PRO DESIGN TIPS - Bespoke Mechanics: "Grand Theft Auto IV" (Rockstar Games, 2008)
COMMON GAME DESIGN TECHNIQUE EXAMPLE: Bespoke mechanics or "Feature Creep"
actually more production terms
A hiccup in the game difficulty curve of GTA 4, this was an entirely bespoke
sequence – and to some degree, they invented an entirely new control system. I’ve got a
feeling (and I can say this because I feel fairly safe Rockstar won’t go out of their way
to comment) that there were a couple of designers and programmers who had finished a
task in the corner of the office, and for a week, they had nothing to do and just kind of
prototyped this sequence. They took a small area of the game, independent of the main
build, and just fiddled about, trying out mechanics, then took it to the producer, and
said, “Can we use this ‘rolling about on top of a van’ sequence?” It’s gone up the chain
to one of the Houser’s sitting by their pool drinking Pina Coladas, and they’ve grunted
“yes.” So, it’s gone into the game. I should point out, it’s rarer to see this sort of thing in
the triple‑A’s these days due to the gruelling schedules required on these titles.
WANT MORE TECHNIQUES? this TEXT is an ABRIDGED EXCERPT from the BOOK: Teaching Video Game Design Fundamentals: A Guide for Educating with Practical Examples and Learning Materials. (Andy Sandham, Routledge/Taylor and Francis/CRC Press 2025)
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