It goes without saying that basically having an idea is practically useless (this is applicable to most, if not all industries ). These days, you could pick someone off the street and chances are that they probably have a couple of pitch-worthy game ideas up their sleeves, ideas that will likely never see the light of day. Basically put, game ideas are aplenty. On the other hand, game ideas that are acted on and further developed however don't come along as often.
All games, irrespective of medium or success, stem from the abstract construct of thought they know fondly as the 'idea'. It all has to start somewhere after all, be it on the proverbial drawing board, along the margins of your thesis paper, in your sister's diary or even the back of a paper towel.
And no, there is not going to be any 'thinking out of the box' going on here. I mean, who has the say as to what or where the box is? What actually constitutes the box, and why do they even think within it to start with?
In truth, it takes a nice measure of dedication and perseverance to see one's ideas realized. That, however, is a subject for another time. For now, let's shift our focus to the actual birthing of a game idea.
I come to you now as a gambling enthusiast and an aspiring designer to share a few pointers and 'soft techniques' that I have personally found useful while in the technique of generating and brainstorming ideas, for games or otherwise.
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That Is Not A Game Idea
Before they delve deeper in to the subject, let's get thing straight. An idea for a narrative (character, background, fluff, lore, etc., what-have-you) is NOT an idea for a game. A narrative may or may not influence the general design of a game and even its mechanics, but a narrative is STRICTLY NOT a game idea. A premise for a narrative may influence a game's design, but DO NOT turn the premise in to the core design philosophy of a game.
So, let's now take a step back and look at this basically. Ideally, a game idea (in the strictest sense of a 'game idea') involves an abstract collection of rules, constraints, boundaries and possibly a objective. At its bare maximum, it may even basically manifest as a general gameplay direction or premise. In essence, it is about laying the foundations or manifesto for a set of mechanics that, on further development, will pass off as 'playable'.
This is of the most common mistakes fledgling designers make, yours truly included. I am definite most of you out there's, at some point or another, come across a situation that goes kind of like this: "I HAVE A GREAT IDEA FOR A GAME. IT'S ABOUT ARMORED DRAGONS FROM SPACE THAT ATTACK THE EARTH AND KIDNAP OUR WOMEN!" That is an idea for a narrative, not a game. Get the picture?
It is very stimulating (not to mention enjoyable) to basically ride the stream of consciousness in hopes of finally landing on the shore of a amazing idea. Our mind, however, processes thousands on thousands of thoughts at a blazingly speedy pace and without the proper cognitive sanctions, the chances of getting lost in one's train of thought is high.
Imposing Self-Constraint
of the first things they must take in to consideration is the necessity of scope and self-constraint. It is all tempting to basically wade in to the giant expanse of the ocean that is the collective consciousness and, with our bare hands, basically fish for the next great game idea. As pretty as it sounds, regrettably, it is not all practical in terms of productivity.
This is where scope, themes, constraint and focus come in to play. As an individual or within a group, identify a theme, or range of themes, that peak your interest(s) and brainstorm with said themes in mind. Better yet, set yourself a challenge or a few constraints by which your brainstorm must adhere to. These methods do not stifle the ideation technique. , it forces you to explore more options and perspectives within a specific scope, which in itself is very conducive to the brainstorm.
Identifying And Solving A Issue
The market provides a immense collection of case studies that may be basically drawn on by game enthusiasts and designers similar. In every game, there will be features and/or issues that don't sit well with any given particular demographic of game enthusiasts. More importantly, in every game that possibly exists, no matter how 'refined' or 'perfect', there will always be room for improvement. This is something that designers can basically capitalize on.
This has to be of the oldest tenants of inventing. It first involves identifying of the lots of varied issues or dissatisfactions that life has to offer, then seeking a technique that would ideally solve or appease said issue or dissatisfaction. Fundamentally, the solution has to remove a thorn in the side of mankind and in turn, make the world a better (and simpler) place to live in (not to mention potentially making you a van load of money). This is a thought technique that can basically be applied to game ideation.
Identify a game, a game feature or a gaming/genre trend that displeases you, your colleagues or the general gamer populace. Take that, chew it over and break it down. Make it better, for you and the remainder of us game enthusiasts and fans similar.
Don't Try Hard
I am definite lots of you out there can sympathize with the fact that a quantity of our best ideas hit us at the most random, unexpected and sometimes, inopportune moments. You know what I am speaking about; those moments in the bathroom where you get struck by a flash of brilliance, only to discover that you have got run out of paper towels to not only have your great idea jotted down, but to tidy yourself as well?
