Though I was a member of the organization from the beginning of its creation, in 2019 I decided to take the opportunity and join the leadership team. Game design is one of my longest-running passions and I wanted to use my skillset to contribute to the growth of the organization and community at large. For the last few years, we've focused our efforts on fundraising to create projects that showcase local developers and bring in added resources for our members. It's been amazing to see the impact it's had on the local game development community and the quality of games that are being created in our own backyard.
It was clear that the CGDA needed a new website when I joined the leadership team. I designed this website to be a clear communication tool for people who have just learned about the organization. It showcases our primary onboarding tool, our discord channel, and the benefits of becoming a paid member. You can view the current site at calgary.games
In the fall of 2022, we will be launching the CALGARYcades across the city. We have constructed a handful of 4-player arcade cabinets that will exclusively feature Calgary-created video games. I designed a custom software launcher that will allow players to select and launch any game that is uploaded to the system. There were numerous considerations on how to design a multi-game platform. Below you can find my thought process and a link to the online prototype.
The CALGARYcades are a group of 4-player arcades that publicly showcase Calgary-made games. They will be placed in high-traffic areas to promote local game development.
November 2021 – Present
Arcades have traditionally played 1 game per cabinet. We needed a software solution to allow the players to choose from a number of different titles.
To develop custom software for a multiple game launcher that allows players to easily choose from a number of curated titles supported on the platform.
Lead UX designer, lead UI designer.
UX planning, wireframing, UI design
The overall user experience for the CALGARYcade Game Launcher had to be so simple to use that anyone who's ever used an arcade could instantly walk up and choose a game to play. It also had to be compatible with many different types of games in relation to genre and player count as we never wanted to limit the types of games that could be submitted. The interface had to be very intuitive but still relay enough information about each game so that the players could make an informed decision on what to play. Everything also had to be totally controlled by the joysticks and buttons. To keep things simple the entirety of the launcher software can be controlled using only the joystick and two buttons, one for confirm and one for back.
As soon as local game developers hear about this project, the first question immediately asked is "how do I get my game to work on the arcades?" It was important to supply developers with specific instructions on how to build or convert their titles to work within the parameters of the system. Full controller button mapping diagrams are provided and an online submission form was built. On the form, any local developer can review the submission process and tailor their game to fit within the specifications provided. Once a game has been summited through the online form all the data is packaged for an internal review and if approved all the needed information, art assets and game files are remotely uploaded to the launcher.
The only thing that's more fun than playing arcade games is playing arcade games with your friends. We wanted to give local developers the platform to create amazing multiplayer experiences so it was always the intention from the start to build 4 player cabinets. To make development the easiest for the game creators we needed to provide button mapping schematics that would align with each player's station. These however are static and it was also important that we never define where the player's location was on the controller as we wanted to give players the freedom to walk up and pick any open play space. To make the user experience as smooth as possible for both the developers and players the launcher now remaps the buttons to the player's "ready up" location. This means a person can launch a single-player game (with P1 button mapping) from any location on the controller board.
In a single screen all the information about each game on the platform had to be conveyed. The main components of the launcher are the top banner, screenshots, game description, genres and player count. By scrolling right and left with any joystick on the controller board, players can view each game's information and choose to launch a title.
Click on the image below to launch an online prototype.
Over the pandemic the CGDA decided to put together a local indie game bundle. Calgary video game developers were invited to include their game in a discounted package that would be sold through the Xsolla distribution platform. I created a trailer to showcase all 12 of the games featured in the bundle.
© Mike Lohaus - All rights reserved