From Zero to Launch in Seven Weeks

In late 2015, Alex saw very rare opportunity to bring a childhood dream to life: to create a game that would be played on the big screen TV in his living room, made possible by Apple’s newly announced fourth generation Apple TV. Let him take you on a journey into unknown territory - from zero to launching his first ever game on a completely new platform, all in a span of just seven weeks.

It is a story of hard choices, applying the right kind of experience and knowledge, throwing caution to the wind, immense frustration and ultimately, the joy of having reached an impossible goal.

Transcript

2. F R O M Z E R O T O L A U N C H I N S E V E N W E E K S A L E X A N D E R R E P T Y
3. F R O M Z E R O T O L A U N C H I N S E V E N W E E K S A L E X A N D E R R E P T Y D e s i g n i n g , b u i l d i n g , re l e a s i n g a n d m a r k e t i n g a g a m e i n t h e t i m e b e t w e e n t h e A p p l e T V a n n o u n c e m e n t a n d re l e a s e .
4. W H O ? A L E X A N D E R R E P T Y • macOS, iOS, watchOS, tvOS engineer • Cocoa since 2006 • MartianCraft, self-made products, training • Playing video games since mid 1980s! • @arepty
5. W H AT ?
10. W H Y ?
11. W H Y ? • Life-long dream • Gaming on the big screen • Could use existing knowledge • Finally I can build a new product once more!
12. G O A L S N O W, H O W D O I G E T T H E R E ? • I want to create an original video game for tvOS • I want to use SpriteKit to build it • I want to learn something while doing it • I want to have fun building it • I want to make enough money to buy an Apple TV • I want it to be available on the store on launch day
13. G O A L S N O W, H O W D O I G E T T H E R E ? I want it to be available on the store on launch day September 9th, 2015 “Ships in October” ~October 19th, 2015 <6 weeks
14. R E S T R I C T I O N S : M O N E Y & T I M E H O W T H E H E L L D O I D O T H I S ?
15. L E V E L D E S I G N R E S T R I C T I O N S • Designing multiple levels costs time • Different levels would require different art • Time increases exponentially due to play testing etc. Endless gameplay
16. T U T O R I A L S R E S T R I C T I O N S • Building a tutorial takes too much time • Complex interactions are risky (Apple TV Remote) Needs simple controls
17. N O G A M E E X P E R I E N C E R E S T R I C T I O N S • No extra time to learn a lot of things • Code won’t be perfect or even good on first try • Not enough time to refactor properly Need to keep it simple, avoid perfectionism Seriously, avoid perfectionism
18. G A M E A R T R E S T R I C T I O N S • I have no artistic skills whatsoever • Hiring an artist is (relatively) expensive for a hobby • Finding a trustworthy partner is way out of scope Buy pre-made game art
19. G E T T I N G O F F T H E G R O U N D R E S T R I C T I O N S • No good starting point • Could save time by building on existing work Grab a decent SpriteKit book
20. P E R S O N A L L I F E R E S T R I C T I O N S • I have a job • I have a life • I have a wife & one-year old daughter I’m screwed. But my wife saves the day!
21. W H AT C A N I B U I L D ? R E S T R I C T I O N S Retro-Style Space Shooter
22. I T ’ S A H A R D WA R E P R O B L E M
23. I T ’ S A H A R D WA R E P R O B L E M
24. I T ’ S A H A R D WA R E P R O B L E M
25. I T ’ S A H A R D WA R E P R O B L E M
26. I T ’ S A H A R D WA R E P R O B L E M
27. I T ’ S A H A R D WA R E P R O B L E M
28. I T ’ S A H A R D WA R E P R O B L E M • Make sure you know what’s necessary • Borrow hardware if you have to • Ask for help! • Never assume you know what hardware does. • Because you don’t. Seriously.
29. B U D G E T I N G F O R T I M E T I M E L I N E Start Goal Actual Sep 9 Oct 19 Oct 22 In Review Rejected Re-Submitted 19 Mins Later Oct 24 Oct 26 Approved Launch Oct 28 Oct 29
30. A G A M E I N S E V E N W E E K S T I M E L I N E • Making a game in seven weeks is possible • You just have to know which corners to cut • Don’t be afraid to take chances • You might be pleasantly surprised - I was Thank You!