Mention Mobile
Josh Engel, one of the two artists who worked on Zombie Bash, recently put together a look at how the Scrambler developed over the course of a month or so.
For so long the zombies existed in isolation, tinkered with (and then animated as well, there’s a forthcoming compilation video of them all), and then improved upon. It’s nice to have the perspective like this, to look back and see what elements were kept, what were changed, and how each iteration informs the next one.
You can see the final version in action below:
… and in the game (it’s free till midnight).
Check back soon, as we continue to post about Zombie Bash’s development and promotion!
One of our screenshots for the upcoming Zombie Bash: Xmas Attack.
Ho-ho-how’s it going?
Last week was a wild one here at Mention Mobile’s Worldwide Headquarters. There was last-minute changes and late-night pushes (I think our programmer went three days without sleeping), but Zombie Bash: Xmas Attack was uploaded into the iTunes store…
… and accepted for review!
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I wanted to show you this screenshot because it’s the culmination of numerous sketches, drafts and discussions, and I think the process is pretty interesting.
Our initial screen didn’t have the three zombies on it (the gnashed, the scrambler and the galute) and instead just featured the name of the game and the play button. It was a simple idea, and no doubt effective, but it didn’t really sink up with what we’re trying to do.
Our goal is to have this app becoming the first in a series of awesome, zombie-bashing extravaganzas, where the protagonist changes from scenario to scenario, but the zombies keep on coming (with the allowance for app-appopriate clothing… if it’s Zombie Bash: Day at the Beach, the zombies will likely have floaties and sun block).
Because we wanted the zombies to be recognizable, it became clear to us that they needed more screen time. This sketch was pitched:
… by our artistically challenged marketing director. The new home screen now features the three zombies (in uncharacteristically jovial moods), as well as the title. But still, it leaves something to be desired.
There we go! Having an actual artist (our lead designer Josh) sketch out his Splash and Home screens makes the whole idea seem that much more realistic.
As you can see, the ‘Home’ sketch on the right is nearly identical, lay-out wise, to the finished product, down to the dripping slime. It allows for the branding and character recognition while still being hilariously ominous and holiday-themed.
Stay tuned over the coming days and weeks as we show you more behind-the-scenes goodness leading up to the release of Zombie Bash: Xmas Attack!
The wonderful whimsical zombie bashing game that we’re releasing in just a few weeks is officially called Zombie Bash: Xmas Attack, but this wasn’t always the case.
As some of our dedicated fans know, the game was born into existence one late, fateful October evening as Santa vs. Zombies. A title so simple and effective that it left no question as to how truly incredible the game would be. It’d have Santa. It’d have zombies. And it’d have a seasonal showdown that the iPhone had never seen before.
So… why change it?
The first few weeks of work on the game were intense and focused, leaving us completely consumed with creating the game. At a certain point though, with the proverbial finish line in reach, we began to wonder what happened after. What’s the next step after Santa vs. Zombies is finished?
What do we do if Santa vs. Zombies is successful? Do we create a spin-off? How do we pull that off? We chose Santa because we liked the challenge of turning around a holiday game quickly. Do we choose the next ones based solely on holidays?
Valentines vs. Zombies?
Independence Day vs. Zombies?
Mother’s Day vs. Zombies?
But then… what if we flipped it around. What if Christmas was just an edition, and the zombies were the constant? What if these creatures, these incessant, crawling, gut-hungry zombies, just kept coming back… and kept needing to be…
Bashed.
There were other words thrown around, but ‘bash’ just had the perfect oomph, and the room grinned in consensus. A game called Zombie Bash could really have some serious staying power. A game that begs for further editions and new innovations. Sure, you bashed some zombies as Santa, but wouldn’t you like to also bash them as Aliens, or Robots, or Presidential Candidates (see our 2012 app Zombie Bash: The Road to the Oval Office)?
All in due time. But that’s what this name gives us… ‘all.’ It gives us something great to aim for and keeps our ambitions going strong.
