P5 e- legal and ethical

Legal and Ethical Issues

There will be many legal and ethical issues to considered when creating my game, the first and most important being the age rating. My game will be rated 16 due to the themes it will be exploring and the graphic content it will include, it wouldn’t be appropriate for those in the younger audience as well as the fact they would not understand the themes. Whilst my game will be including graphic scenes of murder it will not be classed as an 18 due the style of game it is, the animation style means it doesn’t look real enough to be classed as 18 also there aren’t any other factors that could possible meet the requirements to class my game as an 18.

An ethical issue surrounding my game could involve the themes it looks into, looking in mental health issues such as anxiety and depression as well as things like bullying. In order to avoid any ethical issues all of these themes are being taken very seriously and the games aims to support anyone facing these issues. Each issue will be looked into thoroughly throughout each step of creation and the game helps to get across other people’s stories and coping mechanisms so people know they aren’t alone. There will also be lots of awareness about these issues on the website as well as on the home screen of the game.

Another huge legal issue that could be faced is copyright. The first place this comes into play will be the music used, whilst most will be created specifically for the game we will need to get access for one or two songs. Therefore I will contact the music companies and ask permission as soon as possible in order to avoid any problems that could hold back my post production.  

P5d- target audience

Target audience

The target audience for my game is core gamers; it is the kind of game that will also be appealing to certain hardcore gamers however the main audience is the core gamers. The game will be packed with lots of puzzles and adventure elements which attracts this kind of audience, as well as being broken up into levels so for those who don’t have time for a full game can do each chapter one by one. The game is broken up into 6 sections including introduction and ending, therefore it has easy access and is nice to play in one go as well as being nice to play by level. At the start of each level there is the option of a recap of the previous chapters so those who can’t sit and play through won’t have to worry. It is a very story based game in order to keep players engaged and to add to the element of escapism giving the player the chance to play in a fantasy world that is very different from the one they have at home. Whilst the game is strongly story based it will get players interested and will make them want to carry on playing, but it will also have lots of strong action scenes and puzzle solving. All of this will help to engage the player and isn’t a game that can be easily put down, each chapter of the game flows like a story so it would be a case of the player going by level or playing all at once in order to get the best immersion.

It is also aimed at older gamers those who are 15+ due to certain scenes being graphic, with scenes including murder and addressing problems younger viewers wouldn’t understand it is inappropriate for those under 15 to play. The games story will bring in factors that those in our targeted age range (16-21) will understand things like; stress, anxiety, feeling like an outcast and bullying. The game aims to show a brighter side to these things and that there are ways to overcome them, meaning those of a younger age wouldn’t understand and would be therefore less engaged.

P5 c- visuals

P5 c visuals from Amber1Harrison

P5 b- competent production schedule

Release date

My game will be release February 28^th   the reasoning behind this choice is that it is right in the centre of the gaming season when most games will be released. I decided to go mid-way through as at the start of the year many people won’t have money due to Christmas, also at this point there are no other games like mine due for release so it will avoid any big competition from well-known franchises.  It will also be released the video game awards so there is a chance of getting a nomination.

Contingency plan

To make sure everything goes well for my video game we will have a plan in action to avoid any problems that could occur and slow down the production. The main part of the contingency plan is our schedule; we have set milestones and the contingency plan will be used to make sure we keep the deadlines on each milestone. We will have mandatory overtime in order to get the game completed on the shortest time scale possible, this is normal when it comes to completing games on a deadline. By doing this we are also saving money as the quicker the game is produced the quicker we can get it done and released for people to buy. We will also make sure that our final deadline is a few weeks after we think the game will be completed, this will allow for us to still make the deadline even if we do have some slip ups. To avoid the problem of people not turning up to work due illness or another reason, we will have a few people extra on our team that way we can insure that the game will not be affected by people occasionally taking time off when really necessary.

