May04-14: Laptop Travel Games for Children

1. May04-14: Laptop Travel Games for Children Advisor: Dr. Jacobson Client: Senior Design Jonathan Gill: CprE Mike Mundy: CprE Nick Ransom: CprE Jonathan Soike: CprE April 15th, 2004

2. Presentation Outline • Introduction • Acknowledgement • Problem Statement • Operating Environment • Intended Users and Uses • Assumptions and Limitations • End Product

3. Presentation Outline • Project Activities • Present Accomplishments • Future Required Activities • Approaches Considered • Project Definition • Research Activities • Design Activities • Implementation Activities • Testing Activities

4. Presentation Outline • Demonstration • Resources and Schedules • Personnel Effort Requirements • Other Resource Requirements • Total Financial Requirements • Project Schedule • Conclusion • Project Evaluation • Commercialization • Recommendations for Additional Work • Lessons Learned • Risk and Risk Management • Closing Summary

5. List of Definitions API: Application program interface. Class/Library: A collection of pre-written code that can be incorporated into third party software. Game engine: A set of classes or libraries which handle all fundamental elements needed to develop a game. These elements can include, but are not limited to: graphics, physics calculations, sound, and tools to interact with these systems. GUI: Graphical user interface. A non-text-based display used for user interaction. OS: Operating system of a computer.

6. Acknowledgement The team would like to acknowledge the project advisor, Dr. Doug Jacobson, for being the main source of help throughout this project. The team would also like to acknowledge Andre LaMothe, author of Tricks of the Windows Game Programming Gurus, for providing a great deal of help with DirectX coding.

7. Problem Statement • Problem: Kids need to be entertained during car trips • Current solutions inadequate • Solution: Develop fun and educational computer games that can be played on the road

8. Operating Environment • Moving Vehicle • Stop-and-go conditions • Constant speed • Computer • Laptop • Windows 98+

9. Intended Users and Uses • Intended users: The intended users will be children with the following attributes: • Ages 4-12 • Pre-school to 7th grade • Both male and female • Previous computer experience • Intended use: The intended use is for these children to play these games on a laptop while in a moving vehicle.

10. Assumptions and Limitations • Assumptions • Children playing these games should have previous computer experience. • 3 games will be developed. • Limitations • The maximum number of players shall be 4. • The minimum number of players shall be 1. • Children playing these games should be between the ages of 4 and 12. • The end product runs on Windows 98+ operating systems. • The product operates on laptop computers.

11. End Product and Other Deliverables • The game • Project plan • Source code • Users’ manual

12. Present Accomplishments • Three games created • Travel Bingo • License Plate Finder • Travel Board Game • All games are functional and fulfill all major design requirements

13. Approaches Considered:Programming Languages

14. Approaches Considered:Development Tools

15. Project Definition • Develop three games • Travel Bingo • License Plate Finder • Travel Board Game • Games should be easy to use • Should require minimal mouse usage • Should not make any loud or distracting sounds

16. Research Activities • Game Engines • Kyra • PyGame • Editor • 3D Rad • Graphics Libraries • DirectX • OpenGL • SDL

17. Design Activities Three games were designed: • License Plate Finder • Travel Bingo • Travel Board Game

18. License Plate Finder: Flowchart

19. License Plate Finder:Conceptual Screenshot

20. Travel Bingo: Flowchart

21. Travel Bingo: Conceptual Screenshot

22. Travel Board Game: Flowchart

23. Travel Board Game: Conceptual Screenshot

24. Implementation Activities • Changes to games • License Plate Finder • Plates located on U.S. Map • Coding process • Travel Bingo made with DirectX • All others made with Kyra

25. Testing Activities • Bug testing • Done by the group • Discover and remove major problems • Future testing • Give the programs to children • Discover minor problems • Obtain recommendations for change

26. Resources and Schedules

27. Other required resources • Project Poster: $45

28. Final Project Costs

29. Schedule

30. Project Evaluation • Problem Definition: Exceeded. • Research: Met. • Technology Selection: Met. • Concept Design: Met. • End-product Design: Didn’t attempt. • Prototype Implementation: Met. • End-product Testing: Met. • End-product Documentation: Met. • Project Reviews: Almost met. • Project Reporting: Met.

31. Commercialization • Production Cost: ~$0.60 • Selling price: $2.00 • Potential Market: Children’s stores, toy stores, software stores • No plans for commercialization

32. Recommendations for Additional Work • Additional Games • Main Interface • Opening menu • Security features

33. Lessons Learned • What went well • The design process • What didn’t go well • The coding process • Communication between team members • Technical Knowledge Gained • Microsoft Visual Studios • C++ Graphics Coding

34. Lessons Learned • Non-technical knowledge gained • Group programming experience • Project scheduling • What to do differently • Begin graphics research earlier • Increase communication • Put more emphasis on the schedule

35. Risk and Risk Management • Anticipated potential risks • Loss of a team member • Loss of data • Over-proposed Project • Kids do not like games • Anticipated risks encountered • Over-proposed Project • Loss of data

36. Risk and Risk Management • Unanticipated risks encountered • Incompatibility of development software • Resultant changes in risk management • Software tests on different systems

37. Closing Summary • Problem: Children need to be entertained during car trips • Current solution: DVDs & TV • Three educational games developed • Travel Bingo • License Plate Finder • Travel Board Game

38. Questions? ?