Survey of the Game Industry

Graded Course Project Information

You're going to make a proposal for a new game.

The Task You're Performing

After looking at the game industry from all many sides and perspectives, around Week 8 you'll be tasked with working in earnest on your Graded Course Project. On Week 11 you will give a 2-minute oral presentation and submit a written Concept Document for an original game idea.

The Role You're Playing

Your company has been invited by Atari to proffer new game ideas at an upcoming meeting. Everyone where you work has been asked to research the client and put forth their best ideas in a day of presentations. The best ideas presented will be developed by your company and then 'pitched' to Atari. Your goal is to come up with an idea that will appeal to your co-workers, the client (Atari), and the market, and then present it in a way so compelling as to get a go-ahead for the project.

Click on the links below to access all of the information you'll need.

Vision Document: A short document containing an overview of a game's key concepts or 'vision.' This is generally used as part of a Pitch Packet for soliciting funding for a game project (but also see Ass Armor) and includes:

• The game's title (and subtitle) [Optional: Add an appropriate cover concept image]

• The game's High Concept, Hook, and One-sentence marketing description

• A bullet-point listing of the game's key features

• A succinct narrative description of actual gameplay

• [Optional: Concept art and screen mock-ups]

• [Optional: A controller diagram (if one is used)]

• [Optional: You can earn a little extra credit by having any kind of product ad, display, or Tshotchke at your final presentation to support your game idea.

Recommended Reading:

Article: The Game Proposal, Part One: The Basics by Luke Ahearn

This is a very useful piece about where your Game Proposal would go after it left your company and headed for the client. Mr. Ahearn knows what he's talking about, and you might do a better presentation if you had a better understanding of "the next step" in the process.