10 Things Game Developers Need to Know

The expert team came up with some really great points that I wanted to share with everyone. We had a discussion and it went very well. It was nice to see them brainstorming and really trying to come up with good answers. We listed many points, then grouped any that went together and then I asked them to name a game that did the topic well. This was really insightful and one of the most fun discussions we've had. I think it helped them to see stuff they liked about games done in more than one game.

Detailed Graphics- These would be those close to real people, 3D, Anime. A game that has good graphics is Madden 2006.

Different and interesting characters- These characters will follow the game and "hate to say it but Pokeman" does this as well as Final Fantasy.

Good story line- Long play time but interesting and addicting. To be addicting it needs to be age and genre appropriate. Zelda has a good story line. Warcraft is long but interesting and Grand Theft Auto is addicting.

Deciding on character- Game players want to be able to pick or make their characters. The Sims does this.

Unlockables and Sub games- Once game has been beat, they want to go back and have other things to beat. There shouldn't be too many objectives. Examples here are Lego Starwars and Time Splitters.

No Time Limit- They want to worry about the game and not the time limit. Tycoon games are good about this. Although, in Katamari it is ok.

Sound Effects- They like these to emphasize points in game. Starwars does this well but not Lego Starwars.

Peripheral Controls- Using the standard controls gets your hands tired and it is boring. We like games with other controls. Games that do this well are Donkey Konga, DDR, Guitar Hero, and racing games with the wheel.

Optional Instructions- These would be instructions on screen or in the beginning. You should be able to skip them if you know them. Gun is a good idea for this.