Square Enix, as well as being pitched on crowd funding platforms like Kickstarter and Indiegogo. There is also an abundance of individuals that have great game visions; games that push the boundaries of what current games are doing and/or approaching art and gaming in new ways. A huge problem for most visionaries is gaining financial support and getting funding to develop their vision. Sometimes communicating what one has in their mind can be very difficult and, if thoughts are not clearly defined and presented in an appealing fashion, it could be difficult if not impossible to get people to back their ideas.
From game pitches to what is getting attention from public crowd funding sites, my goal is to research exactly what many developers are looking for. I will then develop a framework for pitching games with an interactive web-based interface that, I believe, will empower developers and help them put their best foot forward when presenting visions to the public and/or publishers. I will use a personal project to launch this frame work and measure the success of its implementation.
The framework for my project is a website that can be easily and intuitively navigated. It will host both the documentation processes and visual development of the creator’s vision while establishing a transparent and trust enhancing relationship between the developer and his or her potential investors. I believe that presenting a game pitch in this fashion will exceed the expectations of investors by providing them with an easy to navigate site and visually appealing documentation, as well as offering insight into the games development and budget.
Visual
The interactive game pitch will include the following focus areas: Introduction, treatment, mechanics, game world, Characters, Marketplace Analysis, Budget, and Schedule. If possible, the final piece of the pitch should be a playable demo.
The introduction will present the structure of the game including the background, game play, and key features as well as the intended platforms. The intro page will be organized in a fashion that will inspire the viewer to delve deeper into the proposed game. A treatment page will be used to visually introduce the viewer to the games genre, as well as describe how the game fits into the current industry and touch on any unique selling points.
A game mechanics and systems breakdown will visually describe various play modes, goals and victory conditions, control, player movement, camera, combat, damage, leveling, skills, magic, economy and item acquisition, item growth and unique play points. The game world page will give the possible investor a visual and descriptive insight into the different races, cultures and travel and trade systems that exist within the game world. The character page will provide introductions to the key characters of the story including designs and sample dialogues.
The Marketplace Analysis, Budget, and Schedule page is the hub for investors to analyze how their investment compares to similar games on the market in terms of fan fair and sales figures as well as the budget and schedule breakdown in its most current state.