Motion Project: Gamer finder app

Hello fellow gamers!

My name is PoisonPea/ LimeyPotato (My more common IGN's) and I am a student Graphic Designer. The reason I am posting this thread today, is because I have a brand new project to work on, and I would like feedback as it progresses. The reason for this, is I plan to develop an idea (depends on how the project develops) for a app that allows people to find local gamer's with similar interests and gaming tastes. The reason for this app is due to my project brief, which I shall explain as simply and in shorter detail as I can.



The Brief:

Using the theme of boundaries, create one of the following;

- A five minute motion film
- Five, one minute motion pieces to collate into a linked display.
- A performance or installation
- A web or mobile app

The outcome needs to have a narrative, using a story behind your idea. You must think about the platform you use, and the restrictions and benefits behind it and how you will use it. Consider technology, old and new, and the different techniques behind them. Research into the technology to find out just how you can use it to your advantage. Also bare in mind your audience, and what you are putting across.



My idea:

Well, I decided to right down all the boundaries, and ideas behind it I could think of. However, there are just so many stories and good ideas out there. So I was brainstorming with my flatmate, and she gave me a great idea, that also links with my visual culture essay.Create an application that allows people to find other gamers within their local vicinity, based on a series of matching techniques.




How does it link to boundaries?

Well in many ways. I know many of you are from all over the world. Though our countries may be big or small on the map, they are actually rather big in terms of traveling time and distances. I have yet to meet an online friend who lived 'just round the corner'. This is where the boundary lies, our friends live beyond the boundary of our computers. Not always a bad thing, hec, sometimes that is a plus side given many circumstances, however, what if you just wanted to sit down with someone and play a round of super Mario brothers? It's so easy to play games online, but not every game has online charms, sometimes the real fun is playing games side by side. Sometimes we want to play online, but struggle with time zones. Hell, even if it's not just to play games! What if you want to 'meet' someone? or just meet more people in general! It can be tough despite our vast population, just because it can be hard to connect.




How does it work?

- Sign up and create a profile using the form and answering our match-up questions.
- You can connect your gamer ID's and networks such as xbox live, nintendo, and steam.
- You can use your game networking to keep your profile automatically up to date with your games.
- You look for friends within your chosen vicinity based on your profile, and visa versa.
- Exchange friend requests and messages
- Invite to each others games and arrange to play games online
- The rest goes from there!

I would like to stress that privacy and safety is important. You will get control over your anonymity. By this I mean that you can sign up, and completely exclude your name, age, sex, exact location (it can be by area postcode using only the first half which only shows the region you are in, not your town or street) and any other information you would like to keep disclosed.


What kind of matchups can you get?

Well that depends on how you answer questions and fill out your profile.

- Are you looking for random game match ups?
- Are you looking for match ups in your area for more common ground or time zone connivance?
- Are you looking for games? friends? relationships?
- Do you want to be able to have someone to play games with locally, and not just online?
- Are you looking to connect more socially?
- Or are you even interested in in internet dating, specifically for gamers?

At the moment, I am looking for the app to be 16+




Final notes:

This is still just an early idea, with research still being done. That is where you guys come in, ideas and feedback on the idea are needed for me to proceed with my research! Any help would be much appreciated. This idea is also a project for university, it may become a final application that is used, or it may just become a dummy to be shown as process and may not become a real thing. Please bare this in mind when leaving comments or feedback.

The final outcome may not even be an app, but the idea and a video documenting it and the research. Either way, I hope it will make a nice project.


Thankyou for your time!

DISCLAIMER: I am logging everything I do for this project, documenting everything, even this forum thread and others. This is purely for research purposes, I wont try to coax information out of you and use it for ungodly things.