Game's Concepts week 4

Game's Concepts

A game concept is in depth outline of everything that will be included in a game. There will be a brief introduction that explains what the game is about and highlights the important aspects of the games creation. An example of a short introduction would be; Laser Fight is an FPS game for the xbox 360 where players have to fight hordes of aliens with a extensive arsenal of laser weaponry. More detail could be used to make concepts very clear but the introduction should be kept short and concise so as to convey the concept simply and easily. The game concept should then include a more detailed description of the gameplay in a few paragraphs. It should outline all of the core gameplay mechanics to the reader as if they are playing the game. The game concept should then talk about the key components of the game that will set the game apart from other products and prioritse which parts of the production are most important. This will heavily affect the production of the game because when working to a deadline certain parts may have to be cut, whereas other parts may need more attention and time than others. Finally the game concept should outline the genre of the game and the platform(s) the game will be developed for and any concept art or additional material can be included here.

My Game's Concept

My game that currently does not have a name is a 2D platform/beat 'em up game where the player controls the hero "Radioactive Man" who must fight hordes of enemies, in a beat 'em up style, to save the world from the evil master hippie "Earth Flower". The game is set in a dystopian industrial universe and will be developed in Game Maker for the PC.

The game will feature several levels and stages where the gameplay will vary between a platforming and beat 'em up. The early levels will consist of a power plant scene where the hero will have to fight small groups of radioactive sludge enemies before progressing to the next section. Later levels will feature platforming segments where the player must run away from a radioactive tidal wave from the left side of the screen while navigating tricky platforms and enemies trying to stop them.

The beat 'em up sections will feature a basic combat system where the player fights groups of enemies trying to build up combos to then unleash more powerful special moves. In some sections there will be a group of enemies that the player must defeat to progress to the next section. I hope to add a level of complexity to the combat by unlocking new moves as the player progresses through the game.(Guacamelee) There could also be jumping puzzles or interactive objects that contribute to slower puzzles that add a level of variety to the gameplay.

Because this game is centred around a superhero theme and is likely going to be a platformer/beat 'em up I will mainly be targeting the game towards teenage to adult males as I feel both these things attract more of this demographic than any other. The game will feature moments of humour and immaturity that will be aimed towards this demographic. I hope to suit the characters personalities towards this audience as I have chosen very comical characters for both my protagonist and antagonist. It will be aimed more towards the "nerd" culture that enjoys things such as Doctor Who. Doctor Who is a good example of a show that mixes fantasy with comedic and witty writing.

I am making this game because I firmly believe that this is the kind of game, a semi casual gamer who enjoys platformers and beat 'em ups, would enjoy. I aim to make the game fun and charming with intrinsically enjoyable gameplay. I want players to be able to finish the game in a few short hours so it is an experience that is easily sharable with others. If I was to sell this game I would probably price the game around £8-£10 so it is an affordable fun experience.

For this game I could probably make it in Game Maker but if I wanted to add functionality that Game Maker doesn't have then other software would be needed. I would create all the sprites and sounds myself with software such as Audacity and Adobe Illustrator. I would most likely need to outsource to a freelancers for music and complex artwork if needed.