The document provides tips and advice for iPhone game development from the perspective of Joash the Geek. Some of the key points mentioned include: - Joash's background and interest in programming from a young age using Apple IIe and various languages like Basic and Pascal. - Suggestions for iPhone game development include assuming developers are smart and resourceful, learning from conferences like WWDC but avoiding being too condensed, and gaining insights from experience and research. - Other advice covers minimizing development time spent and maximizing the time spent on iterations, as well as the importance of planning, production, gathering feedback, and balancing long term and short term goals.

1. *.hack.yourself
iPhone Game Development

2. Joash the Geek

3. Joash the Geek
• 1st computer - Apple IIe

4. Joash the Geek
• 1st computer - Apple IIe
• Started programming - Sec 2 (Basic)

5. Joash the Geek
• 1st computer - Apple IIe
• Started programming - Sec 2 (Basic)
• 1st hack - School Computer Lab

6. Joash the Geek
• 1st computer - Apple IIe
• Started programming - Sec 2 (Basic)
• 1st hack - School Computer Lab
• Preferred language - Pascal

7. 1st Worldwide App
Has not been updated since late 2008

8. Geekcamp SG Gameplan

9. Geekcamp SG Gameplan
• assume geeks are smart, resourceful

10. Geekcamp SG Gameplan
• assume geeks are smart, resourceful
• not be stupid and condense WWDC

11. Geekcamp SG Gameplan
• assume geeks are smart, resourceful
• not be stupid and condense WWDC
• insights from experience, research

12. Geekcamp SG Gameplan
• assume geeks are smart, resourceful
• not be stupid and condense WWDC
• insights from experience, research
• minimized uptime, maximized cycles

13. Beginning From The End
...tried different rendering methologies over a
year before a full circle to the BSP trees used for
DOOM - Michael Abrash, development for
QUAKE
...if they’d known exactly what they were
making before they started, the engine would
have taken less than two months to write -
John Carmack (DOOM) to Abrash

14. 5 Quickstart Qns
• Who wants to make an iPhone game?
• Why do you want to make...?
• What do you want to make...?
• Where do you want to make...?
• When do you want to make...?

15. Who - Components
Thinkers Engineers
Artists Implementors

16. Why - Drivers
Experience Passion
Profit Publicity

17. What - Interfaces
• 19 Game categories in App Store
• 1 Entertainment category

18. Where - Markets
iDevice Countries
Pricing Demographic

19. When - Priorities
Full Time Spare Time

20. Plan & Production
Usefulness in Projects
Plan Long Term
Production Short Term
Tipping Point (game) by GAMBIT Singapore-MIT
Gambit Game Lab

21. Plan
Plan & Production
Thinkers Engineers
Production
Artists Implementors

22. Inventory Check
• Raw Materials
• Labour
• Overheads
• Others

23. Resource Acquisition

24. Resource Acquisition
• Get (free) advice

25. Resource Acquisition
• Get (free) advice
• Make a business plan

26. Resource Acquisition
• Get (free) advice
• Make a business plan
• Join relevant networks

27. Resource Acquisition
• Get (free) advice
• Make a business plan
• Join relevant networks
• Collaborate, barter

28. Resource Acquisition
• Get (free) advice
• Make a business plan
• Join relevant networks
• Collaborate, barter
• Spot and pitch to investors

29. Resource Acquisition
• Get (free) advice
• Make a business plan
• Join relevant networks
• Collaborate, barter
• Spot and pitch to investors
• eg. FutureGames

30. Concept

31. Concept
• Investigate prior art

32. Concept
• Investigate prior art
• Simple does not mean loser

33. Concept
• Investigate prior art
• Simple does not mean loser
• Improve good examples

34. Concept
• Investigate prior art
• Simple does not mean loser
• Improve good examples
• Innovation is marketable creativity

35. Concept
• Investigate prior art
• Simple does not mean loser
• Improve good examples
• Innovation is marketable creativity
• Watch out for feature creep

36. Concept
• Investigate prior art
• Simple does not mean loser
• Improve good examples
• Innovation is marketable creativity
• Watch out for feature creep
• Be a gamer!

37. Design

38. Design
• Clear communication is important

39. Design
• Clear communication is important
• Inventory of assets required

40. Design
• Clear communication is important
• Inventory of assets required
• Be open to creative input

41. Design
• Clear communication is important
• Inventory of assets required
• Be open to creative input
• Feedback for interaction

42. Design
• Clear communication is important
• Inventory of assets required
• Be open to creative input
• Feedback for interaction
• Do not forget audio!

