During our classes before the break, we discussed Fullerton’s chapter about publishing and developing games. For developers, it’s generally up to them to create the game from scratch, and there are many roles within the development team such as programming, writers, artist, playtest, art, music, actors and more. For them to work closely and effectively, they must share equal amount of contribution and recognition, be as diverse and inclusive as possible. We can see the result of it in their games as well, like how the art, music, or story are the highlights of the game. As for publishers, it’s their job to make sure the developers meet deadlines, promote the game, and set expectations. Just like how developers need to work together, it’s also important that both the publishers and developers are cooperating for the game to succeed, or else the game can fail because it’s rushed, messy, or unfinished.

An example we mentioned was the Bungie and Activision split, which I’m very familiar with. Together, they made the games Destiny 1 and 2, but the criticisms were always about how rushed, easy and lackluster the game felt. Bungie originally had more plans for Destiny 1, but Activision wanted to push out a sequel as soon as possible along with more DLCs/season passes, which caused Bungie to rush crucial things like the story, game mechanics and loot variety. When Destiny 2 released, we saw a lot of returning elements from the first game, making it look like recycled content or a downgrade. After their split last year, Bungie now has full control over the Destiny franchise, and they promised its players they will continue to develop the game at their own pace and vision.

On Thursday’s class, we played the game Overwatch as an example of team-based games. Similar to Fire Emblem and board games we played, we had to choose a class/character of unique skills that can benefit the overall team like being the healer or tank. Through communication and strategizing, we’re able to take advantage of our characters’ roles, work together and win against the opposing team. I thought Overwatch was a perfect choice for what we learned that week. The game is very diverse and inclusive, the developers are always communicating with its players, values teamwork, and many there’s many indicators in game to show objectives or abilities.

Sources

Destiny 1, Activision, 2014

Destiny 2, Bungie, 2017

Overwatch, Blizzard Entertainment, 2015