So You Want To Develop Games For Mobile Devices

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So You Want To Develop Games For Mobile Devices?

• Stuart Slater
• s.i.slater_at_wlv.ac.uk

SLIDE 5 Microsoft Reading July 2005
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Overview
Project Management
Technical Skills

• Project Planning

• Mobile Devices

• Software Platforms

• HCI

You Must Consider

• Emulators

• Commercial Aspects

• Graphics

• Useful Web Addresses

• Realistic Goals

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Mobile DevicesOverview
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JAVA Powered Phones
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Mobile Phones - Java Powered

• Mainly SYMBIAN OS
• Most Popular Nokia Series 60
• Screen up to 176 220 pixels

Elder Scrolls Travels - ShadowKey (N-Gage,
Bethesda 2004 ) http//www.elderscrolls.com/home/h
ome.htm
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Common Java Devices
BT-Bluetooth M1 MIDP 1.0 3D
Java 3D API(JSR184) M2 MIDP 2.0

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MIDP in short

• MIDP Mobile Information Device profile part of
  the software engine of the phone.
• MIDP 2.0 replaces MIDP 1.0 and is backwardly
  compatible, adds features such as
• Improved Sound Support i.e. WAV
• Includes Game API
• Improved security and communication such as HTTPS
  and Push architectures.
• Support for new user interface options.
• More on MIDP - Java.sun.com/products/midp/index.js
  p

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JAD AND JAR

• JAD is a description of the game i.e. Path
• JAR is the actual game files (archived).
• When majority of games are written a JAD and JAR
  file are created that are then both needed by the
  Target Device.

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3D APIs

• Open GL ES
• Free to use and download
• Lighting,ViewPorts, Multitextures,Fog,Blending,
  traingles etc.
• Libraries etc need to be available on the phone
  and this can have significant memory/cost
  implications.
• Tend to be part of a dedicated game engine

• J2ME 3d (JSR184)
• Will be native in newer phones and so games
  require a much smaller download/memory demand.
• 19 Handsets Currently Support JSR184.

Source March Feature DEVELOP MAGAZINE 2004.
Doug Goodwin.
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Developing For Nokia

• i.e. N-Gage, Nokia 6600,6680,N91
• www.forum.nokia.com
• Check your device and download the correct SDK.
• Requires an IDE such as Code warrior (available
  from address above) or Eclipse (www.eclipse.org)
• Can be programmed with java or Now C for
  Symbian OS.

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Java Devices Continued

• Content Delivery
• FTP download, MMC (N-gage), Bluetooth, USB cable.
• Commercially
• Delivery method is a pay and download through a
  provider such as Vodafone Live.
• Quality Control document needed from provider
  such as Babel Media.
• Costs typically 5 per game, exception is MMC
  based N-gage around 30.

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Microsoft Powered Phones PDAs
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Mobile Phones - Microsoft Powered

• Microsoft Smart Phone Devices-
• Smart Phone 2002, 2003, 2003 2nd Edition.
• 65k TFT display
• (176x220 pixels)
• SPV 500

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Mobile Devices Microsoft Powered PDAs

• Microsoft Pocket PC Devices-
• Pocket PC 2002, 2003, 2003 2nd Edition.
• Up to 640480 Screen (IPAQ 4700)

Ultima Underworld 1.0 by ZIO Interactive, Inc,
http//www.pocketgear.com/software_detail.asp?id4
042associateid8
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Pocket PC Devices

• Easily programmed with SDKs such as POCKET
  PC2003 using C or embedded C.
• Uses Visual Studio 2003/2005 development
  environment.
• Emulators included, plus ability to send directly
  to target device.

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Palm OS Powered PDAs
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Mobile Devices Palm Powered

• Palm Operating System.
• Up to 64K Colours.
• Low Cost.

Dragons Bane, http//www.palmcreations.com/
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Mobile Devices Tap Wave ZODIAC
Palm Powered PDA 3.8inch screen 65K
Colours Bluetooth Downloadable games or SD Card
Format, 6 Hours Battery life.
www.tapwave.com
Source, www.t3.co.uk, December 2004.
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Mobile DevicesDedicated Games Hardware
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Mobile Devices - Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS (Dual Screen) Game boy advance sales
511 Million units. Dev Kits require licencing,
closest possible is to buy a GAMEBOY Colour SDK
and hardware interface for around 140. Emulators
available.
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Mobile Devices Sony PSP
1.8Gb DVD 480 x 272 screen 7.1 Audio
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Mobile Devices Sony PSP

• Key Tools
• Code Warrior IDE
• C/C Assembly
• Users must be
• licenced developers
• with Sony Computer
• Entertainment.
• www.metrowerks.com

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Miscellanous

• Gizmondo
• Game Park GP32.
• www.gamepark.com

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Mobile Device Software Development
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Tools 1 C

• Advantages
• Fast robust development language
• Easier migration for C, Visual Basic and Java
  Programmers.
• Very Reliable Emulators.

• Disadvantages
• Only Suitable for Microsoft powered devices.
• Limitations with 3D Games due to lack of support
  for mobile graphics APIs such as DirectX.

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Tools 2 Java/J2ME

• Advantages
• Its JAVA so code reuse can be very high.
• Industry Standard for Mobile Phones so large
  marketplace.
• Proven track record with mobile phone gaming.

• Disadvantages
• Code needs compiling and testing on each target
  Device.
• Emulators can be very FLAKY.

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Tools 3 Diesel/C

• Advantages
• Cross platform Symbian, Microsoft Pocket PC and
  Microsoft DirectX PC development of games.
• Common use of C so easy migration in mainstream
  industry.
• Very Powerful for 3D Gaming.

