*.hack.yourself
iPhone Game Development

Joash the Geek

Joash the Geek
• 1st computer - Apple IIe

Joash the Geek
• 1st computer - Apple IIe
• Started programming - Sec 2 (Basic)

Joash the Geek
• 1st computer - Apple IIe
• Started programming - Sec 2 (Basic)
• 1st hack - School Computer Lab

Joash the Geek
• 1st computer - Apple IIe
• Started programming - Sec 2 (Basic)
• 1st hack - School Computer Lab
• Preferred language - Pascal

1st Worldwide App
Has not been updated since late 2008

Geekcamp SG Gameplan

Geekcamp SG Gameplan
• assume geeks are smart, resourceful

Geekcamp SG Gameplan
• assume geeks are smart, resourceful
• not be stupid and condense WWDC

Geekcamp SG Gameplan
• assume geeks are smart, resourceful
• not be stupid and condense WWDC
• insights from experience, research

Geekcamp SG Gameplan
• assume geeks are smart, resourceful
• not be stupid and condense WWDC
• insights from experience, research
• minimized uptime, maximized cycles

Beginning From The End
...tried different rendering methologies over a
year before a full circle to the BSP trees used for
DOOM - Michael Abrash, development for
QUAKE
...if they’d known exactly what they were
making before they started, the engine would
have taken less than two months to write -
John Carmack (DOOM) to Abrash

5 Quickstart Qns
• Who wants to make an iPhone game?
• Why do you want to make...?
• What do you want to make...?
• Where do you want to make...?
• When do you want to make...?

Who - Components
Thinkers Engineers
Artists Implementors

Why - Drivers
Experience Passion
Profit Publicity

What - Interfaces
• 19 Game categories in App Store
• 1 Entertainment category

Where - Markets
iDevice Countries
Pricing Demographic

When - Priorities
Full Time Spare Time

Plan & Production
Usefulness in Projects
Plan Long Term
Production Short Term
Tipping Point (game) by GAMBIT Singapore-MIT
Gambit Game Lab

Plan
Plan & Production
Thinkers Engineers
Production
Artists Implementors

Inventory Check
• Raw Materials
• Labour
• Overheads
• Others

Resource Acquisition

Resource Acquisition
• Get (free) advice

Resource Acquisition
• Get (free) advice
• Make a business plan

Resource Acquisition
• Get (free) advice
• Make a business plan
• Join relevant networks

Resource Acquisition
• Get (free) advice
• Make a business plan
• Join relevant networks
• Collaborate, barter

Resource Acquisition
• Get (free) advice
• Make a business plan
• Join relevant networks
• Collaborate, barter
• Spot and pitch to investors

Resource Acquisition
• Get (free) advice
• Make a business plan
• Join relevant networks
• Collaborate, barter
• Spot and pitch to investors
• eg. FutureGames

Concept

Concept
• Investigate prior art

Concept
• Investigate prior art
• Simple does not mean loser

Concept
• Investigate prior art
• Simple does not mean loser
• Improve good examples

Concept
• Investigate prior art
• Simple does not mean loser
• Improve good examples
• Innovation is marketable creativity

Concept
• Investigate prior art
• Simple does not mean loser
• Improve good examples
• Innovation is marketable creativity
• Watch out for feature creep

Concept
• Investigate prior art
• Simple does not mean loser
• Improve good examples
• Innovation is marketable creativity
• Watch out for feature creep
• Be a gamer!

Design

Design
• Clear communication is important

Design
• Clear communication is important
• Inventory of assets required

Design
• Clear communication is important
• Inventory of assets required
• Be open to creative input

Design
• Clear communication is important
• Inventory of assets required
• Be open to creative input
• Feedback for interaction

Design
• Clear communication is important
• Inventory of assets required
• Be open to creative input
• Feedback for interaction
• Do not forget audio!

