Game programming is really difficult, and a lot of the skill isnt in making something "new", its just in learning the craft.

To learn the craft you have to build up from basics, so yes, there should be a billion clones of other games out there from every newbie in existance. And, IMO, yes, they should be telling people about their games.

Do they need to promote their games as the next big thing? No, that wouldnt be true, or pointful as its obviously a clone of another game, but there is no reason they shouldnt show them off and let other people play them. Good implementation of simple games is still extremely hard and should be congradulated, especially if its fun to play.

Thats ultimately what matters, and there is a progression to getting better at it. Its like telling painters who are learning to paint to stop painting M seagulls and sun sets cause its too simple and its been done "Why cant you innovate the art world? Like Picasso?". Picasso having painted hundreds and hundreds of finished paintings before developing his new styles, and tons more after that.

-Geoff

[This message has been edited by ghowland (edited November 15, 1999).]

You're wrong (original poster, not Geoff).

When I was a newbie, I made games that sucked. They were no fun to play, had awful graphics, and were direct rip-offs of games I liked. But I was too busy LEARNING the process of making them to care. When they're done, they're proud of what they made, and like any other human being, they want to show that off to someone.

No-one's forcing you to download newbie games, and most of them are free. If you don't like 'em, then don't download them, quit whining, and go make a game yourself.

Mason McCuskey
Spin Studios
www.spin-studios.com

[This message has been edited by mason (edited November 15, 1999).]

I've noticed that over the last few years, many good quality games has entered the market. By quality, I mean the overall graphics/sounds/gameplay...

But at the same time, there has been an overwhelming number of bleak and un-original games. Many newbie game designers are taking a nice step-by-step approach to learning games design, but is it really necessary to post it up to everybody and brag about it?

Not to put down all the beginners, and in some cases the more experienced programmers, but isn't it a bit unnecessary to show off a game when there're hundreds of imitations out in the web?
eg. The various pongs, r-types, pac-mans...etc

Many of these games aren't even programmed using an original library. Chances are, it's a modified version of LaMothe's code or some other author. And that really kills the quality of any game since the base source is similar, which leaves the gameplay obvious

Especially with these online games, unless it's based on a completely new idea, why even bother to spend a few months in the designing them if there're going to be many others like it?

Again, I'm not trying to discourage the game designing industry or designers themselves. I'm simply pointing out that designing something that's already out there kills the idea of knowing that somebody just bought or downloaded a supposedly "new" game.

-William

All those Tetris and Pong clones are probably the first game that programmmer
has ever created. If you wanted to start game programming, you probably would
pick the first simple game that comes to mind and try to copy it. Then you
would try to improve it. Then you would try to put your own personal touches
to it. Then you would rename it and try to sell it like the cheap bastard you
are.

There is nothing wrong with learning how all aspects of the game programming
from start to finish works.

Reaver