D1

D1:

I have set the development company the time limit of 60 weeks to complete production and release the game at the end of that set timescale. The game is open world and will technically have endless playing time but the main storyline will consist of around 20 hours as the exploring of the world and side activities will make up the bulk of the game. In my Gantt chart which I have already discussed it will be directly followed by the development team and features all the tasks needed to complete the game. After researching online and looking at various sources I have came to the conclusion that the production should be scheduled to 60 weeks to make sure everything is complete in time which I believe is an adequate timescale for each individual task within production whether it be voice acting or marketing etc.

I decided to produce an open world survival game with zombies as this is the current trend in the video game market spread across all 3 dominating platforms. Some of the most popular games which are the same genre of mine are: DayZ, H1Z1, Zombie, Miscreated, Call Of Duty’s Zombies feature etc. All these games have been released within the last 3 years and many are still being released today which justifies my reasoning for a Zombie survival game. This current trend of zombies will still be popular in years to come in my opinion which means there will be a makret for this for some time.

Budget

I have researched many publishing games budgets and indie developer’s budgets and have settled mine at a good number. I have set it at £100,000 which is a high number for a first development by an indie company but I have ways of generating funds for the production. Firstly I will use websites like crowdfunding and GoFundMe where users will pledge money towards the production. It may seem like a long shot but many companies have created outstanding games via this method such as popular multiplayer survival game Escape From Tarkov which as fully funded via GoFundMe. Crowdfunding is a go to for many development companies in this current age as it is effective and is a current trend in the video game market for gamers to pledge funds towards a project they like. The timescales for my development are featured on the Gantt chart here for the developers to follow.

Through extensive research of developers and their game releases the most popular releasing dates of titles is between autumn and winter preferably end of September – start of December. Therefore my game will be released around the end of September so that by Christmas time it is still classed as a new game and will be bought during the Christmas period; maximising revenue. Call of Duty releases their games in November which gives my game a month window to un-competitively sell copies without the challenge of other companies. My game will also not have as much marketing as big franchises due to the budgets it has. Which is why I am releasing it just before all big companies release their games. I will mainly have to rely on social media to market my game to save money and prevent a large portion of the budget being spent on the marketing aspect. Trailers, screenshots and sneak peaks will be posted to the likes of Facebook twitter and YouTube so that an audience is able to be secured before release.                    

Gantt Chart

                                                                                                        

P5 - E - Legal and Ethical Issues

P5E-Legal/Ethical Issues

While creating a video game there are many legal and ethical issues which need to be considered. One legal factor which needs to be considered in every media release is age rating. The age rating of my game is an 18 due to the graphic violence and nature of the game as it would be highly unsuitable for younger audiences. It would not be a sixteen as the violence is much more graphic than that of a 16 rated game. Also the graphic designs make it look similar to real life which is why it has a such a high age rating. The characters in the game also use profanity and bad language which is not suitable for younger viewers also. An ethical issue I have to consider is not misleading fans during the build up to the game. By this I mean that I cannot mislead fans in trailers and screenshots by making promises to hype up the game when in reality these promises will never be carried out. Therefore, I will have to always only feature in things which will actually be in the game. If fans are misled it can lead to a negative backlash such as poor reviews of the game which can ultimately put people off wanting to buy the game.

Another legal factor is copyright and royalties. In the game there will be music played through the cars CD player as well as the game characters’ portable music player. Therefore, when I choose my music I will have to contact the owners of the music and organise a contract which grants me access to use the music in the video game. If did not consult the owners of the music there would be a potential lawsuit for unpaid royalties. The games characters must not be similar to real life people as it can result in copyright.

For example, if my character looked similar to Rick from the Walking Dead which is a zombie TV show the company would sue for copyright due to it copying their character. Another ethical issue in my game could be to do with the violence. If there is an extensively violent scene in the game, it may be subject to complaints. For example, GTA V had a torture level which was frowned upon so in the game the scene where a character is slowly eaten by zombies may also be under fire due to the nature of the violence and how gory it would actually be. Also in the game it would be unethical to have all the characters as one specific race or subject any characters to stereotypes as It would offend a large group of people. Religion will also be taken into account as certain things may offend religious groups                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

P5 - D - Target Audience

Myles Harrison – P5 D – Target Audience

Action games have been the top of the most popular games for some time now so therefore many action fans would enjoy this game. Zombie themed games have also dominated the markets since 2013 and some unique zombies with sandbox features usually sell the best which is why I am having sandbox features. Multiplayer games also dominate the market and are now prioritised over single player which was not the case until around a year ago. The target age will be a mature audience due to the extensive violence and violent scenes.

