“The best way to learn games is to play games. The best way to make games is to work.” – Alan Emrich
Part I: Class Homework
Each of you must choose a different member of your Team to write a Letter of Recommendation for. Thus, each Team Member will write one Letter of Recommendation and have one Letter of Recommendation written about them. (How you divide up this responsibility of who writes whose Letter of Recommendation is up to your Team.) Your Letter of Recommendation about your Teammate is due at the beginning of class next week and will be graded for up to 10 points.
In addition to the information in your course Review Sheet for this week, you are advised to look over the related articles provided on the web site concerning the writing guidelines for Letters of Recommendation.
And be sure to re-read the Review Sheet (particularly the parts that were sped past during the lecture) and peruse the Required Reading assignments for this week. While you should be focusing your energy on progressing your Graded Course Project (see below), you will need to keep up with the required readings!
Part II: The Graded Course Project
Armed with the feedback you received from this week’s second Practice Pitch, you should be busy finishing the work according to your latest revised Production Schedule. There should be little left to do but finish, tune, and polish your Pitch Presentation.
Next week will be your final Practice Pitch.
Next week you will be presenting a non-graded Practice Pitch Presentation in class! This is a full dress rehearsal, so no jeans – the “dress code” is California Business Casual (or better). Guys, you need to wear a shirt with a collar and eschew tennis shoes; ladies, dress nice (and I’ll be calling on you next week in class to evaluate and help the guys).
This non-graded evaluation will be the Biz Dev's (i.e., instructor's) chance to evaluate the style of your presentation and what sort of first impression your Team will make on The Client. All Pitch materials should exist in a state of completion (or very near completion) and be brought to class. Be sure to follow the Pitch Presentation format for this live, in-class 'dress rehearsal.'
In-person presentation advice
This should go without saying, but when you meet with publishers to pitch your title, try and present yourself and your team in a professional manner. Wear clean clothes, take a shower that day, shave, and remember to brush your teeth. You don’t want to be remembered as “that guy with bad breath”! Wearing a suit and tie is not necessary, but ripped jeans and an old t-shirt are not appropriate. – IGDA Game Submission Guide
Part III: Course Textbook
Game Development Essentials: An Introduction
Conclusion, The Future: Pay particular attention to the section on "Who will develop games in the future?" and "How will games be developed?" (pages 397 to 405). These are the questions that most concern your future career, so you’d better know what the pundits are thinking. Be prepared to discuss your thoughts, feelings, and prognostications about the future of the game business. If we have time we will discuss the future of the game industry between and after each Team’s Dress Rehearsal project pitches.
Part IV: The Final Exam
Be sure to review the material from Weeks 8 and 9, the plus the required reading from the Web Site. There will be a final exam next week covering that material (with a few review questions thrown in for good measure). It is worth 30 points.
