21st Century Game Design

An even wider audience will be found for Chris Bateman and Richard Boon's 21st Century Game Design, which examines how best to design games and tailor them for specific kinds of audiences. Chapters focus more on the psyche and needs of the player than most programming or game books, discussing both how games can address these desires and how they can appeal to a wider audience outside the hard-core gamer. Any game designer or those seeking to develop and distribute games would do well to examine 21st Century Game Design with its audience-oriented focus.

I suppose it comes as no surprise to anyone to hear that game design has gotten very complex. The power of computers has grown tremendously since the first games like Pong. And with the ability to do more on the computer, and with more competition in the marketplace the need for a higher class of game designer has become clear. Now game designers have to consider such things as the age, gender, ability, attitude of the player -- many years ago my daughter got hooked on the Roger Rabit game. I told an executive in the Disney game group that they needed some games for young girls. He turned me down with a huff. 'We have Mickey Mouse,' he said. 'Yes,' I told him, 'but you also have Minnie Mouse.' He tuned me out. Now such a manager couldn't afford to ignore such an audience. This is a book written by professionals on what it will take to suceed in game development in the coming years. These people have 'been there, done that,' pay attention to what they say.

21st Century Game Design's quiet brilliance lies in its logical, sensible treatment of game design in today's market. Things game designers may know on some intuitive level, but often have no conscious access to, no way of articulating, this book illuminates. Chris Bateman's DGD1 audience model allows designers to make more intelligent, informed decisions in the way they design. Thorough implementation of the principles Bateman describes would help everyone: help publishers understand and support developers, help marketers know who to target, and most importantly of all, help gamers by making games that are made with their playstyles in mind. Not all gamers game alike, so as our industry grows and matures, understanding and identifying the different types of gamers is essential. Of particular import for growth of our industry is appeal to women and the casual segment, considerations that Bateman shows need not be commensurate with alienating the hardcore segment. You don't need to "water down" a great game to broaden its potential audience; you just need to be aware of your audience and make design choices accordingly. Bateman shows us that great game design is ultimately subjective; therefore an audience-driven approach to game design is essential to designing games in the 21st century. For any colleges and universities that have or are developing game design based cirriculum, for all industry professionals: here is an indispensable text.