What Would Matt Do

(oh noes, it's the holidays and I'm updating) 

While this is not news, we now know that C&C 3 will not have a customized installer. This is a blow to those of us that remember the cool, full screen, informative installers of the C&C of yesteryear. Why won't it have it? They say:

Yeah, it's more of a technical limitation than anything else and where we invest team resources. There will be something when you install the game and it will be something cool, but the classic C&C installers that we've come to know and love I think were somewhat of an artefact of the DOS days - and I did love them, but you'll see that effort put into actually making the game itself feel more immersive, because we want to create a world that you can really lose yourself in.

Yes, it takes more time to make an installer that is unique and interesting. No, it's not something you should always pass on just because you can put those resources elsewhere. Consider this article by Joel. What's one of the big points? Presentation is KING. This applies to games as well. Sure, most every PC gamer is used to seeing your run of the mill Install Shield install process, used to it being bland and boring and just waiting for the game to actually get installed so fun can begin. But I submit the following: fuck that (at least in some cases).

Here's the Reasoning and the How.

First, the How. As in, how should it look, act, feel, etc. I imagine it going something like this for the non existent C&C 3 installer. You put in your DVD/CD and the installer auto runs and goes full screen on your ass. In the top left of the screen, you see something that sounds technical about the system starting up and welcome to the future warfare. It then goes on to get all of your needed install information (directory, drive, etc) while keeping in the battlefield control interface and showing you all kinds of specs (i.e. - concept artwork, vehicle models, fact sheets, etc) about the upcoming world. It should also be playing some not too annoying music to help set the mood. Then, when the installer is done, it should a seamless launch the game. There shouldn't be a transition back to the desktop and double clicking all of that. It should go directly from one to the other (with the ability to opt out of that, of course).  Or don't do that layout and go with making the installer look the UI of the game. Something that ties directly into and gets people into the mood of the game.

To be fair, I'm all for having a less involved install that the player could opt for at the beginning of the install. Some people just don't like good things and choices are king.

Now to the Reasoning. Ever seen seen a movie? Nope? Me either. But I hear many of them take first the few moments of the film to draw the audience in. A horror movie might introduce the villain, a drama might present a mystery and an action movie might show the whole plot (much like C&C, the plot isn't in depth), etc. The point being, the first few moments of a movie setup the rest of the movie. They draw the viewer in, they engage them, get them thinking or interested at the least. If they are any good. So the same theory applies to the game installer. Start the game with a bang, from the moment of entry (the disc in the drive). Don't let any opportunity pass to enhance how the user sees your game. This leads to be interested BEFORE YOU EVER GET INTO THE GAME. That's worth some resources in my mind. Presentation is the key. Just ask Blizzard.

Again, to be fair, this won't work nor should it be attempted by all games. Just like not all movies attempt to do the same thing. Of course, one or two games doing this method wouldn't be all bad. Really.

My plea to designers in the game industry is this, quite thinking of your design in a vacuum. Yes. games aren't exactly like any other medium. But that doesn't mean you can't learn from other industries that are similar. Who are some of the best directors/script guy/musicians/etc? Thieves. They take what they like from other places, other artists and put their spin on it. It's the circle of life. Don't be afraid to jump in from time to time.

What Would Matt Do: Consider Presentation for the game from top (the installer) to bottom (what happens at end, how is the player rewarded, etc). It's a horribly important part that most of the game industry doesn't fully grasp. If you don't believe, just check out the UI