Pre-Production

What is pre-production and what is involved?

Pre-production is a huge part of developing anything, whether it be a small project or a big one. They all require to be pre-produced.

There are many requirements of a games production, these include;

v  Type of production

v  Finance

v  Time Constraints

v  Personnel

v  Facilities

v  Materials

v  Contributors

v  Locations and codes of practice

During pre-production the producers will have to consider what type of production they are making. For example; pre-production to a music video will be very different to pre-producing a documentary.

Here are some examples of where pre-production make take place;

v  Computer games

v  TV programmes

v  Adverts

v  Films

v  Documentaries

v  Music Videos

v  Music Albums

The type of production will impact on the pre-production process, depending on what the production is you would have to consider the finance and budget. For example; a TV advert will cost considerably less to pre-produce, and produce, than a major motion picture film.

Financially pre-production is a vital point to planning your budget and allocating your funds to different areas of the project. There are many areas of which will require some money, materials will need to be bought, and facilities hired out or bought.

Certain things need to be paid for during the pre-production process.
Equipment needs to be bought and paid for, the equipment you may need might be computer software etc.
Scouting the local, or unknown, areas to find the right setting may also cost. Crew member mays have to travel around to find the right spot, crew members will also need their wages paid. Once you've found the right spot if it's a building or house, you will have to pay for that as well. However if you found a nice spot outside in the public then it should be cost free.

An example of financially complete product could be Halo 3, as a relatively old game it can be bought from £10-£20 pounds which is very cheap considering it cost $30 million to produce. It also made $170 million on the day of it's release.

Time constraints have to be taken into consideration in all parts of production; pre-production, production and post-production.
All of production elements need to be carefully time scheduled to ensure that the production doesn't take too long.
Putting a time limit on certain parts of the project will help to keep the whole process together and on time.

It would also be wise to take equipment availability into consideration, if you live in a small town and there is only one recording studio and it is fully booked your going to have to plan it out more time concisely. This also applies for personnel, some of the people you hire may be working on multiple projects.

Personnel is the people who are working with you. You will need a number of different personnel on the production team to influence different areas of the project. Project Designer may be the main key role of production. He/She will design every concept of the project and help show others how their vision is to be portrayed. Another personnel could be the director, the director will help film or shoot the footage you wish to capture for the production.

Before hiring personnel, looking at individual CV's to find out the relevant skills and experiences to gain the best team you can to help in the production process. This will also affect the finance side of things, if you hire a top of the range developer then they will be demanding a high paid wage slip.

Facilities will be where the production takes place, it could be a warehouse or an office building, depending on the type of project you are doing.
Facilities impact the production, they set the mood and the scene. This is important to assure that the project is a hit with the target audience.
Setting the scene helps develop the whole project, the right scene at the right time can make a huge different to the project. You will also need to assure that you can hire the facilities out for the desired time that you will need them to avoid having to put off the production for days at a time. 

Materials can vary from all sorts of things depending on the project. From technological resources to artistic materials they are all important to the production process.
Different areas of the production will require different materials. The filming department will need all different technology, such as computers, cameras and lighting. The designer will need pens, pencils etc, to plan the production, then need props and costumes to bring the plan to life.

The main material that all departments will need is the internet. It may be used for researching, designing, advertising, etc...

Software is another main resource needed within the production process. Software such as GameMaker Studio can create simple 2D games within hours, it's a very easy software to use. To make 3D games you may need 3DSMax, (3D Studio Max) This allows you to make more complex games, although it may take longer to make it will produce better quality games.

Contributors are those who help with the production process. They can be sponsors such as V05, They sponsor a television program called Holyoaks. This helps them get more income as well as helping attract a new audience to whatever your producing.

Other contributors may be professionals such as directors from websites, or TV channels, or magazines. Different ways to help promote what you are creating.

Specialists in the field may also contribute towards the production. Having specialist support and advise is a good way to achieve a higher caliber result. You could even acquire the help of a known talent.
For example; Ricky Gervais appeared in 'Grand Theft Auto IV' along with Katt Williams, they both performed in a comedy club within the game.

