Update: check out our video about the design process
Setup
With the launch of Internet Explorer 9, Microsoft wanted to create a handful of premium experiences that showcased the full power of the new browser, the “future of the web.” They asked us to create a web application that felt like it was as smooth and immersive as a natively installed app.
Design Notes
For the design process, we started by looking for non-digital themes in order to create an experience reaching beyond the traditional look of the web. We ended up with a spy theme that had a 1970s flare.
Building on this theme, the scenario evolved from a billiards game to a death-defying race to defuse bombs and in the process thwarting evil agents from sabotaging billiard championships.
We took design cues from 1960s and 1970s era spy movies (like James Bond classics and Mission Impossible) and from period furniture and other Modernist design pieces that carried the right feeling.
Insider Tips
When you play the game, one of the objectives is to diffuse a timebomb that is hiding as a randomly chosen ball on the table. If you hit the “b” key while playing, we’ll reset the game and force the timebomb to be the #1 ball, the ball at the front of the triangle. That way you can diffuse it early and use the extra time on the clock to beat your high score!