Multiplayer Racing Game for iOS Surpassing 300K+ Downloads

Client

Novocortex, a Dutch marketing agency that works internationally since 2005. Novocortex does digital marketing campaigns and Internet Strategy Audits in Europe.

Challenge

Novocortex needed a skilled iPhone application development company and turned to ScienceSoft to develop a game they planned to promote one of their clients with.

The aim of the game is to cross a freeway in 60 seconds trying to avoid enemies and clearing obstacles. The user can turn the car right or left by tilting a phone (accelerometer is used) as well as speed up and down by pressing two special pedal-buttons. Each level finishes by a bridge, which the player should jump over to reach the next stage.

Project goals:

• port flash banner game as native iPhone application;
• add multi-player mode for 2 devices support;
• add advertising banner on player’s failure.

Solution

The developed app simulates driving through a freeway and allows users to bypass various obstacles using built-in accelerometer. The app is available for a multiuser game: a multiple-player mode allows 2 devices to interact with each other: when the first player passes its level, the car will automatically jump over to the second device.

As a promotional gimmick for the insurance company, ScienceSoft developed a banner that appears if a player cannot reach the bridge in 60 seconds or crashes the car – the banner says that the insurance company will compensate car repair and user can try to play again.

Results

The application was delivered to the Client at the planned deadline date without exceeding the budget.

Endless Racing Game was uploaded to the AppStore as a free application. Together with the application, submitted to the AppStore, the Client spread a viral video based on the game, that increased number of application downloads.

During the first month in AppStore, the Game was downloaded more than 300k times and got to the Top 25 Free iPhone Games. After success of the first version, the Client requested implementation of the update of Endless Racing Game, which brought in the game additional levels, new enemies and obstacles.

Technologies and Tools

Management: Microsoft Word, Microsoft Project 2003/2007, JIRA, risk management.

Project: MacOS X 10.5, XCode 3, iPhone SDK 3, Cocos2D engine, GameKit framework.