Our Surface Gaming Team Project

Microsoft Surface

Our ITKAN/nAblement Surface Gaming Development Team is in high gear and well into our own development of unique games within the Surface environment. Surface – Microsoft’s Natural User Interface, is a great “surface” for enabling a group to truly collaborate, generate creativity, and run finished applications on the impressive Surface landscape. SPR, through our MPS Partners Strategic Company, acquired Surface to engage clients and guests as well as to drive some creative effort around its potential applications.

The Surface Gaming Team

Our Surface Gaming Team is a group of students and young professionals with technology backgrounds who have migrated to Surface to develop multiple games, including their first, Air Hockey for Surface! At the outset of the project they were given a great orientation to Surface by staff of MPS Partners and SPR. They’ve also had access to an MPS expert, Naresh Koka, on Surface development throughout their project. The team includes members skilled in project management, graphic design, application development, audio creation and mixing, and related.

Rocky Eljubeh, team lead and DeVry University senior, has grown a great deal from the team’s beginnings. We’ve been pressing him to take the lead and initiate the process of problem identification and solution development throughout the project. Some key challenges have been working with the Surface Developer’s Kit (SDK) and loading their work onto the Surface itself for testing and improvement, optimizing the use of the Sharepoint portal for supporting team collaboration, and the logistical challenges of keeping the team moving as a unit, meeting consistently and driving key tactical efforts.

Surface’s Disability-Friendly Interface

I recently asked Rocky to comment on the challenge of helping lead the team in development process from inception to a finished product on Surface. He noted, “The greatest challenge I’ve experienced with the Surface Gaming project is figuring out what we can and cannot do in terms of creating a gaming application as well as getting all the key components like the Surface SDK and XNA to work to be able to create games and applications for Surface.”

Rocky also commented on benefits associated with Surface’s Natural User Interface. ” I strongly believe that most gaming interfaces will move toward more natural interfaces. Surface is a great technology that allows people with disabilities and dexterity challenges to have a more enjoyable experience because of its touch capabilities. I have Torg Syndrome, a rare disability that causes osteoporosis and arthritis in the joints. It also causes me to have weaker bones then average. In my particular case it has affected my hand dexterity. I do not have that much dexterity and mobility with my hands. With Surface I have no problems at all in using the user interface, applications or games we have created for it. Surface is a more universally accessible environment than most gaming applications or platforms.”

Another member of the team, Steve Luker, has both mobility and verbal communication challenges. Notwithstanding these challenges, Steve has been an integral member of the team. He has been deployed in support roles for several client projects with SPR. Communicating via a small, hand-held processor, Steve’s practical insights coupled with his development skills have been highly valued by the team. His sense of humor and ready smile are also always welcome.

The team has come a long way from a humble beginning - really just a discussion of prospective games that could be developed and/or enhanced by the impact of Surface to our actual development and impending roll out of games. Here’s a brief video of the early stage air hockey game. We’ll update you on the team’s progress throughout the year!