Digital Dave

I’ve decided to release free versions of Project Void and Spin & Shoot which will be ad supported.  I’ll be keeping the pay versions up for those that really don’t like ads flying around their screen.

The free version of Spin & Shoot has already been submitted.

I’ve implemented iAds into Project Void, but it will need some additional iOS 4.0 work.  Once I clean up how it handles being thrown to the background, I will submit it.  It shouldn’t take too long to fix up.  After this version is released I will be replacing the Cocos2D scoring system with the new Game Center (depending on my next project).

I started designing a new project for the iPad. I’m pretty excited about this. While I still don’t have an iPad I am hopeful that I can snag one from a friend when it comes time to doing hardware testing…  Or I may just end up buying a basic one since there are some good stuff being developed for it already.

I recently bought Carcassonne for my iPhone.  The developers have done an excellent job on this.  The user experience is really slick.  $5 is hard to swallow, but it is worth it if you are a big Carcassonne fan.

Project Void picked up another review from the guys at TheAPPera: http://bit.ly/cdUyGW

Conclusion

Project Void is your reverse approach on Tetris. In many ways it is the anti-Tetris and compliments the gameplay of it perfectly. Sometimes a game is just not logical, and this one isn’t, but that doesn’t make it any less awesome. Kudos.

Edit: Finished updating Project Void to handle the multitasking bit.

For a first job out of college I must say I landed on one of the most interesting career paths. The movie industry is a very, very interesting industry in the way software development is produced and controlled. I have to say that I learned a lot. I was fortunate in that I wasn’t stuck on one project, but I moved to several large projects within our department. This company was a start-up controlled by a much larger beast — which one would think would lead to reassurance and comfort. Despite a normal earnings we were ultimately shut down due to a philosophy change. Which is fair – it’s business.

So now I sit in an interesting position. My first year here was largely getting accustomed to how things work; development, the movie industry, terminology, tools, people, systems. Let’s see what I can take away from this experience:

• Worked with our build system based on Buildbot
• Wrote unit tests for one of our major studio tools (python)
• Investigated UI testing packages and getting the studio to adopt Squish (which has been great)
• Investigated a new build system, Hudson, for our unit/ui testing (our buildbot setup was fairly rough, the build engineer and I were the only ones confident enough to touch it)
• Integrated UI tests and unit tests into our build system
• Integrated 2 features into a major studio tool used for viewing movie clips generated by artists
• Fixed several bugs in 4 of our studio tools
• Helped put out a lot of fires

During this time, I had the will to spend time working on independent development in other areas after getting home at 7pm.

• Learned Objective-C, Cocoa, iPhone OS frameworks, SQL Lite
• Developed Spin & Shoot as a first project
• Created a tool in C# to assist in data entry for the Spin & Shoot database
• Developed Project Void
• Developed a website for a local business back home, nothing fancy (html,css): http://www.pmtsap.com
• Wrote a small application for a buddy
• Created a couple of prototypes for future iPhone work

I would say that if it wasn’t for my independent work, I would be pretty screwed since I was learning a lot of a wide array of things.

I’m in the process of figuring out what is next. I can say that I have little desire to ever work in the movie business. It is great for artists, not so much for developers that really want to change the world. I ultimately came here for the experience, not to make a 30 year career out of it.

What’s next?

I’m interested in a few things right now.

Joining a startup is something I am considering. My impact will be much, much greater and I already have the burning desire to start a company on my own whenever the right business idea or partner comes around. So this could be a great learning experience.

iOS development (iPhone/iPod/iPad) is very, very interesting right now. I absolutely love the devices; the style, interaction, functionality, usability.  And programming for these devices can be pretty fun.

Web development (css/js/java/python) is where the world is. We all revolve around the internet. I have extremely limited experience here, but I am very interested in learning more. Thus far I’ve only really experimented with ExtJS.

Tool development (c#/.net) is fun as well. C# is one of the obvious languages I jump to when I need a tool developed to supplement another technical need. I could see doing this full time and having a blast with it, but my experience is limited.

