We’re looking at how to refine the design challenge rules so it’s an even better experience for everybody in round 2.

It’s about time that the program really focused and encouraged students to do more design.

Keep up the great work everyone,

Pam

I actually had a couple possible suggestions for future design challenges. First off, instead of selecting 3 themes that everyone has to adhere to, it might be preferable to offer 5-7 possible themes from which everyone could select 2 or 3 to structure their concepts around. This might help some of the concepts feel a little more organic and cohesive and not as though one of the elements was just slipped in there as an afterthought to satisfy the criteria. If we had a bit of leeway on the elements we wanted to include, it might encourage a slightly broader spectrum of concepts that wouldn’t feel as forced.

I also thought it might be interesting if the winner of one design challenge got to select a few potential themes for the next design challenge (but couldn’t offer any submissions for that challenge). Could be intruiging to see what different people come up with for possible themes, or even what their definition of ‘theme’ would be (maybe instead of places or objects, someone would require certain emotions to be targeted or particular music styles to be integrated). I dunno, could be cool.

Anyway, glad to see that this is all actually happening. Keep up the good work. And have a sweet break, y’all!

According to Norse mythology, the gods sustained their immortality by feeding on the golden apples that grew from Yggdrasil, the Tree of Life. Although similar life-restoring fruits are mentioned in the mythologies of other cultures, the golden apples have long been regarded as fabrications. However, whispered sightings of a remarkable apple in Casablanca have drawn treasure hunters from all over the world to the Moroccan port city.

One such ‘entrepreneur’ is Charlie “Thursday” Donner, a no-nonsense gumshoe who is, unbeknownst to most, the modern-day incarnation of the former thunder god, Thor. With his immortality waning, Charlie needs to find the last golden apple before his fellow deposed gods do.

Players will guide Charlie through the shady streets of Casablanca in a puzzle-laden, point-and-click-style adventure. No longer the unstoppable deity he once was, Charlie must rely on his wits and intellect to concoct inventive uses for the weather-controlling powers of his enchanted sidepiece, Mjolnir. Whether it’s deafening a guard with a well-timed thunder clap, summoning a gust of wind to snatch an out-of-reach item, or creating a concealing fog to sneak about in, players will uncover numerous applications for each of the abilities at Charlie’s disposal.

Don’t hate the playa’

PS. Merry Christmas to all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In the ancient world, Morocco is known for one thing and it is their apple sauce. However, the means by which the apple sauce is acquired is a bit “seedy”. The Moroccan Saucing Industry use Appleonians from the distant land of Apples captured in the never-ending Great War.

An ancient Appleonian prophecy speaks of a girl that shall descend from the heavens on a Nimbus to vanquish the Great Evil with the Golden Seed. The Golden Seed can only be used when all seven seals within have been broken by filling them with the hearts of the Tainted; warriors of the MSI.

Quest of the Golden Seed is a hack-and-slash for the Wii. Your weapons are the nimbus and your two chains. You battle the Tainted by shaking the Wii-mote back and forth to generate an electrical charge in the nimbus. Once charged; flick the Wii-mote downward to unleash lightning. The lightning will either kill or stun the Tainted. Grab a stunned Tainted and grab their still-beating heart out using your chains. Obtaining enough beating hearts is the only way to fill the Golden Seed and break its inner seals.

You play as Billy, a young Moroccan kid that has the talent of being able to throw apples into the sky. Now, the village is having some troubles with their crops due to the weather…so it’s up to you to throw apples at the weather: clouds, rainstorms, lightning, tornadoes, and hurricanes, all to keep the sun shining as long as possible.

This game will be on the Wii using a familiar “point and shoot mechanic” at the clouds and other weather elements, only this one will be alot more slower paced…and more of a casual game. The gameplay will involve the player pointing at a point in the sky and clicks the Z button, then with a throwing motion on the wii-mote will define how fast and far it goes, and then it’ll break apart the clouds (or other weather) in various ways.

This will be a “stay alive as long as possible” type of game….where the longer you play, the higher the score will get, but it will also get harder and more “weather” will try and cover up the sun. The game ends when the sun is covered up for too long and the crops die.

As a maleficent swarm of airborne pests, it is your duty to assault Mr. Morocco’s apple orchard in the hopes of scouring enough succulent fruit to sustain your colony on the move. But Mr. Morocco is no fool – to steal his fruit one must be quick, cunning, and above all must be athirst for the juicy apples that await in the treacherous orchards.

Flight of the Apple Bandits is a Nintendo DS game wherein the player takes control of a ravenous swarm of insects bent on eating as many apples as possible before being…dealt with. Players control the swarm in a 2D sidescrolling adventure with the stylus, leading the swarm along by making motions on the screen.

The goal is to capture and devour as many apples as possible by making a circular motion over an apple hanging from a tree; the more apples you manage to grab the bigger your swarm becomes. Dodge nefarious booby traps and bypass rotten apples to avoid losing part of your swarm, and watch out for angry Mr. Morocco chasing behind you with a flyswatter – stop for a second too long and you’re as good as dead!