Top 3 Facebook Apps

If you would like to make a game and put it on Facebook, it is a good idea to know what constitutes a good game or app.  I will evaluate the three most popular Facebook apps from October 2013.  According to insidefacebook.com, the three most popular apps were Candy Crush Saga, Pet Rescue Saga, and TripAdvisor.  These are ranked by a standard called MAU which stands for monthly active users. Next we will explore each app and learn more about them.

In first place was Candy Crush with 135,385,699 active users during the month of October.  No other game was even nearly close to this number.  Candy Crush is a game designed by King and has many great features which make it number one. It was released in April 2012, and has been gaining strength ever since.  It is similar to a Bejeweled type of game, where the player must match pieces of candy.  This game features many levels and is very active with social networking through Facebook. Players can request extra lives and extra bonus items by connecting and sharing with friends.  They can also see the level their friends are at and try to surpass them. Since the game can be played for a short amount of time and is readily available on smart phones, some say it’s rather addicting. These qualities all make for a strong game.  If you haven’t tried Candy Crush chances are you may just be missing out.

In second place was Pet Rescue, and its MAU rank is 40,166,402.  It is also a game that was developed by King.  It is a puzzle type game where one must match colored blocks. The object is to remove a higher number of blocks in the least amount of clicks. Like Candy Crush, it also has some special moves objects in the game. It also has some social media advantages and can be shared with friends. After a level it will also tell you which of your friends you have beaten.  Having a game on social media is a huge benefit of developing a game, because it allows players to invite friends and promotes the game.

The third place app was TripAdvisor.  It was developed by TripAdvisor and it has a MAU rank of 34,566,422.  This app is very similar to a game, except it lets users pinpoint where they have traveled to and places they have seen.  It also allows other capabilities such as pinpointing where one wants to go.  It allows the ranking of attractions.  It also engages people by giving badges as rewards for traveling.  The thing that makes TripAdvisor so popular is that it allows its users to show their friends where they have traveled or if they are traveling to a neat place.  It shows a map of where friends are and helps one stay connected through social media.

If you haven’t tried these apps you should consider looking into them. They are the current craze in the Facebook world.  If you are interested in learning about other popular apps and games, check out this website http://www.insidefacebook.com/2013/10/02/top-25-facebook-apps-october-2013/.  It lists the top 25 Facebook apps for October.  You can also find past months as well.  If you are interested in making your own game, I suggest checking out these top apps.  They can help give you some key qualities that you may want to include in your game. 

001 Game Creator

If you have an interest in creating your own video games but do not have any experience, 001 Game Creator could be the perfect system to make a wide variety of games.  It is an easier program to learn.  It also introduces its users to writing simple code. It has a flow chart design which enables its user’s to select the object they want and then the system will auto generate the code.  This feature is made possible by the graphical scripter.  A picture of the flow chart is shown to the left.  As one becomes more familiar with the code, 001 Game creator offers text scripting.  Text scripting allows the user to manual enter code to make more complex designs.  The system also lets one mix graphical and text scripting to allow maximum performance.

The program has many other neat features to add to the gaming 
experience.  It has a particle effect generator that allows many different effects to be created.  It allows the shape, color, and size to be changed.  A picture of a basic effect is shown to the right.  The program also allows lighting and fog options.  This includes changing bright or dark features or even creating rain and snow.   It even allows positional and layered audio affects.  This allows for multiple sounds to be played on top of one another, giving a game surround sound capability.  These are just three of the many features 001 Game Creator offers.

This game engine allows for more basic games, but it is a great program to get an understanding of code scripting.  The game is available for download at http://www.engine001.com/downloads.htm.  They have three different versions available, and the community version is free.  The terms and conditions also allow game developers to host and share their games online, so a game can be shared on Facebook.  If you are interested in 001 Game Creator, check out the video below!  It shows some basic features of 001 Game Creator as well as how to share your game!

Upload a Game to Facebook!

You may make a game and then you may wonder how to upload it onto Facebook. The first step is to go to the website https://developers.facebook.com and click on the green “Register Now” button at the top to become a Facebook Developer. Then you must agree to the terms and conditions and enter your phone number into the form.  Facebook will then text you a code that you must enter to continue. A form will then appear that you must fill out.  Since different game platforms use different coding languages, I selected the codes I am more familiar with.  An example of the form I completed is shown below.  You may also skip this step.

 

Next, you click on create new app.  The following box appears.  You fill out the name, category, and game type.  You can see how I filled mine out from the picture to the right.  After this, Facebook takes you to your own app page.  To put your game on Facebook, we will use the App on Facebook tab.  In order to put your game onto Facebook, you must have your game on a website and save it to a Canvas URL.  For example, if I made a Canvas URL for a game on my blog it would look like jakeludwig55.blotspot.com/Canvas.  After this is created you simply fill out the Facebook form with your Canvas information and click the “Save Changes” button.  Your game is now available in the Facebook App Directory! If you are unsure of how to create a Canvas URL watch the dimeRocker video on the right side of my blog.  This video will show you how to upload a game using dimeRocker, and will actually allow you to make your own Canvas on dimeRocker.