Contributors are important to help gain more income and publicity towards your production.

Finding the right location is vital to setting the right atmosphere and feeling within the production. If you had a game that was about cowboys, but it was set in a modern city then it just doesn't work. So it is important to get the right location to work with the project. When looking into a location you must remember to check the availability and location of the facilities that you are using. Also, accessing the location. Is there a certain time of day you can't access the site, is it suitable with various weather conditions.

 

Adhering to the codes of practice basically means making sure you cover your back. Creating a game that has lots of blood, guts and gore in it and rating it a 12 may be controversial. Rating a game correctly is vital to it being well received. For example Call of Duty games offer a Zombie mode. Where you fight off all of the zombies within the area. It's very bloody and violent, hence why the games are usually rated between 15+ and 18+. 

As well as ensuring the game is rated properly you would need to ensure that if advertised, it is so at appropriate times and on appropriate channels. As an example, Call of Duty would not be advertised at eight in the morning on CBBC. It would usually be shown after nine o'clock.

 

  It's very important that before or even at the beginning that you adhere to the codes of practice. Making sure that everyone abides by the legal laws and regulations during the production is vital to making sure the project goes ahead smoothly and legally. Health and safety regulations should also be adhered to.

Making sure that the company has the relevant insurance to cover everything is rather important. The insurance should cover the facilities, equipment and the people working within the production. Other important insurance is Completion Insurance. Ensuring that if you are being hired to create some artwork for a production and for some reason you cannot complete the job you will be covered so the company cannot sue you.

Certain regulatory bodies need to be taken into consideration also. Press Complaints Commission (PCC), Advertising Standards Agency (ASA), Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB), Pan European Game Informant (PEGI) are a few that need to research, looked into and consulted during the production procedure.

Other organizations that need to be considered are, The British Interactive Media Association (BIMA), The Independent Games Developers Association (TIGA), Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA) are important agencies and organizations to know about and to consider.

Ethics

Impacts of Games on Society

The impact of computer gaming on society has grown significantly within recent years. People are becoming obsessed with games, this can be a good thing and however it can also be a bad thing.

Positive & Negative Effects:

Computer games promote a number of positive aspects to the player. They can promote key life skills such as teamwork and communication. Most games require you to read instructions or messages, which then would help to develop reading and possibly writing skills. Games will generally require the need to think quickly, decide what to do, when to do it and how to do it. This can impact on how people act in real life situations, good or bad.

Some negative effects can be the amount of violence within modern games, this is a huge factor that impacts on today’s society. Some parents still buy their children 18 rated games which leads to them copying what they play. This can be a major problem when it comes to them socializing and going to school. This isn’t just a problem in younger children, many people above the game rate age also are affected negatively to games containing violence.

Excess Playing Time:

Playing games can be fun, however playing for a long period of time can have some negative effects. Spending too long on any technological device, TV, computer, phone, etc... can have a massive impact on eye health. This could lead to serious issues. However that isn't a concern to most gamers. Playing for long period of time can get a person hooked to the game. So much so that they think they are still playing when they are not. For example, someone playing Gears of War 2 can become completely blinded by reality. To a certain extent they may go out with a weapon and slaughter someone thinking that they are still within the game.

Cost, Social Isolation & Separation from Reality:

The cost of gaming can be explained in two concepts. 1) The cost to buy the game, and to connect online. 2) The cost, and impact, it has on your life.

Some people play games everyday, but for two maybe three hours at a time, where as others spend their lives eating, sleeping, gaming. Their life becomes a vicious cycle where the get up, get some food, turn on the Xbox and stay there until four or five in the morning, then they go back to bed.

This lifestyle isn't good for anybody, the impact it will have on your physical and mental health can be very serious.
Having friends, or people to talk to is a important part of everyday life, without socialization people can become lonely and insecure. Socializing is a huge part of society, without the world would be a cold and lonely place. Human interaction is a key part to staying sane, without socialization you could drive yourself crazy.

