Project Abstract

PhotoGenesis is a single player, DSLR camera story driven game. It is currently only available for the PC platform and has future plans to dabble into the VR realm. PhotoGenesis is a story about a male in his early 20s going through a mental illness that has affected his ability to remember and he is slowly getting eaten by it. The PhotoGenesis players will be able to use a near-to-perfect replication simulation of a DSLR camera, with the ability to change all the settings on normal DSLR currently available on the market today.

 

The project will demonstrate skillset in both programming and design aspect of game development I learned during the 4-year Computer Games Development course and in my own time to further develop my skills. It also demonstrates my skillset in Photography of which I also do part-time; my game also is a way to help new/intermediate photographers further their understanding of what the settings on a DSLR camera do.

Game Story

The game is about Jay a 23-year-old male who is currently going through an Alzheimer's/Dementia like disease; he has no idea why he is forgetting. But in his pockets, he is finding riddles that seem to lead to object around the places he is currently at. As he goes on he finds out the photos he is taking are tattoos on a female who seems which could be his girlfriend called Maya. Ever place he visits and captures the objects needed he gets closer to uncovering what is going on but as he does the world around him changes, it doesn’t seem to look the same.

 

Project Purpose

The main reason why I am making this game is that I am deeply invested in photography as I am in Game Development, I enjoy using a camera to portray what is happening in a single frame. Furthermore, how a camera works really fascinates; how they are able to capture so much data from the light that comes into the sensor to displaying to a digital format. I myself am a photographer I want to merge photography and gaming as they are my two most important passions in life. In addition, not many games dabble into mental illness realm, it often isn’t explored even though there is plenty of people who go through it. In modern society, mental illness is often a taboo and isn’t talked about it, as people don’t understand or don’t believe it’s an actual problem in our modern-day society so I just want to shine some light on it.

I personally have an appreciation for puzzle games which heavily influence you to make decisions and make you really think in order to solve them, which often helps to train and develop the mind further. As I do this report I intend to mainly produce my own 3D models as I have already made some for the game this will help me propel my modelling skills further but I also want to implement other 3D models to help add more detail to my game.

 

Project Aims and Objectives

The main aim of the game is to create a working DSLR camera in which the user can then use the skills they’ve learned from this game in the real world.

 

From this game I intend to create my own models for this game, ranging from Chairs to Alcohol Bottles, from Trees to a Husky Malamute Dog. I want to progress my modelling creation skills further by making 70% or more of the models that you see in my game.

 

I will be also working on an AI system for the dog which will help Jay to find what he needs, and also to be there with him at his side like a realistic dog. I want the person to come to terms on what is happening to Jay and uncover what is going on. This project will allow me to get a better understanding of how to set up levels in which players can get around without feeling lost. I wish to improve my modelling skills by going out of my comfort zone and doing models such as animals.

 

Summary

From the start of the project till now, I have thoroughly enjoyed my time working and coming up with PhotoGenesis. My knowledge of the Unreal Engine has greatly improved, it has challenged me mentally and physically. I have overcome most, if not all the limitations that stood in my way. I did this by trying to final alternative ways to bypass the blockades that were presented to me. This project has taught me to keep progressing further even after you come across something that seems like a path that leads nowhere. In turn, the best thing to do in a crisis is to focus on another key element of the project and after a while come back to the problem with a clear and open mind to break down the root of the problem.

 

 

Future Prospects

Now that project has come to close and a new opening has been made available to me, I am currently working with Dr. Sophie Triantaphillidou who wants me to change my game so it can be used for research papers, the focus during most of our talk was how my game can be used to teach and help others to understand photography.

 

In short, my game will become an educational treasure hunting game, where the user will need to take photos and they will be given points based on the settings used and how close they are to the perfect exposure. With the expertise of Sophie's background in imaging I will be able to refine the camera in my game to the standard where it matches with the real-life counterpart. Sophie has agreed to provide me with documents/research papers to aid in the further development on my game in the coming weeks.