Preparing the graphical user interface (GUI) for Code-Monkeys’ iPhone game.
Don’t think any less of us, but we here at DesignPoint are big fans of video games. So it was a real treat when Chris Skaags from Code-Monkeys asked us to help him with the development of a game for the iPhone and iPad.
Nuclear Destruction is a classic play-by-mail game that was originally developed by Flying Buffalo in 1970. It is a game of diplomacy, industry, and ultimately, total global domination through the careful application of nuclear weapons. It’s fun for the whole family!
Our role in the development process was to establish the game’s visual identity and to build the Graphical User Interface (GUI). We were provided with an outline of all the various screens that would be required for the different parts of the game. This is very similar to how we would build a website, except that we had to overcome the challenge of providing a useable and readable interface that fit comfortably into the iPhone’s unique screen size and resolution.
We developed every screen in pieces that the folks at Code-Monkeys could then slice up for use with their software. For example, there would always be a background image, a content area, and at least one button. The button would then have two versions, one for when it was idle and another for when it was “pressed” by the user. We had to rely carefully on the provided outline to design every possible graphic asset that a user would see in the course of playing the game. While at the base level, we were still just performing our regular task of making something that looks good, it forced us to think in different ways about how all the individual pieces would function as a whole.
The game is currently still in development, but you can join the open beta right now at code-monkeys.com and get an early start on the action. We look forward to seeing this one in the iTunes App Store sometime in the near future!
Here is the logo and some GUI artwork created for Nuclear Destruction…
“We threw a very complex and challenging project at DesignPoint that included illustration, design, and UI elements. We couldn’t have been happier with their work which gave our project a wonderfully creative image in a market where art makes or breaks a property.”
— Chris Skaggs, Silverback, Code-Monkeys