LO4 Analysis of Current Market Trends

The main current market trends for app based games such as ours are Sonic Dash, Temple Run 1&2 and also Subway Surfers.

The main competitor is however, Subway Surfer as the game is a lot like the concept that we have come up with. Although we have changed the concept. So instead of the character being a person/ avatar, the character in our game will be a train. Other changes that we have made are the obstacles that get in the way and also the different tracks as there are four different types and the player also gets hints from the two different signals that are in the game.

I think that Subway Surfer is a popular game as it gives people whether young or old something to do when they feel like they have nothing else. It is also something that is never ending which means that they can come and go whenever they have a spare five minutes or so. This is why I think that people will also like "Off The Rails".

LO4 - Imaginary Entity

Graham, aged 14, is all about gaming. It's a fun way for him to pass his time when he's bored at home and it's subconsciously become a part of his everyday life. Gaming has become one of his main hobbies alongside the rest of his social activities.

Whether he's gaming alone, or with his friends it has become an easy way for Graham to relax and enjoy himself. Graham and his friends play on video games together most days after school; it's become a good form of social interaction for them all. When he's not gaming he is talking to his friends about his most recent gaming experience.

Although Graham focuses a lot on gaming, he's able to pull himself away and focus on his everyday tasks. But when he’s not able to game, Graham keeps up to date with the gaming world through his weekly subscription to a gaming magazine which he spends his nights reading.

LO4 Treatment

The BriefWe have been asked to develop an original game idea and illustrate planning for a new game that we will pitch to professionals within the gaming industry.

Concept Idea

Our final game idea is a never ending mobile game that challenges the player to avoid obstacles. The aim is to stay on the train tracks for as long as possible without dying; otherwise the game will be over.

Target AudienceThe target audience for our game will consist of males and females between the ages of 10-20. We are aiming "Off The Rails" at people of both ethnicities and any subculture that belong to the social demographics B-E.

Key Milestones

Planning - 14/03/16(Identify target audience etc.)

Creation- 28/03/16
(create assets, identify gameplay etc.)

Finalise the presentation- 04/04/16

Pitch the presentation-   14/04/16

Equipment/Resources

Computer - to create all the pre-production documents & design visuals.

Word/Blogger- to type and store documents and material on.PowerPoint- to create pre-production documents on.
Photoshop- to design visuals and platforms.
Internet access- to save files and send them to the rest of the team.

Legal and Ethical Considerations

Copyright– This enables original material such as pictures, music, literature and videos to be protected. It prevents others from using your material without the necessary permissions. It is important to gain permissions so we don't run into any legal implications within the development of our game. we will have to be careful not to infringe the copyright of games like Subway Surfers and Rail Rush.

Rating- This identifies the most suitable age for players of our game. It is based off the content of the game. The app would be rated age 3+ on iOS and Android. It wouldn’t be rated by PEGI since it is a free app and not a major console game. We plan to only include very mild violent content such as when the train crashes. Other than this, "Off The Rails" will be suitable for younger players.

Contingencies

Our work gets deleted. - Make sure everything is backed up.
A member of the group isn't here. - Make sure we all have access to copies of all the work.
Somebody pitches a similar idea. - Research ways to make our game more original.

LO4 Budgeting for New Game Idea

LO4 Concept Idea for a New Game

The concept for our game is a never ending mobile arcade game which challenges the player to avoid many different types of obstacles.  The aim is to stay on the train tracks for as long as possible without dying; otherwise the game will be over. 

LO4 Production Schedule

LO4 Visual Representations for the Game Concept