To all people who think they can earn something by writing selfmade PC games. Is it not an illusion to think you can really get money for a Pac Man or Sokoban clone by distributing it as shareware or sending it to Crystal Interactive? There are good,professional special-priced older games in stores (Diablo,etc.). Why should a customer buy your Pac Man?

Because there simply is no game like Smugglers out there at the moment. And there never was a game like Smugglers 2 (not yet released) in history.

The point is to not make a pacman clone, but to find a niche.

And I am very satisfied with the money I get from online sales alone. And while I am at it (pointing at all the last posts): I will publish S2 alone. I already got some good contacts to stores and to print DVD/CD boxes is not THAT costly. I suggest everyone else to do the same. Its just not true that you won't get in touch to stores like Vobis. And if it doesn't work it is my fault alone (and online sales again will satisfy me for that. )

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Edited by - Jester101 on July 5, 2001 4:10:34 AM

Good point. Don''t just make another clone game. Be original and creative. Of course if you are going to make clone games perhaps Windows CE would be a better platform.





Glen Martin
Dynamic Adventures Inc.
Zenfar

Deep in my heart i hoped to hear a success story :-)
Jester: It would be interesting to me:
1.) why do you think people like your game so they pay for it?
2.) how did you get it known?

> 1.) why do you think people like your game so they pay for it?
My personal opinion is:
- It runs on every computer without needing to set anything up. Downside is that it is technically very poor - but it is clean and easy to use.
- It is easy to use.
- It has a very good in-game tutorial.

My team said:
- It is a great idea and makes fun to play.

There is a post from me some weeks back you might check out. I explained everything there more in detail.

> 2.) how did you get it known?
After two not-so-good-games I wanted to leave and never make commercially games again. Then I decided to make something just for myself and nobody else. A game that I would like to play myself all the time. I don''t care about whiz-bang graphics so I didn''t included them and made it (technically) easy for me. So I did. Then I showed it a friend and he liked it very much too. Thats why I decided to put it on my website...

Hey jester, I got curious, whats your site?

Company site: www.nbsd.de
Smugglers site: www.nbsd.de/Smugglers/indexE.html

Well, the game I''m working on ("Edward Ropple''s Ballgame!") is a text-simulation of baseball (no fancy-schmancy graphics, just a topdown baseball field and a text playbyplay and there are two still sold on the market - one for $70 (it sells like hotcakes) and one for $30 (from Germany, no MLB license, doesn''t sell that well.) The one I''m designing, frankly, ALREADY blows the one from Germany away - and it''s gonna cost $10. Most users obviously like great games - this isn''t a GREAT game, just a good one - and like em better when they''re cheap. This is a definite NICHE product. It''s a fun niche. My best advice is find something you REALLY, REALLY like - Fry Cook Tycoon might be one for a OCD McDonalds worker - and do it.

~Ed

Simply put, as long as you create a game, folks will either download it, or better still, purchase it. This planet is choke full of folks, and there''s exceptions to everything. And one thing that every aspiring game programmer should take note is that each human is special in his/her own character and personality. There are folks who like 3D games like Quake III and some like Diablo, some prefer puzzle games and stuff. In general, according to statistics, gurls prefer light-weight games more, like Pac man, puzzles and not-so-violent and hardcore games. One gurl has also say that games like Quake III moves the screen around too much and such. Pac-man based games are easy to learn, fun and addictive. The thing is to target your game at the right market, at the right prospects. :-D

The last thing is that Albert Einstein has said that, "People love to chop wood, cos'' they can see the results immediately." This applies to the nature of games too. Of course, if a customer scores a point and stuff or win a round in your game, his/her ego(especially men) will be boosted and that''ll hook ''em up, pals. :-D

Good luck! :-D

"The feeling of mastering and understanding hard stuff in Game Programming is just like the feeling u get when u perform an Air-Walk in the basketball court, soaring.....and everyone''s watching in awe......."

Simply put, as long as you create a game, folks will either download it, or better still, purchase it. This planet is choke full of folks, and there''s exceptions to everything. And one thing that every aspiring game programmer should take note is that each human is special in his/her own character and personality. There are folks who like 3D games like Quake III and some like Diablo, some prefer puzzle games and stuff. In general, according to statistics, gurls prefer light-weight games more, like Pac man, puzzles and not-so-violent and hardcore games. One gurl has also say that games like Quake III moves the screen around too much and such. Pac-man based games are easy to learn, fun and addictive. The thing is to target your game at the right market, at the right prospects. :-D

The last thing is that Albert Einstein has said that, "People love to chop wood, cos'' they can see the results immediately." This applies to the nature of games too. Of course, if a customer scores a point and stuff or win a round in your game easily without doing much and such(unlike in Quake and stuff.....), his/her ego(especially men) will be boosted and that''ll hook ''em up, pals. :-D

Good luck! :-D

"The feeling of mastering and understanding hard stuff in Game Programming is just like the feeling u get when u perform an Air-Walk in the basketball court, soaring.....and everyone''s watching in awe......."