top of page
Ideas
Underground
-
Crypt, plumbing, secret tunnels, soil, beaches.
-
Examples: Elder Scrolls, Necromancer, Zelda, elements of Tomb Raider.
Underwater
-
Caves, clear water, swimming pools.
-
Examples: Depth Hunter, Beyond Blue, BioShock, Halo.
Over-ground
-
Graveyard, factory, asylum, offices, airport, derelict building – school?
-
Examples: Silent Hill, Grand Theft Auto series, Unchartered series, Just Cause, The Last of Us.
Sci-Fi/ Futuristic
-
Spaceship, outer space, in space, rocket, settlement on a planet.
-
Examples: Sim City, Fallout, Metal Gear Solid, Call of Duty 4, Star Wars, Portal 2.
Historical Environments
-
Egypt, London/Cities, Islands, Mexican villages, Wild West,
-
Examples: Red Dead Redemption, Unchartered, World of Warcraft, Assassins Creed.
Fictional ‘Tie-In’ Games
-
Examples: Batman, Lego Games.
Games that incorporate mixed elements
-
Examples: Tomb Raider, Minecraft, Fortnite.
-
Examples: Tomb Raider, Minecraft, Fortnite.
Possible Ideas
Amusement Park - Cruise Ship - Zoo
Aquarium - Department/Grocery Store - Stadium
Beach - Distribution Centre - Ski Centre
Bowling Alley – Gallery - Pier
Bunker/Shelter – Gym - Museum
Camp Site – Hospital - Landmark Places
Canyon - College/University/School
Casino – Mall – Motel
References
TheGamer.com
Popularmechanics.com
“NEXT GEN to take advantage of powerful CPUs, GPUs and SSD storage across consoles and PCs”. September 2020.
(Quote from Theverge.com - this increased storage should be utilised to enhance your 3D environment idea! Keep it the back of your mind when thinking of your own ideas.)
Wolrdofleveldesign.com
Primary Research
Own experience shows that free-roaming, 3D landscapes, open air and varied, such as Fortnite and Minecraft, are popular. The chances to create your own parts of the environment, such as building or destroying parts of it, support the feeling of the player that they have ‘built’ some of the environment. This enables them to feel invested. Collaborative games that use different surroundings and settings encourage different team members to enjoy specific areas that they like. Some may prefer more urban backgrounds, whilst some prefer more rural conditions.
Secondary Research
Secondary studies on various aspects of video gaming have been many. Addiction, literacy, ADD issues, behaviour – all important aspects.
Including some of this is challenging – and would depend on the type of game considered.
If the game were to include aspects of literacy for example (reading, following written instructions) the designers must consider reports from literacytrust.org.uk (to name one site) that discusses the impact on literacy from playing games. It would be pertinent to consider impacting positively on this area, to create a more worthy or important game.
A study on video game addiction is highlighted on ‘the recoveryvillage.com’ – this list video game addiction statistics. The WHO (World Health Organisation) classified ‘gaming disorder’ as a disease and there are very many research studies (Research Centre for Work and Consumer Psychology, Brussels & Maastricht University) that show addiction to gaming can be connected to several disorders including depression, anxiety and ADHD. However, it is not all negative of course. Gaming can support people with almost the same disorders (Sciencedaily.com reported that a recent 6-year survey – at Brigham Young University - concluded that 90% of gamers do not play in a harmful way.) Again, this type of research needs to be considered when thinking of environment designs with regards colours usage, graphics, repetitive patters etc.
Qualitative Research
Qualitative research or Consumer research into video gaming, can take different forms; interviews, focus groups etc.
A recent survey of 8000 world-wide consumers listed the attributes of the electronics company they considered most important. Quality was top, with security and affordability ranking highly also. Sadly, sustainability, personalisation and friendly customer service ranked low. (Source: Qriosly, Brandwatch Consumer Trends 2020 report)
Another Consumer study found VR and AR to beat other trends as what consumers themselves felt would transform society. (Source: Brandwatch)
Brand loyalty remains high – with Nintendo coming second only to Apple as most favoured electronic brands. This could be considered when thinking of the types of gaming environments favoured in Nintendo games, and may influence future gaming choices. (Source: Brandwatch.com)
Sadly, with the pandemic, the usual influence of the E3 gaming expo (Electronic Entertainment Expo) cannot be experienced. The consumer responses from this event are often great indicators of future trends. Perhaps 2021, the E3 will be even more valuable, providing data for developers moving forward.
Further important gaming data and consumer trend and analysis can be found at npd.com, marketresearch.com and research.gate.net – amongst many other business analysis sites and forums.
Quantitative Research
Studies show 1 in 10 gamers aged 8-18 play so much because it can be a relief from the real world, and its problems. (sites.google.com) So creation of more fantasy, less ‘real-world’ environments may help this escapism. The gaming industry has grown by 9.3% since 2019 – largest growth areas being Latin America. This may be something to consider when creating new environments. (Source – wepc.com)
Game Demographics
Although thought of as traditionally male – gamers tend to be males between 21-35 - female gamers are increasing in numbers and tend to be between 36 and 50. The percentage of all US Gamers who are female, rose from 38% in 2006 to 45% by 2018. This may be owing to the new range of platforms available, such as mobile phones rather than consoles. There are clear differences in the games chosen by each gender. ‘Battle Royale’ shooter games tended to be played by males, puzzle games tended to be played by females. (Source statista.com)
Stats are constantly changing, owing to the far wider types of games available – in 2018 under 18s were approx. 28% of US gamers, while 23% were 50 and older. The average age of gamers today remains around 35 years old. (Source – gamesparks.com)
All these market factors need considering when considering a new 3D game environment.
Mood Boards
Mars Mood Board
Sketches
Reference Images
Building Reference
Lighting Reference
Item Reference
Floorplan
3D Mockup
Feedback
•“It is good to see lots of detail at this stage of the design process. It gives a good idea of how to finished product might appear. Each element of living on Mars is well considered”
•“A good next step would be to colour code the 3D image to match the 2D floorplan. This would help to fully picture what the environment would look like.”
•“The mood boards show that lots of environments were considered, with current exploration on Mars this game could feed into the growing public interest in this subject.”
​•“It would be good to see some of the external environmental designs, but I appreciate that this project wasn’t about the exteriors.”
bottom of page