Android Game Untitled Week Two

Posted on January 16, 2011 by matrix

Well, another week passed, how fast the time is. The LibGdx engine has another awesome feature I forgot on last post, and this is most important feature besides the speed. LibGdx allows you programs on desktop and debug it, and later run it on Android only need change several lines of code. That’s really speed up my development.

This week I add sprite animation function which LibGdx not support it. And some physic manager class to associate Box2D body with my sprite, and because Box2D not support radial gravity so I made my own with apply force to body.

Beside the programming stuff, Karen is watching the Painter tutorial video, beginning pain with her. I made a draft of the game play and some basic idea of the background music. A lot of stuff need to do, fortunately I enjoy it.

Android Game Untitled Week One

Posted on January 10, 2011 by matrix

As my plan for my first Android game is first three month in 2011, the past week surely be my first week on it. I’ll write weekly report of the development.

For the game engine, I have three candidate Rokon, Andengine and LibGdx. Rokon is suck of course, I even can’t run the example Hello World. That’s not my fault, at first I thought I messed it up and after check the Google I found a lot of guys confront the same problem, so Rokon is out. and I glad to see this project is canceled, that’s good for the world. Am I so mean?:-)

I developed with Andengine three weeks for a prototype, and I have to say it’s a good game engine. The reason why I transfer from it to LibGdx only because the later one is better for me. The guys in Badlogic Games is so hard working, I like the updating speed of their blog and the code trunk and I got a lot of useful knowledge from them. The running speed on device is another reason I choose LibGdx. Actually the profiling post let me know this awesome engine, and my own profiling test finally let me make the decision.

In the past week, I wrote a XML parser with SAX and implemented some visual related class based on Stage and Actor. Right now, I can load a XML file and create the game scene. Not too much work I have done in this week, I should hard working.

The logo of our studio is done, but I think it need polish. I will show it at the right time.

Be Indie Be Free

Posted on December 15, 2010 by matrix

Long time I pursuit my game developing dream. By lacking of ability and courage the path is not very easy to trek. Finally I collect my brave and quit job to be a full time indie game developer. Whether I have the ability time will prove it. My family and friends support my decision, that’s the best gift I get from them.

The first project in my indie career is a game on Android. Why Android not IPhone? First, there are huge need for games on Android, the Gingerbread just release some good features for game developer. Compare the red sea on IPhone, the color of Android sea is much more blue. The cost on Android development is much cheaper is also the factor made me choose it. And I have some Android developing experience in former company, it made me saw the big future of mobile OS especially the Android platform.

The new road is under my feet.

Game Evolution

Posted on May 16, 2010 by matrix

Not only living things can evolution, something we created like video game, also have the ability. From Pong to Wii Sport, the Game changed a lot. How about made the decades evolution history into one game? That’s should be fun in my mind. In this game, the game itself is the lead. Player got enough point and choose the evolution direction, and get a new game genre. Player save the game genre and can play it later.

Above is my conception of my new game for the Intel Level Up 2010. It’s just a draft, and I’ll refine it and made a playable one.

My entry is here.

Sad Story about Dingoo Games

Posted on February 23, 2010 by matrix

I have heard a story about Dingoo Games, a mobile game company in Chengdu. I can’t verify the authenticity of the email in the story, and it can describe some kind of real situation of game industry in China. So I public here.

Dingoo Game is a small mobile game company in the city I live in. It’s small, but not weak. They have won many prize international and national like nominated for the IGF Mobile 2008 of the “Technical Achievement” category. I found an essay says that when IMGA invite they to attend MWC2008, by lack of money, they refused the opportunity. Below is the email they replied to the IMGA.

Hello Jessica,

We are DingooGames.
I did read your mail, very carefully, and my reply was absolutely serious.

I noticed the price you mentioned, of course, it’s 6.300 EUR, am I right?

I totally believe that it’s a very low price seems to you, and I know that MWC2008 is a very important congress, and if we attend it, we are very probable to find good opportunities. And after all, we are invited as an IMGA nominee.

Yes I know everything listed above, so I can feel your surprise!

But I must say: We really have not enought money to attend, please, please listen to my explanation:

We are a small company. We have only 11 employees, including me.
The average salary of us is 200 EUR, per month. I’m not joking…

So, 6.300 EUR is really too high – for us, not to say the tickets and other expenses…

We know the congress is very important to us, we want to attend it badly, but, we really can’t.

If possible, we need your help. We make good games, but we don’t even have the money to attend a conference.

And I think that’s why we are join the IMGAwards.

If possible, we need your help.

Looking forward to hearing from you soon,

Best regards,

DingooGames
Tang

Maybe it’s just a selling strategy to let more Chinese user buy their product because I don’t find the original post. However, it indeed described the embarrassing situation in Chinese game industry. Chinese can get pirated game easily, game company can’t get enough money to develop. Compared with other fallen company, Dingoo is lucky enough. How long can their luck last if things like the mail said, god knows.

Best Time for Indie Game?

Posted on November 13, 2009 by matrix

FREE? FREE. FREE!

What’s the fashion in game industry right now? Yes, free things for indie gamers.

Few days ago, I heared the Unity 2.6 is totally free for personal and commercial use (the pro version still need some charge) . It’s really good news for pool developers, like me. Oh, wait, good things come in pairs. Epic game announced the free Unreal Development Kit.

In my opinion, I will choose UDK, I can find tons of books tutorial and a big community about it. Beside above, the UDK skill is more helpful for finding a job.

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