Hmm.. yeah, been noticing something like that lately. I know there are a lot of games out there that take months to make, have great graphics, great storyline, a lot of creative potential. But nobody notices them. Not talking about any of my games, lol, just a few of the old ones that appear to have been overlooked in the past and some of the more recent Projects.
And then someone makes something like A Game With A Kitty, without much effort, according to the author, and it becomes a klik classic.
So, what do you guys think?
Disclaimer: Any sarcasm in my posts will not be mentioned as that would ruin the purpose. It is assumed that the reader is intelligent enough to tell the difference between what is sarcasm and what is not.
The reward for me is having made something creative and unique. When I want to get my games noticed, I take them to people outside of the internet. People on TDC are usually wrapped up in their own stuff or ogling over the latest controversial Construct icon-shooter. And then, if it truly is unique and great, just hold on to it and put it in your portfolio. When/if you get a job later in the field, it can show your talent and will probably gain a bit of attention and appreciation then.
S'also good to just make games because it is a fun thing to do. I was making them before I even had the internet on games too big for floppies so they lived and died with only me seeing them.
It can be both aspiring and depressing to compare your games or projects with others. Sometimes it can cause you to lose focus on your own goals. You might even be tempted to totally redesign your game after viewing another's. But in the end, none of that really matters. Do if for yourself. If other people are delighted with it, take it as a bonus.
Yah, like Doctah James, I made games long before I had internet and could show people. I've only been here on the TDC for a year and a half. I visited a few years before that, but the database always gave me an error when I signed up.
yeah back when i first got my grubby little hands on TGF i was just thrilled to be able to make my ideas move and all... but ofcourse later on i discovered the thrill of other people playing things i'd made. i think the reason i dont make games anymore is because of seeing other people's projects and the fact that i feel as if i have to compete with them to some extent. A custom movement engine or a saving system is enough to make my head spin! lucky for me i have other skills!
I create games for myself, mostly multiplayer games. There aren't that many games out there that are fun on one computer. I do not own a WII or another console so I basically create a game I want to play with friends. Of course it is not about the finished game only...the process of creating it is great as well.
Concerning Billy Blaubeere 3, I mainly created it for me and two friends. We meet at my place, grab our controllers and play. Hotseat games are rare these days and I really prefer them to online games.
Yeah Ive said a few times it's a bit silly how smaller games seem to get a lot of attention and some more epic games (Pixel quest) seem to get much less attention than they deserve.
Maybe it's best to make smaller games so people have a chance of finishing them!
It's pretty rewarding in the end, I say. Through all you pains and sufferings of Bugs, glitches, coding, gfx, etc. It's mostly worth it in the end. I thought X was a huge effort. When I look back on it tho I realised it only had 8 levels with pre-fab gfx and a few original graphics. It was really rewarding anyhow.
An old and washed up once-kid
Peblo Custom ratings must be 50 characters or less
Registered 05/07/2002
Points 185
21st January, 2009 at 00:50:41 -
It depends on what your main focus is based on. If you aim to please, there'll be much less reward in game building as opposed to self pleasure.
"Isn't it always amazing how we characterize a person's intelligence by how closely their thinking matches ours?"
~Belgarath
My cousin wanted a Friend of mine to make a really lame game based off a series of "Allegedly" his characters (Which I assume he copied off of somewhere on television ) using TGF.
She was still learning how to do it and he was trying to take advantage of her being a game maker (Beginner, rather.). The game involved Being able to play as 6 characters. You unlocked one more each time you beat the game. (I'm now imagining how slow that'd be.) It was supposed to be an RPG game.
Think how hard it could've been for just a beginner.
Of course he didn't know anything about TGF and he thought she knew everything right off the bat.
You're right, Peblo. It's less rewarding to do it for someone else rather than yourself. Especially if it's for someone with a really lame game idea.
Heh, yeah, I think that's the cool thing about making games. I think even if there was nobody to show off my games to, I'd still be working on the same game, just for the sake of it
Though getting on an indie gamers blog isn't really that glamorous. You could stick there for maybe a day, a week at max, before being bumped off by some far superior game. Then again, being viewed by thousands of people is quite worth it.
Disclaimer: Any sarcasm in my posts will not be mentioned as that would ruin the purpose. It is assumed that the reader is intelligent enough to tell the difference between what is sarcasm and what is not.
Games are also a good way if you're talented at a few things, like most things multimedia you can really sink your teeth into a gaming project because it combines everything - design, art, music, writing. If you're not good at something don't hide it, stuff like Knytt has absolute bog standard art and very little writing and it still did well and The Spirit Engine 2 combined them all and did a good job too.
It's an outlet like any other and beats shooting people.
I've always wondered how poorly click game developers usually promote their games and don't take the most out of them. It's often a big effort to make a game and then it's mainly downloaded only here, commented a few times and that's it. Game lifecycle is very very short for many click games, even though there's potential for much more. It doesn't have to be an exceptional game to spread widely in the internet - it just needs to be average or above average and supported very well by the developer after the release. For many, game making stops when the game is released, but that's just where the fun really begins.
Since I started clicking, somewhere in the Ancient Times, and releasing games (some very poor ones), I've been closely following download figures, magazine CD circulations (where the games have been included) and other stats, and by counting all sources together, I can quite confidentally say that my games have been distributed for more than 4 million copies since I started. That's a kind of pessimistic estimate, the real figure is likely to be well above 6M. So everything is possible, though nowadays it's getting harder as many good software distribution sites have pretty good business models in place and visibility comes with a price tag. That wasn't the case in around 1999-2000 when one of my earlier games got 100k downloads in about one week time at the biggest download directory website in the internet due to - nothing more than - well chosen (free) search words. That can't happen anymore, but magazine CDs are as active as ever.
On the other hand, often you don't even know that your game is actually being downloaded and played as much as it is. Sometimes it just happens in the background. An example is one adequate mini-game of mine, Shoot It Sharp, which I really didn't push too much. Just one day checking the online highscore stats and sorting out individual players (based on player names) from the db, I noticed there had been 11,000 unique players.
Originally Posted by -Adam- But isn't it all to do with personal preference? Some people may prefer smaller games, I'm certainly starting to.
Well there is always a certain amount of personal preference but each game isn't totally different for each person. But it's still the same game whoever plays it. Also a smaller game isn't going to be more enjoyable just because it's small. Thats ridiculous.
I like to be objective anyway, so instead of judging a game on what I like I try to judge it on the game itself. Also when i'm reviewing a game i try to avoid being subjective. I mean being subjective is pretty pointless because you're saying nothing except I like this game.
Lol, MJK, 4 million distributed copies isn't surprising for someone with 4 GOTW wins
Haha, yeah, good point, though. I remember making games back in the ancient times as well. My website got quite a few hits and many, many links, despite having only a few games and none of them were as good as the average TDC game. Actually, come to think of it, games today are getting too good, lol.
You klikers today a bit spoiled - those of you who expect a site to provide a devlog, downloads, free hosting for your game, and then reap fame and fortune
Disclaimer: Any sarcasm in my posts will not be mentioned as that would ruin the purpose. It is assumed that the reader is intelligent enough to tell the difference between what is sarcasm and what is not.
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And then, if it truly is unique and great, just hold on to it and put it in your portfolio. When/if you get a job later in the field, it can show your talent and will probably gain a bit of attention and appreciation then. 
I visited a few years before that, but the database always gave me an error when I signed up. 
Edited by Ski
