At the very beginning we werent sure what we were going to do, and the brainstorming idea we did with the other group gave us very few ideas to work with. However, we managed to pull out certain aspects of their idea and mold them into our own idea and project. We decided we wanted a fun and easy game that anyone could use while waiting in the airport. We envisioned it as simple, and something fun that you wouldn't have to commit to for any longer than a few seconds to use. We cycled through ideas, and finally decided on a fixed balance board game, that would challenge the user to immitate an angle for a set amount of time.

Iterations:

    At first we spent a lot of time brainstorming, and thinking about what we would want the final to look like. After a lot of thinking we decided on a simple balance board idea with a matching ticker telling you which angle to balance at. We used a pvc pipe around a wooden dowel as the base for the board. This would allow for the board clamped onto the pipe to move along the fixed dowel, thus creating the balance board effect. The board was made out of a wooden plank, and had duct tape strapped around it to provide grip. The ticker was in a box connected to the top of a pvc pipe, and the pipe was stuck between two wooden planks allowing it to stand straight up. Although it was basic, this first iteration represented well the ideas we had in our head, and performed pretty much exactly how we had hoped.

    Our second iteration had a few improvements from the last, we decided first that we needed more grip on the board and decided to incorporate a new method. We took tiny wooden dowels and laid them all along the board, then proceeded to cover it in another layer of duct tape. The duct tape plus the dowels gave the board the added effect of a bumpy texture, helping create grip for sneakers. Along with this, we worked on making the dowel-pvc combination tighter because it would in effect make the board easier to balance on. Many methods were tried and many were unsuccessful, all at the very most only adding a tiny bit of friction between the two materials. We also added brackets to the base of the ticker-holder, and put weight on the base; so that the pvc pipe and wooden planks would stay sturdy if someone decided to use them as an aid for balance. We decided after having seen how much difficulty people were having with the game that we needed to add some sort of support mechanism. Many ideas came and went but in the end we decided to just solidify the base of the ticker holder, thus enabling it to double as a stability aid.

    Our third and final iteration had one large change made to it. In the final few hours of working, we got some constructive criticism from a studio instructor to change the look of the ticker box. We agreed that it was a little too bulky and thought about ways we could resize it. We reprinted the whole box scaled down a bit, and got approval to use some nice acrylic board for the front face of the box. We would then move the led’s inside the box, so when they lit up they would shine through the front face of the box and tell you how you were doing. Though this final improvement was made in the last few hours, it turned out looking great and largely improved the aesthetic aspect of our project.

          Our Urban Game called "Surfboard" is a game that challenges the user both mentally and physically to balance at certain angles for at least 3 seconds with a new angles as soon as the last one is completed. Our idea was to create a game that provides enjoyment and reward at the end and incorporates the two major factors that normally go into games. Our game uses decorative lights as a reward once the user completes the challenges, however their is also a certain amount of self-satisfaction that is gained once completed. 

           Our project provides several answers to long time gaming problems. One of the more important problems that it solves is incorporating physical play in a short amount of time. Currently most physically active games require a certain amount of practice and than another 30 minutes to play in a competitive way. However our game allows the average pedestrian to challenge himself physically in just 1-2 minutes. It also allows the user to gain enjoyment or self-satisfaction without any other players. 

           Our game could be the stepping stone into a whole new world of games. These games could help to get the world off the couch and produce the same amount of enjoyment while also moving and challenging your body. Our game could also help the elderly with balance issues as well as war veterans. It could also be modified to people who have recently come out of a coma who are looking to regain some of their balance in a more exciting way.

            Our game's use of simple rewards, as well as physical challenge, and easy to use interface makes it one of the most unique projects that we have made. We believe that as is it is already a very enjoyable game and that it's further uses are exponential.