Game Postmortems: Learning and Improving
The game<\/a> we all wanted to play is about to be released. The hype has never been more palpable. Pre-orders are skyrocketing, people are discussing it on forums, and YouTubers are receiving early copies to make videos about it.<\/p>\n\n The game finally launches, and people enjoy it. However, after a few days, people notice that perhaps the game falls a bit short. Nothing terrible, but maybe the hype wasn't justified.<\/p>\n\n What went wrong? What was done right? This is where developers conduct game postmortems.<\/p>\n\n As with any creative endeavor, it's always useful to step back and see what needs improvement and what to discard. Unfortunately, for game developers, you can't know the public's reaction until launch day.<\/p>\n\n Conducting postmortems is not exclusive to game developers. Anyone can perform a detailed postmortem on virtually any subject: failed political campaigns, work strategies, product launches.<\/p>\n\n Game postmortems are a reliable way for everyone to take a step back after the dust of the release has settled. It gives both gamers and game developers a chance to catch their breath and understand what went wrong and what went right.<\/p>\n\n Okay, dissecting a game's problems is great, but what does it mean for both gamers and developers? Something went wrong in your game, so don't do it again, right? Pretty simple.<\/p>\n\n However, game postmortems can be the first step toward a fantastic gaming future. Some of your favorite developers and game designers have actively used insights from postmortems to further improve the game.<\/p>\n\n There's a chance that some of your favorite games came to life as a direct result of improving upon previous mistakes and capitalizing on what was done right.<\/p>\n\n For gamers, this means a fantastic game. For developers, a product to be proud of from day one.<\/p>\n\n Despite the seemingly negative connotation of postmortems, they are more than just an analysis of which game mechanics didn't work. Game postmortems can include a full account of the game's history, team goals, and much more.<\/p>\n\n Warren Spector, developer of Deus Ex, covered it all. And that's a useful benchmark for what a game postmortem should be. Here are some things Spector lists:<\/p>\n\n These are just some of the points Warren Spector details in his game postmortem. Why does all this matter?<\/p>\n\n Mainly for context. It adds valuable context that readers, developers, and players can use as a useful reference for future work. You can see the influence of Half-Life on the development cycle of Deus Ex. If the first Half-Life game hadn't existed, what would or wouldn't be in the final version of Deus Ex?<\/p>\n\n Players who play Deus Ex today, whether lured by nostalgia or a Steam sale, will notice that the game mechanics are quite solid for a game that is just over 20 years old.<\/p>\n\n Deus Ex is one of the most unique action RPGs, making the player think—it's a virtual masterpiece. Developed by Ion Storm and released in 2000, the game tells a dark story of conspiracies, government agents, spies, and what it means to be human.<\/p>\n\n As we already mentioned, Warren Spector from Ion Storm gave a detailed postmortem. He states:<\/p>\n\n "Many of the things we wanted to do were a reaction to what they (or we) didn't do, didn't do well, or couldn't do at all in previous games. We didn't create the game from scratch, but rather built on an existing foundation."<\/p>\n\n This is a great example of how a postmortem can help you improve game design directly. Through postmortems, games can pave the way for creating more impressive games, such as the genre-breaking Deus Ex.<\/p>\n\n Real-time strategy games on PC in the 1990s and early 2000s were the kings of the hill. The aptly named Age of Empires II: Age of Kings is one of them. I'll be honest: I'm incredibly biased toward this game. It's my all-time favorite PC game. However, as a proper postmortem demands, what went wrong with AoE II?<\/p>\n\n Developer Matthew Pritchard argues that the pressure on game developers<\/a> to deliver a sequel automatically makes it treacherous from the start. People (rightfully) expect better graphics, improved gameplay, and additional features.<\/p>\n\n Although many things were done right in Age of Empires II: Age of Kings, a few aspects escaped Ensemble Studios' attention.<\/p>\n\n Regarding playtesting, "many of our playtests were not organized and focused enough, which seriously reduced the amount of new and meaningful feedback we received."<\/p>\n\n One of the most significant negative points was the leak of unfinished versions of the game, which resulted in an alpha version surfacing more than half a year before release. Somehow, people around the world were able to get early builds of the game.<\/p>\n\n "Pirates took warez versions of AoK, burned them onto CDs, added covers, and sold the game throughout the Pacific region. In Korea, CD vendors in front of Microsoft's headquarters sold warez versions of AoK. Warez versions even appeared on eBay."<\/p>\n\n He mentions that this didn't severely impact their financial situation, but it forced the team to step up their development process.<\/p>\n\n Rainbow Six, created by Tom Clancy's Redstorm, was a unique breath of fresh air in the gaming market. It was an FPS, but with a certain twist: it was tactical, you could die from a single shot, and mission success depended on planning even the smallest details.<\/p>\n\n It paved the way for sequels and spin-offs. For tactics enthusiasts and curious FPS players who wanted to step away from the over-the-top gameplay of DOOM and Wolfenstein, Rainbow Six was just what they needed.<\/p>\n\n Brian Upton, a designer at Redstorm, says that being part of the Tom Clancy license was one of the strongest factors contributing to their game's development. That, along with an excellent animation pipeline and great team cohesion, was what helped the game.<\/p>\n\n However, the Rainbow Six team initially faced a severe shortage of personnel<\/a>, which added stress to an already intense process.<\/p>\n\n Perhaps the biggest challenge was that they had to rely on completely untested code after previous plans failed: "...we relied on software<\/a> that was still under development. The core technology was solid, but we faced inadequate documentation, changing APIs, unclear performance requirements, and high integration costs."<\/p>\n\n Even some of the most famous game studios and designers falter on some aspects of design. While people tend to focus on the bad in game postmortems, don't forget to pay more attention to the good. The good is what paves the way for better games, improvements, and brilliant ideas.<\/p>\n\n If there were no postmortems, I guarantee that the current forms of some of your favorite games would not be the same without the previous mistakes in design or marketing process.<\/p> About Game Postmortems<\/h2>\n\n
What is a Postmortem?<\/h2>\n\n
Why is it Important for Gamers and Game Designers?<\/h2>\n\n
What Does a Postmortem Include?<\/h2>\n\n
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<\/p>\n\nNotable Postmortems<\/h2>\n\n
Deus Ex<\/h3>\n\n
Age of Empires II: Age of Kings<\/h3>\n\n
Rainbow Six<\/h3>\n\n
Events, Games, and the Future<\/h3>\n\n