Videogame marketing

We will announce the game at least a year in advance, when making the announcement we will also release a short teaser trailer. This trailer won’t last longer then 1 minute; it will feature cut scenes from throughout the game as well clips of the gameplay.                                                                                                               

I will also be starting up a Kickstarter page in order to raise money for the game, this is becoming a more common way of funding games so I know it works and is an effective way to get funds.                                                           

Another key way of marketing my game will be through YouTube; we will upload clips from sections of the game to catch people’s attention. This is an effective way of marketing for my game due to my target audience being younger and always being online they will be able to see clips and the game will be visible for everyone who is online.                                                                                                In order to keep people up to date we will also keep a blog and post on social media. By doing this people won’t forget about the game and we can keep them interested right up until the day its released. We will set up a Facebook, Instagram and Tumblr in order to reach all possible audience we can. We will be posting things like character designs, level designs and sample puzzles from the parts of the game.                                                                                                                                                        Closed alpha tests are going to be used to test the game, these tests will only be available to a select few people who we will invite. Then we will also have beta tests at a later stage, these are available to those who donate money to the Kickstarter.                                                        

At a later stage of development once the game is close to release, we will take the game to exhibition shows/games conventions like Play Expo & London MCM. We would set up a stall with posters and sample game play so that people can all try out the final version of the game and get a good idea of the kind of game it is.                                                                                                                              Special edition copies of the game are going to be available for a limited time and must be reserved due to only having a set amount of copies. The special edition will come in a collector’s box which includes: a copy of the soundtrack, hardback artbook, special items from each of the 7 main characters.                                                                                                                                                  .The final announcement will be made a month before the games release, this will share information about the special edition, times the game will be released and pre-ordering information. As well as sorting out the free limited edition DLC for those who earned the Kickstarter rewards, those who didn’t earn the Kickstarter reward there will be a chance to buy the remaining DLC on release date. Finally a week before the game is released the last and most detailed trailer will be released.                                         

P5 a- treatment

Format:  Video Game

Working Title: Bedlam

Genre: The game will be an RPG/puzzle solving game. The games difficulty will increase throughout making puzzles more complex. It also has a strong story element to it which is prominent throughout the game with the narrative linking in each puzzle with each other.

Synopsis: The game follows Colt the protagonist of the game, who has the ability to enter other people’s nightmares. There are 4 different worlds based around 4 characters you meet at the start of the game; it will involve you solving puzzles in order to release each character from their nightmare so that you can progress. There is a butterfly effect in motion meaning whether the character lives or dies is down to you.

Style or Approach: The game will be very detailed and will be in a 2D style. The game will start off in bright colours whilst the characters are black and white, but upon entering the nightmares the colours switch and the world becomes black and white whilst the characters are colourful. The game will have text boxes and maps, each character has an 8 bit form which is used to mark their location on the map. There are several cut scenes through out the game for key moments, including the deaths of each character in their wrong end.

Audience:  The audience of my game is a mix of male and female gamers that will be between the ages of 16-21 as the game will be rated 15+. The game is specifically aimed towards the core gamers who are wanting a good narrative and game to play but don’t require lots of extras like online matches or competitions which hard core gamers would want.

Length: the game has 6 levels, which include the introduction and conclusion along with 4 nightmares. The introduction will only involve meeting the key characters of the game, so no actual puzzle solving will happen yet. After this point the 4 nightmares will contain different types of puzzles in order to keep the player engaged, and also make each level different from the last. the conclusion will vary depending on which characters are saved.

Control system & platform the game will be playable on PC, the controls for this include: Arrow keys to move, the mouse to get a 360-degree view of the world, and the whole keyboard is involved when solving puzzles. On Xbox the controls are: Triggers will be used to walk around the world and get the 360-degree view of the world. The whole controller will once again be used when puzzle solving is required.

