I was employed at Beam Software Internation Pty Ltd. Between 1992 and 1994 as a videogame producer. This was a position won via participation in the Federal Government's "National Teaching Company Scheme". This scheme saught to link companies with universities whereby the Department of Industry Science and Technology (hereafter DIST) would pay 1/2 the salary of the employee, as well as contribute funds to the host institution (in this case Swinburne University of Technology's Centre for Animation and Interactive Multimedia).

While at Beam Software, I undertook research into "The Role of the "Edutainment Producer". The findings of this research culminated in a written report.

During the period of employment/research at Beam and Swinburne, I investigated emerging trends in new media. This was a time of rapid expansion of new technologies, particularly the emergence of widely available desktop computers such as the IBM 486, and Pentium processors. The world wide web also emerged as a popular mainstream phenomenon worldwide, which eventually radically affected society as a whole, linking ordinary people across the globe.

In terms of the experience of working at Beam and the EMU research project, the observations made at Beam involved ethnographic analysis of the role of various departments whose skill areas contributed the process by which mainly "Sega" and "Nintendo" 16 bit videogame cartridges were developed.

The departmental structure of Beam was as follows:

Art Department:

Artwork was created by staff on 486 computers using in-house graphics and animation tools. "Sprites", background graphics and other elements were prepared according to specifications set forth by the Design Department.

This department wrote the preparatory 'script', storyboard and flowchart documents which were used to sell a videogame idea to publishers. If successful, designs were then implemented by the company. The design department also prepared comprehensive 'maps' of the videogame environments and 'levels'. It was a study of the role of these maps which prompted an interest in the idea of mapping and cartography as a fundamental design principle of interactive media. The map were prepared on computers using graphic elements prepared by the Art Department.

Music and Sound for videogames were prepared by a single staff member using in-house software tools. Severe limitations on memory imposed restrictions on what types of sounds and musical elements could be prepared for videogames.

The programming department took the final graphic and design materials prepared in other departments and wove them into software programs. The various aspects of player control, 'superstructure' and other control aspects of the game were built, very often on the basis of software programs prepared for earlier videogame releases. The head programmer would be invited to prepare a technical design review (TDR) document which would foreshadow any technical restrictions on videogame development prior to commencement. Programmers were broken down into various catagories: lead programmers who would chaperone a videogame's main programming requirements, support programmers, and then programmers who undertook routine coding.

The quality control department tested games for faults, and also acted as a guide for the successful programming of the videogame. The role of this department was to act as the eventual player, anticipating any flaws in the

Role of Maps in Game Design and the Relationship to later EMU research 

Maps as "Territory": Defining the 'play area'

Maps serve several purposes - the maps in a side scrolling platform game (such as "Sonic the Hedgehog" or "Radical Rex") act as the actual 'play area' in which the player controlled central character moves and performs game action. The play area screens are themselves based on simple drawn map ideas developed by the game environment, and are decided upon in terms of the overall aims and objectives of the player in the various worlds.

Maps are both definitive of the actual virtual 'environment' of a game, and also underscore the design methodology when deciding upon these play environments. Built into the game spaces are the elements which the player controlled character must interact - obstacles, chasms, portals, ramps, platforms and so on which, together with 'non player' elements such as pick ups, spells and so on render the environment a site of active engagement and interactivity for the player. Non player characters can also populate the 'play area' and themselves hinder or help the main character/s. 

When studying at Beam, I was struck by the almost architectural/urban planning nature of the tasks performed by the Design department. The skills being called upon to design a videogame 'level' echo those of the architect or urban planner when deciding upon how final users of a building or a city are to move through it - issues of circulation, ease of use, and aesthetic stimulation. In creating the elaborate and complicated worlds of the videogame 'play area' the videogame designer in many cases must call upon knowledge of the real world in deciding the logical placement of elements within the often very limited screen space in order to maximise the experience for the videogame player. 

Each world must be radically different from the others, yet maintain a consistancy of behaviour such that the player does not get confused.