The Game Development Strategy Guide

Some of today’s most popular video games have been on the market for decades, while others barely make it days before disappearing forever. What differentiates the games that survive? This expansive look at modern video game development gives you an end-to-end, cross-disciplinary understanding of the people, processes, and core design principles you’ll need to create video games that thrive.

Who Should Read This Book

This book is for anyone and everyone interested in working on and creating games, including the
following people:

• Aspiring game developers of any discipline.
• Veteran game developers looking to reframe their understanding of game development to account for modern trends and standards.
• Creative leaders who need to build and support environments where great video games are created.
• Game designers trying to improve their understanding of the business considerations that have felled so many recent games.
• User experience designers looking to understand, define, and expand their impact in the broader video game market.
• Producers struggling with the choice of business model or monetization choices for their games.
• Partners to video game developers like legal counsel, business development, venture capitalists, marketing, licensing, and human relations.

Takeaways

• Sets a standard for basic game design principles.
• Gives a foundation in the science and art of universal player motivation, critical to informing decisions about the game.
• Demystifies the modern gaming business, including live-service games.
• Walks through the roles that people and companies play in the game development process.
• Provides a common language for game development techniques.
• Shows how to achieve creative ideation and learn prioritization techniques.
• Explores more advanced design topics to help games thrive over time.
• Highlights how to design games that encourage positive social experiences.
• Defines modern video gaming monetization techniques.
• Codifies common ethical and legal issues.
• Provides a shared understanding of key video games hardware, software, engines, and platforms.
• Explores what works and what doesn’t in gaming—showing common patterns in the industry and design struggles.
• Gives insights that will apply to teams and games of any size—from indie games to mega games
• Highlights an oversight of the industry for nonindustry partners who need to understand game development, including the business development and legal areas.