Latest Posts

Facebook/Flattr/… Clickjacking Examples And How To Avoid It

Published by Matthias Gall

Facebook’s “Like!” button, the Flattr button and plenty of other widgets work pretty much the same. You either create some IFRAME directly (Facebook non-XFBML method) or include some JavaScript which then injects the IFRAME into your DOM once it’s ready (Facebook XFBML, Flattr). The widgets provide you with some cool social one-click-functionality. That’s nice and easy… unless someone’s planning to mess around with it.
Read More

Android Game Development (Day 6)

Published by Matthias Gall

It took some time until I finally could get back to my little Android game and I must admit that this wasn’t really a “day” I worked on it. Instead, it were multiple, scattered and short sessions where I worked on the collision testing and response code, some effects and UI stuff. It’s simply too hot currently… so bear with me that there’s no cool video this time.

ProjectA - Now with collision testing and explosions
ProjectA – Now with collision testing and explosions

Keep reading below if you’re interested in the recent progress. Comments are welcome! In case you missed it, also don’t forget to read the earlier reports on my steps in Android game development: Steps 1-3, Step 4, Step 5.

Read More

Android Game Development (Day 5)

Published by Matthias Gall

Day #5, Sunday, June 27th.

Here’s the rough concept for timed events I already mentioned in my last posting. It’s working for now, but I’ll do some more tweaks to abstract this even further and make it more flexible.

Android Game Development, Day 5: Timed Events
Android Game Development, Day 5: Timed Events

Keep reading below if you’re interested in today’s progress. Comments are welcome! In case you missed it, also don’t forget to read the reports on my steps in Android game development: Steps 1-3 and Step 4.

Read More

Android Game Development

Published by Matthias Gall

I’m building rather boring enterprise applications at work and I love creating more appealing things in my spare time, so I do a bit of game development whenever I can. The main problem for a programmer is to get some graphics, but fortunately I have some nice renderings from my old Project E tutorial and the even older Project D game by sechsta sinn on my harddisk that I could put into use (all done by my friend and favorite artist Martin Ernst, btw.).

This is what I managed to do in three after work sessions so far, if you’re interested in the details, continue reading after the video.

Read More

Sculptris

Published by Matthias Gall
There are a very few people who are genius, disciplined and focussed at the same time and thus can put their productivity to a maximum. One of the most talented guys in the Indie gamedev scene I’ve seen so far in that regard is Tomas “DrPetter” Pettersson. Late 2007 he already came up with a really useful little tool called SFXR (not to mention the even more impressive Musagi) and now it got even better. Within only six months he produced an amazing 3D mesh sculpting tool called Sculptris, now available as version 1.0.
Check out his trailer and see for yourself.

Isn’t that great?

Don't ever say it's almost done.

Published by Matthias Gall
Chris Pruett at Google I/O on Android Game Development. Besides that quote I used as the post caption he shows some very interesting ideas how he analyzed the behavior of his users in order to improve their game experience. I love that hotspot idea, probably something useful for my friends working on Glow as well.

And for the record, also watch the excellent day 2 keynote. I had a good laugh at all the Apple taunting. For example, Android 2.2 features tethering and portable hotspot mode and guess what they’re showcasing? They’re using a Nexus One as an AP for “… another device that doesn’t have connectivity. What about that iPad?”
Apple, Google, whatever… they all have their downsides. But they bring so much innovation that I’m eagerly looking forward to seeing more cool things becoming reality in the next years and building cool things with them myself.