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• The Goal:
  To explore principles of interactivity by building a fun, fully functional game in 12 days. Stick it to ‘the man’ by creating something great in a short amount of time, without bloated visuals or features.
• The Idea:
  A physics-based game utilizing gravity in an original way.
• The Team:
  Two artists, one coder. Always pushing ourselves to do more, with better results, in less time.

• Rapid Prototyping
  Developing the game based on constant internal play testing allowed us to solve problems as soon as they arose. Inviting external testers in as soon as we had something to play allowed us to keep an objective perspective on the experience we were creating, making sure it was actually fun and not just our egos telling us so.
• Unity
  The little engine that could is getting bigger every day, and is changing the indie gaming and visualization marketplace as we speak. The project couldn’t have happened without it.
• Unique Retro Look + Feel
  Fouad and Josh had the look and feel of the game pinned down in the first two days of development. Initially, colours were used to help the player orient himself in a constantly rotating world, and aid with navigation. This later turned into its own unique visual aesthetic.
• Sonic Tribute to the Commodore 64
  Classic sound effects support the retro aesthetic while also paying tribute to all the brilliant games that have long since been forgotten. Being an avid Commodore enthusiast, Fouad culled all the sound effects and music for QBCUBE from old C64 favorites. UPDATE: We replaced the C64 music with some royalty-free music composed by Kevin Macleod.
• Capitalizing on Strengths
  Paradoxically, working within limitations can be very liberating. By being familiar with the technology we’re using, we were able to capitalize on strengths and avoid weaknesses. A few examples include:
  – The orthographic design. Sometimes, simple is just better. Flattening perspective/removing depth-cues helped us devise and implement new kinds of challenges.
  – Efficient / smart use of shaders and built-in unity effects.
  – Keeping modeling and animation requirements to a minimum. Creating elaborate art assets requires copious amounts of time, numerous revisions and a boatload of finesse – luxuries we could not afford.
  
• Trimming the Fat
  Locking down the key mechanics and features early in the development process allowed more time for Q/A and polish, which was absolutely crucial. We reserved a full quarter of our development time for polish and fine-tuning. As well, it allowed us to more fully explore the key mechanics in a thorough and satisfying manner without being distracted by fluff.
• Building a Sandbox
  Again, keeping things focused and lean allowed for more experimentation and honing. Being able to play with the ‘building blocks’ of the game from very early on meant we could quickly begin brainstorming level and puzzle ideas.

• Scope
  The importance of maintaining focus can’t be overemphasized. On a production timeline as contracted as the one we were operating on, focus was paramount. There wasn’t time to waste fleshing out ideas that would not ultimately make it into the game. We know, we know – it would be awesome to have switches, teleporters, trap doors, rockets and even flying monkeys throwing explosive shit-kebabs. Maybe next time…
• Physics vs. Control
  Although the original concept of the game was based on using real (simulated) physics (supported natively in the engine), we quickly realized real physics was too unpredictable for the experience we were trying to create. We ended up canning real physics in favor of designing a more controlled, predictable experience for the user.
• Level Design
  Interesting camera schemes make for even more interesting level design challenges. Much thought had to be given to clearly thought-out and structured levels to allow for adequate visibility. The key challenge in the level design was keeping a close eye on the difficulty curve while making sure we thoroughly explored the mechanics as the levels progressed. Carefully introducing new elements to the mix ensured players who persevered would stay engaged and experience the satisfaction of solving some of the harder puzzles.
• Easy to Pick Up, Hard to Put Down?
  Being so familiar with the puzzles and mechanics of the game, we ran the risk of quickly losing touch with how unfamiliar the controls/concept could seem to new players. Frequent player testing was invaluable in enabling us to attenuate the difficulty levels.
• Making Complex Controls Accessible
  We knew that the game would be unplayable if the fundamental ‘toggle time/gravity’ system was too cumbersome or overly complicated. Using the space-bar in conjunction with the WASD keys worked as a comfortable solution, although some players were not attuned to using the WASD control system popular with players of FPS-type games. So, later on we decided to enable arrow keys as well. Allowing the player to manipulate the world in six different rotational directions can make things quite disorienting – making the implementation of this adequately intuitive was probably the greatest challenge we faced on the project.

• What would we do differently?
  Probably, not enough time was devoted to gently introducing players into the world of QBCUBE. Creating a tutorial level or help screens would have helped in this aspect. Otherwise, the project has exceeded our expectations and we can comfortably say we surpassed the goal we set for ourselves.
• Words of Wisdom
  Just do it. Build the first iteration quickly, and play with it. Small, confident steps. Reiterate. Repeat. Real-world simulation is exciting, but is it necessary to build a fun game? The popular emphasis on photo-realism, at least from a game design perspective, is fundamentally misplaced.
• What Next
  Porting to iOS (iPhone OS). This is something we’re considering based on the positive feedback we’ve received so far. The much ballyhooed accelerometer functionality of the iPhone has been brought up repeatedly as a potential means to control the rotation of the world. At the risk of speaking too soon, our feeling is that this could easily become too gimmicky and inaccurate a control system for a game that often requires carefully considered decision making. Honing the touch-controls would need a significant amount of development time as well. Nevertheless, the notion of publishing QBCUBE to the iPhone is an exciting prospect and we’re weighing our options.
• How Do You Market Your Game?
  This last question in particular poses a host of challenges all its own. For one thing, original sounds and music would have to be created, which could be more difficult than is immediately apparent. But that’s just the beginning. So far, we’ve carried out a cursory bit of research into game portals and other indie game forums, and although the iPhone App Store may be one answer, it’s become painfully clear that opportunities for financially profiting from QBCUBE are a bit thin on the ground. Still, the exercise was an educational one for us, and by writing this post-mortem, we hope that we can inspire other aspiring developers to venture into new and exciting game territory.

