And it makes a great Christmas gift!

Yeah, that's me on Electric Playground talking about Level Up!

You can watch it right here!

What? A level designed just for YOU!

So many of you have been asking me just I mean when I say "I will design an unique level just for you?" The answer is: Anything you want! All you need to do is buy a copy of Level Up!, find me at a trade show (like E3 or GDC) or a book signing and decide is:

1) Who is your main character
2) Who is their arch-enemy
3) What is the object of their desire
4) Where does all this action takes place

The fun has already begun! Check out these custom-made levels!:



My lovely wife wanted her level to be Disneyland's Haunted Mansion with a security guard blocking her way to me with an engagement ring. (It's a long story)



Another Level Up! reader wanted his level to be himself at Disneyland with his goal a plate of Mickey Mouse Pancakes. Watch out for that bad-tempered Goofy! (I'm sensing a theme here...)



This Level Up! reader wanted the Flash fighting the Trickster in Central City!

See? Whatever you want! I look forward to designing YOUR level when we meet!

Level Up! advance copies in hand!

That's right, I received my advanced copies of Level Up! this weekend and it is thick!

Here are ten reasons to pre-order at your favorite e-tailer or bookstore (or just click link to the right!) Level Up! RIGHT NOW!

1) It has over 15 years of video game design experience packed into one book
2) Over 400 original illustrations and diagrams
3) It's funny (at least that's what I'm told)
4) It contains a full outline for writing a Game Design Document and making pitches
5) It has hand exercises to prevent cramping from playing games
6) It contains an award-winning chili recipe
7) Did I mention it's thick!? (almost 500 pages of Game Design goodness!!)
8) Anyone who buys the book is entitled to a custom made unique and free level design
9) All the cool kids are doing it
10) I will be your best friend forever

Level Up! due out June 11th!!

Hey all,

Things are really heating up here at Level Up! central!

First off, Level Up! has an official release date - June 11th (just in time for my birthday! Did I mention it makes a great gift?)

Secondly, there is a HUGE (and I mean HUGE) 94 page preview of the book at Amazon.com including the introduction by Danny Bilson, the infamous "wife-blinder" chili recipe and the debut of "Farm Wars" the greatest game never made!

Don't forget there's plenty of time to pre-order a copy of the book - just click on the link at the right!

Enjoy!

Exclusive Level Up! excerpt!

While Level Up! The Guide To Great Video Game Design isn't due out until July, I wanted to share a sneak preview of the book with you:


YOU CAN DESIGN A GAME, BUT CAN YOU DO THE PAPERWORK?



A Japanese game director once visited the studio where I worked to impart his wisdom to our team about his philosophy of game design, which mainly had to do with how much money his latest game had made. As he was leaving, he asked our team a cryptic question: “I believe making games is like fishing” he said. “When I return, you will tell me why this is so.” If he had been wearing a cape, I’m sure he would have swooshed it mysteriously as he left.

I spent a lot of time thinking about just exactly how making games was like fishing. In the end, I decided that making games is nothing like fishing. Fishing is quiet and slow and involves waiting for something to happen that may never happen. I also decided that this game director was full of crap. So I developed my own analogy.



Making games is like making chili (bear with me — it’ll make sense). Like making chili, you first need a recipe and that recipe is the game’s documentation. Having the right recipe is important. You are not making soup or stew. You want to make sure your documentation not only has what is in it, but how it can be made: just like a recipe. Be sure to follow the recipe, but be mindful that it will have to change, especially if something doesn’t go right. And, just like making chili, remember that you can season to taste. Some parts of the game will be “meatier” than others and you will want to adjust your game to make those parts more pronounced.

Next step is to assemble the ingredients. Just as a chili needs ingredients, a game’s design needs people and tools to make the game. You’ll also need the right equipment to make your game, just like you’ll need spoons and pots and pans and a stove to make your chili. However, you might not have exactly what you need on hand. Sometimes you will have the team and resources you want, sometimes you have to improvise with what is available. That’s OK; I hear cowboys made some pretty good chili with nothing more than a campfire and a tin can.

Add these ingredients together. The beauty of chili is that it usually works no matter how you prepare the ingredients. You can carefully cut and chop everything or just throw it together in a big pot. Some game productions are very methodical and well organized. Others are a mad dash to get all of the elements into the game as soon as possible. Just make sure you follow the recipe so you don’t forget anything. Prepare the ingredients in the right order. Always brown the meat before you add it to the pot. (I learned that one that hard way.)

In chili, everything is brought to a boil and then left to simmer. Crunch Time reminds me of boiling: a frantic burst of energy and effort to get everything in and running. However, if you boil for too long, you can ruin the chili, burn the pot and catch the stove on fire. Games and studios have been destroyed by too much crunch time, so be responsible. Game polishing and bug squashing reminds me of chili simmering. Chili isn’t ready the moment you finish assembling it. You need to take the time to make it just right. Games, just like Chili, need time to be iterated on, improved and seasoned. Bugs, code, art and design problems with the game, need to be found and fixed. That takes time. Allow for that time - just like you need to allow for cooking time for chili. Sometimes it’s good to let the team play with a part of the game to find out what works and what doesn’t. I find that chili always tastes better the day after you have made it.

Your chili may need something added to it at the last minute to make it work. Unless you’ve royally screwed it up, chili can usually be salvaged. I’ve seen troubled games get turned around in the eleventh hour. However, I don’t recommend making games this way. It can lead to stomach upset. Chili can also deceive. It may look horrible, but still taste delicious. Some games may not be perfect or even pretty, but if they have good gameplay they can still entertain. Good games and good chili satisfy soul as well as the stomach. (Or the head - if you think with your stomach.)

You see? Making games is exactly like making chili.

Time to Level Up!

I am very very proud to announce my new book "Level Up! The Guide to Video Game Design"

"Level Up!" is a practical guide to game design, chock-full of proven tricks and techniques from all my years of game design, as well amusing stories and over 400 original drawings and diagrams. If you've followed (and like) this blog or attended any of my talks, you'll have an idea of what this book is like.

"Level Up!" is available NOW for pre-order at Amazon.com (and other fine e-tailers of books) - please do me a huge favor and pre-order a copy today!