Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
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10
The Market
The Tekram was the strangest beast in the world. It was a shapeless mass
the size of a house, covered by a mad patchwork of fur, scales, and chitin.
Twisted limbs protruded randomly from its bulk. And if you came back the
next day, it would look different.
The villagers soon learned its power: fed the right thing, it would offer
forth a king's bounty of food, fine cloth, and gold. The trouble was that
nobody could ever figure out what it wanted. Some days it loved bacon
and would excrete diamonds for every strip tossed into the correct maw.
The next day, it wanted vegetarian food only. Sometimes it liked things
undercooked, overcooked, seasoned or bland, complex, simple, healthful
and greasy. Sometimes it liked to eat things that weren't even food.
For centuries, merchants and wise men tried to understand the
Tekram and predict its desires. They wanted to access its bounty without
the trial and error of throwing random foods into its maw. All failed. After a
thousand years, the villagers simply worshipped it, uncomprehending.
Design Purpose
EVERY GAME IS CREATED
to serve a purpose. Some games are made to
produce profit through sales, subscriptions, or in-game purchases, or by
pulling quarters from people in an arcade. Other games are made for non-
monetary purposes. Art games, hobby projects, academic experiments,
and design tests are made for status, tenure, or self-amusement.
Every design decision is affected by the purpose the game was created
to serve.
A survey of some common business models reveals how much pur-
pose affects design.
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