Comments on: From Concept To Completion http://www.philsteinmeyer.com/30/from-concept-to-completion/ Phil Steinmeyer's rumblings on the game biz, programming, and life Tue, 06 Jan 2009 00:59:24 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: The Ludologist » Blog Archive » Three New Blogs: Phil Steinmeyer, Chris Crawford, Clint Hocking http://www.philsteinmeyer.com/30/from-concept-to-completion/#comment-33109 The Ludologist » Blog Archive » Three New Blogs: Phil Steinmeyer, Chris Crawford, Clint Hocking Fri, 09 Feb 2007 16:40:39 +0000 http://www.philsteinmeyer.com/30/from-concept-to-completion/#comment-33109 [...] Phil Steinmeyer’s blog is about casual games, and plays a role in his development work, such as with the creation of Bonnie’s bookstore and some prototypes he recently asked his readers to rate. [...] [...] Phil Steinmeyer’s blog is about casual games, and plays a role in his development work, such as with the creation of Bonnie’s bookstore and some prototypes he recently asked his readers to rate. [...]

]]> By: Word Games at Suttree - Real Artists Ship http://www.philsteinmeyer.com/30/from-concept-to-completion/#comment-1919 Word Games at Suttree - Real Artists Ship Thu, 22 Jun 2006 23:34:29 +0000 http://www.philsteinmeyer.com/30/from-concept-to-completion/#comment-1919 [...] It’s a shame that word games have become the ugly cousin to Match Three, Grouper style games. Word games are notoriosuly hard to create and localise though, as Phil Steinmeyer has illustrated. Raph Koster calls it ‘don’t pile in your dressing until the game is fun‘, and this is where I think word games get discarded as too difficult in comparison to match three and card games. PopCap go clearly have a culture for rapid iteration which is something that their framework surely helps with. I think that this is why so many casual games actually aren’t that much fun to play. Recently I’ve found that there are so many of the same pick-up-and-go style games, except that I don’t revisit them often. Nice idea, shame about the execution. This lack of addictiveness and shallow pool of ideas is really killing casual games - rapid iteration of game concepts is key to a games’ re-playability and it seems that, with the exception of PopCap who look like a jolly good publisher, agile game development just isn’t happening in large numbers. For word games, to get back to my original point, it often takes so long sorting out a dictionary that gameplay and re-playability gets lost. Without a framework for building word games, that’s a classic example of a frustration loop. [...] [...] It’s a shame that word games have become the ugly cousin to Match Three, Grouper style games. Word games are notoriosuly hard to create and localise though, as Phil Steinmeyer has illustrated. Raph Koster calls it ‘don’t pile in your dressing until the game is fun‘, and this is where I think word games get discarded as too difficult in comparison to match three and card games. PopCap go clearly have a culture for rapid iteration which is something that their framework surely helps with. I think that this is why so many casual games actually aren’t that much fun to play. Recently I’ve found that there are so many of the same pick-up-and-go style games, except that I don’t revisit them often. Nice idea, shame about the execution. This lack of addictiveness and shallow pool of ideas is really killing casual games - rapid iteration of game concepts is key to a games’ re-playability and it seems that, with the exception of PopCap who look like a jolly good publisher, agile game development just isn’t happening in large numbers. For word games, to get back to my original point, it often takes so long sorting out a dictionary that gameplay and re-playability gets lost. Without a framework for building word games, that’s a classic example of a frustration loop. [...]

]]> By: Kate Harrop http://www.philsteinmeyer.com/30/from-concept-to-completion/#comment-194 Kate Harrop Sat, 04 Mar 2006 08:56:07 +0000 http://www.philsteinmeyer.com/30/from-concept-to-completion/#comment-194 I love Bonnie's bookstore. I think its a grat game. Your dong a great job! I would Love to try any of your other word games. Kate Harrop I love Bonnie’s bookstore. I think its a grat game. Your dong a great job! I would Love to try any of your other word games. Kate Harrop

]]> By: PhilSteinmeyer.com » Blog Archive » From Concept To Completion - Follow Up http://www.philsteinmeyer.com/30/from-concept-to-completion/#comment-71 PhilSteinmeyer.com » Blog Archive » From Concept To Completion - Follow Up Fri, 06 Jan 2006 20:16:22 +0000 http://www.philsteinmeyer.com/30/from-concept-to-completion/#comment-71 [...] Phil Steinmeyer’s rumblings on the game biz, programming, and life « From Concept To Completion [...] [...] Phil Steinmeyer’s rumblings on the game biz, programming, and life « From Concept To Completion [...]

