Showing Off

How games are built and rebuilt for conventions.

- Xalavier Nelson JR

Games are not built in sequential order, one level or area after another until the job is done. Instead, they’re composed of pieces that are built sporadically. Some developers even advise building the first sequence in a game at the end of a project, so that you can draw on the lessons you learned throughout the process to create a smooth opening. Demos, then, can be something of a Frankenstein’s monster.

“The simple truth of the matter is demos are showing something which looks like a final product long before there’s a final product,” says Jason Stark of Ninja Pizza Girl dev Disparity Games. “Even when you do show a finished game you often have to change things so it presents better as a demo. The first level in most games is a crappy demo. Pacing is off. Who wants to sit through a slow, dramatic build-up in a crowded, noisy con floor?”

Joe Mirabello developer of bullet-hell FPS MOTHERGUNSHIP echoes that feeling. “A great demo can unfortunately lead to producers and stakeholders thinking development is further than it is. Oftentimes the stuff made for demos was made for real – just not with the considerations for how it would be expanded or supported after the demo. It’s that system expansion that often leads to refactoring, and it can lead to periods after the demo where progress feels ‘stalled’ as everyone plays catch-up.”