In game design school, part of what I learned was not just designing an original game, but you can draw inspiration from other sources.
Many of today’s video games are loosely based on feature films. Franchises like The Lord of the Rings and the James Bond movies have had many successful games based on them over the years, increasing their popularity and attracting new generations of fans. But, if you plan to attend a game design school, you may want to try creating something original.
It’s hard to come up with original ideas these days as many video games are based on movies, TV shows, and vice versa. If you’re starting out in game design school, you might want to think of something original. Not all games have to be fantasies with exploding aliens and flaming guns, as it seems to be the norm. You may want to think of something that can be challenging and may have some kind of benefit.
While many game design schools want to see originality, chances are you can use existing game themes and ideas for inspiration and expand on them. For example, create a new persona and, if that character has specific traits, give them different ones that are unique. If a certain character can fly, why not make him go through walls, or better yet: breathe underwater, if he is human?
A controversy with many games is that they are too dark and violent; in that case, there is also a large market for games aimed at younger children. One thing that I focused on while I was in game design school was creating a game that revolved around learning, but I also wanted to add some exciting elements to make the game more visually interesting and also instructive.
This was an approach that I took when I was in game design school. I wanted to create something for my nephews that was entertaining and educational at the same time, without resorting to excessive violence or foul language. Having an original idea turned out to be quite a challenge, but as I worked through the rudimentary ideas, it finally became a reality and I tried it out with my nephews and their friends; they generally seemed to like it.
Maybe your interests lie in science or math? Teaching games aren’t just for kids. Adults like them and they are also a great way to help expand your brainpower. We all love puzzles, like crosswords, word search, and Sudoku; Maybe some elements of these puzzles can help you develop a concept for a game?
I was glad that the game design school I attended gave me the ability to develop games that are usable for all ages. As there are many audiences for all types of games, this type of education was invaluable as it allowed me to learn how to develop ideas and bring them to life.
