THIS IS THE RESULT OF POOR TIME MANAGEMENT!

Ok. Its catch up time. The first image is my initial character drawings. They're not much but they helped base my idea. I quickly decided rollerskates on an alligator look rediculous so instead he has wheels that strap to his feet. I also experimented with a human vs reptile ankle structure as you can see in the pictures. Decided human style works better considering how the character will move.

First bit of computer work for my character. Have not had a whole lot of experience with this type of work therefore spent reasonable amount of time studying tutorials of things such as pen tool in photoshop. Eventually come up with something I like.

 First coloured image for my character. He was meant to be skinny but I got carried away and now he's packing heat. The rendering process leaves a lot to be desired. Again this is an area of little experience for me and have therefore identified it as a weakness I will be looking to work on at the end of this project.

Used earlier line art form earlier to create logo. This will be used as part of the style for my design document. Considering my lack of experience in creating digital art I am reasonably happy with the qaulity of this image and I think it accurately reflect the style of my game.

Created this image for the purpose of displaying the game controls in my design document. Kept as simplistic as possible so as to the get the point of the controls across easily.

These items will all be contributing in some way toward the creation of my design document. My next step now is to begin working on the document. Within this it will be important to cover factors such as: Existing popular apps, what makes a successful app, basis for design, initial ideas, character concept, game conotrols, game mechanics, online interaction, inspirational sources, and of course to reference any material taken from other sources.



Initial Ideas

      I have here some quick sketches of the other two main concepts I had in mind but decided to discard. Above is a first person style boxing game. I thought it would be interesting to incorperate different movement on the touch screen, and translate them into different punches- jab, hook, uppercut etc. Another control aspect of the game that really appealed to me was to tilt the phone in order to give your character and bob/weave motion- as far as I can tell, this idea has remained relatively untouched for this typ of game. Inspired by the use of the xbox live camera in "Fight Night Round 3" I also though it would be a good idea if you could take a photo of your self/friend/enemy which could then be transferred onto your opponent. What put me off this idea was research into current Iphone/Ipad games where certain features I had planned to include: First person boxer perspective, customisable boxer/equipment, comical artsyle/gameplay. Therefore whilst I felt this concept had some promise, I decided to go in another direction. 

Example of how facial recognition is included in Fight Night.

My other discarded idea  ("MadGod!!") put the player into a omnipotent perspective and was intended purely as a mindless frustration buster. You basically have dominion over the civilisations of the world, and can command them/punish them accordingly with unlockable, (possibly purchasable?), powers. What i loved about this idea was how you could use features of the iphone/ipad eg. tilting, to create natural disasters. My main two issues were that, first of all, without any particular purpose or goal to the game, just how long it could remain interesting for. The second issue was that with the inclusion of natural disasters, and using them to conduct mass genocide, the game could potentially offend/upset...and "MadGod forbid that should happen.

What I want from my app.

     The way I see it when people want to sit down an dedicate time to a game, they will choose to do it on any one of the major consoles eg. xbox, ps3, wii. Many of the applications that seem to do well, "Angry Birds" for example, seem to excel because they have grasped the fact that people playing these games are looking for a distraction, a way to kill time, or a solution to boredom. I'd like to take this one further within my game. If people are playing these games to combat time and boredom, it is highly likely that they have been kept waiting, delayed etc. and this could be a daily event for them. With this in mind I intend to make sure that not only is my game entertaining to play, but also carries enough grit that it could serve as a stress relief or frustration buster. By appealing to my potential audience in this way, I feel that it could really go towards giving my game the edge it would need to become successful.

I am wiser now than I once was.

     As promised I have spent some time researching the hardware features of an iphone/ipad that could be utilised withing my game. I will take the time now to list these features and what I now know about them:
        CAPACITATIVE TOUCHSCREEN: An electrical conducter eg. human body disrupts the electrostatic field of the screen when in contact. Technology within the phone/pad can then pinpoint the location of this contact upon the screen. Both these Apple products have the ability to use "multi touch sensing" as well, meaning this technology does not have to be limited to one finger. A negative factor worth considering, would be that unlike a "resistive touchscreen", should the skin be obstructed by a material that is insulative to electricity eg. woolen gloves, the touchscreen will be unlikely to work. This can make its use problematic particularly in colder weather.
       ACCELEROMETER: The "accelerometer" has three axis and can sense the direction that the phone/pad is being held.This provides the oppurtunity for any game/app to have the additional ability to assign some of its controls to the way the phone is being held or tilted. Not only is this a more refreshing/original form of control- as opposed to using nothing but buttons, but it can also make the entire gaming experience that much more interactive and immersive. Particularly when it reflects the movement that occurs within the gameplay.    

           GYROSCOPE: Both the Iphone and the Ipad, at the very least on their most recent models utilize a "gyroscope". This basically bulids and enhances upon the role of the accelerometer, and makes the phone/tablets ability to assess subtle movement a lot more accurate. Whilst researching I came across this site featuring an explenatory video that effectively demonstrates the difference this hardware can make. http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/iphone_4_gyroscope_brings_silky_smooth_augmented_r.php
       CAMERA: Both potential platforms for my game/app feature a front and rear camera. While at first this may not appear directly related to gaming, it is worth considering the value this could bring if incorperated into an app, and also how this could help me to create an original idea.

The start of something new.

     As part of our new project we are required to design a potential iphone/ipad app. The first step for me is to do some major research on existing games, to establish, not only what ideas have been covered already, but also what goes towards creating a successful app- and equally what makes an app fail, how would I avoid this in my own work. Another important task is to study the technology available, and how this relates to what features I can include in my game. I will return when this research is completed- with lots of ideas I promise!