App Review: Sketch Nation Studio (for gaming)

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I’ve been intrigued by Apps that provide the tools for the users to create their own video games. Sketch Nation Studio is a free app that does just that. The platform allows you to create and play original games, by using either artwork that you draw right in the app, or artwork that comes off your device, or art that you draw on paper and then take an image and import into the game.

There are several variations of platform-style games, and while the end result is not nearly as sophisticated as some of the apps you might buy for your device, it provides enough creative outlet to feel as if you have, indeed, created your own app game.  You can set the style of game, add energy boosts and enemies, adjust gravity, create backgrounds, and more.

And did I mention that the Sketch Nation Studio App is free? I don’t see any advertising on the app, in case you are wondering .

 

iPhone Screenshot 1
There are also options to publish the game onto the iTunes store (and the company promises to share in the profits from any sale of the game app, so I guess your game funnels through their publishing system). I’m not sure if that would actually work (yet I may give it a try just to see what happens), nor if the game app provides enough variation to actually create a game that would sell, but even sharing a game via iTunes is pretty interesting. And, therefore, I am intrigued by the potential of that opportunity for creating and publishing for my students. And I am now wondering if using this app on our school’s iPods wouldn’t be a neat end-of-year activity to tie into our earlier Game Design Unit.
Hmmm …
Peace (in the app),
Kevin
PS — here is a video overview of the app

3 Comments
  1. Kevin,
    I finally bit the bullet and purchased an iPad (for educational purposes, of course;-) Actually, I felt like it was mostly a consumer device, so I wanted to find out how it could be used to create. Sketch Nation looks very cool – thanks for sharing. I also have some high hopes for some stop motion animation apps.

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