Gamasutra Expert Blogs: From The Importance Of Mechanics To The Irrelevance Of Narrative

In highlights from Gamasutra's Expert Blogs, industry notables write about diverse topics, including the importance of finalizing game mechanics, a postmodern look at the industry, and why games rarely need stories. In our weekly Best of Expert Blogs column, we showcase notable pieces of writing from members of the game development community who maintain Expert Blogs on Gamasutra. Member Blogs -- also highlighted weekly -- can be maintained by any registered Gamasutra user, while the invitation-only Expert Blogs are written by development professionals with a wealth of experience to share. We hope that both sections can provide useful and interesting viewpoints on our industry. For more information about the blogs, check out the official posting guidelines. Here are the top blogs for the week: This Week's Standout Expert Blogs - Nail Down The Game Mechanics (Jameson Durall) When developers change game mechanics mid-development, it can have major repercussions on a game’s level design. Jameson Durall encourages system designers to finalize gameplay mechanics early, to avoid the need to redesign levels that are designed around those systems. - The Importance Of Research Getting The Best Of Postmodern Design (Christopher Totten) Christopher Totten examines games from a postmodern perspective, and encourages developers to overcome the pitfalls of postmodernism by becoming more aware of the game styles and mechanics they allude to through their own work. He argues that developers can create richer and more thoughtful games by thoroughly engaging themselves in their own work and the work that preceded it. - How Much Do Indie PC Developers Make, Anyways?
(David Galindo) Earning money through indie game development can be nerve wracking, especially when a small indie team has limited marketing and distribution resources. David Galindo discusses his experience in selling his own indie game , and how the game performed financially. - Only 20 Percent Of Games Should have Stories (Ian Fisch) Unfortunately, many games try to tell engaging stories and fail miserably. Frustrated by this unnecessary exposition, Ian Fisch explains why he thinks most developers should not try to weave complex narratives to motivate players, but instead provide interesting gameplay opportunities to keep them interested in their games.