I’m going to get on the trail and begin searching hardcore.  So if you’re hiring, feel free to get in touch.

Resume: http://folio.david-mcgraw.com/dlm_resume.pdf

Networking Tip #1

Rub elbows with every single individual around you, even if you think you’re “safe,” because you’re not.

Presumably you are already working with an outstanding company that is fully funded with a solid foundation being built for future growth.  You are high on life and are sailing with the high winds toward a glorious world of gold and product.  You are enjoying your job… until it is taken away.

Let me guess… You were:

Too  busy working away at your current job.

Too introverted to go buzz around events.

Too lazy to care about something like relationships.

It takes time to build relationships and you should be doing that every chance you get regardless of the excuses that surround you. Life is difficult and it isn’t going to get easier.  Your job is not a right, it’s a privilege. Take care of yourself to avoid that one day where it’s pulled from you and you are standing naked and alone.

Networking Tip #2

Put on your game face because people are people and you are what matters.

You need to take care of yourself.  This is a tough world to live in if you have any hopes in moving around.

Stand up for what you have done and wear it as a merit badge.  You earned it through time and devotion.  Don’t focus on WHO are you are talking to, but rather focus on WHAT you are talking about and your conversation will feel much more worthwhile.  Let the WHO come out later.

Networking Tip #3

Exchange Business Cards!!!

Great! You met somebody!

Wait… You didn’t exchange business cards?  Why?

You only spoke to them for a minute or so?

OMFGWTFOMGZ!@#*@#!!! /facepalm

The point is that once the ice is broken you are now a soft contact.  You’ve ingrained a picture of your face into another person’s mind.  Our mind doesn’t need a lot of time to build that memory – especially if you find somebody with a super brain.  You may forget faces easy but the other person may not.

You exchanged names and shared a piece of information that you can build off of later.  Exchange cards and immediately write a note on the back of the card about that conversation.  In time, touch base with that information to simply say hi or spark a conversation from the data you collected.

Networking Tip #4

Don’t just flab your mouth, but act genuinely interested in the other person.

Networking is a two way street.  You need to learn something about the other person.  You can’t learn anything if you’re talking about things you already know for 99% of the meeting.

Ask the other person questions about themself.

How was that project you worked on?

Are you enjoying the conference? What sessions did you go to? Oh really? Tell me about that!

How are you liking the job?

If you completely own the conversation you will likely turn the individual away really fast.  I say likely because you may be talking to a tech guy that would love nothing more than you owning the conversation.  Help them help you by not letting the conversation fall into that trap.

And for the love of god, smile, nod, and act like you enjoy the conversation.  Most people, aside from walls, are not a fan of talking to walls.  Sure, you’re tired. Go home and get some sleep.

Networking Tip #5

Reach out via LinkedIn and Twitter

You really never know who is watching you these days.  You also never know who might interest you in a conversation.  Use these tools and be aware of the people that are out there.  Follow people with similar interests because they may follow you back and will pick up on signs you lay on the ground.

Put an effort into keeping your LinkedIn profile updated with juicy information (bullet points of specific things you’ve accomplished).

Write reviews for other people (they may be inclined to write something about you).

Well, it’s that time of the year. GDC is fast approaching and I’m in need of a new identity – an identity in the form of a business card.

I ended up going through 4 iterations before I found a design that I really liked.

What are the essentials?

• Your Name
• E-Mail
• Phone
• Web Address
• Something Memorable
• Use both sides!

Unless you own a business and need people to visit your primary location, I would leave off your physical address. Waste of space and distraction. Most of the time your contact isn’t just going to show up at your door. You can give them this information later when it’s warranted.

So how about the ‘flow?’  Well, that is tough to pin down. It boils down to experimentation. You’ve probably seen dozens of card designs out there (Google some if not). Use those as a base.

The card I used in 2008

People thought it was cool, but today I find it pretty boring and not memorable. The basis was that you’ll find me without a Dr. Pepper in hand, and I wanted to note that I was a programmer.

Ouch...