43. Features

44. Features
• Keep updated with *wares

45. Features
• Keep updated with *wares
• Engineer solutions for weaknesses

46. Features
• Keep updated with *wares
• Engineer solutions for weaknesses
• Feed thinkers early

47. Features
• Keep updated with *wares
• Engineer solutions for weaknesses
• Feed thinkers early
• Watch out for feature creep

48. Features
• Keep updated with *wares
• Engineer solutions for weaknesses
• Feed thinkers early
• Watch out for feature creep
• Digest feedback and iterate

49. Features
• Keep updated with *wares
• Engineer solutions for weaknesses
• Feed thinkers early
• Watch out for feature creep
• Digest feedback and iterate
• That’s not a bug, it’s a feature

50. Implementors

51. Implementors
• Mine the wealth online

52. Implementors
• Mine the wealth online
• Mine the wealth offline
• Cocoaheads SG

53. Implementors
• Mine the wealth online
• Mine the wealth offline
• Cocoaheads SG
• Comments extremely welcomed

54. Implementors
• Mine the wealth online
• Mine the wealth offline
• Cocoaheads SG
• Comments extremely welcomed
• (Possibly) Embrace technical debt

55. Apple Approval

56. Apple Approval
• over 40 full-time app reviewers
• at least 2 for each app
• senior review board meets weekly
• 95% of apps approved in 14 days
• 8,500 new & updated apps a week
• roughly 20% gets rejected

57. The App Store

58. The App Store
• Nightmare or dream come true?

59. The App Store
• Nightmare or dream come true?
• Distribution channel

60. The App Store
• Nightmare or dream come true?
• Distribution channel
• Games - 12,265

61. The App Store
• Nightmare or dream come true?
• Distribution channel
• Games - 12,265
• Entertainment - 9,517

62. The App Store
• Nightmare or dream come true?
• Distribution channel
• Games - 12,265
• Entertainment - 9,517
• Top 2 categories (31.58%)

63. Necessary Marketing

64. Necessary Marketing
• Press release

65. Necessary Marketing
• Press release
• Reviews, reviews, reviews

66. Necessary Marketing
• Press release
• Reviews, reviews, reviews
• YouTube & social media

67. Necessary Marketing
• Press release
• Reviews, reviews, reviews
• YouTube & social media
• Money talks - USD$1875 a day

68. Necessary Marketing
• Press release
• Reviews, reviews, reviews
• YouTube & social media
• Money talks - USD$1875 a day
• Strategic partners - eg. SingTel

69. Market Intelligence
Scoreless Music Suite

70. while (learning) do

71. while (learning) do
• Apple WWDC

72. while (learning) do
• Apple WWDC
• Cocoaheads SG

73. while (learning) do
• Apple WWDC
• Cocoaheads SG
• developer.apple.com/iphone

74. while (learning) do
• Apple WWDC
• Cocoaheads SG
• developer.apple.com/iphone
• www.iphonedevsdk.com

75. while (learning) do
• Apple WWDC
• Cocoaheads SG
• developer.apple.com/iphone
• www.iphonedevsdk.com
• Google, Bing, Yahoo...

76. while (developing) do

77. while (developing) do
• www.gamedev.net

78. while (developing) do
• www.gamedev.net
• design document, game bible

79. while (developing) do
• www.gamedev.net
• design document, game bible
• Prototype on paper

80. while (developing) do
• www.gamedev.net
• design document, game bible
• Prototype on paper
• business plan

81. while (developing) do
• www.gamedev.net
• design document, game bible
• Prototype on paper
• business plan
• gather resources (IDGT, SAE, etc)

82. while (developing) do
• www.gamedev.net
• design document, game bible
• Prototype on paper
• business plan
• gather resources (IDGT, SAE, etc)
• RSS Feeds of relevant sites

83. while (developing) do
• www.gamedev.net
• design document, game bible
• Prototype on paper
• business plan
• gather resources (IDGT, SAE, etc)
• RSS Feeds of relevant sites
• Google, Bing, Yahoo...

84. while (marketing) do

85. while (marketing) do
• Pre-release announcements

86. while (marketing) do
• Pre-release announcements
• Proper writing (press, metadata)

87. while (marketing) do
• Pre-release announcements
• Proper writing (press, metadata)
• Polish your eyecatches (icons, splash)

88. while (marketing) do
• Pre-release announcements
• Proper writing (press, metadata)
• Polish your eyecatches (icons, splash)
• Passion for your U.S.P.

89. while (marketing) do
• Pre-release announcements
• Proper writing (press, metadata)
• Polish your eyecatches (icons, splash)
• Passion for your U.S.P.
• Carefully planned release (lite, offers)

90. while (marketing) do
• Pre-release announcements
• Proper writing (press, metadata)
• Polish your eyecatches (icons, splash)
• Passion for your U.S.P.
• Carefully planned release (lite, offers)
• Leverage channel partners

91. Begin... End.
joash@scorelessmusic.com

92. One More Thing...
Chordica
• 2 man team
• 16 weekends
• $0 budget
• learnt from scratch

93. One More Thing...
Chordica
• SGD$2000+
• Loved by an iTunes
featured artist
• IE Singapore to WWDC
• YouTube views - 16,400+
• v2 being patented