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• Target Market Research
• Strategic Growth Development
• Financing the Business
• Financial Forecasting and Cash Flow
• Product Development Strategies
• Business to Business Marketing Strategies
• Intellectual Property
• Presentation Skills and Sales Techniques


Scott Armstrong, Director of the Peter Thomson Centre for Venture Development at BCIT School of Business, organized the course – assembling the instructors, recruiting the students and having the course filled up and ready to go in a very limited amount of time.

Mark Betteridge, Executive Director and CEO of the Discovery Foundation, funded the course. The mission of the Discovery Foundation aims at “Facilitating Success in the Technology Industry”. They do this by renting out incubation spaces for tech companies and encouraging the creation of business relationships between them. Including a large fitness facility, full scale cafeteria and a proximity to the downtown area, it’s a very tempting place for any new tech company to be.



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]]> http://www.catstatic.com/2010/06/discovery-foundation-technology-growth-strategies/feed/ 0 http://www.catstatic.com/2010/06/rru-visit/ http://www.catstatic.com/2010/06/rru-visit/#comments Fri, 04 Jun 2010 18:34:46 +0000 http://www.catstatic.com/% I must say, I really am surprised how the province of British Columbia is able to offer up amazing experiences in the most surprising and unexpected places. One such occasion took place on May 19th, when Josh, Fouad and I travelled to Vancouver Island to present our work to the faculty and staff of Royal Roads University

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I must say, I really am surprised how the province of British Columbia is able to offer up amazing experiences in the most surprising and unexpected places. One such occasion took place on May 19th, when Josh, Fouad and I travelled to Vancouver Island to present our work to the faculty and staff of Royal Roads University (RRU).
We had been working on the “Bateman Centre Interactive Visualization Project” since January: A project that is both a promotional piece for RRU’s fund raising campaign for the Bateman Centre, and also our final project as students of the MDM program. Since planning for this project began in November 2009, the three of us knew we wanted to start a business and that this project was going to give us an amazing portfolio piece to help us on our way. Of course, it would also provide RRU with a one-of-a-kind promotional piece for their project. As the rest of this story will attest, the project has indeed turned out to be a win-win for all involved.
Our day started at 4:30 in the morning when I reluctantly crawled out of bed. As difficult as it is waking up at such an ungodly hour, I knew it was going to be an interesting day. It would be our second visit to the RRU campus, and our first trip was memorable, to say the least. It was a day-long adventure of the stuff legends are made of: ferry rides through hazy, storming seas at twilight; grand mountains; century-old castles tucked away in the forest; and of course, elaborate gardens populated by strange beasts from far away lands.
Of course, all legends are subject to some degree of creative enhancement…but with a location as truly unique and interesting as RRU, it’s easy to let one’s fancy get a little carried away. But that being said, this description is not far from reality. I would never have expected to find a place like RRU so close to a city – so isolated and peaceful – completely open to the public at no charge (other than parking, of course). If you ever find yourself on Vancouver Island, it’s a must-see destination.
Arriving an hour early, and having lots of time set aside for setting up for the presentation, we found ourselves with lots of time to explore the castle which is, at least in my opinion, the crowning glory of the campus. That is – it was – until I saw more of the campus.
The presentation itself began at 1:00, and we were the guests of honor for the Royal Roads Open House Event attended by 100 of the University’s faculty, staff and other guests who were gathered for an update on the developments for the Bateman Centre Foundation’s fund-raising efforts. We’d worked hard over the last four months to create a product that we knew we could be proud of, but we weren’t prepared for the overwhelming praise that the project fostered from all corners. Even before we presented, we were invited to the office of Allan Cahoon, President of Royal Roads University. He thanked us for providing RRU with this gift, and wished us luck in our future careers with CatStatic Interactive.
Everyone who came to speak with us afterward commented on the effectiveness of the experience we had carefully crafted for this project as a presentation piece and fund raising tool – how it offered so much more information than just simple text or video, but yet was truly fun and easy to use. It was an enormously successful presentation and we came away from the experience inspired with not a little zeal for continuing to push the envelope of what virtual experiences can be.
After all the other guests had gone their separate ways, we were left with a buffet table of goodies we weren’t about to let go to waste. We were in the midst of relieving the cleanup crew of some of their duties when one of the staff of the University came by to chat, and gave us an interesting perspective on the castle. As with any turn-of-the-century castle worth its salt, Hatley Castle is not without its fair share of ghosts. Leading us into the kitchens, our impromptu tour guide pointed to a far corner near the roof where it’s said that one night while working alone late into the night, a ghostly portrait was seen by a woman after her being affected by a sudden chill. This is but one of the many ghost stories that go along with the rest of the castle’s rich, interesting history and unique ambiance.
Spectral aspects of the castle aside, I knew RRU was an impressive site from our first trip in November. It was in the time following our presentation when we had more time to explore the grounds on a beautiful, sunny day in May, though, that we really discovered how amazing this place is.  Not content with a simple Baroque Castle for a home, the original builder also outfitted his estate with elaborate Italian and Japanese gardens as well. And these are not just quaint little gardens. The Japanese gardens especially, are really quite amazing. We were lucky enough to have an entire afternoon to bask in the sun on the extensive lawns, explore the gardens and some of the walking trails close by. Even then, though, we experienced only a small piece of what this place has to offer. We’re very much looking forward to our next visit, when we’ll have the honor of presenting our work during Robert Bateman’s 80th birthday bash.
Working with RRU has been a great experience so far, and we’re looking forward to working more with RRU’s creative director, Gary McCartie. Phase II of the Bateman Centre project is in the works, which will feature much more content as the entire experience is developed into a more complete picture of the campus as a whole. Stay tuned for updates!

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