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Game Design - Secrets of the Sages

Publisher: Macmillan Digital Publishing USA (1999)

Pros:

- Covers a huge number of topics

- Just the right depth for an overview book

- Hear from the people in the industry

- Handy notes and appendices

- Easy reading – in bite-sized pieces

- Good solid size – reminiscent of a university textbook

- Biographies section is a nice extra

Cons:

- Content relates almost exclusively to PC game development

- Content – but not the message – will be out of date in five years

- No colour photos

- May only scratch the surface for some readers who want to know more

Trying something new can be fun. Trying to make a game can be a frustrating experience fraught with peril, gaming editors, run-ins with marketing people, weeks and months of tracking down bugs, attempts to mesh the personalities of more than a dozen people so everyone is working together and discussion with gamers to produce a quality game, which ultimately more fulfilling than just having fun. Game Design: Secrets of the Sages, edited by Marc Saltzman is one of those rare chances to see what goes on behind the scenes with the people that make the games we play.

Saltzman has compiled an impressive number of interviews (which is the main bulk of the book) with the likes of Ted Backman, Ron Gilbert, Jane Jensen, Tommy Tallarico, Rob Pardo, Tom Hall and Paul O’Connor regarding such topics as game design, level design, programming, character development, Q&A testing, shareware, company web design, marketing and art among a host of other topics. Saltzman has done an excellent job presenting and connecting the plethora of interviews. The entire books flow easily from one chapter to the next but can just as easily be used as bathroom reading. Flipping the book open at random never fails to present something interesting that can be read in one sitting. But it also has the power to keep you glued there. Being able to get a glimpse into the minds of those that create some of the best games in the industry – in some instances the best games ever – is a chance that hardcore gamers should not pass up. That being said, Secrets is very accessible to newcomers too – any developer slang is explained with convenient notes and there are loads of web references to follow up. Even the areas I wasn’t familiar with, like programming, made at least some sense. Since Secrets isn’t a novel, skipping a chapter does not interrupt the narrative. There is one common theme that permeates throughout – being able to work with a medium to large team (unless you’re involved in shareware) is the only way to make games. This was not true 10 year ago when a couple of people could slap together a game in a few months. Working with a team is necessary now – there are just too many variables to consider: AI, user interface, animation, programming, music, puzzle design, etc. It takes months, years, to bring a product to market and Secrets makes that very clear. Also apparent is that to have the title "game designer" after your name you’ve got to have at least your thumb in several pies and understand how to co-ordinate a team of different specialists.

Complaints with Secrets are few. Firstly, 99% of the emphasis in on PC games. There are a few words from Shigeru Miyamoto and a few individuals that have done work in both the PC and console worlds, like Dave Perry, but there’s no extensive console coverage. This can be explained away by saying that the process is much the same for the both, but it would have been an interesting comparison since the hardware is so different. Some of the chapters are too short for the topic, lacking depth, but as Saltzman points out in his introduction "each chapter could be expanded into a book itself – or even a series of book." He’s absolutely correct. Secrets is an overview of game design from beginning to end and nearly all points in between, packed with great reference material from the people that are at ground zero in the industry – worthy of being read by potential designers and people who love to play games. It’s also one of those books that could be updated every five years to keep the references current. The advice offered is timeless but without updates it will stale over time.

Reviewed by Omni