Prototyping a Game

I love prototyping a new game. However the prototype is not where the development of the game really started. Heck I don't start coding till I already have a good idea of how all the gameplay and fun will be attained. So the prototyping in reality is the realization of the fun gameplay ideal I have in my head, or on paper. It is more the proof of concept than the idea itself, it is also not a full game.

So once I have the idea of the game in my head I tend to put it down onto paper. This is not always a set regimen either, it varies how much I write on the type of the game and most importantly my familiarity with the genre. Shooters for example I tend to write less, but platform games I will write more.

Once on paper I start deciding how I will code the game if I go ahead. This always leads me to start actually coding the game and therefore the prototype. The prototype can be simple as well, as I only really need to prove to myself that the game is viable. Sometimes the control will simply not come along nicely and I will then abandon the prototype. If as is usual the control scheme feels good, then I get all excited and need to move along as fast as possible.

This is when it is exciting as I code in the details of the game to expand the prototype and start in on making it a complete game.

Laters
Da Voodoochief

Still No Release Control for Xblig

Here i am working on closing out another game. This means that i am close to putting the game through a final (i hope) Playtest review and then onto the Peer review. Once through that it is onto the marketplace. Once again without any idea or control of just when it goes live.

This game is going to be more of an issue than my previous ones. Mainly because i am setting up some competitions to run for T-Shirts and hats. However it is difficult to launch those comps when you don't actually have a good control of when your game will go live. It has been asked for of course and i know Microsoft are looking at it (ok, i don't but i hope they are :). If i could pass Peer Reveiw and then have 14 days or so before it auto releases, that would be awesome. I am sure most of the people that publish on Xblig couldn't care less when their game goes live. Then there will also be the people that feel friday night is the best time to go live (they will be playing with fire for that one though).

My reason for needing control is of course that when my PAID FOR press release goes live and i announce my competitions, it would be nice for people to be able to find the game on the 'only chart that matters' the new releases list. If the game goes live several days before my marketting gets out, then i will already be way down the list thanks to crapps and barelygames. This is not ideal. Not that i need perfect of course.

I just need a bit of help, i put so much time and effort into the marketing and extras and a lot of that effort could be wasted depending on random factors.
Maybe the situation will work out well, and maybe next release will have some kind of control... Time will tell.

Laters