BRF – Ecco Game

I’m very happy to share the completion of yet another great project. From amoraleite.com, directly to the giant BRF. For those who don’t know, BRF is a group of companies that holds the title of the largest distributor of poultry meat on the planet, among many other food products. This project was carried out without intermediaries, meaning without an agency. This allowed the process to be faster and more accurate. I was also given full creative freedom, a rare condition when there are many intermediaries involved in a business. Although I am proficient in all areas of the process, for special projects like this, I assemble a team and carefully select other partners to help me meet the client’s needs, project scope, budget, and delivery deadline. In this project, I worked with just one programmer and we were able to complete everything in about 3 months of work, including the 6-in-1 Ecco Game, several graphic pieces, and 2 motion graphic videos.

I would like to give special thanks to BRF’s innovation and acceleration team, Garagem BRF, without whom this game would not be possible. This is an example of the union between the desire to create and the hunger to achieve, and the result is a game that caters to all audiences and will continue to grow with updates and, who knows, maybe even a sequel. Thank you, BRF, for believing in this small company that dreams as big as you do!

The Game

For this game, I created a diverse family, consisting of six members, each representing a thematic area to be explored. When starting the game, the characters display expressions of doubt, indicating that they are ready to learn something new. Each topic area features topic-related questions and an associated mini-game, allowing players to practice and deepen their knowledge. Upon completing each challenge, a score is assigned, and if the average is reached, the main character on the screen is content and happy, showing that he has learned something new. The aim of the game is to provide an educational and enjoyable experience for players.

Arte vetorial:

I chose to do all the art for this game in vector, one of my comfort areas, and therefore technically more feasible given the time limit we would have. But as you can see above, for creation I rarely run away from the traditional sketch.

Side Quests

Three months of effort might appear substantial, yet when considering the intricacies of coordination, production, animation, logo design, and conceptualizing a bespoke product for a project of this magnitude, this time frame is undeniably brief. Moreover, it’s worth noting that these three months weren’t solely dedicated to this project; various other responsibilities demanded my attention concurrently. Additionally, there were supplementary tasks commissioned by our client, including the creation of a logo for the distinct realm of BRF known as the Ecco Community.

Motion graphic

Among my many skills, motion graphics stands out as one of the most old companions. In this project, I had the opportunity to utilize this expertise to enhance this project for the endomarket by producing a series of compelling 1-minute videos. Taking charge of both the scriptwriting and video creation, I ensured that the final result was clear and good to watch.

Given the limited time we had to create everything – the game, graphic elements, videos, characters, and overall design – I heavily relied on my agile methodologies. Let’s talk about the sketches below. If you check the GDD section of this site, you’ll see that this is how I develop all my games. It all starts with pencil and paper, the essence of the idea.

See? That was nothing. But that’s how it always begins. Very small.

Conclusion

It is quite common for jobs to be intermediated by various professionals, making direct communication with clients and experts a rare practice. This scenario is particularly prevalent in developing countries, such as Brazil, where locating and contacting the right client can be challenging. Many individuals have found lucrative opportunities by acting as intermediaries in this process.

Based on my experience working for various agencies and production companies, as well as handling numerous outsourced projects, I have noticed that the more people involved, the higher the likelihood of noise and misalignment, leading to deliverables that may not precisely meet the expectations of the final client.

I consider myself fortunate that a significant portion of my work, under the name amoraleite.com, is carried out directly for the clients, eliminating intermediaries. However, I acknowledge that in certain situations with intermediaries, it becomes necessary to adapt the production process to meet the needs of the first client, that is, the intermediary. The key is always to seek the best way to ensure the satisfaction of the final client, even in the face of these challenges in the market game.