The game as aimed towards people who enjoy sandbox games which include action adventure and survival aspects. The game will attract people who delve into realism and make it feel like they are there due to the features like eating sleeping and mental state. It can be appealing to a casual gamer who wants to just roam around and kill zombies in their spare time but then it also appeals to hard-core gamers who want to follow the storyline or play for 100% completion.

It can also appeal to people who want to play co-op with their friends or enter multiplayer game modes such as death match or team death match. This can result in a bigger audience as online games appeal to a lot more people than just single player as they want to connect with their friends using the console.

Overall this game will appeal to a variety of gamers as it has features which will interest many different audiences and ages.

P5 - C - M2 - D1

Gameplay: In the game the player controls the protagonists in the game with the keys WASD to move the character and using the mouse for the camera as well as other keyboard commands for controlling the player. The aim of this game is to complete the campaign and survive against the zombies and other survivors. The gameplay will be quite complex and follow a linear storyline with the player being able to free roam in-between missions. Players can purchase new items from traders and also sell things they’ve collected on the way. Users have the ability to drive vehicles and free run over obstacles to create more immersive ways of playing the game. Players recruit other survivors to their camps and can train them to make their stats better e.g. fighting and shooting. Players have to maintain their camps such as upgrading buildings and having enough bedrooms for the survivors in the camp. They will also have to watch out for bandits raiding the camp and zombie hordes passing by.

I have drew out a POV from the users perspective when playing as the character in 1^st person. It shows a mini map in the bottom left corner so the user can see where they are and also has health, armour hunger, thirst and stamina around this map so the player can always keep track of their players status easily. The gun is currently at the hip and can be aimed and shot when needed. The drawing shows the player in free roam mode so the player can travel the map without interruption from missions unless they trigger one by starting one themselves. He is facing a military building and there is various loot items inside such as other weapons, food, water keys for vehicles and sometimes zombies or bandits. This free roam can help the character advance at controls and find new things to keep them interested and to keep them playing the game. The free roaming aspect will keep the target audience interested as many games today have the freeroaming aspect to games now.
To meet the D1 criteria i have drew the image to have a high level of appeal to the target audience. It is appealing as it has a clear first person view which means shooting gameplay would be easy to pick up and the mini map allows them to navigate easily as most games like this today have a mini map on the HUD. The game itself also pays attention to detail which will create a visual appeal for the audience as they would want to play a nice looking game.

This other sketch is of the Map/Inventory menu. This screen displays the map in full view and allows users to have a full scale version of the area rather than just the small mini map while playing. Players can set waypoints to their destinations and travel there and also see any points of interest which may be highlighted on the map. On the inventory side it shows all the inventory slots the players can have. The slots to the left indicate items in the vicinity whereas the slots to the right is the players current inventory which may have items such as food water and ammo in. There is also a description box at the bottom which will explain to users the functions of some items and explain what they are. This will appeal to the audience as the system of inventory and mapping is easier and not difficult and will keep them interested. In addition to the inventory menu there is other slots with icons which indicate the other menu options: guns, melee weapons, medical supplies, survivors in your camp and finally the camp settings. It allows all modifications etc. to all be in one place rather than having to go through many menus for each thing. In the D1 aspect it appeals to the target audience as it has a functioning full sized map which allows the users to navigate easily and track where they are headed to as in most games these are a desirable feature to many players who are playing sandbox games.

This is a sketch of what the player would see when inspecting their weapons at the camp or inspecting a weapon they may want to buy at a trader. The player is able to rotate the weapon 360 degrees so that they can see all of the weapon. They can also add modifications in this mode too such as attachments or colours. This appeals to the target audience as in open world sandboxes people would like to have a variety of weapons which can be modified to keep them playing with different guns for different play styles.

This is the sketch of the main character Marcus. He is the main protagonist you do the campaign with and is a leading character. The drawing here shows him at the start of the campaign as when you progress you can change outfits. He has a leadership personality which is why he leads the survivor camp. He wears a bandanna across his face which makes him distinctive to others. He is ex-military and in certain missions you have flashbacks to before the outbreak and to when he was in the military. This will appeal to the target audience as the character can be customized which is a very popular feature in sandbox games and zombie survival games.

