After presenting August 24, 2007

After my presentation today, Adam suggested that instead of having to use a finger to rotate the block (by dragging in a circle), the iPhone can be shaked to one side slightly? I think i’ll use this idea since Emma said that the tetris blocks might be too small on the screen for a person’s finger… but then Michael said the iPhone screen is pretty big anyways? Hmmm.. I did think of using a shaking method to rotate the block (in the earlier blog entry called ‘Tetris </3′, August 5, 2007) but that was like shaking the iPhone continously and I wasn’t sure if it would work out? But then Adam told me that there was XYZ accelerometers in the iPhone just like the Wii and they would be able to pick up movements. Hahaha why am i so slow? I didn’t know the iPhone had these accelerometers XD!!

Well I guess i’ll have to research about these accelerometers later.

Ohhh and i think, it was Rob or either Kaz (or was it Michael?), who suggested that I broaden my target audience since alot of people do play tetris x] So I think i’ll change my target audience to 10 to 30 years old.

Presentation 1 finished! August 23, 2007

Okay my presentation explains my concept, who my target audience are and what prototypes i’ll use to gather user requirements.

SLIDE 1 – Introduction to my concept
My application for the iPhone is an online tetris game and community, which allows users to play a double sided tetris game against other users across the world. Users will also be able to add friends to their friend list, buy items using fake money, modify their avatars with the items and also have mini profiles. To be able to do this, users will be able to navigate through different parts of the application such as:
- Game rooms: users enter rooms or create their rooms. Up to 5 players in one room and each game in the room lasts five minutes or ten minutes depending on the room maker’s decision.
- Inventory: items you have bought for your avatar are kept here. You can also edit your avatar here.
- Shop: different items you can buy using the fake money. Items for your avatar to wear or even game items such as items that allow your blocks of tetris to be patterned with cute faces, certain colours, etc.
- Highscores: top 50 people for that week can be displayed here. They get rewarded with a limited edition item (one that is not available at the avatar shop).
- Profile: edit your own profile, only includes your avatar pixel, highest score, name, age & what country you live in.

The tetris blocks will fall down the centre of the rectangular screen. The user will have to turn the iPhone 90 degrees to the left or right so that the iPhone sensors will rotate the block’s direction of fall to one side of the screen. Once directed to one side of the screen, the block can be rotated by dragging your finger to control the direction of rotation. The down arrow can then be touched so that the block will fall down quickly. Basically you’re playing tetris on two sides of one screen. Instead of having chat like multiplayer tetris games, users will be able to talk to each other through a mic on the iPhone.
To create a bomb, 3 lines of blocks must be cleared. To bomb another player you will have to select a bomb from your bomb inventory and then touch another player’s tetris screen. Bombing will cause the other player’s iPhone to vibrate and also gain 3 gappy lines of blocks to affect their performance in the game. Also during the tetris games fake money coins in between tetris blocks will come out once in a while. If you clear a row of blocks with coins you get to keep them. These coins can be used to buy items for your avatar or items for your friends.

SLIDE 2 – Target audience
Anyone at any age can use this application but since it is a tetris game, the target audience will be mainly young male and female people in their twenties and teens. Around about 15 to 25 years old?
The application allows these people to not only play tetris against each other but to also help establish a community of friends.

SLIDE 3 – User requirements and prototypes
What are you going to do to test your idea ?
To test my idea I’ll first make index cards by using html pages uploaded on the web. I will create a basic layout consisting of links for the different sections of my application (game rooms, inventory, shop, etc). Each section of my application will have a separate html page which will display roughly how each page works (i.e. buttons, tables, text, etc). The links allows users to test how the navigation will work in my application.

As I develop my prototype later on I will make proper graphics or create a flash.

How are you going to gather user requirements?
Firstly I need to find my target audience which are people who are in between 15 to 25 years old.
After I have finished my index cards I will show them to my target audience and explain how my double sided tetris game works. I will then interview them for feedback The interview will involve questions such as:

- Is playing tetris by yourself more fun than playing against other people?
- Do you like meeting new people online?
- Does the double sided tetris game sound hard to you, or rather challenging?
- Is the layout of the application user friendly (efficient, easy to use, etc)?
- Would you rather touch a rotating arrow picture to rotate the block, or use your finger to control the rotation of the block?
- Do you want side arrows to be available? Would it make the game too easy?

