ADOBE MAX 2006 - "Developing Flash Lite Games" Conference - by Didier Agani (Mobitween)

2006 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All Rights Reserved.1

MAX 2006 Beyond Boundaries

Developing Flash Lite Games

Didier AganiFlash Team Leader

Marc Alloul

Executive Vice President

Mobitween

22006 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All Rights Reserved.

Developing Flash Lite Games

Mobitween OverviewCommon Games vs. Mobile Games

Thinking Flash LiteGetting Started - Creating a Game Template

Developing & Integrating the GameTesting & Optimizing

Publishing & DeliveringConclusion & Discussion

Jani KarlssonHead of Technology & Strategy at NokiaWorld of Mobile Game Conference - London - June 2006

« Flash is the missing piece in the Mobile Industry »


Mobitween OverviewAn Innovative Developer and Publisher of Mobile Games


A Mobile Content Developer strong games portfolio – more than 100 titles

A Mobile Content Publisher for mobile carriers and aggregators

existing distribution channels in Europe

Mobitween Overview

EXPERTS


Mobitween Overview

« Casual Games » Editorial Strategy back to “basic gaming” >> Pick-up and Play specifically designed for handheld devices simple interactivity adapted to mobile new full vector graphics look & feel www.mobitween.com


Mobitween Overview

Numerous predefined game features server based hi-scores

multi-players

convergence >> pc-to-mobile / mobile-to-pc / pc-to-pc

“try before you buy”

in-game billing

in-game advertising

Distribution Channels

orangeTM

Group

http://www.mit.biz/


Common Games vs. Mobile GamesIntroduction to Flash Lite


Video Games over the Ages

00’s

80’s 90’s


Common Games vs. Mobile Games



Same Gameplay

Different technology

Today Mobile device can be seenas a 90’s console

Mobile Handsets Mobile Development

Lack of memory

Slow processor

Small display screen

Battery life !

Faster

Lower cost

Mass Market

Fragmentation


Native Code

3 main Technologies to develop Mobile Games

Java Flash


Platform Dependent

Low fragmentation

Not so complex

Powerful

Ubiquitous

2D games

Development Cost

Firmware Dependent

High fragmentation

Very complex

Very powerful

Close to hardware

3D games

Development Cost

Handset Dependent

High fragmentation

Complex

Powerful

Java Virtual Machine

2D and 3D games

Development Cost


Thinking Flash LiteBetter By AdobeTM


Available to over 140 Devices – over 77 millions Mobiles

Limited to a small amount of syntax from Flash 4 & 5

Relatively slow

Dedicated to User Interfaces and Small Animations

Thinking Flash Lite

Adobe’s first Mass Market embedded Player

Flash Lite 1.x


Run on Open Operating Systems (excepting Linux) and on BREW (beta)

Available on Symbian s60, Windows Mobile 5 (beta)

Based on Flash 7 and supports ActionScript 2.0

Clearly faster than Flash lite 1.x

Suitable for Game Development

The good choice to create great Mobile Games

Flash Lite 2.x

Thinking Flash Lite


Too much graphics can slow down the framerate

Too much code can overload the memory

Balance

Graphics vs. Actions

LowGraphics & Script

HighGraphics & Script


Getting StartedCreating a Game Template

Write Once, Run Anywhere


Getting Started - Creating a Game Template

Made to simplify the development Made to improve the productivity Made to hold many games

MainTemplate

Interactivities

Core Game

Graphics

Write onceRun anywhere


Creating a Game Template - Example

KeyManager.isRightKeyDown()

No Template Template

Test Player

Check and Return Boolean

TestKeypad ‘6’

Compare via Keys Database

Key.getAscii()Key.getCode()

TestJoystick Right

Building a robust Templateallows you to keep focused

on your Game Development

KeyManager Object


Player, Handset profiles…

Key Manager

Cookie Manager: Saves, Records…

Game Interactivity: Intro, Menu, Help screen, Navigation, Pause…

Network Features

Tools Library: Math, Time, Menu, Algorithms …

Template Features

Menus Saves Pause Record Math Network


Developing and Integrating the GameFrom Template to Concrete


Optimization

➊ : template creation

➋ : game development

➌ : graphics integration

➍ : test phase

➎ : iterations step ➋

➏ : delivery

Typical development life cycle

Development Life Cycle

GAME DESIGN

DEVELOPMENT GRAPHICS

TEST

DELIVERY


Developing the Game

Developing a cool “Casual Game” - SNAKE - in 10 minutes:

3 movieclips:• Snake’s head• Snake’s body piece• Apple

Then just call snakeAlive()Function on onEnterFrame.

Function snakeAlive() {

if (MyMng.isInPause) { return; }

If (KeyMng.isRight) { snake.goRight(); } else if (KeyMng.isLeft) { snake.goLeft(); } …

If (snake.isOnApple) { MyMng.scoring(1); snake.addBody(); }

}

Your Template should manages‘saves’ and ‘records’ for you.

Use MyMng.scoring(x), andit will be automatically saved.


Developing the Game

10 minutes after …


Developing the Game

… and after graphic design


Testing and Optimizing the GameThe « Mobile » Reality


Does not reflect the handset capabilities> colors, speed, latency…

Debugging Tool

Testing

How your game really runs on mobile

Devices do not react the same

That’s why it is important to test on all targeted devices

Simulator Devices


Optimizing

Significant optimizations from Mobitween’s experience:

Do not use too much vectors, prefer bitmaps when possible

Use the right bitmap format JPEG vs. PNG

Optimize shapes and outlines

Avoid animating lot of movie clips at the same time

Avoid complex uses of Math and loops

Avoid many code in the same frame

See the excellent « Optimizing content for Flash Lite 2.0 »

from Josh Ulm, Adobe

www.adobe.com/devnet/devices/articles/flash_lite_optimization.pdf


Publishing and DeliveringThe Real Power of your Template


Publishing & Delivering

Click‘n Publish From a unique FLA file SWF publications Handsets fragmentation

Click‘n Deliver

From SWF to Content that the end-user receive on his device

Archive delivery

Q&A

“Ready to use” Datas for deployment

XML Flow

Web Services

Carriers Aggregators


ConclusionFlash Lite Games


Development Conclusion

Provide a new look & feel and appeal to your content

●Capitalize on Flash strengths

Reduced Fragmentation still leads to a on-going reflection

●Deployment issue remains a challenge

Development & Deployment Framework

is key to success


Market Conclusion

“Casual Games make most use of the inherent advantages of the mobile platform.

People want to fill 'dead time' with easy to use, but fun games”.Bruce Gibson, Research Director with Juniper Research.

Mobitween has developed several years of strong expertisein Development, Deployment and Publishing

●Our goal is to become a leading Developer and Publisher for handheld devices

leveraging Adobe’s Flash Lite technology●

Benefit from our tools and know-how

let’s engage on mobile!


thank you