Overview

For one of my University modules, I had the opportunity to work with a group to pitch a game idea. Experience in pitching gave me a different perspective on game development as a whole.

The game we pitched, called “Hamlet’s Dodgeball Arena” (or HAHD), is a massively multiplayer dodgeball game aimed at younger players. The idea was to create a fun, lighthearted competitive experience, where teams could come together in a fast-paced environment inspired by dodgeball, similar to titles like Knockout City. Whilst this concept wasn’t too unique as Knockout City has already been created, we focused on emphasising teamwork and strategic play over a typical kill-count based game.

How This Project Helped Me Learn

As a team, we all worked on everything from brainstorming the pitch, to putting together concepts and finally pitching to our lecturer.

While I primarily work in gameplay programming, this project allowed me to step back and look at the bigger picture, considering not just technical aspects, but also design and marketing strategies that would help the game succeed. For example, we envisioned unique arenas with interactive structures and power-ups like a “human cannonball” move, where a player could sacrifice themselves by becoming a powerful huge dodgeball.

The Collaborative Pitch

This project helped me with learning teamwork skills, as it was very collaborative. We researched the game’s competition, and even attended real-life dodgeball to play - I was absolutely awful at dodgeball! And I fell over and bruised my knee pretty badly, I don’t think I’ll be playing in real life any time soon, but I would play HAHD if it were to be made! Playing dodgeball in real life allowed us to get a better feel for how we could translate those mechanics into our game.

It was also interesting to learn about market research for games, and see what games are out there for this genre and age group.

Formative Review

The Pitch