Introduction
The project entails creating and implementing a website for customers to purchase games to download directly on their computer when they register to the site.
I have chosen to do this project because there is not many sites like this for people to download games and also providing a better services for customers so that they will buy more games from the site.
Objective
The objectives of my project are as follows:
Client’s Business
The website, which I will create, will help the client’s business in numerous way and these are:
• There is not a lot of competition because there are not many services like this where people can download games.
• Increase revenue by providing a better customer service.
• Saves money on CD’s or DVD’s since the business doesn’t have to make duplicate copies of the games.
• Work at home as well as working in the building since the site can be accessed all around the world.
E-Business
The website will help the E-Business by:
• Providing better customer service
• Easily and quickly for the customers to get their products without having to wait for couple of days for it to be delivered.
• Direct communication with the customers by disintermediation, which bypasses the intermediaries such as wholesaler, brokers, etc. This is done by sending emails, etc.
System development
The website, which I will create are as follows:
• Making the website user friendly for the clients to navigate.
• Making the site secured when the clients sign up to the site to prevent unauthorised users to get access to their details. This can be done by using encryption so that nobody else can read it by converting data into cipher text.
• Making the site attractive in terms of colours, pictures, text, animations etc being used so that the clients will enjoy using the site.
• Using Dream weaver to create a website by using Hypertext Markup Language (HTML).
• Communicating with the web server. By doing this, I need to use Hypertext Preprocessor (PHP) and my SQL database. This is done by using PHP to interact with my SQL database so that I can store and retrieve data from the database.
• Creating credits to deduct the credits when the customers purchase a game and also increase the credits when the customer wants to add more on. This can be created by using PHP to write an IF Else statement stating that if the customer brought the games then deduct the credits Else if the customers wants to add the credits then the customers have to input the amount and with their account details so that it will add on to the credits.
• Using the database to create a basket where customer can save the games they wish to purchase. If the customer does not want they games, then they can remove the game from the basket.
• Creating a dynamic website using JavaScript. JavaScript is a scripting language, which can be embedded with Hypertext Markup Language (HTML). By creating a dynamic website, I need to add functionality and validations.
• Automatically add a address link to the customer account after the customers order a game. so that the customer will know what games they brought and if they format the computer, then they can download the game again by clicking on the link from their account.
Academic objective
• As I know how to use Adobe Flash MX 2004 to make animation, I am going to use this software to create an advert and animate the advert so that it will look attractive and also animate the logo and images.
• As I know the basic understand of my SQL database, I am going to use this software to store and retrieve data and also create a basket.
• Since I understand the PHP scripting language, I am going to use this language to communicate with the database.
Project Scope
When developing and creating a website, I’m going to create a form where the customers can register or signup to the site, which will be stored on the database so that the data can be retrieved for the business purpose and check the details if the customers have enquires or complaints. The database will also be created after the website has been completed because I will be able to spend more time on the website to make the site look very attractive and reducing errors on the site such as programming error, broken links, etc without worrying about the database while creating the site. Once the site has been completed, I will move onto the database to produce complex queries and also creating tables so that customer details will be stored into the database.
I am also going to create the links of the games and copy the links to the customer’s account when they purchase the games. By doing this I need to make a query from the database since the link address will be stored in the basket and add codes that will allow me to copy the link and paste it on the customer’s account.
I am also going to create animated adverts and couple of animated images and logo to make the website more attractive by making simple animation using Adobe Flash MX 2004.
Another aspect that I am going to create is the credits that allow the customers to add credits and also automatically deduct the credits when the customer have purchase a game.
I am not going to create a game as this will take a lot of time and people and also money to make a game.
Approach and Deliverables
In order for me to do fact finding, system analysis and design, I have to do a lot of research by going on the website and looking at books as these methods are very easy to access by going to libraries and going to the computer labs to use the Internet and also the Internet and the books contains so many information, which will help me to do analysis and interface design.
To do the interface design I have to get ideas of how to design a good website by going to the website which is similar to the one I am creating which are www.gamesspot.com, www.steampowered.com, etc.
Once I designed the interface of the design, I have to produce a questionnaire for the customers to see what they think of the design. If they like the design then they need to explain why and if they don’t like the design then they also need to explain why they don’t like the design and what improvement can be made. By doing this, I will be able to know what they want from the design and I can then I can improve it to meet the customer’s needs.
To do system analysis, I have to produce a design called Entity Relationship Model, which consist of how the entities relates to other entities. The relationship can be either 1:M, M:N, M:1,etc. I need to use this design to create a database that will help to understand what entities link to other entities by using primary keys, foreign keys, etc. By using this design it will reduce errors to the database system and can be very useful and effective decision making while creating a database. Another method of providing an effective decision making is producing a normalisation. The normalisation is used to break each attributes and entities to eliminate duplications of attributes and give better view of how the entities are linked with other entities.
In order to do fact finding, I have to create a questionnaire for the customers to show how the website will benefit them and what type of games they would like to purchase since there are so many different types of games such as third person shooter, first person shooter, platform, etc. Once I get a feedback from the customers, I will provide the games, which the customers want.
Once I consider all of the information provide above, I will provide the customer a very good customer service and providing them with the service they want so that they will enjoy going to the site. Also when the customer does go to the site, the chance of errors will be reduced if the designs are very effective and which are very understandable and getting a good and honest feedback from the customers.
Project Plan
• Creating project proposal and project initiation started by 26/10/06 and finish by 02/11/06.
• Design a website starting at 07/11/06 and finish by 21/11/06.
• Design entity relationship model and normalisation starting by 23/11/06 and finish by 05/12/06.
• Produce a progress report from 07/12/06 and finish by 14/12/06.
• Start creating a website from 16/12/06 to 04/02/07.
• Evaluating the blog week beginning at 29/01/07.
• Creating a database starting on 06/02/06 and finish by 24/03/07.
• Researching PHP to communicate with the database starting 26/03/07 and end by 31/03/07.
• Creating an avert and animation using Adobe Flash MX 2004 starting 03/04/07 and finish by 11/04/07.
• Creating a test plan to test the system to check if it works. This will be started at 12/04/07 and ends in 26/04/07.
• Producing a evaluation to explain the problems encountered and how the problems was solved starting on 26/04/07 and finish by 1/05/07.
• Viva starts on the week beginning on the 07/05/2007.
