University.
I studied and achieved upper second class honours in Games Sofware Development at Glasgow Caledonian University. During my time studying, I explored all different parts of application development from concept to build, which has been greatly beneficial when applying it to web development.
Aside from the creation process, I learnt a wide range of modules designed to improve me as an all-rounded game designer; from colour reasoning in games to player psychology as well as technical elements, which involved developing for C++ (PS2, general programs), C# (XNA), Java, J2ME (mobile gaming programs) and NetLogo (A.I. programs). Aside from the direct games focus, I studied the ethical, health and legal implications of computing and gaming.
Degree project.
As part of my degree project I had to create a game from start to finish with my team of four to demonstrate our understanding of all aspects of videogame creation. My role during this project was project co-ordinator, art designer and tester.
My role as the project co-ordinator involved scheduling team meetings and made sure that everything was on schedule to ensure the quality of the product would be of a high standard.
As the team's artist, I was tasked to creating concept art for each uniquely themed level as well as creating art for the main character and the environment.
Please click here to view the full project concept art I developed for my team.
Dissertation.
My fourth year honours dissertation was entitled An Investigation Into The Physical Health Benefits Of The Nintendo Wii Fit In Comparison To Traditional Exercise. The purpose of the report was to discover the effectiveness of exergaming on the Wii Fit and how it compared to real life jogging and what, if any, benefit the user could gain from using the game.
A combination of sources were required to ensure the validity of the report, including a four-week experiment with test participants each using a different exercise medium.
You can download the dissertation in full here.
As a nation that greatly depends on technology for day to day activities it is ironic that it is
the main cause for our greatest problem we face today; obesity. With almost all children
being gamers, it is unsurprising to note that video games are being labelled as the key factor
for this epidemic. In an attempt to prevent this trend professionals have combined video
games with exercise to form "exergames".
Despite its unparallel popularity in the form of Dance Dance Revolution and the Nintendo
Wii Fit, there is much debate regarding exergames effectiveness as a method of exercise. This
paper explored this issue by comparing it to traditional exercise. Using a combination of
interviews, a four-week experiment and a questionnaire, the results provided interesting
findings regarding the Wii Fit.
Mathematics.
A huge aspect of game development is to be able to understand and to calculate equations based on object's position and trajectory, especially within a three dimensional environment.
As part of our mathematics assignment, we had to create a report which detailed the effects of spinning cube being hit by another object using Euler's Method.
The use of mathematics has been greatly beneficial in my website designs to ensure that my websites are designed for all monitors using the 960 grid. By using calculations I aim to design website that are aesthetically pleasing through equal negative spacing and placement of site objects.
To view the full report, click here.
This document details the mathematics behind creating the trajectory of a
ball using Newton's second law. The ball has a fixed mass and is subject to
the force of gravity during its transformation from the cannon to the target
- a rotating cube. The initial launch velocity and angles are determined by
the user using an input system. The cube is created using multiple matrices - vertex, adjacency and face,
the cube will be moving along a given trajectory specified in the brief.
To calculate if the ball has collided with the cube Euler's method will be
implemented. The position of the ball and the cube can then be calculated
at regular time intervals. Depending on whether the ball collides with the
cube before it completes its trajectory, the rotation of the cube will slow
down. If the ball fails to collide with the ball the rotation is sped up.
Storyboards and prototyping.
The importance of storyboard and prototyping (and website mockups) is an important step to bridge the gap between client expectations and to demonstrate the core aspects of a given product without all the gloss or functionality. The purpose of this prototype was to build a game to a specification using the rapid application development model using the XNA framework for the PC as an example of what would be required in the video games industry.
I developed El Space Aventura! which was paying homage to the classic game, Space Invaders with a modern-day twist. I created the game to be three-dimensional to be in line with modern day remakes that were released at the same time namely, Bionic Commando: Rearmed and Super Mario Bros.
To view the full report, click here.
The client's specification states that the following key aspects must be included within the project for it to be classified a success; a minimum of six models of which one must be controlled by the user; each model must be skinned using appropriate textures; sound, which is applicable to scene; a minimum of two cameras of which one must be third/first person; collision detection must be included and keyboard input controlling the sound and switch of the cameras.
In order to meet all the above criteria within the specified timeframe, it was decided that the most
efficient way would be to base the project on an already made game. This would result in a shorter
design phase, maximising the implementation process to ensure the end product was as high as
possible.