A game design document (often abbreviated GDD ) is a highly descriptive living software design document of the design for a video game . A GDD is created and edited by the development team and it is primarily used in the video game industry to organize efforts within a development team. The document is created by the development team as result of collaboration between their designers , artists and programmers as a guiding vision which is used throughout the game development process. When a game is commissioned by a game publisher to the development team, the document must be created by the development team and it is often attached to the agreement between publisher and developer; the developer has to adhere to the GDD during game development process.
26-450: GDD may mean: Game design document , a design document specific to video games. Gaseous detection device , a technology used with some electron microscopes and similar instruments Geographically Distributed Development Glaucoma drainage device Global Data Dictionary Global Drug Development Global developmental delay , a childhood medical disorder Goal-Directed Design,
52-643: A DEC PDP-10 computer. As internet connections grew, so did the numbers of users and multi-user games. In 1978 Roy Trubshaw , a student at University of Essex in the United Kingdom, created the game MUD (Multi-User Dungeon). The US Government began using truly collaborative applications in the early 1990s. One of the first robust applications was the Navy's Common Operational Modeling, Planning and Simulation Strategy (COMPASS). The COMPASS system allowed up to 6 users to create point-to-point connections with one another;
78-419: A level where it can successfully guide the development team. Because of the dynamic environment of game development, the document is often changed, revised and expanded as development progresses and changes in scope and direction are explored. As such, a game design document is often referred to as a living document , that is, a piece of work which is continuously improved upon throughout the implementation of
104-487: A major example of that product category, allowing remote group collaboration when the internet was still in its infancy. Kirkpatrick and Losee (1992) wrote then: "If GROUPWARE really makes a difference in productivity long term, the very definition of an office may change. You will be able to work efficiently as a member of a group wherever you have your computer. As computers become smaller and more powerful, that will mean anywhere." In 1999, Achacoso created and introduced
130-444: A period of time Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title GDD . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=GDD&oldid=1260377694 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description
156-530: A server that simulated a one-to-many auditorium, with side chat between "seat-mates", and the ability to invite a limited number of audience members to speak. In 1997, engineers at GTE used the PlaceWare engine in a commercial version of MITRE's CVW, calling it InfoWorkSpace (IWS). In 1998, IWS was chosen as the military standard for the standardized Air Operations Center. The IWS product was sold to General Dynamics and then later to Ezenia. Collaborative software
182-453: A single file (usually a document); and version control (also known as revision control and source control) platforms, which allow users to make parallel edits to a file, while preserving every saved edit by users as multiple files that are variants of the original file. Collaborative software is a broad concept that overlaps considerably with computer-supported cooperative work (CSCW). According to Carstensen and Schmidt (1999), groupware
208-406: A user interface design method developed by Alan Cooper (software designer) Group delay dispersion ( Group velocity dispersion ), effect of a medium on an optical signal Google Developer Day , Google promotional events for developers Great Dragon's Dale , a Russian-language video gaming magazine Green Degree Directory Growing degree-day , a unit for measuring climatic warmth over
234-496: Is an exchange of information between two or more participants where the primary purpose of the interaction is discovery or relationship building. There is no central entity around which the interaction revolves but is a free exchange of information with no defined constraints, generally focused on personal experiences. Communication technology such as telephones, instant messaging , and e-mail are generally sufficient for conversational interactions. Transactional interaction involves
260-412: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Game design document Game developers may produce the game design document in the pre-production stage of game development—prior to or after a pitch. Before a pitch, the document may be conceptual and incomplete. Once the project has been approved, the document is expanded by the developer to
286-532: Is formal or informal, intentional or unintentional. Whereas the groupware or collaborative software pertains to the technological elements of computer-supported cooperative work, collaborative work systems become a useful analytical tool to understand the behavioral and organizational variables that are associated to the broader concept of CSCW. Douglas Engelbart first envisioned collaborative computing in 1951 and documented his vision in 1962, with working prototypes in full operational use by his research team by
SECTION 10
#1733086158104312-485: Is part of CSCW. The authors claim that CSCW, and thereby groupware, addresses "how collaborative activities and their coordination can be supported by means of computer systems." The use of collaborative software in the work space creates a collaborative working environment (CWE). Collaborative software relates to the notion of collaborative work systems , which are conceived as any form of human organization that emerges any time that collaboration takes place, whether it
338-463: Is the use of design patterns for groupware design. The patterns identify recurring groupware design issues and discuss design choices in a way that all stakeholders can participate in the groupware development process. Groupware can be divided into three categories depending on the level of collaboration : Collaborative management tools facilitate and manage group activities. Examples include: The design intent of collaborative software (groupware)
