never make it beyond the script stage or, once completed, may not get released as origi-
nally intended. But, overall, Hollywood has an efficient system for creating films.
On the other hand, computer game developers have no such system. The develop-
ment of a game design is a chaotic and unpredictable process filled with problems not
even the most experienced producer, designer, or programmer can foresee. Custom-
arily, development on computer games continues until the absolute last possible
second, with changes made right up to the time the gold master disc is shipped to the
duplicators. For PC games, usually a patch follows shortly thereafter, since the game
was never properly finished in the first place. Why is computer game development so
unpredictable while film production is so predictable? Granted, Hollywood has been
making movies for a lot longer than the computer game industry has been making
games, which gives them a leg up. But beyond that, Hollywood is making a much more
predictable product. Different movies may have unique stories and characters, and may
even use a variation on cinematic techniques, but much of filmmaking is a known
quantity.
Original games, on the other hand, are a totally new animal every time. Part of the
problem is the shifting technology targets, where programmers must learn about new
consoles, operating systems, and 3D accelerator cards for each project. Add to that the
fact that so many games feel the need to have a cutting-edge graphics engine. But
purely from a design standpoint, a truly original game is far more unique compared to
other contemporary games than a movie is to other films being made at the same time.
Consider games likeCivilization, The Sims,orDoom. The gameplay contained in these
games was radically different from anything that came before them. Granted, many
games are far less experimental and innovative than the games I just listed, and games
that have followed more of a formula have had a much better success rate in terms of
coming out on time and on budget. This includes titles such as the Infocom adventure
games, the Sierra adventure titles, the annual revisions of sports games, or the new
versions of arcade driving games. However, these are games that, though including
new content consisting of new stories and graphics, offer gameplay very much the
same as the previous year’s offerings. When a game tries to implement a new form of
282 Chapter 15: Getting the Gameplay Working
Doomoffered gameplay
so different from any
game that came before
it that the game’s
development was
something of a bold
experiment.