Tyler Breon

Repetition, Rythm, Repetition. Raymond Loewy created some of the most well-known designs of the 20th century. The French designer brought modern aesthetics to the U.S. designing trains and cars using sleek, aerodynamic shapes, and created classic objects of American culture like the Lucky Strike package and Coca-Cola soda fountains. His secret formula was M.A.Y.A. (most advanced yet acceptable). While creating these hallmarks of design, Loewy used what was then an undiscovered recipe for good design: a combination of familiarity with more exciting or novel characteristics. A simpler way to sum it up might be… Familiar Surprise - something bold and innovative but instantly understood. Humans evolved so that subconsciously they know if something hasn't killed them yet it's probably safe. If we look to the visual arts, there are tomes written on the psychology of color; e.g. red = passion (most likely due to being the same color as blood), blue = trust/safety (water or the sky,

Who is this for? The team is always the first customer….so, why should we try to understand players? Customer obsession has become an Amazonian buzzword but it’s simply the combination of several timeless business concepts. When we have a deep understanding of what players value, we create experiences that are more engaging.  Motivation models are a lens to view decisions with more data, and can give us a common shorthand to use when discussing ideas. Again, since the development team is the first customer we’ll intuitively make stronger creative decisions because we’re making things we’re excited about and WE want to play. Motivation Profiles The model comes from Quantic Foundry - to date they’ve surveyed around 650,000 gamers. They’ve given a handful of great GDC talks on their profiling process as well. The models were generated based on: Intuition/Observational models (e.g., Bartle’s Player Types) Theory-driven models (e.g. PENS based on Self-Determination Theory) Factor analyti

Creative Strategy answers… Why the game exists, What it is, and Who it’s for. There are countless models for the creative process and product development. This step-by-step outline transforms established concepts from marketing and puts them to work for new IP development. Making games is not a totally linear process and some would say it's completely organic. This depends entirely on the company, culture, and how they approach development. There isn't one solution for every team. What's important is that if we have an understanding of the complete picture and larger parts, we can make more informed decisions around each of them. This outline approach is like building a house, each step lays the foundation for the next. Company Brand Your brand is what players think of you, not what your logo looks like. Modern players care about company purpose. Modern employees expect people-first cultures. Understood Purpose, Mission, Vision = better results. Audience Insight Understan

You Need, Go Search, Find Take, Return Changed. It's not that stories have to follow this structure, it's that, without some semblance of this structure, it's not recognizable as a story. When I talk about "story structure" I'm talking about something very scientific, like "geometry." Your story could have "perfect" structure, in that it hits all the resonant points craved by the audience mind, but that won't make it a perfect piece of entertainment. Example: Once upon a time, there was a thirsty man on a couch. He got up off the couch, went to his kitchen, searched through his refrigerator, found a soda, drank it, and returned to his couch, thirst quenched. That was "perfect story structure." On the other hand, the story sucked. Here's a converse example: Once upon a time, a car exploded. A Navy Seal killed a werewolf, then a robot shot the moon with a Jesus-powered laser. The world became overpopulated by zombies. The En

What to read? The game industry is an amazing community, but sorely lacking material on how to be an effective leader. Looking outside the industry you're in can provide a lot of perspective you wouldn't otherwise get. These are some of the best books on business, leadership and creative product development.  Each has a distinct flavor and focus.  More detailed reviews/breakdowns to come...   Good to Great - Jim C. Collins  Leadership Strategy and Tactics - Jocko Willinik  How Google Works - Eric Schmidt  Sorry Spock, Emotions Drive Business - Adam W. Morgan  No Rules Rules - Reed Hastings  Creativity, Inc. - Ed Catmull  The Visual MBA - Jason Barron