Traci Lawson

When I left off at the end of Part 1 in this series, I had found the developer and graphic artist I wanted to work with.  Finding them has turned out to be the most important part of the whole process.  Every day I work on this project, I'm very thankful for both of the individuals I'm working with.  Not only are they very skilled at what they do, but they're very easy to get along with, and never seem to fret when changes need to be made.  They're both as dedicated to the game's success as I am.

After I had verbal confirmation from both of them that they were interested in the project, it was time to get things going legally and officially.  It was a little bit scary to take something that was just an idea in my head and begin investing serious money in it!

As I mentioned in Part 1, I didn't have enough money to pay a developer upfront.  I'm not even sure how much a developer costs, but I only had a few thousand dollars to spend.  My developer agreed to a profit share agreement, where each of us would split whatever income the game makes from the iTunes Store.  That allowed me to spend the money I did have on paying the graphic artist, and on the legal fees that would be involved in establishing a company and getting contracts written. 

It took me almost two months to go through the whole process of incorporation.  The iTunes Store will only let you sell an app under a legal name, either your own, or an official corporate name.  It didn't seem right to sell a game we made together under only my name.  Plus, there were other benefits to incorporating, like keeping the finances separate from my own bank account, and having legal protection for not producing the game in my own name.  I read up on small business laws, which was the most time consuming part.  I weighed the pros and cons between forming an LLC or an S-Corp, and then hired a lawyer to help me file the necessary paperwork.  I was lucky and found a friend of a friend who specializes in small business law and gave me a good rate.  Once the ball was rolling on that, I hired a different lawyer to help me with the contracts for my developer and graphic artist.  I could have used the small business lawyer, but I had met someone who specializes in interactive media and video games while I was attending Boston GameLoop, and I decided to go with him.

We had a team conference call so the three of us could talk through the plans for the project.  Much of what we talked about was already in the design document I had written, but it was good to talk through it and make sure we were all on the same page.  The developer talked with the artist about the specs and file requirements she would need.  I didn't understand 100% of what was said because some of it was pretty technical, but I wrote it all down anyway. When the call was over, I typed everything we discussed in an email that we could all refer back to.

Since then, everything has taken place via email and file exchange at box.net.  The graphic artist sent me some pencil sketches, and after just a couple of back and forths, she arrived at art that I fell in love with.  The programmer got a first build together pretty quickly, too.  The first couple of builds were only playable on the computer, but it wasn't long before she had a build that ran on the iPhone itself.  Meanwhile, I took care of everything that needed to be done to get into the Apple iTunes Store.  Those things are all listed in this handy article, so I won't repeat them here.

In the past several weeks, there has been a lot of QA testing by the programmer and myself.  That means we play the game over and over to see what wonky 'bugs' occur that shouldn't be happening, and we record them in a spreadsheet.  The programmer then works out kinks in the code so the bugs don't happen anymore.  It can be time consuming to QA because once you observe a bug, you have to reproduce it a few times to confirm what conditions cause it to happen.

We have also made a few tweaks to the conditions that affect the game's difficulty, but now we're ready to watch some kids play the game and see how difficult they find the game to be.  I am most curious to see if kids understand how to play the game, because when the game is released, we won't be there to tell each player what to do.  I'm doing my best to make the game play intuitive without using formal directions, so we'll see how clear it actually is when I observe some kids play.  Watch this blog for more about the kid testing process and intuitive play in Part 3.

Picture of a toddler playing with an iPhone by jessica.garro, shared via Creative Commons.

For the past several months, I have been concentrating on producing the iPhone game I designed, and job hunting.  I haven’t been doing much work on new designs.  But in late November, President Obama announced a STEM Game Challenge.  It’s part of a larger effort to step up Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics education in public schools.  In recent decades, the United States has not scored well in international tests of science and math abilities.  We need to change that if we’re going to continue to be a successful nation.

President Obama’s live webcast got the design fires cooking again on the back burner of my mind.  Designing a STEM intensive video game is a truly challenging problem.  I recently came across this really excellent article that outlines all of the things one must consider in educational game design.  One line that rang particularly true for me was "Topics should not be forced--games should be one medium among many for learning in and out of the classroom." There are many attempts at games about topics like photosynthesis, but most of what results is not a game at all, but a more typical rote classroom activity.

For a game to succeed in a school environment, it has to fit the constraints of the school realities.  In most schools, that means limited internet access, limited work stations, and limited time.  Many class periods are under an hour, and when you subtract the time it takes to walk to the computer lab as a class and get 30 students settled at 30 machines that may or may not work, you’re left with a short play session.

