More Peace Through Simulated Violence

     I don't know about you, but I'd like to see a world where people are killing each other only in games instead of real life. Humanity just has this bloodlust that's lasted throughout history. Maybe through sports and simulated violence we could eliminate the need for war and urges to murder. Psychos can get their fix in virtual worlds and maybe governments can settle things with high stakes games or sports instead of murdering each other's citizens and getting the strongest ones to fight with the biggest weapons.

    I guess it really falls down to me personally. I don't like to control how other people act and just focus on myself. I think it's really sad how we will never reach a point where reason and open-mindedness are all we need to solve our problems. I dunno, just a crazy thought I had today...

The Power of Recommendation

     Having the kind of game that draws crowds is a dream for game designers. If people gather around your game and get excited to ply it, you obviously made something special. No matter how many advertisements and banners you post, the biggest thing to help grow your game into viral popularity is to make a game people want to talk about.

     Make a game that makes a passerby want to stop and look at over another person's shoulder. If the player is expressing excitement,  it'll make nearby people curious as to what the fuss is about. Give the player something to laugh about and want to tell to their friends later. you could even try to tickle a niche's funny bone and get them to spread it on forums.

     The big picture here is to not forget that the players are the most important part of your game. Players are not just numbers and sales figures that stop mattering after you've taken all the money you can from them. They keep the game alive and running for as long as they choose to.

     So give them a reason to choose to.

Fit It All In

    Getting everything your GUI needs can be pretty tricky. It's important to draw it all out first and plan through your game flow completely, or else you'll end up squeezing in buttons at the last minute and may even have to recreate the whole thing. You have to decide what is important to have on screen at any given time. Some things wil end up being harder to get to so priorities have to be considered. Just think through these things ahead of time and you'll save headaches and time in the end.

Status Report #6

   I started Candy Catch Shop last Sunday and have made tons of sprites and a design document so far. Midterms are coming up and interfering with my development time but I should still get things done on time for release.