Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
Programs such as iConvert, IcoFx and LiquidIcon allow you to make your own
customized icons on your home computer. You can also use Windows 7, which
has features to let you make customizable icons.
To create a launch icon:
1.
Create the graphic at 32
n
32 pixels.
2.
Save to your desktop as a
.png
.
3.
Change the file extension to
.ico
.
Launch!
When you launch a game, most designers feature an intro screen, which can be
the splash art, title screen, startup screen, loading screen, or any combination
of those. This screen usually includes a button that players can click to proceed
to the main menu (alternately, they can click anywhere, and the game will pro-
ceed). Some designers also add some of the elements that are associated with
the main menu (see the section “Main Menu”).
To get to this first screen, players need to click a launch button. For players
with home computers, the launch button appears as an icon, generally on the
desktop. Figure 6.1 shows a close-up of what a launch icon typically looks like
on a computer desktop. This icon launches the game
Apparitions: The Haunting
of the Red Reef Inn
. The logo is used through the game and its marketing, mak-
ing it easy to spot on the desktop.
FiGuRe 6.1
Launch icons are
unique to any game or software program.
interface Design
Game makers continue to improve graphics, animation, sound, and gameplay
in an effort to engage the player more and more. Getting players involved in a
game is almost like drawing them into a movie or TV show, but games are set