Unreal Development Kit- An Advanced Program

Unreal Development Kit (UDK) is a free version of a program called Unreal Engine 3 by Epic Games.  Epic Games is a popular company that has created top games like Gears of War and BioShock Infinite. They have also received attained many awards and achievements.  Epic Games uses cross-platform game technology to distribute their games to many different areas. These include Windows, Steamworks (for online), Mac OS X, and iOS.  Top gaming systems like Xbox, PlayStation, and Wii are included in these platforms.   The UDK is for more experienced game developers. The program itself is made with C++, but the game behavior is scripted in its own version of JavaScript named UnrealScript.

Picture by Epic Games

UDK is free until one wants to sell their games; Epic Games charges a $99 fee.  If a game makes over $55,000 then Epic Games claims 25% of all royalties.  If one has an interest in creating a highly advanced game with the intention of commercial use then the UDK would be a great program to learn.  The program is so advanced that it can also be used for television or theatrical animation.  It can also be used to feature architecture like in the side picture.

The UDK is advanced and may take time to learn.  There are many help forums on the UDK website.  On this website: http://udn.epicgames.com/Three/DevelopmentKitProgramming.html, you can download UDK and also find many links to get started.   If you are interested in learning more abohttp://www.unrealengine.com/en/udk/. For experienced developers, or for people who want to create the latest and state of the art games, the UDK would be a great program to use. 

ut the UDK you can also visit their main website at

Game Maker- By YOYO Games

Game Maker is a game developer that can be both utilized for beginners and experienced game developers.  It also allows for cross-platform games. It is designed to be 80% faster than regular game coding. It has drag and drop features which will auto generate code for users, or it allows users to program in Game Maker Language (GML).  GML is a scripting language specially designed for Game Maker.  Game Maker also has a neat asset of built in libraries.  These libraries offer actions that most games have.  You can also make your own libraries in the Library builder.

Game Maker is available in many different versions which offer many different features.  They have a free version called Studio so anyone can try out their product.  They also have Standard version for $49.99, a Professional version for $99.99, and a Master Collection version for $799.99.  If you are interested in downloading any of these versions they are available at: http://www.yoyogames.com/studio.

The newest version of Game Maker Studio is 1.2.  This offers the capability to easily build different cross-platform games.  It also has the capability of a new Shader which gives games an upgraded and more realistic look.  It also gives you access to YoYo Complier which lets programs run 100 time faster!  It is also just an overall upgrade which has many improvements compared to other versions. Check out the video below which shows how the Shader works.  It offers many different kinds of shades and displays the different effects it can give a game!

                  

Sploder- An Easy Way to Make Games!

Sploder is a very simple way to make games.  It is actually all built on their website, and you can join for free at http://www.sploder.com!  No personal information is needed either. You can also try a demo version before signing up as well. This website is simple to use because no programming skills are needed.  It is a site that anyone interested in game design with no experience should get out. 

Once at the website, Sploder offers five different game types one can make. They are Retro Arcade, Platformer, Physics Puzzle, Classic Shooter, and 3D Adventure.  These games have all the designs procreated.  You can simple edit them and make your own.  It will also let one create multiple levels and stages as well as save your progress.  They also have many help different help menus and walkthroughs making it easy for everyone.   

Once signed in, it is very simple to create own game.  You simply go click on the top link that states “Make a Game”.  Then you choose your game type.  Once you chose your game type you simply edit around the game.  I created my own simple game shown below.  I went to Arcade Creator and then hit the “create” button.  After that, Sploder gives you the options of new, edit, load, save, save as, and share.  I hit the new button.  Then you go through two steps of creating levels and stages (I just created one of each) and your game platform opens up.  Here you have the options to change the background, landscape, and add characters.  You can then save and share your game.  I shared my game below!

Make a Free Flash Game
Created by Jacob

Facebook SDK for Unity!

Facebook and Unity have worked together to launch a new cross platform called the SDK.  Facebook’s strategy is to help game developers more easily access Facebook’s features.  Facebook is experiencing a fast growth in more advanced 3D games.  By teaming up with Unity, they launched the SDK which makes it faster and easier to integrate Unity games with Facebook.  The SDK lets players play theses games on many different platforms like Android, iOS, or the web.  For example, to make a game applicable on a mobile device only one new line of code needs to be written.  It makes the integration process much cleaner and more efficient.  One thing to note is all the code is written in C# and no JavaScript is needed.

Another advantage of the SDK is that it lets the players of the Unity games share their content.  They can refer friends, share their scores, and connect with other players.  This creates a social and personal experience for the players. It also has the feature of playing games in full screen mode and allowing social content to also be displayed. The SDK can be downloaded for free at https://developers.facebook.com/docs/unity/downloads/ or at http://u3d.as/content/facebook/facebook-sdk-for-unity-beta-/5j1.