Yes? No?
Well, the point I am trying to make here is that lots of times, ideas basically come to us as and when they do. Our unconscious mind works at a pace that far surpasses our waking consciousness, constantly analysing, associating, reasoning and ever so subtly communicating. Every now and again, our unconscious lets slip a brand spanking new idea or a brand spanking new point of view on things that, with the right amount of cultivation, has the potential to translate in to a ground-breaking idea for a game.
It is of those odd cosmic ironies where the amount of work expended searching doesn't necessarily translate in to the quality of our quarry (that being the game idea).
Unlikely Pairings
Don't discount the unquestionable merit of hard work altogether however. All I am saying here is that sometimes, they basically need to take a step back and proceed with calm and moderation, trying as best as they can to not lose sight of the spontaneous nature of the creative technique.
This tiny exercise works wonders for those of us looking to generate and/or discover uniquely quirky premises or story settings. Don't go overboard though. As I have mentioned in an earlier point, it is always a nice suggestion to lay down some sanctions or have a scope or direction outlined before you let your mind run wild.
This point is more about experimentation than anything else. As a simple exercise, basically take a stab in the dark and toss a few random 'things' together. Anything works , be it themes, objects, people, behaviours, ideals, etc. It is kind of like putting together a collage, that it is going to be in your head and it probably won't be very giant in scale.
What If?
While we are on the topic of experimentation, a nice life habit to adopt that greatly facilitates the ideation technique is to basically query. More specifically, constantly toss 'What If?' around as the ebb and flow of ideas begins to wash over you and/or your fellow brain-stormers.
Using 'What If?' requires to have an open mind and when completed right, effectively counteracts the complacency that might unintentionally gain in the technique of coming up with and developing an idea. It is a control measure that keeps our mental egos in check. In short, it goes something like, "Hey, I have a great idea!", soon followed by, "What if they took that idea and did to it, would it work better or worse then? Would it work at all?" As it happens, this also works very well while prototyping and play-testing.
Having chanced on a potentially amazing game idea, a simple 'What If?' opens the door to even greater possibilities, allowing us to see the potential flaws and successes of the idea at hand. With each 'What If?' asked in response to a feasible idea, they embark on a renewed train of thought that explores brand spanking new perspectives, all the while rooted to the core idea that they began with (serving as a cognitive sanction).
It is about experimentation as much as it is about exploration. Start questioning now. Set off a chain reaction of ideas leading to new possibilities which further leads you to newer ideas, etc. You do the remainder of the math.
Learn To Let Go
Don't get clingy. Every now and again, you are going to come on a game idea that may not work out the way you intended/require. Alternatively, you may chance on a game idea that has already been completed to death, and yet still somehow passes off as a great idea. In both cases, you are going to must learn to dump it (or , temporarily set it aside).
I firmly think that there is no such thing as a 'bad idea', basically ones that may need a GREAT deal of revision before being put in to use. This, of coursework, applies to game ideas and the ideation technique. Lots of a times, they find ourselves clinging to an idea, no matter how flawed and/or impractical. While that speaks of passion and pride in oneself, it also screams stubbornness. Much like my earlier point, it is about having an open mind, and in addition, objectivity.
Again, there is no such thing as a 'bad idea'. In case you have an idea that you love but cannot get to work, learn to basically set it aside, put it on temporary hold and move on. Let it mature for a short time and when opportunity calls, your idea will be sitting right where you last left it waiting for you.
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However, to re-iterate what I mentioned at the beginning of this piece, it takes a tonne of work before ideas truly come to fruition and materialize as something tangible, or in the case of a game designer, playable. Don't let that discourage you however, after all, as I have mentioned, it all has to start somewhere.
The ideation technique is multi-dimensional and can definitely be approached from any number of directions and methods. It is an activity that is not only mentality stimulating, but also highly enjoyable and most importantly, productive (as a rule at least). Within the scope of gambling, ideas are the clay by which designers mould new experiences and better modes of gameplay that will, for now and for years to come, continually evolve and encourage greater immersion and player interactivity.
An news story by Michael Lim Han Kwang (mikelhk)...
An avid gamer, reviewer, critic, enthusiast and aspiring game designer.
What is your take on ideation and the brain-storm? Have you used any of the 'soft techniques' that I have suggested and/or mentioned? Do you agree with my take on the varying mindsets to adopt while generating ideas? Might you have any nifty tricks of your own that aids along with your ideation pipeline (I am definite you have a couple)?
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