Keynote Presentation

"Gameplay, Story and the Creative Challenge" By Matt Costello, Scriptwriter & Games Designer, USA

Bio:

Matt Costello’s innovative work includes ground-breaking and award-winning games, online destinations, novels,
and television. Costello wrote the critically acclaimed game The 7th Guest, which helped launch the CD-ROM era.
Since then, Costello has scripted and designed dozens of best-selling games such as Shellshock-Nam ‘67 (Eidos), Bad
Boys 2 (Empire) and 2005’s Doom 3. Recent major games for the next generation consoles include 2007’s Pirates of the
Caribbean: At World’s End for Disney, its first-ever US and UK #1 console title, and G-Force, a major new game
for Disney/Bruckheimer tied to 2009’s animated feature – the first game completely in 3-D. Upcoming games for 2010
include the new game from ID, Rage – that will introduce their new technology, Tech 5 – and, with co-writer Neil
Richards, Just Cause 2, a sequel to the hit Just Cause, a #1 title for the Xbox 360. Matt just finished work on a
major DS only title, also for 2010. Costello has also created award-winning educational games for children,
including the landmark Aladdin’s Mathquest with Robin Williams for Disney, as well as the award-winning A Cartoon
History of the Universe (Putnam) and two games based on the hit PBS series animated series, Cyberchase. Matt
appeared on-air host for nine years as ‘The Game Guy’ for WNYC’s award-winning weekly radio show, New York
Kids. With over twenty years of experience in mentoring teachers, he has been a consultant and teacher on
Gifted and Talented issues for school districts in the United States.
He is the writer and creator of groundbreaking TV, novels, nonfiction books, and games in both U.S. and U.K.
 

Abstract:

Science tells us that our consciousness can hold seven things in mind, more or less. More than that, and one or
another idea…concept, thought…just slips away, unnoticed. It’s why even experienced mountain climbers can – when
the ice and rock hit the fan – let one detail slip away that is essential to survival. They're only human too, and
suddenly…thing # 8 vanishes from consciousness.

So how are we, you, to deal with the convergence of so many screens, so many options, so many amazing interactive
and narrative and just plain fun possibilities in the world of games? Is it with charts and lines and bubbles and plans
and graphs and the whole messy explosive cross media world somehow logically tamed?

What about creativity? Like a glove dropped in the snow (thanks hyperthermia!) creativity can get lost. So this
personal presentation will be devoted to opening those doors a bit, to play, to the increasing creative and artistic
demands of making story and gameplay work together.

Presentation Breakdown:

What makes a good story?
-An exploration of where story comes from, the creation of compelling characters, and just how a story differs from
reality.
-Exercises with the audience to make core idea of story-making concrete and come to life.

All about gameplay.
-What makes for good gameplay?
-What intrigues and challenges us?
-A hands-on look at different kinds of gameplay that are the bedrock of games past, present and to come.
-The audience will engage in a variety of those challenge during the presentation.

Bringing it all together – the creative process.
-How do you creatively mesh story and gameplay?
-A look at how story impacts gameplay and, similarly, how gameplay can shape and moderates the needs of story
and characters.
-How to make them work together with a creative process.
-Finally, a look at the importance of creating from the start a project philosophy to guide this special mesh of
gameplay and story.

 

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