1. Managing your ego
2. Professional Communication
3. Diversification

People all know communication leads to effective learning and understanding. But often that’s not what Engineer thinks. Artist usually are right brainer, they are really good with the picture in their mind, but often hard to describe them in details what it looks like. When developing a game, the producer/game designer is the key person to sync both SE and Artist’s mind. Artist needs to learn how to listen closely to what other people’s question, then answer in very specific details of what he wants. Here are few practices that you can improve for your communications skills:

• Teach to your peers
• Ask questions
• Join discussion

It takes a lot of practices to be come a good artist, so sometimes it is easy to just draw a sketch diagram to help establish the communication with your peers.

To become a better artist, you have to look at more resources, and do more researches to get ideas. Don’t be afraid of sharing your ideas and researches, because the only way to get better is through learning. When you think playing a game is fun, then think of when others giving you feedback and you actually learn from others, that will give you more sense of achievement then learning becomes fun.

Digital Production

• Digital Composition
• CG Animation
• Visual Effects
• Motion Graphics
• Editorial

Project Management

• Episodic Television VFX
• Feature Film VFX
• Location Production
• Budgeting, Scheduling, and Tracking

Design Services

• Logo and Identity
• Main Titles
• Program/Network packaging
• Motion Graphics
• Brand Integration

Media Application

• Television SD/HD
• Feature
• Print
• Web

Creative Development

• Creative Direction
• Copy Writing
• Campaign Development
• Conceptual Design
• Editorial

This new consumer environment definitely represents some interesting times. With the internet population expected to exceed 1.3 billion this year, here are a few questions we want to help marketing executive answer: “How do I create a billion person brand—one that’s driven by my company’s values and beliefs and supported by my customers through communities?” “How do I enable virtual communities to grow exponentially so each voice merges to shape a greater experience for all?” The answers are rooted in getting thisclosetoyourcustomers and creating brands that are destinations; environments and great experiences that allow customers to relate, create and succeed. At Blast, we help you figure out what’s relevant to your customer and then deliver it.

The CGSociety is the most respected and accessible global organization for creative digital artists. The CGS supports artists at every level by offering a range of services to connect, inform, educate and promote, by celebrating achievement, excellence and innovation in all aspects of digital art.

Design Matters. It seems simple, but how many of us would take our software user interfaces and display them on the walls as art? At Cynergy, what may seem odd for a traditional software company is the core of how Cynergy continues to out-innovate the competition. Cynergy is building truly stunning software. It’s not about User Interfaces, but about the User Experiences— immersive, engaging and sticky experiences that sustain the needs of passionate users.

For example of a Role Playing Game (RPG) will always look at the narrative side using the 30/30/30 rule and see if it brings excitement to the player experience.

30 Min:

• Teach gameplay
• Frictional context
• HUD / control (interface)
• Character customize
• Short story arcs

30 Hrs:

• Story -> Engage -> Compiled by the story
• PVP (Player vs. Player) -> Competition -> Co-op -> Guilds -> Cities -> Dependency -> Hanging out
• Exploring the environmental varience

30 Days:

• Investment -> Quality subjective
• End of game -> Beyond (itmes, towns, guilds) -> Persona/Ego/Esteem
• Bragging rights!!

The 30/30/30 rule can also be applied investing departments in a game, a really solid game would require these three departments:

• Artist – The outter shell of the game
• Programer – The inner structure of the game
• Game Designer/Producer – The heart of the game

And when managing a project, we will also look at the 30/30/30 rule:

• Time
• Quality
• Budget

Within the balance of the 30/30/30 rule, sometimes the management team will need to come up with the most effective, and efficient plans for the direction of the project.

• Beauty
• Immersion
• Problem Solving
• Competition
• Comedy
• Thrill of Danger
• Physical Activity
• Love
• Power
• Creation
• Discovery
• Advancement
• Application and Ability

These are all the things people are looking for when they are playing a game.

XEODesign, a player experience studies show on how games can be related to people’s emotions. So they came up with a framework:

There are 4 fun keys puts emotion into play.

• Hard Fun: The people who play for significance, and challenges
• Easy Fun: The people who play for curiosity, and exploring
• Serious Fun: The people who play to relax, and addiction
• People Fun: The people who play for interactions, and amusement.

People play games to change or structure their internal experiences. Adults in this study, enjoy filling their heads with thoughts and emotions unrelated to work or school, others enjoy the challenge and chance to test their abilities

Making a game should be just as fun as playing a game. Once we really define our definition of fun, then we can start looking at the development cycle  of a game.

1. Conception – Preproduction
2. Discovery – Prototype, game testing
3. Development
4. Impllementation
5. Alpha – Feature complete
6. Beta – Bug free
7. Game Final

The key game elements:

• Gameplay
• Presentation
• Audio
• Front End/Interface
• Game Modes/Online

I strongly encourage you to continue to check out my blog constantly, as I will posting more resourceful information for people who likes games, or who wants to join this industry or for those who are planning to start a game business.

I will be talking about game design in its relation to people’s emotion, and player’s experience, and I will also be covering some of my analysis about the online gaming culture, and the Asia gaming culture.