SAN FRANCISCO — Indie game studio GlobZ used Autodesk’s user interface (UI) solution, Autodesk Scaleform middleware, to re-create the Flash-based game "TwinSpin" for the iOS platform, which runs on Apple's iPhone, iPad and iPod touch devices. GlobZ used the middleware to repackage three 24-level releases of the mini-game for PC into a 72-level single title optimized for the iOS platform.
Scaleform provides a cross-platform solution to create hardware-accelerated game menus and UI screens in 2D and 3D using Adobe Flash software. The 4.1 version, which was announced yesterday at the Game Developer's Conference and is expected to be available this spring, will extend the middleware's mobile game development toolset with a new mobile-ready player, flexible input support, game kits and tutorials.
GlobZ used Scaleform to create new menus that stitched together the individual mini-game releases into one cohesive title with three worlds, and the potential for future content updates. Scaleform middleware's highly optimized, multithreaded vector graphics renderer enabled GlobZ to increase the frame rate from 25 to 60 frames per second (fps), providing sharper and smoother graphics more suitable for the iOS platform, while keeping the game size at 10 MB, well under the 20 MB size limit.
"Scaleform rendering was key in producing the quality of graphics that we wanted to achieve for the iOS version of 'TwinSpin,' and we had more space to style the game because the Scaleform footprint is so small compared to certain other solutions," explained Alexandre Houdent, general manager at GlobZ. "Scaleform also provides interfaces for cleanly integrating platform-specific libraries with our content."
"Testing was also an important part of our development process to make sure that the game was translating well on the new platform," added Houdent. "Using Scaleform the game file compiles more quickly, so we were able to work iteratively until we felt the game was presented in the best possible light on iOS."
"TwinSpin" is an action arcade game with simple, yet addictive gameplay mechanics. Players must use a finger to move two smiley-face twins connected by a baton around the playing field to burst all of the balloons in each level, while avoiding the "bad guys". GlobZ advises the game is expected to be available on the Apple App Store soon.
"The 'TwinSpin' game mechanics translate extremely well to the touch-based iOS platform," said Marc Stevens, Autodesk vice president, product management. "It's great to see promising games like this get a second life on new platforms, with new customers to delight and new revenue opportunities. We expect that Autodesk's offering of mobile game development solutions will help more developers like GlobZ to do the same."