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QUT IGB400 Project

This page is dedicated to a QUT IGB400 project. A project with the intention of “filling a gap” in the students existing portfolio. The project pitch is intended to show reflection on the current industry and skill requirements and provides evidence of how key elements contribute to innovation within the portfolio. It also offers clear justification for the project, demonstrating its relevance and value to the student’s professional development.

Project Title:
Scrap AI: Mobile Port and Release

Student:
Scott Barley (n11558059)

Introduction

As an aspiring game developer with a strong focus on programming and technical implementation, I am seeking to refine and expand my portfolio with a project that demonstrates both versatility and professional readiness. My long-term ambition is to pursue independent development and collaboration with other indie teams after graduation, while remaining open to industry opportunities that provide valuable early-career experience.

 

This project pitch proposes the development, polish, and release of a mobile port of Scrap AI, a prior personal project. By taking an unfinished prototype and transforming it into a publishable product on both mobile platforms and Steam, I will strengthen my portfolio in several critical areas: mobile optimisation, product polish, release management, and documentation. The pitch outlines the project’s scope, justification, industry alignment, and expected outcomes.

Project Overview

Scrap AI is a lightweight 3D mobile game concept in which players pilot a quadcopter drone to destroy derelict human structures, collect scrap, and upgrade their equipment in short, fast-paced loops. Inspired by incremental design philosophies such as Universal Paperclips, the game is designed around accessible, “numbers go up” mechanics that reward replayability and short session play.

The project will focus on adapting existing systems and assets into a cohesive, polished mobile product. The majority of the technical framework, including 3D assets, object pooling, and AI systems including boids are already present in the project. This allows the development process to focus on areas I wish to strengthen: optimisation, polish, user experience, deployment, and telemetry data driven reactive development.

Skills to Improve

This project has been specifically selected to target skills where my portfolio is currently underdeveloped:

Mobile Development & Optimisation

I lack published mobile work in my portfolio. This project provides an opportunity to practice adapting gameplay systems for performance-constrained environments, including memory optimisation, input systems, and battery efficiency.

Polish and “Juice”

While I am comfortable with technical implementation, I have limited experience with fine-tuning game feel, visual effects, and player feedback. A key focus of this project will be improving “moment-to-moment” polish to raise the product to a professional level.

Documentation & Industry Practices

I will create professional-grade artefacts, including UML diagrams, technical specifications, and design documentation. These will demonstrate my ability to follow and communicate within industry-standard workflows.

Publishing and Release Management

This includes store listings, builds, and handling versioning.

Data-Driven Design (Telemetry)

If time permits, I intend to implement basic telemetry to gather player behaviour data. This will allow me to practice analytics-driven improvements

Justification and Benefits

Portfolio Enhancement

Fills a critical gap by adding a mobile project to my body of work. 

 

Demonstrates ability to take a project from prototype to published release, which employers and collaborators highly value.

Provides evidence of multiple competencies (programming, optimisation, design, VFX, documentation).

Industry Relevance

The Queensland industry favours mobile development, with studios such as Halfbrick, Gameloft, and Spunge Games leading with globally recognised mobile titles (Queensland Treasury, 2025; Spunge Games, 2025)

A polished mobile project aligns directly with the output of these studios and demonstrates awareness of local employment opportunities.

Career & Opportunity Readiness

Employers frequently list competencies such as published projects, demonstrated OOP and design pattern usage, and ability to work in Agile workflows (Seek, 2025).

Releasing Scrap AI provides tangible evidence of meeting these expectations while also demonstrating adaptability and initiative

Industry Alignment

Global Industry Trends

The global games industry continues to grow despite contractions in junior hiring and layoffs (Reuters, 2025). Mobile gaming, in particular, has stabilised in terms of market size but continues to see steady revenue increases through improved monetisation and player retention strategies (Udonis, 2025). Mobile is now the largest segment of the industry, with hybrid revenue models and live operations playing an increasingly central role. AI is also becoming a standard component of development, with nearly 90% of studios adopting AI tools in some capacity (Reuters, 2025). There are increasing job openings which request this as a skill so I will also consider utilising some AI developed assets based on feedback.

