Welcome Page

Table of Contents

1. 1. Project Management
      • Team Working Agreement
      • Individual Responsibility Agreement
      • Project Schedule
      • Meeting Notes
   2. Business Plan
      • User Identification and Interviews
      • Electronic/Print Advertisement
      • Pitch Video with Demonstration
   3. Software Documentation
      • Introduction
      • User Manuals
      • Program Description for Developers
      • Final Algorithm and Flowchart
      • Final Program with Comments
      • Discussion
      • Conclusions and Recommendations
      • References

Executive Summary

The purpose of the software design project was to solve a real-world programming challenge using MATLAB skills, marketing strategies, and teamwork. Team E developed two games using MATLAB – connect four and over 7 under 7, and documented it. The team developed a business plan, identified users, created advertisements, and pitched the games. Each team member was given specific roles, and everyone followed the team working agreement.

The team chose the games after lots of discussions. The first user interview indicated that the target audience – people who played internet games liked to play games that were entertaining and had simple rules that were easy to follow. With everything becoming virtual, people miss traditional board games that they could play with their friends and family. Connect four has nostalgic value, and a MATLAB version of the game could be played by anyone and anywhere. Over and Under 7 is a simple but addictive game that can be played with a single player. Thus both games have good marketing value. The flowchart and algorithm of the games were created before the coding to get a brief idea of how both games would work. The actual coding took up a lot of time and underwent multiple revisions. A key aspect was improving the user interface. Although the target audience may be familiar with computers, they may not have MATLAB experience. The user manual describes all parts of the game for someone with no technical knowledge. After multiple revisions, the script for both games ran without error. The problem that came up the most was when the user entered something the game did not take into consideration. The team realized that in order to improve the game, they needed to keep playing the game.

Overall, the project was a success. The scripts for both the games function correctly, and the games are fun to play. But there is scope for expanding on both the games. Connect four can include an AI player for an added challenge and add more graphics. Over 7 Under 7 can include more players and let players customize their bets and payoff. Since time was a limiting factor here, the team created the best versions of the game they could with their MATLAB skills. If there is an opportunity to build on these games, they can be made far more complicated. For now, these games fulfill the purpose of being simple and connecting people through nostalgic games they can play virtually.