The trickiest consideration though, is that you have to fit in an established curriculum.  Teachers are usually told exactly what to cover over the course of the academic year.  If you build the greatest science game in the world, a teacher may not be able to use it with her students if she already feels she doesn’t have enough time to cover the required curriculum.

Video games are a natural fit to teach STEM related skills, because many commercially produced games involve problem solving and collaboration skills.  (For more on this, see research conducted by EDC.)  When designed well, games help players hone the 21st century skills that employers look for today.  To be a successful scientist, you can’t merely follow established procedures 100% of the time.  Much of the student experience of STEM subjects in public school is about how well they can execute an established procedure, so video games are a great opportunity to let students do something completely different. 

It will be interesting to see what comes out of the STEM Game Challenge.  It's exciting that the President of the United States is acknowledging the potential of video games as a learning environment in such a powerful way.  This could turn out to be the best thing that's happened to educational games in a long time.

Picture of a game at the Museum of Science and Industry by croncast, shared via Creative Commons.

Blogs are about sharing wisdom and opinions.  One thing I have collected a lot of wisdom about is interning in children’s television.  I began my career working in children’s television, before I transitioned into video games.  All of my experience with internships, both being an intern, and hiring and supervising interns, is in children’s television.  I believe much of the advice in this article would apply to finding an internship in the video game industry as well.

1) Many people browse online for advertisements of internship programs they can apply to.  This is fine, and some people do get hired this way.  You must realize that the employer will receive hundreds of resumes in response to an advertisement.  Many applicants will not be remotely qualified.  You might be surprised how many chemistry or forestry majors will send their resume in response to an entertainment industry internship ad. 
Keep in mind that whoever looks at your resume will only glance at it for a few seconds before moving on to the next one.  You have precious little time to show them that you are the intern they’re looking for.  Make sure your resume is only one page, and list your most relevant qualifications first, even if they are projects you completed for a class or school club.  Work experience is great too, but if thus far you’ve only worked at the Dairy Queen or a local grocery store, the employer may be more interested in videos or games you produced in class, especially if they won awards or special recognition.  Put those things up top.

2) Don’t just submit resumes to advertised internship programs.  Do whatever you can to pursue other avenues. 

• Ask your professors if they have colleagues in the industry they would be willing to introduce you to.  If those people are not personally hiring interns, interview them about their career anyway.  At the end of the interview, ask if they have a colleague who might be hiring interns.
• For the television industry, you can pick a show you’re interested in and watch that show’s credits.  Write directly to production coordinators and production assistants by name.  People in those positions are usually involved in hiring interns.  Once you have some names, you can either:
  • Contact them via LinkedIn or email.  See more on this below.
  • Search the internet for the production company's postal address.  People enjoy receiving mail, and chances are good they’ll open your envelope.  I’m a big fan of the old-fashioned paper resume.  In this email heavy culture, they help you stand apart.  You’ll be taking up physical space in the pile of paper on the recipient's desk.  Small, yes but this is more area than a one line entry in an email inbox.
  • Find the main phone number for the production company and ask the receptionist for one of those people by name.  If you get voice mail, don’t leave a message.  Try again later.  When you do get through, be very brief.  Introduce yourself by name as a student at X University and ask if this is a good time to talk for a moment.  If it is (or even if they say it isn’t) ask if they are hiring interns at the moment, and if so, may you send a resume direct to their attention?  At which address or fax number?  Now you can begin your cover letter by thanking them for the phone conversation, and they should remember your name, which should help raise you to the top of the pile.

3) Consider an internship in research.  Research departments are responsible for making sure the target audience will enjoy, understand and be able to use the media that is created for them.  Watching children interact with shows and games first hand is invaluable to developing your understanding and making you a better writer or producer.  And who knows, you may decide to pursue a career in research!  Even if you still have your heart set on production or writing, you can use your internship in research as an opportunity to meet people in those departments.
Some kids’ TV shows and video game licenses are researched on the academic level, to prove that media can truly benefit the children that use them.  Sometimes these studies are run by university professors, but often they are run by researchers who work for the production companies.  Search your college library for scholarly journal articles about current shows like Sesame Street, Dora the Explorer and Blue’s Clues.  Read video game research put out by places like EDC, and the Institute of Play.  Contact authors you’d like to work with, talk about what you found interesting in their report, and ask if they’re hiring interns.

4) Pick a place one or two places you’re particularly passionate about working for, and focus your energies on getting an internship there.  If you don’t get hired this semester, just try again next semester and the next until you get through.  But remember that big name places like EA or Nickelodeon can afford to be choosy and often prefer candidates with an internship or two already under their belt.  Apply to your dream companies, but also apply at smaller companies to get your feet wet.