Local Industry Trends

The Queensland game development scene is internationally recognised for its mobile output, with studios such as Halfbrick (Fruit Ninja, Jetpack Joyride), Gameloft (Asphalt series), and Spunge Games (85M+ downloads across titles) (Spunge Games, 2025). Industry support has further strengthened through government tax relief and incentives (Guardian, 2025). By producing a polished mobile title, this project positions me to align directly with local industry trends. It also provides an accessible portfolio piece easy to demonstrate directly on a mobile device useful for both local indie networking and studio recruitment.

Job Listings

Common Competencies Expected

  • Desire to see previously published works / professional grade application

  • Demonstrable understanding of the production lifecycle / Agile workflow

  • Demonstrable well documented and maintainable code that adheres to industry expectation

  • Demonstrable knowledge/  use of programing programing patterns / good OOP

  • Team work & collaboration skills

  • Creative problem solving skills

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Project Scope and Method

The project is scoped at 50–70 hours over 7 weeks, divided into four phases:

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Current State of the Game

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Quantified Expected Outcomes

By the conclusion of the project, I expect to achieve:

 

  • A polished and published mobile port of Scrap AI, released on Steam and at least one mobile storefront.

  • Supporting documentation (UML diagrams, design artefacts, technical specifications).

  • A demonstrable improvement in polish and player experience.

  • Evidence of mobile optimisation and deployment.

  • A strengthened portfolio showcasing adaptability, technical skills, and alignment with industry needs

Conclusion

This project directly addresses both personal and industry goals. On a personal level, it allows me to strengthen underdeveloped skills, particularly in mobile development, polish, and deployment. In relation to industry, it better aligns my portfolio with both global trends (mobile growth, AI integration) and local realities (Queensland’s mobile-focused studios) hopefully maximising my future opportunities.

 

By transforming Scrap AI into a professional, published product, I will demonstrate initiative, technical competence, and adaptability, qualities valued by indie collaborators and industry employers alike.

 

On completion this project is not only represent an exercise in game development but also a strategic step towards career readiness and portfolio growth.

References

Queensland Treasury. (2025, August 10). Games industry tax relief and support for Queensland studios. Trade & Investment Queensland. https://www.tiq.qld.gov.au/news-and-events/success-stories/gamesloft

 

Reuters. (2025, August 18). Nearly 90% of videogame developers use AI agents, Google study shows. Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/business/nearly-90-videogame-developers-use-ai-agents-google-study-shows-2025-08-18/

 

Seek. (2025). Game developer job listings. Seek. https://www.seek.com.au/game-developer-jobs

 

Spunge Games. (2025). Spunge Games: Mobile game portfolio. https://spungegames.com/mobile-games

 

Udonis. (2025, July 22). Mobile game market trends: What to expect in 2025. Udonis. https://www.blog.udonis.co/mobile-marketing/mobile-games/mobile-game-market-trends

 

The Guardian. (2025, August 10). Australia video game industry tax relief and Carmen Sandiego revival. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/aug/10/australia-video-game-industry-tax-relief-and-carmen-sandiego

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Job Links

Games Jobs Direct. (2025, August 19). Unreal Engine Programmer Intern [Job listing]. Games Jobs Direct. https://www.gamesjobsdirect.com/job/tencent/unreal-engine-programmer-intern/299635

 

Seek. (2025). Game developer job listings [Job listing ID 86112881]. Seek. https://www.seek.com.au/game-developer-jobs?jobId=86112881&type=standard

 

Seek. (2025). Game developer job listings [Job listing ID 86140490]. Seek. https://www.seek.com.au/game-developer-jobs?jobId=86140490&type=standard

 

Seek. (2025). Game design job listings [Job listing ID 86386203]. Seek. https://www.seek.com.au/game-design-jobs?jobId=86386203&type=standard

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