LO4: Task 1 - Analysis Of Current Market Trends

Looking at the gaming industry its popularity is growing day by day at a rapid rate with new children getting into video games while keeping its maturer audiences and people like games developers.

Recently since the rival of the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 we have entered the age of competitive online multiplayer which is apparent with franchises like the Battlefield franchise with new installments to the franchise every year.

Popular trends recently is when a player commits themselves to a dedicated franchise where the developer can develop games on a yearly basis and keep the same fan base guaranteeing sales, see franchises like Assassins Creed and Call Of Duty. 

Out of all these franchises the most popular are the ones of the FPS genre and that are multiplatform the most recent been Battlefield and Call Of Duty, which as mentioned before can put together quickly a game annually that hardly changes from the previous installment. However as their fan bases become more self aware of this daily the franchise loses a percentage of its fan bases annually with the majority of players buying the latest installment regardless of whether they wish to play it or not due to peer pressure from other gamers as they are already dedicated to the franchise and feel the compulsion to buy the latest title. 

As game developers are also aware of this since the end of that generation and the start of the rivalry between PlayStation 4 and Xbox One these franchise are trying to dramatically change their franchises by adding new features and way of gameplay, see Battlefield Hardline incomparison to the previous Battlefield titles.

As this intresting development happens it is hard to see the future of these franchises despite their dedicated fan bases, though since the launch of 'Next gen' lots of Indie game developers are appearing on the scene and arguably are keeping most gamers (casual) in the gaming scene as they are adding newer and more original concepts to games they are also cheap and not at the standard triple A titles of £50. Indie games are also growing in size especially open world indie games which have increased in popularity since the launch of Minecraft. Which is apparent from games like No Man's Sky.

So overall current market trends are changing rapidly towards to open world market of co-operative multiplayer and away from competitive and with the consistent push of indie developers its hard to see Triple A titles been the most sold. It is hard to see the future for gaming in trends as we are currently in a transition period, however FPS's and competitive multiplayer are still the most popular but as gamers move on and mature co-operative and open world titles are taking the high ground in market trends, see Destiny.

LO4: Task 1 - Pitch Presention - All Slides [Concept Idea, Budgeting, Visual Representations]

LO4: Task 1 - Planning Documentation - Progress [2/5/14]

World design and various characters are designed. The presentation is near completion, all that needs adding is the final concept art as all other details are filled in. 

All art work will be completed by Monday and the final pieces of the presentation should be completed next friday.

LO4: Task 1 - Planning Documentation - Most Successful Competitors

Game                        Developer                          Publisher                                     Current Sales

Fallout: New Vegas     Obsidian                           Bethesda Soft works                     5 Million Units (2010)
The Last Of Us           Naughty Dog                     Sony Computer Entertainment       6 Million Units (2014)

Markets Entered                  Successful Audience Groups

Worldwide                            Fans of franchise, Fans of RPGs & Bethesda titles                         
Worldwide                            Fans of survival shooter & Naughty Dog titles

LO4: Task 1 - Pitch Presenation - Presentation Order & Individual Participation

Team Members: Matt Poole, Bill Collett

In this pitch we decided to present the sections we INDIVIUDALLY WORKED ON. Bill doing story, budgeting and other planning, and me presenting all concept art and simulation.

Introduction - Bill Collett
Plot - Bill Collett
Target Audience - Bill Collett

World Design - Matt Poole
Character Design - Matt Poole
Vehicle Design - Matt Poole
Weapon Design - Matt Poole
HUD/Gameplay Simulation - Matt Poole

Pre-research data - Bill Collett
Production Schedules - Bill Collett
Budgeting - Bill Collett

LO4: Task 1 - Planning Doucmentation - Progress 11/4/14

Progress Made:

All legal and ethical documentation has been filled out.

LO4: Task 1 - Planning Doucmentation - Legal & Ethical

Copyright issues

·    Music & Sound effects:

Resolution: We are able to compose the music ourselves, or hire a musical team to do it for us, which may well be cheaper than a copyright license. Sound Effects can also be recorded by ourselves.

·      Game Engine:

Resolution: Develop a new game engine

Ethical Issue Resolution:

Visceral Combat, Violence, Expletive and Religious Symbolism:  we rate the game for an appropriate audience. The option to purchase this for someone under aged is purely the consumer’s.

Obscene Publication Act:

I would avoid this by making sure any explicit content is avoided in character design. Making sure characters are not sexualised in any way. Also the game shall be rated 18, so consumers shouldn't be affended. 

Liable/Slander:

The game does not feature anybody of this world, that would change someones view on a particular person because all character used are FICTIONAL.

