From: Thomas Ward <thomasward1...@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Audyssey] the spirit of game production - Re:
bringsbackmemories - Re: Fw: BlindSoftware.comBlog Feed
To: "Gamers Discussion list" <gamers@audyssey.org>
Date: Wednesday, May 18, 2011, 8:11 PM
Hi Jeremy,
Well, what you say makes sense. However, there is another
angle I
think we, as accessible game developers, often overlook.
For instance, you are saying you pass over an idea because
it has
already done before, or too similar to a game in existance.
That's
true if we are looking at the wider community, but there is
still
nitch markets for those games. I myself am using Linux and
there
currently is nothing like Troopenum, Hunter, Judgment Day,
etc
available. So I'd probably buy it if there was a version
built for
Linux. It is the same case for Mac OS users who have left
Windows for
Mac, and now are trying to find games for Mac that are
accessible. No
its not financially as big a gold mine as Windows, I'm
certainly not
saying that, but my point is just because a similar game
has been
created before doesn't mean it isn't of value to someone.
It just
means we as developers have to look at the big picture and
see where
potential customers are.
For instance, over the past month I've put a lot of work
into
upgrading my game engine so it runs on Windows and Linux,
and I'm
pretty sure if I compiled a version for Mac it should run
on Mac OS as
well. So if I chose to use my engine to create another
Troopenum type
game I doubt I'd get many Windows sales, because its like
something
they already have, but for Mac and Linux markets I'm sure I
could make
a couple thousand or so in sales from those nitch markets
alone. Its
simply the old case of supply and demand at work here
again.
Cheers!
On 5/18/11, Jeremy Kaldobsky <jer...@kaldobsky.com>
wrote:
> First off, this is the second time I've written this
post so it will
> probably be of lower quality this time around.
My browser decided to glitch
> and I lost a very lost post, that was probably a full
page if not a page and
> a half.
>
> As one of the new guys in the community, relatively
speaking, I debated even
> commenting on this topic. I wasn't around for
the "golden era" so my
> perspective is extremely limited compared to those who
have been around long
> enough to see the bigger picture.
>
> That being said, I don't doubt things have slowed down
with audio game
> development to some degree, I believe that is
normal. I do, also, agree
> with Dark that a well made game can still use old
ideas.
>
> Recently I assembled a list of the audio games and
tools I have released. I
> was honestly shocked by how short that list was!
I kept thinking I had left
> things out, and it took me a while to accept that the
list was accurate.
> The reason I felt like I had done more is because for
every game/tool I've
> released, I have 2 that were only partially
finished. While developing a
> new game, if I discover existing games that use the
same general idea, I
> will get discouraged. The same is true when I
read that someone else is
> currently developing a game with a similar
style. In those cases, I will
> just push my project aside and start work on
another. Part of the way
> through that design, there's always a chance the same
thing will happen
> again.
>
> Even if only half of the other developers are like me,
that is a lot of
> developers holding off on projects because they are
searching for a unique
> idea. Sure, if we stuck with it our games would
be different in some ways,
> but they are still similar to something already out
there. I always ask
> myself the question, "Why waste time when I could be
making something
> totally unique?"
>
> Over the years, many audio games have been created,
and they represent many
> different game styles. For anyone trying not to
repeat an existing game,
> this means our options are getting smaller and smaller
all the time. New
> ideas are tricky, and they take longer to develop than
the games based on
> old ideas. It is only natural for things to slow
down because of this. I
> believe that this would still be true even if the old
classic game companies
> were still around. They probably rode out the
market until the trends
> started to change. It was a smart move on their
part, if that is what they
> did.
>
> New ideas also run the risk of being rejected. I
released Daytona to be
> unique, and many people played it, but also many more
didn't even care to
> try it. That's not meant to put anyone down, but
it is just a reality. The
> more new and unique you make a game, the more likely
it is that you've
> narrowed down on your potential player base. For
this very reason I set my
> combat game aside because I didn't have faith that my
player base would be
> large enough to help me support the ongoing server
costs. I'm also fairly
> certain my next Daytona game will be completely passed
over by a sizable
> portion of the community simply because it requires
the mouse to play. I
> built Lunimals to be as close to "standard" as I
could, and I'm sure its
> recent popularity speaks loudly in support of my
theory.
>
>
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