This document discusses creativity in game design and provides case studies of famous Vietnamese mobile games. It begins by introducing the presenter Nicolas Leymonerie and his experience in game development. The presentation aims to provide key knowledge and methods for game designers by examining creativity techniques and famous Vietnamese mobile games as examples. It discusses how creativity involves making something new perceptible through the 5 senses and provides game design examples. The document also outlines techniques like inspiration, adaptation, and hybridization to spark new game concepts within constraints like target markets, platforms, budgets and deadlines.

1. Case study : Famous Vietnamese mobile
games
Nicolas Leymonerie – OGDC 2014 , Ho Chi Minh City

2.  Nicolas Leymonerie
 10+ years XP in Game development,
 20+ participation to video game productions.
 Chairman / Consultant in Game Development
at Phuong Hoang Enix Co.,LTD
 Responsible of the STKTS digital creation
training program specialized in Game Design
(Da Lat)
 Reseller for Unity, Allegorithmic (Substances)
and The Foundry (Modo) in Vietnam
 Coordinator of the IGDA’s Vietnam chapter.

3.  Creativity in Game Design - Case study :
Famous Vietnamese mobile games.
 This presentation will give key knowledge and
methods for Game designers engaged in a
game creation process. Famous Vietnamese
mobile games will be used as references to
demonstrate that.

4.  Creativity is the process in which something
new is made concrete and then can be
perceived through the 5 senses.
◦ Audio creation : music, song, poem…

5.  Creativity is the process in which something
new is made concrete and then can be
perceived through the 5 senses.
◦ Visual creation : painting, picture, sculpture…

6.  Creativity is the process in which something
new is made concrete and then can be
perceived through the 5 senses.
◦ Taste creation : food, beverage, cake…

7.  Creativity is the process in which something
new is made concrete and then can be
perceived through the 5 senses.
◦ Touch creation : object, texture, fabric…

8.  Creativity is the process in which something
new is made concrete and then can be
perceived through the 5 senses.
◦ Olfactory (smell) creation : perfume, food…

9.  Creativity is the process in which something
new is made concrete and then can be
perceived through the 5 senses.
◦ Audio-Visual-Touch creation : video game

10.  From an idea to a concept
Right brain hemisphere
Holistic thought
Insight
Imagination
Art & Music awareness
Creativity
Intuition
Left brain hemisphere
Analytic thought
Logic
Language
Science & Math
Written
Reasoning
Outside world

11. Left-Brain
Rationalization =
PROCESS
Right-Brain
Imagination = DATA
Experience Expression
= INPUT = OUTPUT
Outside World
 From an idea to a concept

12.  From an idea to a concept
DATA PROCESS
OUTPUTINPUT
Dream
Art
Thinking
Analysis
Design
Contemplation Comprehension

13.  Most of the game productions require more
design than free creation.
 Why ? Because there are many constraints
that limit the creativity : target market,
platform capacities, budget , etc…
 Then artists have to refer to Designers : Game
Designer, Character Designer, Level Designer,
Sound Designer

14.  Don’t fear the writer’s block. You have many
things to do prior to any creative process.

15.  Take for example the creation of a game
concept.
This is all the game concepts that
your brain could imagine

16.  Now let’s specify a target market
This is all the game concepts that
your brain could imagine
that are suitable for boys
between 12 and 18 years old

17.  …and a platform
This is all the game concepts that
your brain could imagine
that are suitable for boys
between 12 and 18 years old
playing on mobile platforms

18.  …and a budget
This is all the game concepts that
your brain could imagine
that are suitable for boys
between 12 and 18 years old
playing on mobile platforms, that
can be made with $50 000

19.  …and a deadline
This is all the game concepts that
your brain could imagine
that are suitable for boys
between 12 and 18 years old
playing on mobile platforms, that
can be made with $50 000 within
6 months

20.  …and a theme:
This is all the game concepts that
your brain could imagine
that are suitable for boys
between 12 and 18 years old
playing on mobile platforms, that
can be made with $50 000 within
6 months, that is about sport

21.  … and after having define the whole scope of
the game production you can start your
creation work !
This is all the game concepts that
your brain could imagine
that are suitable for boys
between 12 and 18 years old
playing on mobile platforms, that
can be made with $50 000 within
6 months, that is about sport
etc…

22.  The most common way to create : Inspiration

23.  How to get inspiration ?
◦ From stimulation of the 5 senses
◦ So get inspired by listening, touching, tasting,
smelling, looking at new things

24.  How to get inspiration ?
◦ From life experience
◦ So get inspired by doing new and various activities

25.  How to get inspiration ?
◦ From knowledge
◦ So get inspired by learning new things in various
domains

26.  But what if we don’t have any idea from
inspiration ? -> We need methodology

27.  Take example from nature
◦ Evolution
◦ Adaptation
◦ Specialization
◦ Hybridization

28.  Create a new concept from a previous one
through multiples upgrades
 Example :
A monkey + Evolution
=
Us

29.  Example in video game
Pong + Evolution
=
Virtua tennis 4

30.  Create a new concept which is an adaptation
of another one to a new environment
 Example :
A phasmid + a leafy environment
=
A leaf phasmid

31.  Example in video game
A funny game + a mobile game environment
=
This mobile game

32.  Create a new concept which is part of a more
complex one
 Example :
An eye from a human body + need to isolate it to record images
=
A video camera

33.  Example in video game
A war game + destroy with catapults is cool
=
Angry bird

34.  Create a new concept from existing ones
 Example :
A mouse + a green-fluorescent jellyfish
=
A green-fluorescent mouse

35.  Example in video game
Graphic style from Patapon + Slash targets in 1 static screen
game level and bombs like in Fruit ninja
+ main character and plot
from Angry bird

36.  Example in video game
= Rip Off (Colorbox)

37.  Catch that dragon (Gameloft)
◦ Evolution
◦ Adaptation
◦ Specialization
◦ Hybridization

38.  Adaptation from fishing arcade game to
mobile game platforms

39. Graphic style Gameplay + main character

40.  Flappy Bird (.Gears)

41.  Clumsy Bird

42.  Always have a notebook or a sound recorder
to record any interesting dream or sudden
ideas that may come at any time.

43.  Think about a concept you have to create.
Then go to some new places full of
stimulating things : park, museum, etc…
without thinking about anything, just receive
information through your senses. Then take a
notebook and write or draw any coming idea.

44.  Be curious and improve your general culture
about various domains : history , geography,
legends, sports, astronomy, mythology, world
cultures…

45.  The cloud exercise : Guess the representation
of a random shape and try to find a story
about it.

46.  Example

47.  Example

48.  Guess what these pictures represent and the
story behind (Who? Where? What? )
1
2
3
4
5

49.  The original picture

50.  Regarding STKTS Game design training, Unity,
Substance or Modo software, contact Nicolas
Leymonerie (English or Vietnamese)
 nicolas@ph-enix.com