Features

Features
• Keep updated with *wares

Features
• Keep updated with *wares
• Engineer solutions for weaknesses

Features
• Keep updated with *wares
• Engineer solutions for weaknesses
• Feed thinkers early

Features
• Keep updated with *wares
• Engineer solutions for weaknesses
• Feed thinkers early
• Watch out for feature creep

Features
• Keep updated with *wares
• Engineer solutions for weaknesses
• Feed thinkers early
• Watch out for feature creep
• Digest feedback and iterate

Features
• Keep updated with *wares
• Engineer solutions for weaknesses
• Feed thinkers early
• Watch out for feature creep
• Digest feedback and iterate
• That’s not a bug, it’s a feature

Implementors

Implementors
• Mine the wealth online

Implementors
• Mine the wealth online
• Mine the wealth offline
• Cocoaheads SG

Implementors
• Mine the wealth online
• Mine the wealth offline
• Cocoaheads SG
• Comments extremely welcomed

Implementors
• Mine the wealth online
• Mine the wealth offline
• Cocoaheads SG
• Comments extremely welcomed
• (Possibly) Embrace technical debt

Apple Approval

Apple Approval
• over 40 full-time app reviewers
• at least 2 for each app
• senior review board meets weekly
• 95% of apps approved in 14 days
• 8,500 new & updated apps a week
• roughly 20% gets rejected

The App Store

The App Store
• Nightmare or dream come true?

The App Store
• Nightmare or dream come true?
• Distribution channel

The App Store
• Nightmare or dream come true?
• Distribution channel
• Games - 12,265

The App Store
• Nightmare or dream come true?
• Distribution channel
• Games - 12,265
• Entertainment - 9,517

The App Store
• Nightmare or dream come true?
• Distribution channel
• Games - 12,265
• Entertainment - 9,517
• Top 2 categories (31.58%)

Necessary Marketing

Necessary Marketing
• Press release

Necessary Marketing
• Press release
• Reviews, reviews, reviews

Necessary Marketing
• Press release
• Reviews, reviews, reviews
• YouTube & social media

Necessary Marketing
• Press release
• Reviews, reviews, reviews
• YouTube & social media
• Money talks - USD$1875 a day

Necessary Marketing
• Press release
• Reviews, reviews, reviews
• YouTube & social media
• Money talks - USD$1875 a day
• Strategic partners - eg. SingTel

Market Intelligence
Scoreless Music Suite

while (learning) do

while (learning) do
• Apple WWDC

while (learning) do
• Apple WWDC
• Cocoaheads SG

while (learning) do
• Apple WWDC
• Cocoaheads SG
• developer.apple.com/iphone

while (learning) do
• Apple WWDC
• Cocoaheads SG
• developer.apple.com/iphone
• www.iphonedevsdk.com

while (learning) do
• Apple WWDC
• Cocoaheads SG
• developer.apple.com/iphone
• www.iphonedevsdk.com
• Google, Bing, Yahoo...

while (developing) do

while (developing) do
• www.gamedev.net

while (developing) do
• www.gamedev.net
• design document, game bible

while (developing) do
• www.gamedev.net
• design document, game bible
• Prototype on paper

while (developing) do
• www.gamedev.net
• design document, game bible
• Prototype on paper
• business plan

while (developing) do
• www.gamedev.net
• design document, game bible
• Prototype on paper
• business plan
• gather resources (IDGT, SAE, etc)

while (developing) do
• www.gamedev.net
• design document, game bible
• Prototype on paper
• business plan
• gather resources (IDGT, SAE, etc)
• RSS Feeds of relevant sites

while (developing) do
• www.gamedev.net
• design document, game bible
• Prototype on paper
• business plan
• gather resources (IDGT, SAE, etc)
• RSS Feeds of relevant sites
• Google, Bing, Yahoo...

while (marketing) do

while (marketing) do
• Pre-release announcements

while (marketing) do
• Pre-release announcements
• Proper writing (press, metadata)

while (marketing) do
• Pre-release announcements
• Proper writing (press, metadata)
• Polish your eyecatches (icons, splash)

while (marketing) do
• Pre-release announcements
• Proper writing (press, metadata)
• Polish your eyecatches (icons, splash)
• Passion for your U.S.P.

while (marketing) do
• Pre-release announcements
• Proper writing (press, metadata)
• Polish your eyecatches (icons, splash)
• Passion for your U.S.P.
• Carefully planned release (lite, offers)

while (marketing) do
• Pre-release announcements
• Proper writing (press, metadata)
• Polish your eyecatches (icons, splash)
• Passion for your U.S.P.
• Carefully planned release (lite, offers)
• Leverage channel partners

Begin... End.
joash@scorelessmusic.com

One More Thing...
Chordica
• 2 man team
• 16 weekends
• $0 budget
• learnt from scratch

One More Thing...
Chordica
• SGD$2000+
• Loved by an iTunes
featured artist
• IE Singapore to WWDC
• YouTube views - 16,400+
• v2 being patented