GameShop Manager : a goofy simulator-type game where you play as the store manager of a GameStop location.
In this project, which was realized by a team of 7 developers, we wanted to create a simulator inspired game where the player would be the manager of a game salespoint location, more precisely a GameStop. Since the project was taking place during a point in time where GameStop was gaining a lot of traction and popularity through internet culture, we wanted to use that movement to inspire our development on the project.
The result took shape in the following prototypal game, where we tried to incorporate a certain funny and humoristic dimension to the heart of the game, while still giving it a familiar look, interface and game-feel so players would instantly recognize the underlying simulator-based gameplay loop in place.
Real-Life Inspirations : as the title might hint to, we drew inspirations from real-life products and brands in order to ideally familiarize the player with the game and its context as quickly as possible. We also used the traditional corporate "minimalistic" style of design in an attempt to take a jab at it.
Simplified Visuals : we wanted to keep the visual for the game simple for two main reasons - first, it was easier for us to focus on the gameplay loop and programming/integration that way, since it was a first experience in proper game development for some of the team, and second, because it was easier for us to communicate some information to the players in a gross but efficient manner - for example, the various customers who walked in the store had allegiances to various brands (Nintendo, Xbox, PlayStation) that could be immediately recognized by the color of their "shirt" (or bodies).
Mobile Friendly : we wanted to have a UX and UI that felt as mobile friendly as possible, because we saw a potential where our product could be a fun one to ship to mobile markets. In order to accommodate that vision, the artistic team as well as the design and integration team had to use some creative ways to convey information efficiently without using overcrowded menus or large blocks of texts. One of the solutions we came up with was to use an in-game cellphone through which a lot of the interactions with the game environment were allowed, like restocking items or upgrading sales booths.
