Friday, 21 March 2014

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

LO4: Task 1 - Moodboard


LO4: Task 1 - Brief

Assignment brief: 

In this unit of work you will investigate the games industry and the factors affecting the success of its product before developing an original idea and illustrative planning for a new game to pitch to industry professionals. You will work individually on Lo1-Lo3 however the final pitch will be undertaken as a small (2-4 person) group. The aim is to gain a greater understanding of the factors affecting production of produce within the games industry and the factors leading to their ultimate success of failure within the market.

LO4: Task 1 - Planning Documentation - Meeting ♯2



Meeting 2

21/3/14
STUDIO 3
9:30 – 10:10

Progress So Far:

Decided game idea

Issues Arising:

None 

Feedback From Group Members:

Matt: A game idea has been decided, along with its plot and gameplay ideas. All we need to do now is simulate it and fill in the required documents

Bill: Indeed.

Initiating Contact With Target Audience:

- Questionnaire created

Resources To Be Gathered:

- Paper and pencil for concept art

A.O.B:

N/A

LO4: Task 1 - Questionnaire about games




Monday, 17 March 2014

LO4: Task 1 - Production Schedule - Team Production Plan


LO4: Task 1 - Planning Documentation - Meeting ♯1


Meeting 1

14/3/14
STUDIO 3
9:30 – 10:10

Possible game ideas:

Old Roads
Z1

Roles and responsibilities:

Story Director – Collaborative
Art Director – Matt

Group Ideas:

Video Game concepts above

Company Name:

Patriots

AOB:

N/