Someone’s imagination August 20, 2007

Isn’t that video interesting? =P Someone’s imagination of a game on the iPhone.. This video itself acts like a prototype for someone’s idea~ =D

I’ve been thinking for my prototype I’ll either use index cards or a storyboard? But then I can also make html pages for my application, and a flash of the game? Is a flash and html pages a high-fidelity or low-fidelity prototype? =X Im abit confused about the different prototypes seeing how I missed out last friday’s lecture >__<;; My bad, i know but i slept in and well.. I promise it wont happen again! Anyways I did read through the lecture slides to try and keep up.

Javascripts August 12, 2007

“The base for this code was taken from this site: http://code.gosu.pl/dl/JsTetris/demo/JsTetris.html
Code was written by: Cezary Tomczak
The guy made an amazing code base to work off of. Arguably one of the best use of Javascript classes I’ve seen implemented. They should use this stuff to teach from. I did not have to modify the base code at all to make these modifcations. Just had to change some CSS, change some initialization variables and add in some buttons to call some class events that he had already instantiated.”
From http://www.yucs.org/~snamd/iphone/

So this person, Noam Davidovics (above) took codes from this tetris. These both are so similar, i think they’re practically the same to the tetris game i found yesterday. If you click the highscore button it says ‘Note: these scores are kept in cookies, they are only visible to your computer, other players that visit this page see their own scores.’ Well that just sucks? How come facebook allows us to see our logged in account, etc? So this is whats happening, for my tetris application I need an online database and connect it to some javascript codings? Is what im saying even right? XD (must ask sister about it later). Sounds hard, I’ve always wanted to make my own online database site where people can have their own accounts, etc..

Moving on, I also found this..

“That’s when I realized that such a thing would not be possible on the iPhone and that just seemed silly. Oh, that’s right somebody just needs to do an AJAXy Tetris web application that doesn’t use Java or Flash… Ok, so somebody has already done that and maybe it will play nice on the iPhone. But you get my point. The limitations of not being able to install software on a device that is supposedly running a full blown operating system (OSX) is just ridiculous.”
From http://fupeg.blogspot.com/2007/06/tetris-and-iphone.html

Someone complaining that the iPhone should allow the user to install software applications. Hmmm im abit confused about the ‘AJAXy Tetris web application that doesn’t use Java or Flash’? That text was a link which led to here (another tetris game). This ones slightly different to the other tetris applications because it actually stores high scores?

Blah!!! I shall view the page source of those sites later and have a look at their java codes . _ .’

EDIT: Okay, my sister, being her usual mean self, wouldn’t really answer my questions ._. but shes telling me its not javascripts but rather java applets? And saying she doesn’t know blahlbah, but im pretty sure she did some java stuff (she’s in last year of software engineering). BLAH T_ T!

Tetris on the iPhone August 11, 2007

“iPhone Tetris
The classic Tetris game, now for your iPhone! From the people who brought you iphonesudoku.com and iphone-solitaire.com!
To Use Click Here: iPhone Tetris”
From http://iphoneapplicationlist.com/2007/08/05/iphone-tetris/

The link leads to http://iphone-tetris.com/. I just tried playing it and went on for quite abit XD. It’s just a simple tetris game i guess, and it can store your highscores in the cookies, but they’re only visible to your own iPhone. I clicked the ‘more games’ option and it leads to a menu of other games such as sudoku and solitare.

I also started exploring that http://iphoneapplicationlist.com site. Wow, they even have a facebook for the iPhone, click here. Interesting how they used tabs? Maybe I could do something like that:

- Game rooms: A tab for the list of rooms for tetris games, from there you choose a room you want to go into and verse other players.
- Inventory: Items for your avatar can be displayed here? You can also edit your avatar here (change items).
- Avatar shop: Items you can buy for your pixel avatar head using fake money earned through the game (will explain below).
- Highscores: The top 50 people for that week can be displayed here (updated every saturday?) Their usernames will become well known? xD And also get rewarded with a limited edition item for their avatar? One that is not available at the avatar shop.
- In progress: How about having profiles like facebook? x__x just simple stuff like your avatar pixel, your highest score so far, name, age and where you live (country wise)?

