Final Game, Final Presentation, Final Blog

We have a working version of the game on the Android phone( I am sure a few other teams don't have a PLAYABLE game) (this does not represent the view of the entire team and is solely of the author of this post). In fact our team like it so much that they ran out and buy a Hero and Nexus 1 (THE Google phone) just to play it. Due to time constrain, we cannot add items nor fix the game lags (running the phone camera and our game prove too much for current technology). Other than that, everything is working well. Instant messaging is instant; solo and multi-player gameplay plays well; the monsters and attacks looks good; the GPS and compass are accurate enough, and updated the server and grabbing data from it works.

Our GPS based, augmented reality Android game proved unique and innovative enough such that we received questions regarding our code when it is posted on Google Code.

For the final presentation we prepared videos and slides on a big screen TV, posters, brochures, a multi-story skid and Haunted World buttons. Reaction to the presentation is positive. We attracted a number of bystanders (even non SIAT people) to look and inquire about our game, with our theatrics and big TV.

Since most of us are leaving SFU SIAT, unless we are regrouping to further develop the game, this maybe our final blog post.

Thanks for watching

~bill

Open House

We presented our unfinished version of Haunted World at the SFU Surrey open house on Thursday. Even though we really didn't have much physically to show for the open house our visitors all seemed pretty positive about our concept; or they could be just humoring us. Either way we will take it. The collaborative aspect of the game seems to be the biggest hit with the crowd and it will definitely be our focus as we begin to hit the final stretch of our implementation phase. Just 6 more weeks to go!

Our presentation area is setup at a desk all the way in the corner of the "fishbowl"; our poster was printed with a blue bar on the edge, we didn't get a monitor and we didn't even get enough chairs to sit on, thanks a lot SFU!

Bruce actually brought his monitor for us to use. We had some of our early paper prototype on the table along with Bruce's HTC phone to demo our app and a slideshow that runs on the monitor for people to get an idea of our concept.

Here's Bruce explaining Haunted World to a curious visitor

This is one of our demos from the phone, a UI mockup from Frankie that shows part of battle screen with the animation of the monster superimposed over the camera feed of the physical world, "Augmented Reality" is what they call it.

This is us the team that's gonna bring you guys the first Android app ever in the SIAT capstone course!

- Paul

Layout, poster and login

More stuff we did during the Olympic games

Poster: click here


Layouts: 2 of the 3 we have




Login screen: 1 of the 7 that we have


more coming up
~Bill

Update

So the tech guys are making all the tech working
with things like SVN and smart fox PRO (yes PRO) and wireframe
and lots of other stuff.

The art guys are making a skeletal, spectral K9 complete with neon lights.

and of cus Paul ad Yang made an awesome alternative new logo in addition to our 2 older one.




here are the artwroks







~Bill

Final Report 2009

With merely one week left on our hands, we did more than work than ever. We made a refined version of the 1st paper prototype, with flashy flash intro, deeper gameplay and more involving story (we kin of redo everything) to better emulate the real gaming experience. Many data is collected and the results are good.

Then we wrote the final report, made the final presentation, made yet another flash demo of our game for that final presentation, made a whole bunch of other stuff for the final present. Most of them are NOT presented because of the time. We even tested the images on the android phone and they worked great. BEFORE the presentation, our mentor confrimed that the phone GSP is accurate up to few feet, (again NOT presented because of the time). AFTER the presentation we tested it on our android and it is that accurate, just to make sure.

So everything in the team is turning out well, even if we dont get to show it in the final presentation.

anyways
Merry Christmas and Nu Year

~ bill

teasers

We have a video and we have a poster. Choose your doom.
NO you cant choose the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, but i sure hope you can.



vid

- Bill

User survey

This week, we tested our game with 5 users, in groups of 2 and 3. There are gamers and non gamers. The game mechanics work out fine, but the non gamers have some trouble working as a team. After the game testing, we did surveys and one comment is that the social interaction part needs to be tweaked, since strangers tend to NOT interact with other strangers. The game should have a more passive mode so that users can go on their day, while the game work in the background.

So the gameplay is fine, just need to refine the context of how it is played out.

ps. ALL gamers(including our mentor) universally agree that this is NOTHING like geocaching AT ALL, because geocaching is not a game, and we only borrow elements of geocaching as an inspiration, not as core gameplay nor social interaction (in fact we are now moving away from this type of interaction)



~Bill