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Case Study 1
Case Study 2


Case Studies
All the game examples in the following section were commissioned by 3rd party clients. Copyright for the compiled code and associated graphics files is held by the client. However, Smilie retain full development rights over the source code and can adapt and enhance the gameplay.

Case Study #2: Edison Interactive - Formula/Touring Car Challenge

These two games were originally commissioned as a pair and are amongst our personal favourites! We liked Formula Challenge so much, we created a new version for our own gamesite.

Both games allow the user to select a car from 6 racing teams, each with different handling, acceleration and braking characteristics. Each version gives the player a choice of 6 tracks to race - all carefully based on actual circuits but with license to interpret design enabling the best gameplay possible.

The design Brief required that the player was to race against an opponent from the Top 20 times for that track. Data from each race completed that qualifies for the Top 20 is saved out to an online database. We save out two sets of tables, an 'All-Time Top 20', and a 'Today's Top 20' compiled over a rolling 24 hours. To help with playability we decided to let the player choose from the rolling 24 hour Top 20 - after all, once the experts have got their times in the All-Time table, racing only against the best of the best could become frustrating.

All the cars and tracks were rendered from 3D models, with the cars rotating in 16 directions from a top down perspective. There is also the traditional set of starting lights with accompanying beeps.

Features include gravel traps, lower acceleration and 'icy' handling on grass, car skidding, barriers to prevent cheating and cutting of corners, and timing down to one thousandth of a second (although times are only displayed to the end user in tenths).

The total download of class files is 78kB, with associated graphics files needed to play a single complete game at a further 332kB. Sound files come to 99kB. User download of graphics and sound is staggered to produce the slickest game flow possible. Once the user has played through the game, with the caching methods of modern browsers, subsequent games will download significantly faster.