SHR6E032F~Xia23083690 Project Viability Study.

by

Xinyi Xia XIA23083690

1. Introduction and Proposed Project

Introduction

The study evaluates whether the project is realistically achievable within the semester timeframe, considering resources, scope, and interdisciplinary workflows.

This project aims to develop a small but cohesive game prototype that combines music composition, sound design, pixel-art visual development, and interactive gameplay into a unified creative experience. As a two-person team working within a single academic semester, we focused on building a process that supports cross-disciplinary collaboration, constant iteration, and a clear artistic identity. The project served both as a practical exploration of game-development workflows and as a study of how music can shape, and be shaped by, visual and narrative decisions in an interactive environment.

Proposed Project

We propose a 2D side-scrolling platformer demo inspired by classic retro games. The prototype features pixel-art characters, simple combat interactions, collectible items, and short narrative moments communicated through visuals and music rather than dialogue. The project highlights the integration of original music with visual assets, exploring how sound and art can reinforce one another to create atmosphere, pacing, and emotional tone.

Goals

• To produce a polished, playable level that demonstrates the game’s mechanics and artistic direction.

• To explore interdisciplinary collaboration between music, art, and narrative design.

• To compose an original soundtrack combining retro-inspired textures with contemporary harmonic approaches.

• To analyse and apply production methods used in small-team indie game development.

• To reflect on the challenges of scope, workflow, and creative constraints in a limited-resource environment.

Personnel – Direct/Indirect

Direct Personnel:

  • My Role: Music composition, sound design, narrative design, level pacing, and audio implementation guidance.
  • Collaborator: Pixel-art design, background environments, character animation, and coding the playable level.

Indirect Personnel:

External references from existing indie games and academic resources (non-collaborative).

Tutors providing feedback during weekly workshops.

Peer reviewers during in-class play-testing sessions.

2. Methodology and Rationale

Methodology and Rationale

Our methodology centred on iterative development and continuous communication. We divided production into weekly milestones, including music sketching, pixel-art passes, animation cycles, level design tests, and narrative adjustments. Because pixel-art animation requires frequent refinement, even small changes demanded coordinated updates across disciplines. This strengthened our need for consistent terminology, shared visual references, and rapid feedback loops.

The rationale behind our interdisciplinary approach was to ensure that music, visuals, and gameplay emerged together rather than in isolation. For example, musical tempo influenced character animation speed, while the collaborator’s colour palettes shaped the emotional tone of the soundtrack. The narrative was intentionally minimal, relying on environmental cues and musical motifs—an approach inspired by early game-design constraints on platforms such as the NES and SNES.

3. Market Analysis

Market Analysis

The project sits within the niche market of fan-made games and small-scale indie platformers. Pixel-art platformers remain popular among players who enjoy retro aesthetics and short, focused gameplay loops.

Additionally, the anime and 2.5D theatre fan community has strong engagement with transformative works such as fan art, remixes, and small games. Although this project is non-commercial, the existence of this audience demonstrates cultural relevance and creative value.

Your Market/Target Audience

• Fans of Revue Starlight and anime theatre
• Players who enjoy short indie pixel platformers
• Students and creatives interested in cross-media storytelling
• People who enjoy 8-bit/retro game aesthetics

4. Costs and Budgeting

Hypothetical Budget

Although this project is non-commercial and academic, a hypothetical production budget could include:

  • Software licences (DAW, art tools, engine plugins): £200–£400
  • Sound libraries or virtual instruments: £150
  • Hardware upgrades (optional, e.g., drawing tablet): £100–£300
  • Marketing materials (if released publicly): £50–£100
  • Testing devices or cloud builds: £50

Estimated hypothetical cost: £500–£900 depending on tools and hardware needs.

Potential Funding

If the project were expanded, potential funding could come from:

  • University creative-project grants
  • Small arts-development funds
  • Indie-game micro-grants
  • Crowdfunding for prototype polishing
  • Revenue from future digital distribution

Since this iteration is academic, no real funding is required.

5. Inspiration and Influences

Inspiration and Influences

The project draws aesthetic and structural influence from Revue Starlight, especially its theatrical motifs, symbolic staging, and strong musical identity. While the character archetypes are inspired by the franchise, all designs and storylines are newly constructed for this game.

Musically, the game combines original compositions with creatively adapted motifs transformed into 8-bit arrangements. Gameplay influences come from classic Mario titles and modern indie pixel-art games.

The visual and musical styles draw inspiration from classic 2D platformers and modern reinterpretations of retro aesthetics. Influences include Nintendo side-scrollers, early-era RPG sound palettes, and indie titles using expressive pixel art. Musically, the project incorporates retro chiptune textures, modern harmonic streams, and rhythm structures affected by our gameplay pacing.

Non-game inspirations include minimalist animation styles, atmospheric film scoring, and environmental storytelling techniques used in early console games where memory limitations encouraged emotional expression through subtle cues rather than dialogue.

6. Contingency/Risk Assessment

Contingency/Risk Assessment

  • Scope Creep: Adding too many levels, animations, or musical cues could exceed the semester’s time frame.
  • Cross-disciplinary Misalignment: Miscommunication between music and visual timing could require costly reworks.
  • Technical Barriers: Pixel animation changes often require redrawing multiple frames; level-design updates may disrupt music loops.
  • Skill Limitations: As a small team, specialised areas (e.g., advanced coding or UX testing) may fall outside our capacity.
  • Iteration Bottlenecks: Slow feedback cycles may stall progress if not carefully managed.

Mitigation strategies included weekly schedule planning, simplified narrative design, and regular in-class testing.

7. Potential for Development

Potential for Development

The prototype could be expanded into a larger game with:

  • Additional levels exploring new mechanics.
  • More varied musical environments with adaptive systems.
  • Deeper narrative components using environmental storytelling.
  • Enhanced animations and enemy variations.
  • Public release as a short indie title or itch.io project.

The interdisciplinary structure already established would support future development efficiently.

8. Evaluation Viability

Evaluation Viability

During the Week 8/9 presentation, I received consistent feedback highlighting that the overall concept, interdisciplinary workflow, and aesthetic direction of the project were strong. The combination of pixel art, 8-bit textures, and character-driven narrative was described as cohesive and promising.

One key suggestion was to expand the amount of original BGM. While the current references and adapted motifs successfully capture the intended atmosphere, developing more original tracks would strengthen the game’s identity and demonstrate musical authorship in a more substantial way. Several peers also recommended exploring leitmotifs for individual characters. Although not mandatory, leitmotifs were seen as an opportunity to deepen emotional storytelling and give the soundtrack more variation and personality.

Another piece of feedback encouraged experimenting with a hybrid audio approach, blending 8-bit elements with higher-fidelity sounds. This was viewed as a creative method to bridge retro aesthetics with modern production values, enriching the overall sound palette.

Overall, the feedback affirmed that the project has a clear direction and strong potential. The main area for development is expanding the original score while maintaining the inspirations that shaped the initial concept. These insights will guide the next phase of composition and polish.

9. Bibliography

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