Instead of tabs going horizontally, i’ll make them go vertically?

Oooh and I haven’t properly explained the fake currency idea. Most online korean games i’ve played have em =] I’ve been thinking, coins can randomly come out during the game (in the middle of a block), and if you clear a row with a coin in it, you keep it? >_> each coin is worth 5 fake money and this fake money can be used to buy items for your avatar.

Hmm I wonder if there is a tetris game like this already =S I sure hope not. I must research.

Im having blackouts August 10, 2007

Okay we’ve been having blackouts at uni over the past few days @___@ we had no afternoon tutorials yesterday. The lecture was about user interfaces (including weird things about rules of conversations and such ._.) and then Robert showed us a video on the Microsoft Surface. Looks pretty cool but also very expensive. But i think i’d prefer sitting in my computer chair at my computer than a low chair for the table-like-computer. Anyways i kinda tuned out towards the end of the lecture, and looking back a the slides (slides 4 file) now, on page 25 isn’t that a picture of an instant messaging application??o _O?

For today’s lecture it was mainly on about expressive userfaces and user frustration. Expressive userfaces include changing icons (like the recycling bin becoming full), sound effects for closing windows, the paperclip “Clippy” from Microsoft Word, etc. User frustation was about things like error messages or bad design; things that give us negative feelings from the user interface. Then we looked at a video on the possibility of having computers saying ’sorry’, and if that will help minimise user frustration? Bah, i just think that weird computer voice saying sorry may of made it sound more annoying? Although its aim was to calm the user down, the voice should be more real, smooth and soft like a real human.

Regarding my tetris application (still thinking of a name), i really want to make use of the camera as well. Hmmmm but I can’t to seem to think of an idea that will fit it in? Anyways in the afternoon tutorial today, Robert told us some things we could do to help inspire us. This is what i wrote:

- Research more about iPhone.
- Find a application that runs on the iPhone and change it; think of how it could support the user better. A good design can be justified really good.
- Mix up applications, e.g itunes + photoshop?
- Put ideas on paper and draw from a hat
- Improvise and talk to other people

I think I should try these out xD

Answering questions August 8, 2007

Oh i forgot to mention there will be scoring involved in the game ;] Something like 10pts a line, and when you die you lose 50pts. The game ends after 5mins, or you can choose to go into 10mins games instead? There will also be some highscore tables and pixel items as prizes? Like you get a pixel avatar head, and prize items can include hats, etc? > _ <;

I decided to answer some basic interaction design questions that was on our first lecture slides.

Who is going to use a product? the application?
Anyone one at any age can use the application but since its a game, and will be designed to be cute, the application will attract mainly a young audience? Like about twenties and younger.
Where are they going to be?
Well, I only play games when im really bored on the train and I don’t have any mp3 player on me. So it could be during travel? But the game can be played at any time, and since its targeting social networking as well as entertainment, friends could play for fun to verse each other. You can play even when you are far away from each other (such as different countries)? Is this possible o _oa??? Anyways, tetris loving people can just play and meet new friends during games =)
What do they want to do?
I guess umm obtain a highscore to get into the top scores? XD haha and get more cute items for their pixel avatar head? Nah actually, well people would play it to make new friends (from different countries) as well as versing current friends.
What are people good and bad at doing?
Tetris is a very simple and straightforward game so it shouldn’t be something people will be bad at? But since the method of playing has been changed, it may be abit hard for people to get the hang of shifting and shaking their phone around. Eventually people will get used to it =] Some people may be bad multitasking? E.g continually shaking and shifting the phone, pressing the screen to bomb others and talking to other players.
How can existing activities be supported?
Hmm, sensors, phone call, blue tooth for multiplayer?.. I still need to think of more ideas >__>
What do people say about the experience?
A new way of playing tetris? Might make the game a much more interesting experience.