Story/narrative The game follows Colt a young boy who lives in circus where each member has their own act, his being the capability to enter other people’s dreams. The story follows him trying to help save 4 of his friends who also perform, due nightmares that are becoming more and more vivid to the point they are real. There are 4 different nightmares based around the 4 characters you meet at the start of the game; the nightmares get darker and more difficult to overcome the further you get in. There is also the possibility of failing to save characters which adds a more emotive side to the story.

Characters There are 5 characters; Colt- the protagonist of the game he the most outgoing and friendly character. He is friends with everyone who is at the circus, always making sure to put a smile on their face when he can. This is why he uses his obscurity to try save his friends from their nightmares despite the fact they could not only kill them but him too. Ebony- has a short temper and is prone to lying but is actually just scared of others. Fleur- is very shy at first but turns into a very enthusiastic character. Rune- an adventurous character, always gets her message across loud and clear. Eli- very independent, known for being quite a loner yet once you get to known him he’s very bubbly.

Levels There are 6 levels each based around a character you meet in the introduction. Intro. 1. In this first character you meet Ebony the aim is to help her overcome her nightmare which is based around a very childlike theme of monsters under the bed or hiding in the dark. However, they are a very real threat and there is only one way out as you can’t actually kill the monsters. Bad end- if you fail to solve a puzzle it will only slow you down but fail to break the code at the end of the level and Ebony is burnt alive as you escape. 2. Second chapter follows Fleur her nightmare seems pretty calm compared to the previous as you start to get to know her however the more puzzles you get wrong the worse the nightmare becomes. For each puzzle that is wrong a new booby trap will appear and they’re set to kill.    Bad end- as you reach the last few puzzles Fleur will start to lose interest if you have failed previous ones, resulting in her being too slow to follow and therefore being cut up by piano wire that appears if you made a mistake earlier. 3. Third chapter starts of as an adventure game following Rune as you’re stuck in a forest but after a few wrong turns its not long before you’re stuck in a swamp. This is when timing becomes really important, each puzzle from there is timed and the longer you take the more you start to sink into the bog. Bad end- if you take too long it can result in your narrow escape and Rune’s demise as she is left to drown in the bog. 4. The final chapter follows Eli, whilst at first all he does is help with puzzles you can get to know him and he helps to explain the reasoning for all this happening he is very knowledgeable and wants to make sure Colt escapes. Eli’s nightmare is a giant maze filled with more extreme versions of the previous nightmares, it requires a lot more quick time running events, puzzle solving and time management. Bad end 1- if you mess up any puzzle there will be major consequences however first time round Eli takes the hit from whatever it is, leaving you to work on your own from then on. Bad end 2- at the end if you fail solve the final puzzle it means Eli will take over and do most of the work opening the gate in order to escape however once the doors open a spear appears impaling Eli resulting in his death.

D1

D1 justifying my ideas in relation to current trends in

the UK game market

one of the most recent trends in the video game market is the link between gaming and social media, players are able to communicate whilst playing games when online. They can share their experience with other players in many different ways, like a chatroom or being able to speak to each other via microphone. Destiny is one of the more well-known games with a feature like this, encouraging players to interact with each other. This links into my game as there will be the option to enter an online chatroom with people playing the same chapter as you, I’ve added this option in as the games puzzles can get very difficult so you have the option to work with others to complete the task.

DLC is a very popular trend currently, it gives people the option to get exclusive content like maps or characters either during the game or before playing. I will be using DLC in my game as there isn’t enough time in the main story to include everything so by adding the DLC players can choose if they want the extra features. The DLC will involve backstories for side characters and more information about the main characters along with the main map itself and how it came into existence. By having this as DLC it will give the game more depth but won’t take anything away from those who choose not to download it.

A new upcoming trend is developers are uploading the starter of their game and letting people play through and give feedback, this is something very popular among indie game designers. The developer will use the revenue made from the beta to carry on with their development, whilst also taking into account the reviews they have received so they can make adjustments to the game to make it more appealing. This links into my game as I will release a beta version of the introduction and half of the first level on steam early access, this way I can get opinions beforehand due to my game being very indie and the style being one that’s not often used.