P5 - B - Competent Production Schedule

Planning and design

Before official planning, there will be a pre-plan, which will be handed out to all of the people developing the game. There will also be concept art and various other features described and suggested in this pre-plan so employees can be shown the direction the game will be in. The storyline will also be concluded in this stage so that developers do not make it up as they go along. The head developers will create a Gantt chart, which is effectively a time plan the employees will have to stick to when developing the game so that it is ready in time for release. It is easy to follow and can be easily understood by employees. The Gantt chart will have to be realistic and followed accordingly by developers to meet deadlines etc.

Development

There are various development stages to the game (which are shown on the Gantt chart) and these development stages will pass out over 60 weeks. Examples include: Initial research, storyline and plot development, character script, gameplay ideas and features. Eventually after it has been developed bug fixing will be carried out majorly over the first month of release but after the first month they will only be fixed if discovered by the community playing the game.

Gantt Chart: click to view in full screen

Budget

The budget will be set at £100,00 and will be funded via Crowdfunding websites such as GoFundMe. The budget will fund all of the things listed on ym Gantt Chart, including paying the developers their wages.

Characters

In my game I have created a main character named Marcus Johnson who plays the main protagonist role in the game and is controllable by the player. I have also created other characters who are antagonists and protagonists who are all a part of the storyline. These other characters will assist the main character in missions/ try and stop him in missions. The main villain in the game are the zombies which are always trying to stop the player in their tracks. Apart from the zombies who will always be enemies right the way through there will be other groups in the storyline who try and stop the main character from finding the cure. There will also be other none animated characters in games such as dealers and store owners where the player can interact with their menus to buy and sell items and these NPC’s cannot be killed or moved as they are placeholders serving another purpose for the game.

P5 - A - Proposal

SAFE HAVEN

Working Title:

The working title to this game is: “Safe Haven”

Story/Narrative/ Synopsis:

The game follows protagonist Marcus Johnson who is an ex-soldier suffering from PTSD. You go through a campaign following his story throughout the post-apocalyptic world.  His sole mission is to survive and keep himself safe from the undead and other humans. The story shows his survival and his goal of trying to find a safe haven.

In each level Marcus gets closer to finding the cure and finding somewhere safe and meets other people on the way during the campaign.

Genre:

The Genre is a “horror drama” as it features zombies gory violence and a continuous storyline.

Platforms: The game will be released on all the 3 dominating platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC (Via Steam)

These Platforms are powerful and will be able to run the games high end graphics and features without difficulty. It will not be released on old gen as it would not make much profit.

Gameplay:

Alongside the campaign the player is able to find new survivors in the sandbox world and add them to their camp. These characters are also playable when in free roam and have different sets of skills and powers. The multiplayer aspect allows survivors to create their own bases and find supplies within the many enterable buildings on the sandbox map. The player has a choice of a first and third person view point whether in vehicles or on foot. The actual gameplay is exploring freely whilst completing missions also. The multiplayer also allows people to connect with people all over the world.

Characters:

There are pre-set characters who are a part of storyline and some are not playable. However, you can recruit other survivors who have randomly generated traits names and looks and they can be played as. Marcus Johnson is the main playable character but the player can swap out other characters at their disposal   

Audience:

Action games have been the top of the most popular games for some time now so therefore many action fans would enjoy this game. Zombie themed games have also dominated the markets since 2013 and some unique zombies with sandbox features usually sell the best which is why I am having sandbox features. Multiplayer games also dominate the market and are now prioritised over single player which was not the case until around a year ago. The target age will be a mature audience due to the extensive violence and violent scenes.

Length:

The length of the campaign in approximately 15hours of playing time. However once the campaign is over that does not mean the game is over. There are endless things to do in the open world whether all missions have been completed or not. Also in multiplayer it has no end either and will continue until the community loses interest in the game.

Cost?

The price of the game will be £35-£40 as it is a new release and will be a bad idea to price it as £45-£50 along with other popular franchises. There will be released DLC after release which will attract new players and keep the existing players playing the game.

Levels

It features mini games which are flashbacks to life before the apocalypse. It is a mix of a 3^rd and 1^st person shooter which also has a multiplayer aspect also. The plot shows him meeting new characters and surviving the apocalypse.

There will be a playable campaign which will be the main aspect of the game. There will also be a mixture of levels, some will be linear where the player follows a designated route to complete a mission but there will also be aspects where the player uses their own way of completing a mission. There will also be side quests which can be completed whenever by the player and is carried out within the free roaming area.