Idea 1

Going completely opposite from 2008, I wanted to introduce color but I found it distracting.  It also concerned me what a printer would do with this.

The texture on this is intense. Very dark.

Idea 2

I decided to try something on the lighter side.  I also wanted to incorporate a subtle piece of my iGotIt Games logo.  I had a hard time with what to do on the front side of this card, and the gradient was concerning.

(back of card) I wasn't confident about using gradient.

Idea 3

I further simplified the design by trying out a ‘reflection’ idea with solid colors.  Here, the person would see the back of the card from the front, with the goal of persuading the holder to flip the card around for more information.

In the end, it felt too cheap.

Idea 4

Here, I built off of my previous attempts to form the final card.  I included the reflection, solid colors, and the iGotIt Games logo.  On the back I plan to put a promo code for Spin & Shoot or Project Void.

Winner

In the end you want your business card to be memorable.  Leave a simple quote, or a icon that identifies you.  See Darius Kazemi for more business card/networking advice. I just noticed he wrote a few new posts regarding business cards!

In the end, keep it simple and Memorable!

See you at the Game Developers Conference!

I attended the conference in 2008, which was an absolute blast, but I had to skip out on the 2009 trip due to some chaotic life changes (moving to L.A., searching for a job, relocating to the north bay to begin a job — all within a month or so).  Well, no excuses now!  I live right next door so I can drive to the conference.

Of course not all is perfect.  I had to skimp and forfeit the All Access pass to go with the summit pass. You can find me in the independent (tues) and the iphone (weds) summit, and doing a whole lotta roaming on thurs/friday. It’s too bad I couldn’t get into a couple of sessions at least… Oh well.

Early in 2009 I decided to jump into a new realm of possibilities that evolved from the iPhone/Touch being released.  I loved this device from a user standpoint and it was an outstanding way to get products out to users from a developer perspective.

Talk to any indie and you’ll find, more often than not, that they just want to get their creation out in the hands of you, the user.  Of course money needs to come in to play to at the very least support the foundation that built the product.  Nothing comes free even from an independent standpoint.

Spin & Shoot was an idea born from the primary need to learn OSX, Objective-C, and Cocoa.  I released the project to the iPhone application store June 28th.

A few notes looking back on this that stand out:

• It look about 2 months of development spread over 6 months
• Objective-C’s memory management takes a while to get used to
• Interface Builder is tedious and can be very time consuming (just write the code)
• I didn’t spend enough time thinking about how to get the word out about it

What was the cost of development?

• $100 for the developer program
• $50 for target marketing on Facebook

What was the return on investment?

• To date we have 68 sales with $47 of revenue
• The marketing had no effect
  • It would have been better if it was planned around an event (spring break, new years)
  • I didn’t do any ‘grass roots’ marketing on forums or twitter

Spin & Shoot is a very, very niche application that I didn’t expect to change the world or hit the top 100 app store list.  This application will likely continue to hit sales spikes during certain points of the year, and random buys when people are looking for drinking apps.

I’m pretty happy. Close to 68 people, and counting, has played with my creation.

I’ve planned to officially name my next iPhone game, ‘Project Void.’  Depending on how much time I get to spend on the game, I hope to begin posting pictures soon.  I’m really excited about this game.  It’s something I’ve wanted to develop for the PC a long time ago, but never got around to it.  The iPhone is the perfect platform for this kind of puzzle game.

I don’t have a lot of time invested into the project, and I’m over halfway finished with it.  I spent a fair amount of time while Spin & Shoot was wrapping up designing and prototyping Project Void.  So as of now, I’m just piecing together the puzzle I’ve sketched out on several sheets of paper.  So if I could recommend anything, it’s to flesh out a design and don’t skimp.  It can get pretty boring fast sketching out screen layouts, but it’s worth it.

That’s not to say you can’t design along the way.  During my trip down to L.A. this last weekend, Megan and I came up with two new features that I will be implementing, and it’s worth noting that these are not small features — they’re game changing. But I’m adding it because it sounds fun, it adds a new dynamic to the gameplay, and it isn’t going to hinder anything.