The SDK works with the Unity program that I showed how to download in a past post. From Unity and Facebook working together, I think it is safe to say many new innovations can be expected in the future. This new innovation lets game developers share their games with everyone on Facebook with ease.  That’s about 260 million gamers!  And just think, this is just the beginning.

Check out this video that shows how to use the Facebook SDK for iOS!

Instructions for Downloading Unity!

In this post, I will describe how to install Unity. The new 4.2.2 version can be downloaded at http://unity3d.com/unity/download. To download the program, it takes roughly 881 MB of data to download and around ten minutes. After that, you must accept the terms and conditions and finish installing the program. After installing, you have the option of deciding to get the free version, buy the pro version, or obtain a thirty day free trial of the pro version. Then answer a questionnaire about what game applications you create is brought up. After the questionnaire completion, Unity is launched. The following window is then displayed.

 

After picking an import package, Unity opens a new project. The great thing about this is that a “Welcome To Unity” window appears which has tutorial and help forums. The tutorial will take you to Unities website with beginner videos. Unity contains 5 basic views of development they are the: Scene, Hierarchy, Game, Project, and Inspector views. These all make up the main screen which is shown below.

Your instillation of Unity is now complete. In future posts I will describe more of Unity works and how basic games are formed. The great thing about Unity is that there are many different help menus and tutorials to help get started! It is also a great program because it can make many different games for many different platforms. I will focus on Facebook, but switching form one platform to another should not be too difficult. I will keep exploring Unity, so stay tuned for future posts.

Unity-One of the Top Game Design Programs

Unity is a great and popularly way to make high quality games.  Unity provides a user friendly environment with endless options. It is used by over one million developers.  Unity comes in two versions, Unity and Unity Pro, and allows content to be made in either 2D or 3D.  Unity also has the unique capability to choose many different platforms (like Mac, PC, Android, and ect.)  This allows for smooth and easy development.  One of the best things about Unity is that the Unity version is now free for anyone to download.  The Unity Pro version is available for purchase. Unity has made many popular games like Temple Run and Interstellar Marines. Unity also features many tutorials and help options to help developers.

One feature of Unity is the Unity Editor.  The Unity Editor is an interface that allows developers to create their game. It allows one to sculpt their terrain and then actually test out the game.  It also has the option of many different views and features to create an elaborate and highly defined environment.  A Unity Editor example is featured below, which shows the view and how precise Unity is.  

Image from http://unity3d.com/

 Unity also has a number of other features that make it an outstanding platform.  It offers many different texture options along with its own audio support. It is a program designed to be fast and efficient.   The program has its own browser to rapidly find assets for your project.  Unity also offers a Unity Asset Store which offers free and purchasable assets for your game.  Unity has numerous other perks and features.  Check out Unity at http://unity3d.com/, because this game design program is growing stronger and making heading news with Facebook.

Inside Facebook Games - Mark Zuckerberg Inside Facebook - BBC

Facebook games are a highly valuable resource for Facebook for creating a virtual environment.  It also creates social interaction, and some games are designed to keep players coming back. This is achieved by creating time constraints and rewards for frequent playing of Facebook games.  Check out this YouTube video that takes a look at Facebook gaming as well as some additional information from Mark Zuckerberg.

Want to Create your Own Game?


Have you ever wanted to make your own game? Well now it’s possible with an easy to learn program. The program is called Construct 2 by Scirra. Scirra offers a free version of this program that anyone can download. It uses HTML 5, and allows for the creation of 2D games without having to use code. Construct 2 also comes with an easy tutorial to help anyone set up their own shooter gamer. Here is the tutorial link https://www.scirra.com/tutorials/37/beginners-guide-to-construct-2/page-5.


This tutorial walks through (on a step by step basis) how to create a ghost shooter video game. There is also a link where one can play the game the tutorial will help one create https://www.scirra.com/demos/ghosttutorial/. This is a very simple game that is used to explain how the program works. The program features an easy to use interface while the tutorial provides all the animations one needs to make the game.
  
Construct 2 also has many more capabilities to produce more advanced games, even in the free version. There are other versions available for purchase, but the basic version does allow the creation of more difficult games. I recommend going through the tutorial and experimenting with different features. I hope to make my own customized game using construct 2, and report back to my viewers about other features Construct 2 offers in the near future.

Creating Facebook Game's Introduction

I'm Jacob, and I am a Management Information Systems major interested in video game design. The purpose of this blog is to explore the world of gaming.  My goal is to inform my readers on programs they can use to create their own games that are compatible with Facebook.  I also want my viewers to be informed about the major game design programs that top companies are using.   I will also research programming techniques and ways of creating games. I will also provide tools and tips so my readers will be able to download these programs for themselves. I would also like to create my own game using a very basic game designer.  This can give my viewers a tutorial of how to do the same.  It is my goal to update this blog once a week with new findings of interesting and helpful content.  I am also on Twitter and LinkedIn, so feel free to add me and ask questions me any questions you may have.  Also, feel free to comment on my blog and let me know if there is any topic you would like me to further evaluate.  Overall, I hope you enjoy my blog and that it will give you an insight on a direction to take so you can create your own game.