Controls

P4 - A,B,C,D, M1 (Genre, Narrative/Storyline, Characters, Platforms)

P4 A – Genre

For people who do not know yet, Angry Birds is a very popular Puzzle game which is played by millions. Each level is designed to be more difficult as you play through the levels. It fits into the casual gaming genre as it does not require skill effort or much time to play which means it can be played leisurely without any stress or fast paced gameplay such as other games. Each level has the same objects and enemies in but gradually get more difficult and the player has to think where to take their shots which is the puzzle aspect as it will restart the level if all the enemies are not destroyed before you have used your last bird. This game is the heart of casual puzzle games and can be played nearly anywhere, not to the fact it is easy to complete the levels just that it is easy to play the actual game without being a hard-core gamer as it can be used to pass the time.

P4 – B – Narrative/Storyline

The storyline to this game is simple yet effective due to it being humorous and attractive to young children all the way up to elderly people as it contains a fun story free of complexity. The story is harmless and fun and consists of some green pigs who had taken the birds eggs which turns them angry (hence the name of the game) and they travel through the levels destroying the pigs trying to find where their eggs have gone. The story will show small cut scenes to show what is going on every few levels such as the pigs running away further.

P4 – C – Characters

There are a few characters in the game some of which are protagonists and others are antagonists. Here is a list of the protagonist characters: Red, Chuck, Bomb, Matilda, Mighty Eagle and Terence. The antagonists are pigs or piggy’s and are green coloured and their leader is called Leonard. All of these characters come in weird and wonderful sizes and colours which makes them more appealing to the audience as they are likeable characters and memorable.

P4 – D - Platforms

 This small little game started off on just an IOS device as a small game but since their original new innovative casual gaming idea it has blown up around the world. It has become massively popular and remains in the iTunes top grossing games for years now. It is available on: IOS, Android, Symbian, Windows Phone and then once it had reached major worldwide attention it the managed to get ported onto games consoles and PC’s.

M1 – Target Audience, Recommendation Of Reviewer, Gameplay, Overall Rating.

I would say the target audience for this game is anybody from the ages 3 and over due to the easy controls, non-difficult objectives and levels and the colourful characters and funny storyline. Children will enjoy the bright colours as such and adults will also like the game as it would be good to kill time or to causally play on the go or at home as there are many levels to keep people occupied.

Personally I would recommend this game as there is no reason not to have it. It includes all the aspects to a fun casual game which is not competitive and can be played whenever and wherever. The controls are easy and the game has a lengthy play time depending on your skill level. The sheer comical idea of using green pigs and wingless birds makes it appealing and original when compared to other games. The gameplay is fun and may be repetitive in what you have to do but each level is different and makes you not think about it being similar as the actual content of each level is completely different and gets harder as you progress. Nobody had thought outside the box like this before which makes it so interesting to play as it is something new on the market rather than a recycled idea. It is free to play so what is stopping you?                                                                                                                                                                                         

Graphics

I would rate the graphics 80% out of 100% this may seem low but its only due to there not being much graphics to actually comment on as in each level there are the same character’s textures and backgrounds. However, it is rated 80% as the actual quality of the game is crisp and smooth and runs at a good frame rate on new devices but on older devices it is very slow and may not load. The quality is HD at around 720p and is not pixelated and is the opposite to an eyesore.

Gameplay

I would rate the gameplay 96% out of 100%. I rated it this as the gameplay is fun and enjoyable and does not feel like a chore due to the gameplay being casual and non-competitive or fast paced and levels can be repeated at any time. It may be slightly repetitive but doesn’t get boring and there are many levels to complete meaning the playing time is lengthy.

Accessibility

It is very accessible due to the only controls being selecting a bird swiping the camera and then swiping the screen to target and fire the bird at6 the pigs. Anybody at any age could pick up the skills to play this game as it is not complicated whatsoever and doesn’t need any prior knowledge to the game if somebody was going to play the sequel. Therefore, I would also rate gameplay 96% out of 100%

Lifespan

I believe that this game has a long life span as some levels can be difficult and can take time to complete. There is also a vast amount of missions which adds up the playing time anyway. If the game does end up being completed it would still be fun to replay all of the missions a second time. I would rate the life span 90% out of 100%

Innovation

Angry birds is a very innovative out of the box idea due to its sheer greatness at making the humorous storyline work alongside easily passable missions and not having any real difficulty until you are further into the game. It is an idea which has not been done before as it is such a bizarre idea which managed to take off as a franchise. I would give it an innovation rating of 95% due to the original never done before idea.

Overall I would rate this game 96% out of 100% for its originality and lengthy gameplay which is different every level and remains fun even at level 50. It will always be a dominating game due to people always playing it when they are bored, trying to pass the time or just have some spare time. It is good for all the family and has no real difficulty allowing many ages no matter how young or old to play it.