Next steps for Abstract.No1

Violin Concerto No.1 in G minor Op 26: III Finale – Allegro Energico.
(if you have spotify installed, click the link below to hear it)
http://open.spotify.com/track/0AQgdCMaVwtTMERCznaa1i

When I hear this music I see a deer running, the obstacles appear in time with the music. The game changes with the music as it plays.


The box idea generation technique

I have been mocking up some ideas for my new game using the box technique.
This is a simple approach that allows ideas to come out without getting caught up in unnecessary detail. I first used it back in college and it's still one of the best ways I know of getting ideas out. It's hard work as the brain is always trying to be lazy and get out of generating ideas. The brain tries to distract you by doing easier tasks such as shading or perfecting lines. This technique helps prevent that from happening because your mind is focusing on generating ideas quickly for each new box.

This is a good book on creation processes. It illustrates how to use the box idea techniques ill be using and many more:
http://www.designstudiopress.com/books/skillfulhuntsman/

1.create a sheet with lots of empty boxes in the 16:9 format (HDTV format)
2.draw ideas in each box until there are at least three sheets filled sheets
3.evaluate the ideas in each box
4.strip down to the best ideas
5.scan the ideas
6.focus test!
7.evaluate
8.develop next steps

Based on the results of the first focus test, the next steps will be either to go back to the drawing board or to continue the predev. The aim being to get into production with a full exhaustive plan that leaves little to question other than the feedback from players.


So far so good - the box technique wins again

To date I've been putting down lots of deer silhouettes using as many mediums and styles as I possibly can. Its been a lot of fun and I'm pretty much done here for now. That area is ready to be tested.
So from this evening I've been putting down ideas for how the game could work in as many boxes as possible. I've been re-listening to the track over and over again putting ideas down as I go. In fact right now I'm listening to the track on Spotify. Once I've exhausted my mind for ideas I will run a focus test on these ideas.

I will scan in the images and write up the results of the focus test so that they can be seen in all their ugly beauty as soon as possible ;)


Low Fidelity Prototyping

In the meantime this is an interesting article on “low fidelity” prototyping with pen and paper. It lists the benefits of taking this approach...

http://andrewchenblog.com/2009/09/15/why-every-consumer-internet-startup-should-do-more-low-fidelity-prototyping/

ace.