2002 Game Developer's Conference
 

"Design Fundamentals of Stealth Gameplay in the Thief Series" (4.2 MB .ppt)

An ambitious lecture that presents a model of analyzing gameplay using the theory of "discrete" versus "analog" interaction and simultaneously attempts to deconstruct Thief using that model.
 
 

2003 Game Developer's Conference

"Designing Power-Ups for Action Games" (1.5 MB .ppt)

Lecture on the process of designing power-ups: deconstructing their components, brainstorming, documenting, etc.. Emphasis is on refining your sense of design goals and development limitations.
 
2004 Game Developer's Conference
"Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay" (2.0 MB .ppt)
A co-presentation with Harvey Smith which emphasizes implementing Emergent Gameplay via
connected Mechanics and includes topics such as world population and supporting technology.
 
2006 Game Developer's Conference
"Level Building For Stealth Gameplay" (5.0 MB .ppt)
Lecture on the unique challenges and goals of building great stealth levels and the design tools used to overcome them. Lots of diagrams and examples.
 
2007 Montreal International Game Summit & Game Developer's Conference
"How To Help Your Players Stop Saving All The Time" (3.9 MB .ppt)
Lecture on the powerful role of replay and save/load in the interactive medium and design techniques to encourage players away from compulsively saving and loading.
 
AMODA Lecture Series, 2002
"Video Games: The State of the Art" (6.2 MB .ppt)
Lecture intended for non-game-developers providing an overview on the interactive art form and its current state of maturation with an emphasis on video games as a storytelling / expressive media.
 
 
 

Edge / Next Generation

My monthly columns published in Edge, theUK's finest video game print mag!
"What's The Status?"
"Towing The Disassembly Line"
 
Game Developer Magazine
  Profiled Developer: Feb 2004 (55 KB .pdf)

A short interview on the topics of emergent gameplay and the future of interaction.

 
Nerve dot com
Sex Advice From Video Game Designers

Having some fun with close friends and my favorite on-line sex publication.

 
"Level-Building For Stealth Gameplay" (37 KB .doc)

A succinct, text-only primer, precursor to the 2006 GDC lecture.

 
 
 
  An MS-Paint Picture of An Alien Fighting A Karate Guy That I Drew (285 KB .jpg)

All materials copyright 2007, Randy Smith