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Russell Clarke -iPhone Post-mortem
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This Presentation
Some background
Challenges
Development
Some lessons
Did we succeed?
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Ideaworks Game Studio
Ideaworks3D founded 1998
Cross-platform mobile games technology
Ideaworks Game Studio set up 2004
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Ideaworks Game Studio
Started developing for iPhone in 2008
5 App Store releases in 2009
IGS build games on Airplay SDK (from Ideaworks Labs)
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Our Partners
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CoD: WaW: Zombies
Not in original spec
“lunchtime” project
Frantic, arcade fun
An instant hit
Extended in DLC
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Zombies on iPhone
First talks March 2009
App Store <1 year old
A new market
Light, casual games
Where does CoD fit?
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Challenges
Platform Market Design
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The Platform
iPhone is:
iPhone is not:
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The Market
Who are we selling to?
Look at what’s popular:
COD: Z not a casual game
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Design Goals
High-value, non-casual
What makes you re-launch the game?
Define the Zombies experience
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The Prototype
Focus on key areas
Benchmark numbers:
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Development
Controls Authenticity Multiplayer
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Controls
FPS Controls:
Console controller:
iPhone:
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Controls
Automated movement?
Retains strategy
A very different game
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Controls
Compromise
Choice
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Controls
No-one likes compromise!
Accelerometer: a better solution?
Steering motion is the only way
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Authenticity
Preserving quality on a smaller device
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Detail
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More Detail
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What you don’t see
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Keep It Simple
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Multiplayer
Co-operation: essential to the game
A big challenge! How high to aim?
Prototype dev could not answer
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Multiplayer
Tiered goals:
Time would tell which tier we could achieve
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Lessons
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Crouching Thumbstick, Hidden Option
Presentation matters!
Default option looked similar to other games
Choice irrelevant if users not aware of it
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Performance
Ideaworks expect to set the bar high
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Performance
Verrückt: a real test
1st gen devices suffered
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Piracy
Received wisdom
But… evidence of conversions
Installing cracked apps is very easy
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Success?
Commercial:
Critical:
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Success?
“The best fun I've had to date on my iPod Touch! ”
“OMG!!!! It's amazing sooooo amazing”
“This is Pretty. Un. Believable.”
“I need to keep a constant power source with me, I play it that much lol”
“It’s like magic in my hand”
“I wish I could get this. I only have 2.97 in my account! ”
“The best handheld game I’ve played. Period.”
“The tilt controls on this game are perfect”
“HOLY **** ON A DRAGON!!!! I want to leave work now!”
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