5) Apply early.  Companies don’t all hire interns the same way colleges admit new students.  The application deadline isn’t set in stone.  If a producer happens to meet a great intern in January or February who will be available in the summer, then in the producer’s mind, the summer internship is already full.  That said, many places will have rolling openings, or many availabilities, so submit your resume often.  Hiring an intern is something that often gets pushed to the bottom of the to-do list over and over again until it becomes a last minute scramble.  Apply early, but be patient.

6) If at all possible, use an address that’s local (within commuting distance) to the place you are applying.  Many internships are unpaid.  A hiring supervisor in New York City may feel guilty about bringing someone all the way from the middle of the country to earn a $10 a day stipend, and their guilt might keep you from rising to the top of the pile.  This isn’t fair to you, but remember too that hiring managers are burdened with the responsibility of making sure someone good fills the position.  They may worry that if they hire you, you’ll bail out at the last minute once you face the realities of how expensive it is to live in the city.  That will leave them in the lurch.  If you are planning to live with your Aunt Tilly while you intern, use Aunt Tilly’s address on your resume.  You can explain in the job interview, if the topic comes up.

A note on contacting someone via email: 
First, try LinkedIn.  LinkedIn is an increasingly popular social networking site that is specifically focused on making career related connections.  Some LinkedIn users have their permissions set so anyone with an account may send them a message.  Use this to your advantage.  It’s what LinkedIn was created for.  Sending someone a message on LinkedIn should not be confused for trying to add a person to your network.  As LinkedIn states in many places, network connections are for people who already know one another.  Similarly, contacting someone on Facebook for the purposes of finding a job or internship might not be well received, because Facebook is an environment for people who already know one another.

If you’re unable to contact the person you’re trying to reach via LinkedIn, you may be able to figure out what their email address is.  Most large companies assign every employee’s email address according to the same schema, like firstinitiallastname@ourcompany.com.  So, if you have an email address for one employee, you’ll be able to make an educated guess at what another employee’s email address will be.
First, figure out the domain name the company uses for email.  This is often the same domain the company’s website appears under, but not always.  Once you know it, Google that domain name and the word ‘email’.  We’re looking for any employee who has published his work email address on the web, maybe in a conference proceeding or presentation slideshow.  So for example, if I was targeting Ubisoft, I’d search “email ubisoft.com” and browse results.  If you’re unsure of the email domain name, you can use the company name instead.
Once you have located one employee’s email address, copy that format with the name of the person you’re trying to reach.  For example, if I dug up Joe.Smith@ubisoft.com, and I’m trying to reach Sally Simpson, I would send an email to Sally.Simpson@ubisoft.com
Whether you're contacting someone on LinkedIn or via email, remember not to make a pest of yourself.  Be brief, and send one message.  If you don't hear a response, follow up in two or three weeks.  If you still don't hear anything back, let it go.

Watch this blog for Part 2: The Dos and Don’ts of Being a Successful Television or Video Game Industry Intern.

I recently received a request from zinc Roe Design to review their latest preschool apps; three in a series called Tickle Tap Apps.  It’s always good to keep abreast of the latest kids offerings in the App Store, so I was happy to oblige.  Here goes!

Sort Slider asks players to match full color objects with their silhouettes, one at a time.  You play by dragging the color picture with your finger, or tilting the device until it slides into the correct shadow.  Practicing the skill of observing the shape and characteristics of objects could come in handy in school, because standardized tests often include questions that require careful observation.  To me, this feels more like an academic activity than a game, but then kids in the target age range like school, so this may still hold appeal.
Sort Slider features an adorable dog mascot who provides positive feedback after each correct answer.  He doesn’t talk, but he does bark, and is obviously pleased with the player’s success.
I would place the target age range for this app around 3 years old.  The objects used in the app have distinct shadows that young children should easily be able to differentiate, but this may make it too boring for kids 4 and up.

Count Caddy is another app that features a good educational concept for preschoolers.  Counting games for kids are a dime a dozen, but they usually don’t take the challenge beyond touching items one at a time to hear numbers in sequence spoken aloud.  Count Caddy is a young child’s counting activity done right.  Instead of simply tapping an item to hear a voice count it, the objects appear one at a time, and the player drags it to move it into a collection area.  This allows the child a moment to process the fact that she is adding it to a group. 
What really makes Count Caddy first class among counting apps is that it introduces the concept of counting by twos and threes, sometimes called 'skip counting'.  Counting by twos and threes is a concept kids don’t usually fully understand until kindergarten, first grade, or even later, but I think it’s great to expose preschoolers to topics that are a little advanced for them.  A child as young as 2 could play Count Caddy, because the only action necessary is sweeping items across the screen to the collection area.  In counting by twos and threes, the objects are already lumped together in groups, and the narrator counts by two and three aloud.