364-569: Is to transform the way documents and rich media are shared in order to enable more effective team collaboration. Collaboration, with respect to information technology, seems to have several definitions. Some are defensible but others are so broad they lose any meaningful application. Understanding the differences in human interactions is necessary to ensure the appropriate technologies are employed to meet interaction needs. There are three primary ways in which humans interact: conversations, transactions, and collaborations. Conversational interaction
390-453: The GDD itself but may instead appear in supplemental documents. The game concept describes the main idea of the game. This section of the document is a simple explanation of the ideas for the game. The concept includes what the game exactly is, and what is being made of it. This portion of the document will also inform such people like the art team, publishers, developers, etc., on the expectations of
416-586: The collaborative session only remained while at least one user stayed active, and would have to be recreated if all six logged out. MITRE improved on that model by hosting the collaborative session on a server into which each user logged. Called the Collaborative Virtual Workstation (CVW), it allowed the session to be set up in a virtual file cabinet and virtual rooms, and left as a persistent session that could be joined later. In 1996, Pavel Curtis , who had built MUDs at PARC , created PlaceWare,
442-423: The developer in enough detail for the respective developers to implement the said part. The document is purposely sectioned and divided in a way that game developers can refer to and maintain the relevant parts. The majority of video games should require an inclusion or variation of the following sections: This list is by no means exhaustive or applicable to every game. Some of these sections might not appear in
468-528: The document may contain the following: Collaborative software Collaborative software or groupware is application software designed to help people working on a common task to attain their goals. One of the earliest definitions of groupware is "intentional group processes plus software to support them." Regarding available interaction, collaborative software may be divided into real-time collaborative editing platforms that allow multiple users to engage in live, simultaneous, and reversible editing of
494-490: The first wireless groupware. The complexity of groupware development is still an issue. One reason is the socio-technical dimension of groupware. Groupware designers do not only have to address technical issues (as in traditional software development) but also consider the organizational aspects and the social group processes that should be supported with the groupware application. Some examples for issues in groupware development are: One approach for addressing these issues
520-425: The game proposal. Even with the concept being in favor of the director, there is still the possibility of changes being requested. The director might pass the concept to others as part of the design staff, producers, or shown to the entire department or company, giving the concept a higher chance at being more captivating with the addition of a buoyant and imaginative group of people. The Game Concept portion of
546-443: The game when it is being developed. So while in the production phase of the game, the document is being used as a guide to create the game. The concepts are introduced to a product development director, or even an executive producer, before it is allowed outside of the product development department. It will then be the director's decision to whether the idea has merit or not, leading to the idea being disregarded or supported to develop
SECTION 20
#1733086158104572-491: The game. Although considered a requirement by many companies, a GDD has no set industry standard form. For example, developers may choose to keep the document as a word processor document , or as an online collaboration tool . The purpose of a game design document is to unambiguously describe the game's selling points, target audience , gameplay , art , level design , story, characters, UI , assets, etc. In short, every game part requiring development should be included by
598-481: The mid-1960s. He held the first public demonstration of his work in 1968 in what is now referred to as " The Mother of All Demos ". The following year, Engelbart's lab was hooked into the ARPANET , the first computer network, enabling them to extend services to a broader userbase. Online collaborative gaming software began between early networked computer users. In 1975, Will Crowther created Colossal Cave Adventure on
624-440: The project, sometimes as often as daily. A document may start off with only the basic concept outlines and become a complete, detailed list of every game aspect by the end of the project. A game design document may be made of text, images, diagrams, concept art , or any applicable media to better illustrate design decisions. Some design documents may include functional prototypes or a chosen game engine for some sections of
650-576: The term groupware; their initial 1978 definition of groupware was, "intentional group processes plus software to support them." Later in their article they went on to explain groupware as "computer-mediated culture... an embodiment of social organization in hyperspace." Groupware integrates co-evolving human and tool systems, yet is simply a single system. In the early 1990s the first commercial groupware products were delivered, and big companies such as Boeing and IBM started using electronic meeting systems for key internal projects. Lotus Notes appeared as
676-432: Was originally designated as groupware and this term can be traced as far back as the late 1980s, when Richman and Slovak (1987) wrote: "Like an electronic sinew that binds teams together, the new groupware aims to place the computer squarely in the middle of communications among managers, technicians, and anyone else who interacts in groups, revolutionizing the way they work." In 1978, Peter and Trudy Johnson-Lenz coined
#103896