{"author_name":"localcoder","cat":"October Challenge 2010","comments":[{"author_name":"","time":"October 19, 2010 5:33 am","epoch":1287484380,"text":"Congratz dude. I haven’t checked out the game yet, but I found you in the Zune store. \":)\"","spam":"N"}],"epoch":1287466200,"likes":0,"metadata":{"p_key":"69103","p_author":"localcoder","p_authorkey":"1113","p_urlkey":"104906","p_title":"Space Octopus Mono for Windows Phone 7","p_cat":"October Challenge 2010","p_event":"LD18","p_time":"1287466200","p_likes":"0","p_comments":"1","p_status":"UPD5","us_key":"1113","us_name":"localcoder","us_username":"localcoder","event_start":"1282262400","event_key":"4","event_name":"LD18"},"text":"

\"SpaceOn the 9th of September, I decided that I was going to complete a game in time for the Windows Phone 7 launch. That was goal number one. I knew I didn’t have long, so I picked the most complete game from my portfolio<\/a> to start from and began porting it to C#.<\/p>\n

I had already started when PoV issued the October Challenge, but his second post said that the game can be something you\u2019re already working on. OK, count me in.<\/p>\n

So I added goal two: Sell a copy before the end of the October. This is quite different from my original goal. In fact, the last time I tried to make a commercial game<\/a>, I “finished” it but never sold a copy…<\/p>\n

<\/span>
\n  <\/p>\n

\n \"Space<\/p>\n

I don’t have a Windows Phone, and couldn’t get hold of one. Someone at Microsoft offered to let me test on his pre-release device, so I took an afternoon off work to visit the local Microsoft office and see if my game actually worked.<\/p>\n

It did! But my control scheme, which seemed so sensible with a mouse, was terrible on a touch screen. Oops.<\/p>\n

Next week I went back again with the second draft control scheme. It was slightly<\/i> better. I never got back to test the third revision… it’s interesting developing for a device that hasn’t been released.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n \"Space<\/p>\n

I applied for early marketplace access and submitted as soon as I got it, on October 11th. I spent just over a month on the game, working every weekend and an increasing number of weekday evenings towards the end.<\/p>\n

The game has now been approved. It will be in the marketplace on launch day – I have already met my original goal.<\/p>\n

But to complete PoV’s challenge, it has to be good enough that someone will buy it. That’s where I would like your help.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n \"Space<\/p>\n

You probably don’t have a Windows Phone 7 phone, but I really want your feedback on this game. So I’ve hastily made it run on Windows, and you can get it here:<\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.newnorthroad.com\/space-octopus-mono-windows-1.0.zip<\/a>
\n (6 MB, Windows, requires the .NET framework)<\/p>\n

Before now, I had no easy way of showing people the game – it’s had almost no user testing. So I don’t know what’s good or bad and what I need to improve.<\/p>\n

I had to cut a lot of features to get SOM submitted on time, including some of what I thought would be the key reasons to buy it. I won’t tell you what they were, because I don’t want to color your feedback – but please tell me what you think. Give me some hints, and I’ll try to make an update that will get that first sale.<\/p>","time":"October 19th, 2010 12:30 am","title":"Space Octopus Mono for Windows Phone 7"}