]]> By: Raph’s Website » (Un)dressing a game http://www.philsteinmeyer.com/30/from-concept-to-completion/#comment-70 Raph’s Website » (Un)dressing a game Fri, 06 Jan 2006 19:39:07 +0000 http://www.philsteinmeyer.com/30/from-concept-to-completion/#comment-70 [...] Phil Steinmeyer has a great post up going over the process of creating a look for his word puzzle game Bonnie’s Bookstore. What this reveals is both how important the dressing of a game is, and also how paradoxically unimportant it is. It also suggests ways in which we can drive innovation in games in general. [...] [...] Phil Steinmeyer has a great post up going over the process of creating a look for his word puzzle game Bonnie’s Bookstore. What this reveals is both how important the dressing of a game is, and also how paradoxically unimportant it is. It also suggests ways in which we can drive innovation in games in general. [...]

]]> By: Phil Steinmeyer http://www.philsteinmeyer.com/30/from-concept-to-completion/#comment-69 Phil Steinmeyer Mon, 02 Jan 2006 15:53:42 +0000 http://www.philsteinmeyer.com/30/from-concept-to-completion/#comment-69 I probably wouldn't do a reskin - I'd rather put the effort into something new. I probably wouldn’t do a reskin - I’d rather put the effort into something new.

]]> By: Game Producer http://www.philsteinmeyer.com/30/from-concept-to-completion/#comment-68 Game Producer Mon, 02 Jan 2006 07:11:03 +0000 http://www.philsteinmeyer.com/30/from-concept-to-completion/#comment-68 Nice post. This idea/concept testing is something I gotta steal ;) Have you consider re-skinning your game? (Same way as Retro64's WaterBugs...) Nice post. This idea/concept testing is something I gotta steal ;)

Have you consider re-skinning your game? (Same way as Retro64’s WaterBugs…)

]]> By: Jason Maskell http://www.philsteinmeyer.com/30/from-concept-to-completion/#comment-67 Jason Maskell Mon, 02 Jan 2006 00:53:33 +0000 http://www.philsteinmeyer.com/30/from-concept-to-completion/#comment-67 Hey Phil - where'd you get your focus group? Hey Phil - where’d you get your focus group?

]]> By: Make Mac Games » Blog Archive » Casual Game Artwork: From Concept to Completion http://www.philsteinmeyer.com/30/from-concept-to-completion/#comment-65 Make Mac Games » Blog Archive » Casual Game Artwork: From Concept to Completion Thu, 29 Dec 2005 15:04:07 +0000 http://www.philsteinmeyer.com/30/from-concept-to-completion/#comment-65 [...] Phil Steinmeyer has given us a hint to just how much work is involved by sharing with us the artwork life cycle for his recently released game, Bonnie’s Bookstore. [...] [...] Phil Steinmeyer has given us a hint to just how much work is involved by sharing with us the artwork life cycle for his recently released game, Bonnie’s Bookstore. [...]

]]> By: Make Mac Games http://www.philsteinmeyer.com/30/from-concept-to-completion/#comment-64 Make Mac Games Thu, 29 Dec 2005 15:03:32 +0000 http://www.philsteinmeyer.com/30/from-concept-to-completion/#comment-64 <strong>Casual Game Artwork: From Concept to Completion</strong> What’s involved in building a casual game these days? There is a lot more to making a casual game than most people realize. I learned this first hand recently, as I participated in the 2005 OMG Cup these past two months. I always believed ... Casual Game Artwork: From Concept to Completion

What’s involved in building a casual game these days?
There is a lot more to making a casual game than most people realize. I learned this first hand recently, as I participated in the 2005 OMG Cup these past two months. I always believed …

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