A Springboard for Video Game Developers
Creating video games is an art, no doubt.
The problem is that it isn’t easy to come up with ideas for video games. And
even when we do get an idea, it doesn’t seem as fresh or exciting as we want it
to be. The following offers a few ways you can generate some creative ideas to
keep your video game as fun to play from beginning to end.
13. Do the unexpected. This is probably one
of the hardest things for linear programmers to do because as software
developers, programmers are trained to keep everything working in some sort of
straight, logical order. To make this work, game programmers are going to have
to give themselves permission to go nuts - to do the unexpected and not obsess
over the consequences. As good training for all of us, doing the unexpected is
a freeing experience that opens our minds to workable possibilities we probably
wouldn't consider otherwise. These are possibilities that could make your video
stand out from the crowd of copy-cats.
14. Design the video game for a specific
audience. Choose a unique audience to design your game for and make sure that
every character, scene, subplot, and strategy caters to the interest of this
audience. But don’t pick a typical audience – go crazy. Design your game as if
a dog were the player, a computer mouse, or even a stack of pancakes. Let your
imagination go wild and you'll see a new world unfold before you.
15. Imagine that you're the video game. If
you were the video game that you’re designing, how would you want to be played?
Attempting to answer this question should set you off on quite a creative spree
of new and original ideas (if not one hell of a giggling session). Don’t just
throw the goofy ideas that you get from this exercise into the trash bin.
Seriously think of how to implement them into your video game. This strategy is
sure to put you on the gaming map.
16. Substitute. Using one object in the
place of another is another sure way of coming up with cool ideas for video
game, and in certain situations, it’s the only way to dream up something fresh
and new. When it seems that you just can’t come up with a new slant, you’re
best bet is to replace a typical, predictable character with a lively, cute and
helpful soda can. Or replace a typical, predictable plot with some bizarre
scene out of a dream. Remember: nothing is irreplaceable.
17. Introduce a little randomness into the
mix. There’s a lot to be said about random events. They always bring us the
element of surprise and you can use it to keep your video game exciting. The
key to making randomness work in a video game is to introduce a set number of
possibilities into several sections of the game and then have each of those
possibilities lead to a different outcome. Sure, this could drive a player
crazy, but you’ve got to admit, it will send them scrambling for a solution and
talking about your game for days.
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