Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
Screen rotation
The accelerometer included in a large number of smartphones detects the rotation of
the device in the 3D space and most software running on those devices rotate their
interface as well, according to the portrait or landscape mode in which the smart-
phone is held.
With games, it is not as easy to deal with such a feature as it would be for an image
viewer or a text editor. Some games are designed to exploit the vertical or horizont-
al dimension of the screen with a purpose, and rotating the phone is an action that
might not be accommodated by the game altogether.
Should the game allow rotating the device, it is then necessary to adapt the game
interface to the orientation of the phone as well, and this generally means designing
an alternate version of the interface altogether. It is also an interesting (and not much
exploited) feature to have the action of rotating the device as part of the actual game-
play and a core mechanic for a game.
Calibrations and reconfigurations
It is always a good idea to let players have the opportunity to calibrate and/or recon-
figure the game controls in the options screen.
For example, left-handed players would appreciate the possibility of switching the
game controls orientation.
When the accelerometer is involved, it can make a lot of difference for a player to
be able to set the sensibility of the device to rotation. Different models with differ-
ent hardware and software detect the rotation in the space differently and there's no
single configuration which is good for all smartphones. So let players calibrate their
phones according to their personal tastes and the capabilities of the device they are
handling. Several games offer this option.
Challenges
As games become more and more social, several options have been introduced
to allow players to display their score on public leaderboards and compete against
friends.
