Summary

This hour introduced you to an important feature of most games ”the splash screen. Not only is the splash screen important in terms of conveying useful information about a game, such as a copyright notice, but it also serves as the player's first glimpse at what your game looks like. You can take advantage of a splash screen to dramatize the theme of your game and even exaggerate the game graphics. For example, it was common for arcade games to include a fully illustrated splash screen ”even though the graphics in the actual games were simpler. This is an engaging way to grab the player's attention and get him interested in the game.

The next hour builds on what you learned about splash screens and shows you how to include a demo mode in your games. A demo mode is similar to a splash screen, but its goal is to provide a glimpse at how a game actually plays.