Sound Shaker is an app I would only recommend for a very mellow child.  It’s more of a toy than a game, which is not to put the app down in any way.  It’s a noise maker that a child can customize.  There are 6 sounds to choose from.  Once you’ve selected a sound to work with, you tap the screen to make fingertip-sized balls appear that will chime the selected sound when they hit the edge of the screen.  The app has great physics, so you can make a pile of balls and slowly tumble them around.  The one that impacted to make noise gets a star on it so you can see which impact triggered the noise.  Another feature I didn’t discover until the third or so time I played is that you can hold your finger down on the screen to make items that sound at a higher pitch.  A narrator does say about 12 seconds in to "tap the screen longer to make new sounds," but I guess I was previously too busy playing to really listen to her.  I fall into the camp of people that try to tune any narrative I hear out as an annoyance, even though it may be providing helpful information.  That’s OK though.  Discovering this feature on the third play made the game novel again.
I haven’t observed a child play with the app, but it is my fear that the game encourages you to shake the iPhone / iPod Touch vigorously, because sounds are only made when objects collide with the edge of the screen.  To their credit, you can use your finger to fling balls into each other or against the wall, and shaking the device fast does not make the balls move fast.  They seem to have selected a reasonable top speed to discourage rough shaking.  That doesn’t mean a child won’t want to try, though.  It would be all too easy for the device to slip right out of the hand and go flying across the room.  I would recommend this app only to those parents who have a rugged grippy rubber case on their device.

Each of these apps is currently priced at $1.99 in the iPhone App Store.

I had the pleasure of attending a Women in Children's Media (WiCM) event this evening.  Jesper Juul gave a presentation entitled 'Gaming in the 21st Century.'  It was a good basic overview of the gaming world for the audience, many of whom work in the television industry. 

Audience members were asked to put their favorite video game on their nametag.  Jesper pointed out that it was interesting that about half the audience chose a game from the 70s or 80s, like Pong, Ms. Pac-Man, or Tetris.  One of the main points of his presentation was that the casual game genre is making a resurrgence in recent years.  In the 90s, games trended toward becoming complicated, and lost many players in the process.

Now that I think about it, it's also interesting that when I first arrived, the direction was to write your favorite video game character on your nametag.  The direction was soon changed to write your favorite video game, not character.  WiCM is an organization that traditionally focuses on television and print media, and those are very character driven industries.  Video games really aren't.  There are some games and game series that have strong characters that players identify with, but those games are an exception.  To pick a popular example, many people are fans of Mario games, but few people are fans of Mario himself.  Fans of Mario the character do exist, but it's more common to be a fan of the experience of playing a Mario game.  So, one challenge that people who move from a career in children's television to video games may find difficult is producing a meaningful experience, but not necessarily strong characters.  This is significant, because children's television and books have always excelled at making compelling characters.

Here are my notes of Jesper's presentation, such as they are:

Jesper: Author of half-real & A Casual Revolution books

NYU Game Center, currently offering a few classes
will offer a two-year master's in Game Development in 2-3 years time

Why study video games?
Major part of contemporary culture
65% of US households play -> more video game players than non-video game players
crime in society is going down, video game sales are going up.  :)
there’s a lot of money to be made!

First computer game: Spacewar! 1961 MIT
Senet - 3000BC  games older than novels

More fiction in video games than non-digital games.  Board games and card games are abstract.  But what does it do?

Cooking Mama - You can’t do everything you could normally do in a kitchen. Can’t order take out, you can only slice food one way, etc.  Games have rules that aren’t explained by fiction, like Mario coming back to life 3 times, $200 for passing ‘Go’ in Monopoly.  Fiction is not always implemented in rules: Car never runs out of gas

The industry:
Developers, publishers, platform owners, retailers
Roles: Game designer, programmer, artist, producer, QA tester, etc.

Where does the $60 go?  Forbes 12/2006 break down

2005/6 Casual Game explosion, Wii, Guitar Hero/Rock Band, Bejeweled big business, Diner Dash - not about graphics, renewed focus on what’s going on in front of the screen = in the living room
2005 = death of: promoting new games as having better graphics, promoting to young males, games sold only in boxes

GameZebo, 182 users interviewed in summer ‘08, 93% female, 35% several times a day

Casual games fit into a player’s life
often feature positive feedback more than negative - Peggle is a huge example of this.