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Update #6 - Happy Clouds!

Proppa's Kickstarter hits its mark!  Proppas everywhere are celebrating!  We are humbled by your gracious support and belief in Proppa.  Now that we have our Kickstart, we will not rest until you can play Proppa and it makes it way to the app markets.

As you can see in the picture, some of the Proppa Pack is working on the happy clouds now.  In the game, these happy clouds help the Proppas.  Join the Proppa Pack and follow our progress on https://sites.google.com/site/greenproppa/ and keep in touch on our facebook page http://www.facebook.com/ChicagoShipyard.

Update #5 - Original Music

Hello Kickstarters! What a great day. Not only did we meet our Kickstarter goal, but our sound team gave us a sample of their "Red World" composition. Here is the sample in a short music video.

Pass the link to our Kickstarter along. We only have until Saturday night, and the more support we get, the better Proppa will be. Also, visit us on facebook facebook.com/ChicagoShipyard and our main development hub https://sites.google.com/site/greenproppa/

Thanks, and enjoy!

- The Proppa Pack

Update #4 - Success!

The project just met its Kickstarter goal!  Yeah!!!!!

Update #3 - A Spring Basket For You

Spring is here!  Proppas love Spring.  This year, they've made a special basket for all their friends and backers on Kickstarter.  The basket is full of painted eggs they've decorated and collected.  Become a backer and get your virtual basket by visiting update#3.

Update #2 - iOS Vertical Slice

Hello Kickstarters!  This is a quick demo of an early, test version of Proppa running on a range of iOS devices including an older iPad 1, an iPhone 3G running iOS 4.2.1 with a very cleverly-cracked screen, an iPad 2, and an iPhone 4S.

Join the Proppa Pack Today!

Update#1 - Android Vertical Slice

Hello Kickstarters, thank you for your early support!  It's Spring Break time here in Chicago, the weather is crazy warm, and we're working hard on Proppa!

Here is a vertical slice of an early development build running on a few Android devices.  A vertical slice is a cross-section showing off the critical game systems and important art.  We use an iterative process, which means that everything is always being worked on and improved -- so please bear with us as we smooth out the rough edges.  This new video also shows the first build of the new "blue world".   We will show you the iPhone and iPad versions in the next updates.  The game looks and plays great on the Kindle Fire!

Thanks again for your support and spread the word,

- The Proppa Pack

Introduction

Hello Kickstarters! We have a great team of students, led by a game development professor and industry veteran, making a fun game for mobile phones and tablets. The game is called Proppa, and the objective is to help the Proppas collect their eggs and survive attacks by the evil snakes.

Save The Proppas

Proppas are happy creatures who live in a magical land. They spend most of their time flying and you can make them fly by tapping the green Proppas. The blue Proppas don't move as fast, and you'll have to rub them to get them to fly.

Every year they travel to their spawning area to hatch their eggs and collect their young.

Help the Proppas collect their eggs and survive attacks by the evil snakes.  The challenge increases as the number of Proppas and snakes increases.  Watch out for the fast dragon snakes with big teeth!

We currently have three worlds -- the red, yellow and blue worlds -- and are building waves within each world.  The game got its start at the Global Game Jam 2012.

Technology

Proppa uses a set of tools and engine, developed by Professor Linhoff, that allow us to develop Proppa primarily on the PC.  From there, we compile it fairly easily as a native app for the different target platforms.

Meet The Propeller People

Pictured from left to right: Joe Scalzo, Brian Gabor, Jr., Joscelyn Stephens, Professor Noriko Tomuro, Professor Joe Linhoff, Green Proppa, Yuko Ito, and Misaki Ohira.

Our team is based on an international collaboration with most of the design and programming done in Chicago, and most of the art done in Nagoya, Japan.  Professor Noriko Tomuro makes the collaboration possible and is our life-line to these talented Japanese student artists.

A Problem

We have a small team of talented and hard-working students who are graduating this year.  All of them have focused their undergraduate studies on game development.  All of them are looking for their first job.

These soon-to-be graduates face the daunting task of breaking into the game industry, unpaid internships and all.  It's rough.

The Solution

With your help, these students will bridge the gap between the end of school and the start of their careers as game developers.  The best thing they can do now, is create and publish a successful game.  Proppa can be that game!

Proppa is a great game for many reasons.  Here are a few.  First, it has great art and great characters done in a fanciful Japanese style.  The art style and game appeals to a wide range of players.

Second, the game is not a big game in terms of design.  It is, in a sense, a small game that everyone can wrap their heads around.  We have a well-defined set of assets and a schedule.  The game is not open ended.

Third, we have a fun, playable prototype (see the link below) which was created over one short weekend at the 2012 Global Game Jam.

Finally, we are fairly far along in the development of the real game, and things are looking good.  For example, an early version of the real game is running on the iPad, iPhone, Kindle Fire, Droid X, and PC.

We Need Your Support

So, while things are ramping up, we need help to grow Proppa from something we love and find the time to work on, to something we love and to which we can devote our full attention.  For a short time, the students need to be able to focus on Proppa without job worries, and your support will help make that possible.