This sort of gaming lifestyle separates you from the rest of the world again, making you socially isolated from the rest of society. Separation from reality is easy to fall into, not so easy to get out.

Playing on  a game for a solid two weeks, only stop to eat, sleep, and use the toilet may sound like fun. But when your hardcore gaming session ends you have to fit back into everyday life. Things could be happening around the world and you would be none the wiser of what's what anymore.

Thinking & Strategy Skills:

Gaming can prove useful, certain skills are a must have to be considered good at gaming. I mentioned before hand-eye co-ordination which can be developed on the majority of games. Other skills could be quick thinking, for example; 'call of duty' demands you to think quickly and do the right action. This can help enhance skills that people can use in everyday life. Other games such as 'forza motorsport' requires you to not take your eyes off of the screen meaning you need to know where all the buttons are without having to look at where they are on the controller/keypad.

 

Future Impact:

  The future impact games may have on society can vary from good to bad. A positive way that society may be influenced could be that most people who play computer games are more than likely to be better at everyday tasks, like driving for example. Hand-eye co-ordination is built up on a number of games.

On the other hand it could also impact society in a negative way.
Gaming influences many lives, if people start copying what they see on games they play, such as Gears of War, Call of Duty, Grand Theft Auto, etc... then the world will be a much worse off place.

Many games consist of violence, this isn't such a bad thing but it may influence badly on some people. Where as it won't effect others.

Impact on 'mainstream' Application Development:

The world of media is huge, from games to movies everything gets is affected by their media coverage. Magazines are possibly one of the biggest methods of getting your game recognized. Reviews within a magazine, or on the internet guarantees
people to see it and hopefully encourage them to buy it. Gaming can influence other aspects of media such as television. Certain games are good enough to get news interviews, short films/documentaries.
The music industry is also helped by games. Games need soundtracks, and maybe in game songs. For example on 'Grand Theft Auto' when you get into a car, certain radio stations have real songs on.

Psychological Factors:

Computer games can play a massive part in a person’s psychological behavior. Various games can impact in various ways for example; a game such as Grand Theft Auto may impact on how a person views the world. The gamer may become more violent, they may copy what they see on the game. For example they may steal a car on go on a killing spree, or they may copy the violent and volatile behavior that is shown throughout the game.

Not all psychological factors of gaming are bad, some can be positive. Increased hand-eye co-ordination is vastly improved by playing on computer games. This can help an individual in everyday life, having better hand-eye co-ordination can help to increase the ability to do many things, like drawing, writing, driving, etc.

Use of Sound:

The use of sound in gaming is crucial to gain the right effect. Sounds are often out in the game at certain points to enhance the game motion, they will correspond with the mood and the task in hand to create a better feel to the game. Sound can affect a person in multiple ways, to some people sound doesn’t matter when people are talking they’d rather read subtitles but sound effects, like a gunshot, are crucial to knowing what is happening in the game surroundings.

 

Sounds can influence many things within a game, if you hear dark music that keeps you in suspense then it helps you understand that something is wrong. However if you hear more cheery sounds it may indicate that you have won, or something positive is going to happen.

Sound effects can influence the game in many ways, but within society it can also. Sound effects could impact an individual so severely that they can't get the sound out of their head, this could lead them to becoming jumpy and paranoid which could lead to violence or anti-social behavior.

 

High Score Listings & Competitive Games:
 

Hitting the high score listings is the goal for many gamers, but some take it too seriously when it comes to being the best of the best. High Scores used to be a way to compare various individual skills, nowadays they are much more competitive. When trying to achieve a high score, some people will spend hours trying to beat their friends or even strangers that they have never spoken to or met. It doesn't matter to some people who they beat, as long as they're number one.

It has been said that over the years high scores within games have 'evolved' meaning that they matter a lot more these days. Some people don't care about their score, they're just playing for fun. Others however believe that to have a high score is the main goal of a game, even if it does take some of the joy out of playing.

