Hello and welcome to week 7 of our development blog!

We delivered our halves presentation on Monday. Some feedback we received post-halves included comments over scope, deliverable and focus.

We were suggested to consider producing a detailed documentation as a guideline, as opposed to producing a working prototype, given that we had made very little progress on the content/experience design part.

There were also thoughts on creating multiple, small games that would allow us to explore a variety of different solutions without committing to polishing and refining the experience. The focus, once again, would be in documentation.

We however, have set out to build a prototype using Isotope, as per our client’s request. While we understand the concern over lack of progress on the content side, we have made significant progress since our halves and have narrowed down our focus.

The MIDI file to Unity pipeline was established which will allow us to very quickly make prototypes of the core gameplay loop, and our designers are hard at work on creating assets to create our virtual world.

Hardware Update

We have temporarily set up two monitors in the front on a desk, and a foam board as a ceiling. While not a permanent solution, it gives a better sense of space when you are seated inside the platform, which will be useful for playtesting. We have set up all the displays to be aligned correctly, though one of the TV screens are lower in resolution, creating a mismatch in perspective. We will have to replace it with a higher resolution TV (4k) to match the rest.

Experience Design

We have been able to translate the bland, text-based rhythm game into a virtual scene with custom art assets that explode upon hitting the button to the correct beat.

As seen above, we have created four different shapes with four different colors, meant for four separate passengers. Our next step is to create a longer animation (objects appearing, following a path towards the car) to simulate vehicle movement and to transfer the build into Isotope so we may begin playtesting inside the platform.

Client Meeting

We had our client meeting on Wednesday, during which we were engaged in insightful discussions and received much needed feedback.

Some of the aspects of this game our client found interesting was the opportunity for them to approach artists and musicians to partner up in creating a bespoke music experience for in-car entertainment. If we were to think of this game as a live-support game, it would mean that we could continuously bring updates and new content over the network to extend the longevity of the game and keep the experience fresh.

We were also asked to consider various external factors the car can interpret to dynamically affect the gameplay. What if there was a day/night cycle that matches the time of day in real life? How can we incorporate real, location-based data into the gameplay?

We were also introduced to projects like the AutoJam by Sven Krome, Ph.D., which is,

“a touch-sensitive, interactive steering wheel cover for interactive music experiences in stop-and-go traffic”

While we have decided to use the XBOX Adaptive Controllers as input methods, we must also consider where these buttons will be placed and how the guests will interact with them while the car is on the move.

Looking Ahead

We plan to have a prototype built and ready for playtesting when we get back from our Spring Break. We already have a playable build in Unity, and it’s just the matter of translating it into Isotope.

From design perspective, our designers are working on creating a “virtual path” the vehicle will take to simulate vehicle moving in a real world, and populating the virtual environment with objects. We are also working on creating a “real” virtual environment that would simulate car windows, and guests looking out into the real world.

These two things could be developed in tandem to create a sense of unity and realism.

We will be on break next week, and we will see you again once we return for Week 8!