Elements of Game Design part one: Game Designers

Thinking back now, when I was younger I always used to chat about games to friends and we always say what is missing in games that were playing and why the 'game creators' don't put certain content obviously that another topic and to do with business.


 However we used to come up with good concepts and designs of the next game or new things that be cool on that title and even when I was in year Eight, we had to do this jobs thing on the computer back school (forgot what it was called, a lot of rubbish really) However I remember back then I wanted to do something with Games and it's funny from all the decisions and paths I have experience, I am now on the path of being a artist but more so an Game Artist and on a course called Game Art Design.

Before this course I didn't quite understand how much hard work, commitment, effort and the responsibilities in producing a game and from the subset game development, on the pre-production stage from certain individuals or teams that will create and design content and rules within gameplay, environment, storyline and characters.

It's funny really but game design has a massive impact on its consumers, especially from their childhood. Everyone who describes a 'game from the past' always describes and remembers the memory of the game, from its awesome design concept.

"Ah I remember that game, it had some awesome art style, or the design of the game was so scary and bloody"

and you feel empowered when you play an awesome game, it stays with you for life, it goes into your memory bank and even when you’re sleeping you have dreams of the games, that when you have been certainly inspired.

Many games I have played previously, still to this present day, still inspire me and in a weird way formed me and my ideas and who I am, in a direction because of being exposed to those designs elements when I was younger and even now, because of new technology that can pursuit more expansion of unique and original designs.

Here I like to introduce and talk about certain Game designers; from previous games I have experience that these guys forever deliver exciting games.

Hideo Kojima

Is one of my favourite game designer and many other occupation titles he holds.

His Japanese and was originally employed at Konami. He is currently the director of Kojima Productions and was promoted to Vice President of Konami Digital Entertainment in the early 2011

He is the creator and director of a number of successful video games and the most inspiring one are the Metal Gear Solid Series.

The if you never played the game, it's only a must' because the story, game-play, visuals and everything else, is so compelling and depth and a privilege of playing those games.

Here watch the trailer and even from this you would get shivers down your spine and obviously the music composer also bring the game more to life.

In the 1980's Kojima tried joining the game business but was unable to do so at first. His game design ideas were rejected but he never gave up and eventually he was accepted. Kojima's gameplay ideas were often overlooked initially and due to his lack of familiarity with programming was repeatedly snubbed for his failures in his initial years at Konami. At even one point  Kojima considered leaving the company, but like a true person he hung on.

The day he got asked to take over the project Metal Gear, that was a good day :)

The next designer I like to mention a bout is

Hideki Kamiya

Is a video game design formerly employed by Capcom and Clover Studio. Kamiya is currently working with former Clover Studio members at Platinum Games.

 Kamiya applied for jobs at various game developers. He was turned down by Sega but was accepted by Namco.
Strangely Namco wanted him to be an artist rather than his desire to be a game designer, Though he joined Capcom as a designer in 1994 and his early works such as Resident Evil 1 and 2 and then director of the both Devil May Cry and Viewtiful Joe and other titles after.

One of my favourite games is one of his that he directed which is Devil May Cry, which to me is just like how the Metal Gear Solid games appeal to me, inspiring, revolutionary type of game/ style and everything else in that package.

Which again must watch, still to this day the game has aged well and still better then most games to date. The design direction and most things, was obviously inspired from Resident Evil his previous games he had apart from, which really suited this Gothic, devilish, 3rd person hack and slash game, which was one of the first in this genre. The boss battles, game play, environment, cut scenes and even the design of the character, that Dante is one of the most famous game character to date.

People love the design of Dante that much, the series of Devil May Cry having a reboot by Ninja Theory and Capcom, that they totally changed pretty much  everything from it's original history, to something more up-to-date, yet thousands of fans are complaining of his new design and petition to boycott this reboot and stop it.

Yeah, I dislike the new Dante model and the new reboot, because the game got up to 4 sequels and had so much to offer, however this new direction of this reboot, I kinder started to like it now and getting over the fact of the new model and realise there so much more to look at from the 'design and art direction' of the new game really is something different and looks really awesome. 

Game designer, is a tough job and you really got not only have the ideas and talent, but the passion of keep on going and specially in this industry. Just like Kojima many times he felt like he wanted to quit but still 'hung in there' and so look where he is now by not giving up and how many people he had inspired.

It's a bit ironic that Kojima now is working on his new title and new direction spin-off from the Metal Gear Solid series called Metal Gear Rising, which goes into a storyline from one of the main characters in the series.

However, it's also being produce by the same team that created Bayonetta which is one of  Kamiya works. So this will be very terminating to see how this will work out.