• Disadvantages
• Expensive costs to licence typically 10K euros.
• Only covers Nokia series 60 devices such as
  N-Gage.

http//www.3darts.fi/mobile/
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Tools 3 Diesel/C
The rendering pipeline of DieselEngine SDK is
capableof handling more than 100 000 polygons
per second in real-time on Nokia Series 60
devices.1
Easy Integration of 3D Models using supplied
exporters.
1http//www.3darts.fi/mobile/de.htm
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Diesel 3D Models

• Created in 3DStudio Max or MAYA, exporter plug in
  comes with the Diesel SDK and allows the user to
  export .dsc files

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Diesel

• Doesnt support Png uses color keying
• Use .SetAutoColorKey (sets transparent color
  based on an images (0,0) coordinate.
• SetColorKey(0) set black as transparent color

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Tools 4 GAPI (Game API)

• Very powerful API but requires an extremely high
  level of programming knowledge, a major draw back
  is its similarity to DirectDraw so 3D almost
  impossible without additional libraries.
• Needs user to really download other libraries to
  get any real use from it.

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This is a Mobile Device Not a PC
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• Mobile devices struggle with

• Lack and speed of memory

• Processors that have clock speeds, that are not
  comparable to similar PC processors.

• Cant do floating point and struggle with
  division.

• Have phone based interrupts like sounds etc that
  need careful management to get the best from a
  game, i.e. when pressing buttons clicks can be
  heard slows down your game.

SO PLAN AND THINK CAREFULLY OF WHAT IT IS YOU ARE
TRYING TO ACHIEVE.
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• But dont forget areas such as HCI else you will
  end up with a PC application on a phone.

• Plus if you develop and an application that
  crashes the game or phone then you could easily
  upset your customer.

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Graphics and All That
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Beginner C

• Use Picture Box
• Build Action- (Content) (A very VB 6.0 approach)
• More advanced Users should use Images as Embedded
  resources, then use the doPaint method to
  display image (A very Java Approach)

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• PNGs approx 4K per image, typically 8
  directions, 4 animations per direction 128K
• BMP 12k per image.
• JPG is 2K per image.
• GIF IS 1k Per Image, limited in colours.
• The 3D Model is approx 31k FOR .x FILE 65kb FOR
  TEXTURE.

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Formats

• JPEG Can take to to decompress
• BMP Memory Hungry
• PNG - Very popular in Java Phone Dev due to
  balance between memory and speed of display.
• GIF

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Smoke Mirrors

• Computer Games are about Smoke and Mirrors i.e.
• Layered textures,
• Billboarding
• Same level different graphics.
• AI that isnt really intelligent.
• Only drawing what the user can see.
• Games written primarily in 3D packages.

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Final Words

• It is much easier to get a game up and running
  using a Microsoft Smart Phone or PDA using C.
• Java is an option for specific devices but some
  emulators are a little flaky.
• Plan the project well before touching the
  keyboard.
• Choose a project that you can complete on time.

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Projects

• Academic Aims
• Critical evaluation is more about being critical
  about what you have achieved against your aims
  than how you enjoyed doing it.
• Research isnt always internet sites but peer
  reviewed material such as
• Books, and not always how to books.
• Research papers, www.gdconf.com

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Useful Links
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Game Engines

• Free Download
• HIs MASCOT CAPSULE www.hicorp.co.jp
• (Symbian , PALM OS, SmartPhone)
• Superscape Swerve www.superscape.com
• (Symbian , PocketPC)
• Synergenix Morphun
• www.mophun.com
• (N-gage,Gizmondo,Symbian)
• In-Fusio Exen
• www.in-fusio.com)
• Symbian only

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Symbian Development

• www.flipcode.com/articles/article_mobilegfx01-pf.s
  html
• Article on developing a game engine from a real
  developer including source code.

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HCI related for Microsoft Powered Devices

• http//msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url
  /library/en-us/dnnetcomp/html/grfCraftingSmartphon
  eUserInterfacesUsingNETCompactFramework.asp
• Discusses the controls for the Pocket PC
  including dynamic loading.

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Pocket PC Games Development

• www.pocketpcdn.com/sections/gapi.html
• An excellent source of tutorials on all aspects
  of PocketPC games developments, libraries,
  tutorials etc.

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Pocket PC Intermediate optimisation

• Developing Smartphone Games by Andy Sjostrom
  MSDN
• Offers an insight into optimsing games,
  limitations of some devices, memory management.

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Programming With Cheese

• www.dcs.hull.ac.uk/admissions/resources/Smartphone
  /index.html
• An excellent introduction to aspects of game
  development on smartphones uses a very much Java
  approach and provides a very short learning curve
  for JAVA developers.

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Open GL ES

• www.khronos.org

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Diesel Development

• www.3darts.fi/mobile/dieselengine.htm - Diesel
  engine home page.
• www.pocketpcdn.com/articles/print_dieselengine1.ht
  ml - Getting started with Diesel

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Books

• HARBOUR,J.S. (2001) Pocket PC Game Programming
  Using the Windows CE Game API. USA Prima Tech.
  ISBN 0761530576
• KEOGH,J.(2003) J2ME The complete reference. USA
  McGrawHill/Osbourne. ISBN 0-07-222710-9
• Petchel, T. (2001) Java 2 Game Programming. USA
  Premier Press. ISBN 1-931841-07-1

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Mobile Games Companies

• www.dittostudios.com
• www.coyotedev.com
• www.iomo.co.uk
• www.ifone.com
• www.codemonkeys.com
• Ww.kujo.com

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Thank You for Listening