[In this excerpt from Michael E. Moore and Jeannie Novak's book Game Development Essentials: Game Industry Career Guide, the evolution and growth of the industry -- from hardware to developers to publishers -- is charted and described.]
The electronic game industry has expanded continuously over the past two decades. The first boom, which lasted from the early 1970s until 1982, saw the birth of arcade games such as Pong, Space Invaders, Pac-Man, and many others. These games eventually moved from dark arcade parlors into people's homes -- thanks to Magnavox's Odyssey game system and the Atari 2600. In 1982, the home video game industry went bust and many companies and platforms faded away. However, just a few years later, improved personal computers and the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) breathed new life into electronic games -- and the industry has been growing ever since.
Computers vs. Consoles
Advances in technology never end, so every new generation of game consoles quickly becomes obsolete compared to personal computers. One disadvantage of developing games for personal computers is that companies will often set the recommended hardware and software requirements so high that only hardcore gamers, who continually update their equipment, can play the most recent releases. For the most part, the hardware requirements for console machines are set as soon as they ship, and customers don't have to continually upgrade them. Indeed, it usually takes several years before developers fully tap the power of new-generation consoles -- so games continue to improve in both look and play as a new system's capabilities are tested and exploited. Eventually, though, even the best-looking console games start to pale in comparison to the latest computer games -- and a whole new generation of consoles is born.
Tales from the "Dungeon"
My most memorable moment was from the very first game I ever worked on. I had just been hired, and the design lead quit two weeks before the final design had to be delivered and production started. A new lead was assigned, although he had never led a project before. As the only two designers on the team, we had our work cut out for us; the publisher demanded that the entire design needed to be redone, and we only had two weeks! We both laughed, grabbed some food and drinks, and locked ourselves away in a conference room that we called "the dungeon." We knocked out a game design in those two weeks by pulling all-nighters. The design ended up being pretty decent, and the publisher was happy -- so production began. It was a grueling experience, but a great feeling to get the design finished -- and my lead and I became great friends because of it. That two-week design ended up being the best reviewed game I had until my first game with Twisted Pixel (The Maw) so it will always be very memorable to me.
Josh Bear (Chief Creative Officer & Director, Twisted Pixel Games)
In the early days of personal computers, the electronic game industry was seen as merely a hobby. It took a lot of effort to get games playing on the primitive computers that had minimal graphics capabilities and limited audio. Starting in the late 1980s, personal computers gained more processing power and more memory, so they could handle more graphics, physics, AI, and audio tasks per second, and computer games overall became more interesting and complex.
Meanwhile, the advent of home console games meant that anyone could play games. Just put in the cartridge, hit the Start button and commence play. The graphics were still primitive, and these early games did not have much complexity beyond simple arcade games. The competition between Nintendo and Sega for dominance in the home market from the mid-1980s meant that as each new generation of consoles succeeded the previous one, they offered better graphics, audio, and gameplay.
Current games can be found on computers, consoles, and increasingly on both cell phones and dedicated handheld platforms such as the Nintendo DS and Sony PSP. The graphics for computer and console games are spectacular; the audio surrounds the players, and there are many games that allow players to join together in the fun via the Internet. The ability to interact with game worlds (as opposed to sitting back and watching the action unfold, as in other forms of entertainment) means that players can move their characters through realistic or fantastic-looking worlds, encounter bizarre creatures, and undertake heroic quests all in the safety of their living rooms.
Outcast's Landmark Score
In 1997, I got the opportunity to compose and orchestrate about 60 minutes of music for a 105-piece orchestra and choir and record it in Moscow. It was a very special project and to this day is considered one of the landmark scores in games. I'm very proud of the work and grateful to the developers (Appeal) who created such a wonderful game.
Lennie Moore (Composer, 3l33t Music)
Culture of the Game Industry
From early days to the present, the people who make these games are knowledgeable and highly dedicated to their work, and they often have to put in long hours to polish and complete their projects. The industry is always looking for new talent. The present day is a golden age for games, and the rewards can be tremendous. No matter how good the money may be, there is nothing better than the satisfaction of seeing your name on the game's credits and hearing praise from reviewers and players alike for a job well done.
Those who work in the industry are artisans, not factory hands. They have to understand game hardware, learn the software to create the code, generate the art, and enable the audio. Almost all members of a game development team must be technically proficient. Of course, programmers must have proven coding skills, and artists must be adept with 2D/3D graphics programs. Composers and audio specialists should understand how to write music and create sound effects for 3D electronic environments. Game designers should know how to use scripting languages to be able to trigger events on levels. And even producers who run the teams need to understand the technology requirements of a game so they choose the appropriate hardware and software, hire new employees, build realistic schedules, and keep the project within budget.
Unmatched Teamwork in Freaky Creatures
I've had many memorable experiences and the opportunity to work with a lot of great people over the years -- but. I have to say that working on Freaky Creatures was the best. Everyone on the team always had great ideas, and we found ways to wedge in most of them throughout the process. No matter how long the days were or how tough the times were, people were always striving to make the best game possible. Seeing the team work together in this way for such a long period of time was extremely rewarding.
Matt Saia (Creative Director, Abandon Interactive Entertainment)
