TAMPA, Fla. — A new credit union gaming app is slated to show up in both Apple and Google app stores as early as Feb. 28 as a result of GTE Financial CU's inaugural "Got Game" competition.
A brother-sister team, better known to GTE Financial as Team Moreno, created "Tri-Credit" a space-themed puzzle game that earned the team a $10,000 check, royalties and bragging rights.
"We found out about the contest through GTE's website," said Matt Moreno, 21. "We were both very excited, as we had worked on apps together before and knew this could be a great opportunity."
Moreno, who recently graduated from the University of South Florida with a degree in computer science, said he enjoyed working with his younger sister Amie, 18, who recently graduated high school. They combined their talents. Amie handled graphics and aesthetics and Matt executed the coding.
"Previously we released one to the app store called 'Tell Me...' This app would randomly chose items from categories that the user could create," said Amie Moreno. "This was a great learning experience in that it taught us the basics of app development."
Both Matt and Amie Moreno have been GTE members for more than five years; however, Nancy Sternitzky, GTE Financial vice president of technology solutions, explained that the contest, which began in July and ended in December, was open to non-members as well.
"We were blessed and fortunate that the team that did win were members," said Sternitzky. "The other team that presented, Team Quaint Shanty, was from a different credit union."
The Road to Victory
While nine teams originally expressed interest in participating in the Got Game contest, in the end only two teams submitted applications. This was due to the stringent guidelines put forth by GTE Financial.
"It is very difficult to create a game that is ready to be published to the [app] store and we know that because we have a full-time gamification developer," said Sternitzky. "The rules of engagement for this contest were that the team submits a unique game that hadn't been published to an app store, but was ready to go to the Apple or Google store."
Team Moreno began working on their app in July 2014. Amie Moreno explained that Tri-Credit is a spaced-themed puzzle game with each level containing multiple triangles pointed in different directions. A user can click on jump moves, which moves each triangle forward in a respective direction. The user can rotate the direction of the triangles by tapping on the clockwise or counterclockwise buttons.
"To solve these puzzles, the user must think multiple steps ahead in order to properly position the triangles to reach the goals. Later levels become increasingly difficult with the inclusion of special items as well as more triangles and goals," said Amie Moreno. "Each level also has a certain amount of GTE credit that you earn for winning the level. You can then use that credit to unlock other levels."
Before submitting the application for review, Team Moreno did its due diligence. "I estimate that the app took a total of three to five months to develop. We did beta testing through friends and family," Said Matt Moreno. "They were all very supportive and gave us helpful feedback. This feedback allowed us to perfect our app, especially in regards to the difficulty level."
Sternitzky was among an eight-person panel that judged the contest. The panel, she said, was looking for an app that was easy to understand but fun and educational at the same time. The age range was an important factor (12 and up, as opposed to 16 and up) as was the ability for GTE to quickly brand it and submit to the app stores.
"The look and feel of their app aligned with the message we want to put forth to our members," said Sternitzky.
GTE Financial currently serves 225,000 members. Roughly 120,000 members are active online banking users. To date, approximately 35,000 members are active mobile banking users. The credit union has four apps available to members free of charge, which include a remote deposit capture app. The gaming app is designed to differentiate GTE.
"We want our members to see that we are different," says Sternitzky. "When you search us at the app store, you're not just going to find how to make a deposit [app]; you will find a fun, innovative, educational and entertaining application."
While the app, Tri-Credit, has not yet been trademarked, it has been submitted to the Apple Store for approval. If all goes as planned, the app will be available at both the Apple Store and the Google Store on Feb. 28.
Like others GTE apps, there will be no charge. The app could produce future revenue as GTE is discussing the addition of advertising, which a member could turn off for a one-time fee of $1.99. Team Moreno built the game with 90 levels so the app can also be scaled and improved upon in the future.
"If we work on unlocking levels and really building those out, that might be an additional fee," said Sternitzky who added that members can earn dollars by completing levels.
Investing in the Future
Team Moreno received a check for $10,000, the first place prize. While they could see a royalty rate of 20 to 30% if the app is sold, they are pleased with the initial outcome.
"I plan on investing some of my share as well as paying off my car loan," said Matt Moreno. Amie plans on investing too possible in graphic design courses.
As for the future, Team Moreno intends on continuing down the same path. "We do plan on building new gaming apps," said Matt Moreno. "We are still considering ideas but are planning on doing something more ambitious, possibly a first-person story based game."
Building on the success of the first Got Game completion, Sternitzky said there will be a contest in 2015. This time, however, GTE might announce the content as early as February so they can determine a winner before year's end. And Sternitzky expects more participants this time around.
"The prize might not be a lot of money but it is great, free exposure," said Sternitzky. "If you're a gamer, free publication to the app store is a big deal."
Team Moreno is keeping an eye out for the announcement of the second annual Got Game competition. "We haven't made any plans about next year's contest yet," said Matt Moreno. "We both thoroughly enjoyed this experience however, so we'll see!"
