As some of you already know, we’re heading for a new release. In a few weeks time (unless all of our web developers run of to Mallorca or the ozon layer suddenly vanishes or the internet dies or…)there will be some serious updates to Power Soccer, with a bunch of new features, improvements and fixes.

And as always, we think of you when we build this stuff. Yes it’s true! When you have a level 99 guy working at the office, there’s no such thing as messing with the users/players, not listening to what they have to say. So, even if takes a day or three to get used to things, we really hope you’re gonna enjoy the new version.

Curious? Dying to find out?

Can’t tell you much more at this point, but there will be some news on the site any day soon. There’s a certain pre-launch excitement in the air. Can you feel it?

Stuff that’s not supposed to happen always happen. Murphy’s law and all that. The “impossible” suddenly becomes “most likely” when you’re close to a deadline. But still… I really do think this will be our best release so far.

With best wishes for a holiday filled with sun (I’m off for four weeks!) and a new Power Soccer version filled with happy players

// Linda

So. Where was I? Oh yeah, that’s right. We were supposed to cover the subject of “where do the new features come from”. Well - let’s!

If you read this blog you probably have some sort of connection to Power Soccer. You might have played the game once or never or for two years, but you most likely found this place through powerchallenge.com. Anyway, a lot has happened with this game for the last year. Or even the last 6 months. Actually it happens quite a lot all the time, but let’s stick to what you, the users, see and notice.

A year ago we were just getting started, we’d just signed up all the developers. The game as it was then had been developed by two programmers and one graphical artist. That was pretty much it. It was one of those many “basement” games, created by a handful people in a windowless corner - if one’s lucky - of some office building. Someone had a good idea and managed to find the talented people to turn that idea into reality.

And here we are. Some odd 25 people and 15 months later. Still coming up with thousands of ideas, pushing the game forward, struggling every day to make the right decisions to keep as many people as possible happy. The investors, the users, the CEO, the Executive producer…and ourselves. It’s not easy but it’s something we truly enjoy doing and we’re happy to go to work every day. Ok, most days. I guess some days you wake up and you just know that the code you write will have to be re-written, the schedule your juggling will crash to the floor and the mock-ups you design just won’t do. The inspiration is not always there, but 9½ days out of 10 I’d say it is.

The ideas… Where do they come from? Well, there are a few main suppliers of ideas of how to improve the game.

1. You - the users. We get so much invaluable feedback, comments and ideas from you, in forum posts or e-mails. It’s an extremely important source of inspiration to us.

2. Product Owner. This is the person responsible for the product = the game. Has it the right “feel”? Is it difficult enough, too tricky, do newbies get lost or should we add an extra layer of complexity? Why? What does our main target group look like? Should we have 3D hot dogs spinning around in the arena as advertising spots? All sorts, high and low.

3. Game designers. They make sure all the tiny elements and different aspects of the game fit together, that the sum of the parts is a well functioning game. A lot of times they work close to the other developers. Gamedesigners calculate variables in worksheets, decide the accuracy and speed of the through pass, design league systems, write specifications of features to come and spend a lot of time testing.

4. Other developers. Most people working here are gamers and have been for years. It comes pretty natural for them to analyze and think and talk about games. So the actual 3D part of the game is pretty well covered, so to speak. Those of us who aren’t really gamers still love games in one way or another. Or sport. Or programming. We have meetings, we talk over lunch, we get into discussions wherever we are… The air is filled with a passion for games and every step we take is towards making the game even greater.

5. Powdersnow. Say no more.

Did I acually write all this managing to still not address the subject of how we introduce new features? Oh my. I’m such a sucker for writing about stuff that has to do with games, but sometimes I find it hard to get to the point.

Same time and place tomorrow? Let me continue my story then

See you!

/ Linda

There was a post from Jake the other day. He had a great idea: if I’m all out of great ideas and don’t know what the next post should be about, maybe the readers themselves can come up with some suggestions? And he started it all of with asking about new features, how do we come up with what new stuff to put in the game, and how is it done, from a practical technical perspective?

Good topic!

When it comes to new ideas for functionality and features in the game: where do they come from? How do we decide what to put in, what to take out, how to improve what’s already there?

I thought a lot about this yesterday, after I read Jakes post. This is a subject and an inssue that I feel rather strongly about - we all do, and sometimes it’s frustrating when you can’t do as much as you’d like.

Like right now. I’m busy doing twenty odd things I have to finish before finishing this post properly. There’s a lot of stuff going on in the soccer teams/development and right now, instead of talking to you guys about all of it, I have to go and actually DO it. But I promise to try to find the time later today. Ok?

Talk to you soon!

/ Linda

Hello you all! I guess you though the Power Challenge Racing Team had disappeared - but no. We’re still here, writing code, making schedules, drawing trees and what have you. Basically trying our very best to make this the best racing experience ever. Things have just been a bit…upside down around here lately. Everybody is still as busy as ever, no doubt about it, our focus is just slightly altered. There are som really important issues being handled, features being built and changes taking place in the soccer department - and of course we’re all joining in, making sure Power Soccer rises to yet another level.

Well not all of us actually. A couple of us are still keeping the racing game alive and kicking, building new tracks, designing more cars, dealing with network puzzles… All those things, give or take a few, that need to be taken care of before the release!

Another Very Important Part of a quality racing game is… the sound! Nothing gives you that illusion of presence and tingling sensation of speed like raw realistic high quality sound. Metal against metal, flying gravel and shrieking breaks. Of course we only want to give you the very best, and to make sure of that we hired the guys at Pole Position to do all of our sound work. They are complete racing AND music/sound freaks, so there couldn’t be anyone else more suited for the job. We just got some nice recordings from a stock car session - very nice. And in a couple of weeks, there will be another recording session with some serious driving: a bunch of japanese cars - on an airstrip… Hopefully closed off! Like I said, these guys are seriously into both cars and sound.

I promise to write again soon. Yes, seriously, I do. Even though we’re slightly behind the original schedule, we’re still destined to rule the racing world…

See ya!

// Linda