Tetris </3 August 5, 2007

Okaaay, I’m over my tetris addiction phase now, mainly because everyone else is much too pro compared to me ._. They just go too super fast. For anyone wondering, the site I’ve been playing tetris at was http://www.spogg.com. Click the play now link from the multris image; you don’t have to signup, you can just login as a guest.

So I’ve been thinking, multiplayer tetris on the iPhone but it has to be more unique eh? How about you having to build blocks on two sides of the screen? You’ll have to shift the iPhone to direct the block to one side of the screen, and the sensors will rotate the block, and then to make the block change positions you’d have to keep shaking the iPhone till you’re satisfied? It sounds like alota action, but it also sounds fun to me =P Other players’ tetris screens will appear below your own, but in a smaller size? To create a bomb you’ll have to clear 4 lines, 2 from each side of the screen? And to bomb a player you just select the tiny bomb in your bomb inventory and then touch the other player’s screen. Bombing will cause the other player’s iPhone to vibrate in their hand, thus affecting their performance in the game? And instead of online chatting while playing (like Spogg.com), players can talk during the game, like a phone call?

Hmm… what else.. =x Thats it for now, I’ll draw a pixel sample layout of the game later.

Cute graphics August 3, 2007

Today’s lecture was mainly on cognitive models, stuff about how our human brain thinks, plan/make decisions, solve problems, etc. We went over the two common design implications of attention; 1. Using techniques (e.g color, layout, etc) to draw attention and 2. Avoid cluttering. After that the slides were about using simplicity for icons and such so that we can remember them and recognise them through perception. Also stuff about design interfaces encouraging the user to learn, explore and play. This made me think about my graphics to use for the tetris application; I’ll make the theme cute and simple. I’m thinking of using a different shape instead of squares for the blocks, something that’s cute and can fit together well (like a puzzle). Possible a rabbit head? But they won’t fit together well, @__@. Also the graphics will be nice pastel colours that won’t hurt eyes and other cute icons for bombs, items, etc?

Anyways, Andrew (Trinh), told me that instant messaging for the iPhone has already been made, so I guess that idea will go into the bin >_ >

Basics and some more tetris August 2, 2007

Interaction design starts with the user.

Today in the morning lecture with Rob we were shown a clip from Matrix, however I was not able to hear due to the small speakers ._. so I guess i missed out although I tried hard to listen. But from reading the text on the slides, I guess the main idea was that if the user’s requirements is not taken into consideration then the problem will not be solved sucessfully. The design should support the user by solving the problem. We should understand the design problem first before using the latest cool technology or creating beautiful graphics. He also showed us a slide of questions we should ask ourselves to help check our design.

In our tutorial today we accessed our student directory, created the index.html page and also uploaded it to the student directory. It was very simple seeing how I’ve been webdesigning as a hobby ever since my middle high school years. With the spare time, I decided to draw pixels =) I ended up drawing a rabbit head, and repeated it with different faces.

They look weird, oh wells.

Anyways during the morning tutorial with Rob, I told him about my initial idea on the instant messaging application and then the multiplayer tetris game. He encouraged me to think of more ideas to enhance the tetris application, to create more interaction with users. He suggested one where the colour of the blocks would need to be detected in real life (through a camera) in order to obtain a certain block? But then I thought that’d make the game really easy to cheat with a colour grid, then you’d have all the blocks you’d want and complete rows very easily. The game would become boring??

Now, seeing how there was sensors on the iPhone that detect when you move it around, maybe the tetris game could be abit shuffled into one where you have to move the phone around to stick the pieces in? Sounds too difficult to play though. You’d be madly rotating your iPhone around. Hmmm maybe as well as bombing other players, you could cause their phone to vibrate while playing? That way it also increases the chances for them to make a mistake while placing a block. Bombing an opponent non-stop sounds fun. It still doesn’t sound unique and web 2.0 like enough to me … oooh but what if the phone vibrated so much that they dropped their phone? O_O?!?

Hmmm.. I also want to make use of the touch screen; how you can zoom in and scroll. Using a finger to lead blocks into lines would make the game too easy.

I need to think more =x .
Oh by the way, I added the link to my website on the right bar.