Communication:

Gmail

We used Gmail for all our email correspondance.
This was most useful because it keeps emails grouped in conversations, so you can keep track of your decisions about various aspects of the game development.
Also of equal importance Gmail comes with Google Docs.
As well as providing “Word” and “Excel” type documents which you can access from anywhere it enables you to share any documents with anyone. So this enables us to keep an up-to-date record of thoughts, to-do lists and contacts.

Dropbox

The other important utility to making a mobile game when you’re on different sides of the planet is the transfer of files. Unfortunately Google isn’t quite up to speed with this as yet so we depended heavily on Dropbox. I can’t praise this service highly enough. It was absolutely crucial in being able to share files to get the game going. There are so many positives to this service, so I’ll try to explain a few:

When you install Dropbox on your machine it creates a folder on your desktop. So when you copy files to that folder it automatically syncs to the web account (with internet connection) AND anyone else’s machine with the folder you are sharing! This way you can very easily see any file updates without having to access a browser. There is a browser interface if you need to access your files when you’re not at home.

Other pluses are that like Gmail the service is free and you can receive additional storage by inviting others to Dropbox. Also there are lots of different apps available which allow sync with Drop box. And there’s even a iOS App where you can log on and view files, right on your mobile device.

iiNet (VoiP)

Obviously everyone needs a great internet connection. With one of us being in Australia we used iiNet which, along with providing excellent data plans, service and naked ADSL also offers Bob.

Bob is VoiP. Voice over internet Protocol, with handset. We were able to make hour long phone calls to the UK for just a couple of dollars. Without using VoiP, we would have been charged a fortune in mobile or landline phones at international rates.

Graphics

Adobe Creative Suite

Surely no visually creative professional or serious hobbyist would be without the Adobe Creative Suite? Sure there are quite a few free alternatives out there, some of which we used (examples will be given in a later post).

Photoshop: Can be used for sketching concepts, colouring drafts and creating final artwork.
Illustrator: For creating vector artwork which is scalable without losing quality. This is particularly useful for when you need to have various different resolutions of the same images.
Flash: We used Flash to create the animations of the characters and also in the early stages of development for testing prototypes of the game. Using actionscript we were also able to make a level engine where we could place various game elements then test the level’s effectiveness.
InDesign: It can be helpful to create an appealing document for your Press Release and InDesign can help you do just that.

Coding

Corona SDK

Corona SDK is a Software Development Kit, by Anscamobile.com. The SDK runs with a program language called Lua. Lua is similar to Action Script and Java Script so if you have a little knowledge of these languages and a little patience you should be able to pick it up quite easily. Since there are so many platforms and codes out there it is difficult to work out which one to use. We decided to invest in Corona because it promises to port your game to the major devices. You input your game code in Lua and test it using their proprietary software and export it to iOS, Android, Kindle and Nook.

We were very excited for Fainting Goats to be chosen as the first App of the Week for 2012.

Which programs and utilities have you used in creating your mobile game?
Let us know.

Here is our review, which you can also find on Amazon.com

This book came to my attention when I was looking at Behance.net. It is written by Scott Belsky one of the founders of the Behance network and website. Since it was aimed at the creative professional it immediately piqued my interest. I’ve still have ideas that I thought about years ago, which are sitting unrealized. I come up with more ideas than I have the time to execute. In my personal life I’m always putting things off.
I actually bought the book intending to give it to a friend who is worse than me at executing ideas. A few months later the book was still on my desk, gathering dust and I thought, I wonder if the theories in this book can be applied to making something happen, never mind ideas. Maybe if I read it myself I can start to organise my life a little better. It’s not that I’m particularly disorganised but I feel like I could do with a little more control over my creativity.

The book is not a step by step program into how to go about generating ideas and then bringing them to fruition, but is rather a guide book made up of anecdotes and advice from various successful creatives across various industries. It is written progressively so that you can grasp the importance of organisation, community and leadership. It is written well and is very easy to read. The plus side and down side is that it’s written for a creative individual of any level, from freelancer to business manager. This is great because you get the advice to help you move from one position to the other and caters for both professionals, however it means there is quite a bit of information about running a team that you have to read even if you don’t want or need to run a team. Saying that it is surprising how much relevant advice there is that applies to everyone even in the leadership section.

The only disappointment if you can even call it that is that the focus on the book is on creative business. If you’re a professional creative then you will benefit from this book. There’s not really any room here for the hobbyist. It feels like it is more about getting your business or business idea working for you than you working for you. I’m a creative professional with creative ideas outside my work sector and I have learned a lot from this book. I am taking my time to read it, to try to absorb what I can, to learn the lessons and apply them to my life. In the two months since I picked up this book I feel like I have finally started to get myself in order. The problem now is to stop doing the ordering long enough to make my ideas happen. It’s a fine balance that you have to work out for yourself.

The main thing I have learned from this book, as a creative individual, is not to give yourself such a hard time about not executing ideas. If you are organised enough, then you can prioritise and the projects that are worthy will happen. You will have an enormous sense of achievement from finishing one project, which you can use as enthusiasm to get your next project off the ground.

I highly recommend this book for any creative person who wants to break the endless cycle of idea generation without completion. Or even if you want to be more organised.

http://www.behance.net/gallery/Fainting-Goats-Game/2839245

Fainting Goats game icon

BUY IT NOW

http://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/fainting-goats/id489488577?mt=8

We’re hoping that they’ll get it approved before Xmas.

Fingers crossed!