Game development should be an iterative process.  Try new things.  Play around with it.  If people really like it, keep it! If they don’t, pitch it. Luckily, I’m in no position where I’m required to release something at date x.  I’m just having fun doing something I really enjoy.

Happy first-day-of-fall!  I wonder how many readers I’ve lost during the lull? I’ve been pretty darn busy getting situated out here in California.  And for some reason, now that school is over, I don’t have a lot to blog about anymore.  I need to change that somehow, because I like to write!

I have been incredibly busy within the last few weeks that I haven’t had time to write.

So let’s go back to July 20th.  I ended up getting rotation implemented in Project Void and now i’m trying to generate a procedural algorithm to throw together levels on the fly.  One of the big selling points for this game will be that you will not play it the exact same way twice. Plus, this will give me much more freedom to incorporate new content.

Fast forward to July 25th, Megan and I finally got married!!! After 9+ years, we’ve tied the knot! It’s been an incredible journey and I am excited to continue it as a bonafied married couple!

From the 26th to the 30th we spent time in Vegas.  We saw Mystere, Ka, and Blue Man Group.  All were awesome.

Coming back from our honeymoon, we packed up a moving truck, and spent 33 hours on the road heading toward California.

Then when we got here I couldn’t get in touch with anybody who said they might be available to help so we spent 7 hours moving all of our stuff up 3 flights of stairs!

To now… We’re still unpacking boxes, trying to organize things, and buying new stuff for our awesome apt.

I hope to get back on Void soon.  I’m really enjoying it and, so far, the people who have touched it are as well.

About a month ago, when I was nearly complete with Spin & Shoot, I began sketching ideas on paper of what my next project might be.  During that time, I came up with two ideas, one a little ambitious (mainly due to the artwork required), and another that was a bit less art heavy — a puzzle game.  I decided to pursue the puzzle.

A week had passed from that initial sketch.  I came back to it, added a few more screen ideas, and left it be.  Last weekend, two weeks later, saw the first prototype of this idea.  It was simple and took me about an hour to put together.  The whole point was to see it in action on the phone to see what other people thought of it, and for me to see how things fit together.  I spent the week showing the prototype to a few people and the reaction was pretty positive.  So this weekend began the implementation.

I completed the artwork required early morning on Saturday and jumped into xcode to begin putting the pieces together.  By Sunday evening I had the interface put together – animations, graphics, and overall flow for many of the views.  I implemented the first level / stage loop.  You can select pieces, drop them into place, and put them back.

So the next few days I hope to get rotation ironed out, and actually complete the level designs/prep them for action.

I found somebody to help with music and sound effects, so that is one less thing that I have to do.  I’m also tempted to host a contest on 99designs.com to get an artwork revamp, though for the 5 people i’ve shown it too, it might not be warrented.

So we finally got Spin & Shoot submitted to Apple over the weekend.  Let’s hope the review process goes well and we can get it on the store.  Megan and I are pretty excited to have a completed project under our belt.

I’ve created a launch website if you’d like to check it out here.

As for the next project, I’ve been designing away for the last few weeks on paper on a couple of projects, and I finally put together a prototype of one of them, Project Void (tentatively named), on Sunday.  It feels really good in my opinion.  I showed it off to somebody at work and they had seemingly good feelings about it by way of giving me ideas on what to do and praising the look and feel.  I’m going to shoot for a very clean and slick interface with this game.  And yes, this will be game – a casual puzzle game.  I’m excited.

Spin & Shoot took nearly 1-2 months to complete over a span of 6 months.  I had a LOT going on through the development and I am hoping that I can just crunch on Project Void and get it out of the door in 1 month (optimistic).  It’ll likely take 2 months.  I’m getting married next week, Megan is going to be out here, so I’m going to have to be very crafty with my development time while she adjusts to her new environment.

Oh, yeah. Marriage… Here we come! (Yes, I’m pretty excited).  Megan still hasn’t even seen Northern California!