The mobile game space presents incredible opportunity, but success requires more than just a good game.  We need funding to get this game to as large an audience as possible.

Beyond the bare minimum support, we have ideas to make Proppa a bigger and better game.  For example, in addition to more worlds and waves, we want to add baby Proppas to the game.  They are cute, but when they hatch, they can not fly, and need your help as they cling to their parent Proppas.  This will add another game mechanic and dimension to the game and also lengthen development past our bare minimum.

As the video states, this team is good and has great potential.  Our dream Kickstarter would allow us to extend Proppa, and support work on another game.  Holding the team together, including Yuko and Misaki in Japan, means that we will continue to make great games and do what we love.

As a side note, while there are students and faculty from the schools, this project is not affiliated with DePaul University or Trident College.

Linux & Mac Versions

If you are a supporter, and would like a Linux or Mac version, let us know.  If 50 or more of our supporters, at any level, request Linux or Mac support, we'll add support for that system and fill the "Windows PC" reward with a Linux or Mac version as you specify.  Please allow an additional month.

Support Roadmap

We need Kickstarter support to get Proppa into the app stores.  We need funding to help set up a company, pay for business expenses, legal fees, licenses, and development costs.

• $5000 is the bare minimum the team needs to finish a kind of Spring Proppa, with 3 worlds, 2 Proppas, enemies, and the happy and angry clouds!
• If we surpass $5000, we will work on the Summer Proppa update to bring you even more Proppa!  We plan on adding 3 new worlds with many waves, the baby Proppa, friendlies, and more.  Our goal is to finish the update early this Summer.
• We're asking for your support.  The future is wide open, we will be making great games!

Thank You!

Thank you for taking the time to consider our project.  We hope you can join us in our adventure!

Links

Proppa's Development Hub: https://sites.google.com/site/greenproppa

Keep up to date on the project using our facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/ChicagoShipyard

Global Game Jam 2012 YouTube: http://youtu.be/-zoQQrKjAUs

The playable Global Game Jam 2012 game can be found on the Global Game Jam site listed here.  Note that the Game Jam version will run only on some Windows 7 PCs http://globalgamejam.org/2012/proppa.  A new version will be posted shortly on our development hub.

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プロジェクトの概略と背景

ゲームの名前は「Proppa（プロッパ）」と言い、頭にプロペラをつけたプロッパというキャラクタを主人公にしたアクションゲームです。このゲームは２０１２年１月に行われたGlobal Game Jam というイベントから始まりました。このイベント中（４８時間）に作成したものが大変好評だったこと、また学生達にとって（学校課題を越した、業界レベルの）完成したゲームを自分のポトフォリオにもっていることは就職や将来のキャリアにとって大きなアドバンテージとなるため、プロッパをさらに作り上げ、世に出すことにしました。

しかし世に出すゲームをつくるには資金が必要です。機材、ソフトウェアライセンスなどの開発費用に加え、会社組織の確立、法的手数料など諸々の事務的費用のほか、各種の広告・PRやカンファレンス展示ブースなどにかかる宣伝費用も出てきます。これらの費用をカバーするため、Kickstarterで後援していただける人々を募り、資金集めをすることにした、という次第です。皆様のご協力を、是非お願いする次第です。どうぞ宜しくお願い申し上げます。

ゲームのストーリーとプレイ

プロッパは頭にプロペラをつけた生き物で、ある神秘の世界に住んでいます。プロッパはハッピーな生き物で、普通は宙に浮かんで飛んでいます。プロッパの世界では、プロッパの卵も宙に浮かんでいます。ゲームの目的は、プロッパを悪い蛇によって殺されずに自分達の卵を集めさせ、生き延びるさせることです。

現在のところ、プロッパは緑と青の２種類があります。緑のプロッパはタップすると上にジャンプします。青のプロッパは少し動きが鈍く、お腹をなぜってやらないと飛びません。プロッパは下から飛んで突き当たることによって蛇を殺すことが出来ます。卵を取るのも同様に下から突き当たります。ゲームプレーはとても簡単で、誰でも直ぐに遊べますが、卵の数や配置、そして蛇の数や出てくるタイミングによって難度が増します。

現在世界は赤・黄・青の３つを作っています。

開発チーム

チームを率いるのは、元ゲーム業界のベテランディベロッパーで現在ゲーム開発をデポール大学で教えている、Joe Linhoff 教授です。またこのチームの特長として、インターナショナルコラボレーションがあります。メンバーはアメリカと日本の両国におり、日本の学生（名古屋のトライデント学校の大平みさきさんと伊藤裕子さん）がアートとアニメーションを担当し、アメリカの学生（シカゴのデポール大学のJoscelyn Stephens, Joe Scalzo, Brian Gabor) がデザインを担当しています。そして双方のコミュニケーションの橋渡しはデポール大学の戸室宣子（とむろのりこ）教授が行っています。             

写真左から、Joe Scalzo,Brian Gabor, Joscelyn Stephens, Noriko Tomuro, Joe
Linhoff, Yuko Ito, Misaki Ohira.