How To Avoid Ethical Questioning

The game would be rated 18 so only mature viewers should play the game as they know what they are in for. Therefore no question should be raised.

Legal Issues

• -       Music/Sound Licensing
• -       Using Premade Game Engine
• -      Development Kit License

Ethical Issues

• -       Visceral Combat
• -       Violence
• -       Expletive
• -       Religious Symbolism

LO4: Task 1 - Pre-research Data

Game: Fallout New Vegas

Developer: Obsidian 
Publisher: Bethesda Softworks 
Sales (2010): 5 Million Units

Markets Entered: Worldwide

Successful Audience Groups: 

- Fans of the franchise
- Fans of RPG's
- Fans of Bethesda Titles
- Fans of post-apocalyptic games 
- Fans of survival shooters 


Game: The Last Of Us

Developer: Naughty Dog
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Sales (2014): 6 Million Units 

Markets Entered: Worldwide

Successful Audience Groups:

- Fans of Naughty Dog titles
- Fans of survival shooters
- Fans of horror
- Fans of zombie games
- Fans of post-apocalyptic games 

LO4: Task 1 - Treatment

Plot/Idea:

The Beast! A titanic mechanical behemoth, the great beast of the starts descended upon the planet many decades before the days you now find yourself in. The horrific monster arrived without warning and devastated the planet's surface leaving little in it's wake. You awaken, a survivor of this world with no memories of what came before. No name, no life, only one compulsion: Discover the truth about the beast. The now dormant creature hangs menacingly above the planet, cradling it in it's hands. 

Now it is up to you to discover it's secrets as well as the mystery of your own past and why you have sucg a strange desire to unearth the secrets of this land. But in the desert left behind by the beast, survival is not affirmed, and you your will not be an easy one.

- Vast Open World (Leisure exploration, Prizes, Story development, Long play time)

- Exploration Based (Leisure exploration, Prizes, Story development)

- Ruins, large structures (Ancient civilisation, Story development)

- Tactical Third person combat (Stealth, Traps)

- Brutal close quarters combat (Fists, knives, Make-shift weapons)

- Challenging (Smart AI)

- Customisable Character - Lost his memorises (Audience can portray the desired character)

- Large range of tools - Cyber enhancements, Vehicles, Gadgets, Sci-fi Guns, Crafting, Knives e.g.

Initial Ideas:

Bill’s Idea:

Vast open world filled with massive structures. Third person shooter, focused on close quarters and tatical third person combat. 

Matt's Idea:

Quick paced first person cyberpunk shooter heavily focused on speed exploration and large environments using a variety of tools at your disposal. 

Influences:

- Destiny

- Halo Franchise

- Fallout Franchise

- Killzone Franchise

- Ratchet & Clank Franchise

- The Last Of Us 

- Trigun

- Ghost In The Shell

- Dystopia, Cyberpunk and Post apocalyptic science fiction

Target Audience:

People who are into science fiction genre or a survival RPG type style gameplay with some TPS elements throughout. While it is undoubtedly a hard core game due to enemy difficulty and mature themes, the game places considerable focus on resource management and harmless exploration allowing more casual players to enjoy the experience. Enemy encounters, asides from certain story events can be avoided with some skill. Thus allows hard core gamers and casual player to enjoy the game, although it is defiantly aimed at a higher age group 

- Targeted towards 14 - 25 year olds

- 95% male gender ratio

- Expected audience to fall under C1C2DE 

- Or have some interest in Science fiction.

Platform:

The game is exclusive to PlayStation 4 to take advantage of the touch pad embedded within the controller and the use of high spec hardware provided by the PlayStation 4's operating system. 

Costs and Recourses:

Man months: 2492

Staff Total: 200

Months: 12.46

Man Years: 207.6

Average staff cost (+ PC's): £47500

Equipment (per staff): £350

Office rent: £60

Engine (PU): £2

Dev Royalty Rate: 10%

Console Licensing (PU): £4

Publisher Gets: £10.67

Publisher Margin: 10%

Publisher Costs: £9.60

Ethical Considerations:

The game is has an 18+ certificate and should only be player by those of the age and above. The game features heavy use of brutal close quarters combat with shooter elements, having the kill certain enemy AI to progress in the game though previously mentioned some content can be avoided all content is suitable for the certificate presented.

The audience should purchase/play the game at their on discretion as there is a clear certificate and is marketed towards mature audiences.

Marketing: Marketing includes:

- Posters (Public transport)

- Magazine adverts (More so towards video game based magazines)

- Fully animated cut scene adverts played on both TV and the internet

- Web adverts