Prototyping and Game-Bands

I’ve spent the last two days at the office prototyping a new game … and I had forgotten just how much fun that can be.

In a matter of about 16 hours I had completed the prototype to a point where it not only had all the basic functionality required by the Game Design Document, but it was already highlighting some fun and unanticipated game mechanics.

Follow up:

As a result of getting back into the ‘rapid prototyping’ frame of mind, I’ve started brain storming some other game ideas as well. Of course, the nature of this business now has me quite a bit more careful about what I publish on this blog and what I don’t … but needless to say, its a Saturday afternoon and I’m in the office because I want to get some of this stuff built before the creative spirit fades.

The problem is, in order to keep up with the pace of my ideas, I really am going to need to find at least an artist and a sound person to help me out. I don’t know it for a fact, but I’m pretty sure that the concentration of professional, student, and aspiring game artists is higher here than in any other city in the world… so if I can’t find the people I need here, I won’t find them anywhere.

Anyway, one of the advantages of these posts is that it pulls me out of the day to day tasks of programming and keeps me thinking about things like game design and ‘game bands’.

“We’re putting the band back together.” -Jake (The Blues Brothers)

What’s a game-band?

Well, I’ve been thinking about this for a while … and I think kids (and I include myself in that category) should start game-bands. After all, starting up a band is a lot like starting up a game development group. Both are groups of about four individuals where each member brings a unique skill in the goal of creating entertainment through a creative process.

Sure, any singer/guitarist/song-writer can go it alone… just like any programmer can slap some assets together in Flash and make a game. But think about the advantages to adding a few more to the crowd…

• Bands have song-writers … game-bands have game-designers.
• Bands have guitarist, bassist, drummers … game-bands have programmers, artists, and sound engineers
• Bands have genre’s like rock, punk, funk, ska … game-bands could specialize in a genre like RPG, FPS, casual, puzzle, multi-player, etc.
• And then when they are ready to make money, bands have band managers … game-bands have producers.

The beauty is that you’re doing it on the side … you’re doing it for fun … you’re doing it for the creative process … you’re doing it to learn.

And just like your local bands… local game-bands could post fliers looking for the positions they need to fill. If it catches on, communities could have local ‘battle of the game-bands‘ competitions.

So in the spirit of Rock and Roll, get out there… start a game-band!

• Advertise for members in pubs, on message boards, at your local school
• Create game-band websites, post your material
• Get a local following!
• Get discovered.

Post comments here for others to read about your successes and encourage others!