Competitive gaming is becoming more and more popular, especially with teenage boys. All they talk about is their high score on 'Zombies' or how many cars they have on 'GTA'. Gaming is becoming a much more serious industry, now games have the ability to connect to the internet people can play others from across the globe, some even sit in the same house and connect to each other via headsets online.

 Competitive gaming has become a world wide phenomenon, in every corner of the globe there is someone competing in an online game. Whether it be against someone in the same country or on the other side of the world.
This has a huge impact on society, most people are interacting over the internet and not going out and enjoy the social environments that the world has to offer.

Peer Pressure:

Peer pressure can happen anywhere, but some people may be pressurized into buying and playing a game they don't particularly want too. This is most common during years at school.
"Everybody else has that new game, you don't want to be the only one without it do you?"
This may sound like friendly advise, but something like that can change a persons life. They may not want the game, however they may not be able to afford it. This could lead to the person stealing the game, or illegally downloading it, just to fit in with their friends.

Fun & Expectations:

Having fun is one of the best parts of gaming, however not everyone plays for fun. Going back to what I said before, Gaming is quite competitive nowadays.
Expectations within gaming could mean anything.
For example; when a new game comes out, let's take FIFA 15 that comes out soon, people have certain expectations for the game.
Expectations such as, I hope they have the new seasons kits this time, if they don't some people won't be happy.
This could lead to complaints to the company, complaints on social media, maybe even coverage on the news if enough people get in an uproar about a game.

Leveling:

 

Gaming can become quite addictive, the urge to get to the next level can become obsessive. 
The want, or need, to get to the next level can be so addictive people will give up everyday needs so they can carry on gaming.
Things like sleeping and eating may become secondary when trying to meet the next level on a game. This also goes back to competitive gaming and high scores. The urge to be better than your friends, or strangers, is becoming an obsession within today's society. The impact it will have could potentially be a much more competitive world in which we live.

To Conclude: Gaming has the chance to impact society and our everyday lives in a variety f different ways. From competitive teenagers to smarter kids, today's society can be changed for the better, or worse.

First Attempt at GameMaker Studios

I made my first few attempts at making Sprites, some of them turned out great! Some didn't.

 

City Scape Background

Character; Alien

Random Checkered Background

Sword; Failed


As a whole my first attempt at GameMaker was a mild success. With a bit of practice I hope to get a lot better.

The Alien character and the checkered background both were added to my first game.
The checkered background made up the walls to stop the aliens, which where the bad guys, escaping of off the screen.

I also created a robot typed character to be the character that you are within the game.

Gaming Journal 1

League of Legends

League of legends is a RPG game. The game focuses mainly on combat between two teams of five players each competing to capture the other teams turrets first. 

The main aspects of the game that I like is the graphics and sound within the battle. The graphics appear very clear, considering the fast pace of the game. The sound effects are very sharp and realistic. My favorite champions to play are Garen, Vi and Jax.

  

Aspects of the game I don't like are; some champions that you can play as are squishy, meaning if your not careful they will die easily due to low health and mana. Another thing about the game that I'm not fond on is sometimes it automatically matches you with people who are a higher level than you, leaving the game much harder to play.

The main aim of the game is to work as a team to capture the turrets in your lane, one player goes to the top lane, one goes in the middle, two sit at the bottom and the final player patrols the jungles which join the lanes together. You can't pass the turrets and go further without destroying them. Once you've destroyed the two turrets in your lane, you move into the enemy base, which has a further three turrets, which when destroyed allow you to attack the three inhibators. Then you move onto a further two turrets, once all of these are done you can attack the spawning pool. The spawning pool spawns minions which help your team attack the enemy team minions and turrets. Once the spawning pool has been destroyed the game ends. The team who destroy the enemy spawning pool first wins the game.
 

This is the map that helps you see where everything is during a normal game.

 

There are various other game modes of League, such as dominion. Dominion is similar to the normal games, but with a slightly different aim. Instead of destroying turrets there are five different turrets to capture. Each kill, assist or capture gives you points, which is deducted off of the other teams health, each team start with 500. As soon as one of the teams health runs out the other team then wins the game.
 

Gameplay video of Garen.