Comments on: Making and selling Fig. 8 http://mile222.com/2009/08/making-and-selling-fig-8/ Welcome to the tiny spot where I turn my insides out. Thu, 11 Feb 2010 08:26:27 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8 hourly 1 By: Tom http://mile222.com/2009/08/making-and-selling-fig-8/comment-page-1/#comment-1094 Tom Wed, 19 Aug 2009 19:17:22 +0000 http://mile222.com/?p=704#comment-1094 Yeah, it's hard to create enough value in 2 weeks for a direct purchase. The greatest risk with making long form games is spending all the time and effort on a game that players don't end up liking. Prototyping new ideas to make sure they're fun first is important. So is getting lots of feedback on the prototype and incremental builds. Making a game is an art, but evaluating a game is a science, and one that requires (often brutal) honesty with oneself (and with team members). Yeah, it’s hard to create enough value in 2 weeks for a direct purchase.

The greatest risk with making long form games is spending all the time and effort on a game that players don’t end up liking. Prototyping new ideas to make sure they’re fun first is important. So is getting lots of feedback on the prototype and incremental builds.

Making a game is an art, but evaluating a game is a science, and one that requires (often brutal) honesty with oneself (and with team members).

]]> By: aeiowu http://mile222.com/2009/08/making-and-selling-fig-8/comment-page-1/#comment-1093 aeiowu Wed, 19 Aug 2009 18:49:15 +0000 http://mile222.com/?p=704#comment-1093 Hey Tom, good to see you here. Thanks for posting that link. We've actually been reading that article here at the office. It's very good and we definitely see eye-to-eye with it. In fact our next game, Liferaft, will be shareware/direct-purchase in Flash. We've certainly been encouraged by your experiences with Now Boarding and we're going to take the leap and head out into the foggy unknowns of pay-to-play. Fig. 8 was a 2 week game and I'm not sure how well it'd be received as direct purchase. However, we've spent the last few months working on Liferaft, putting something together that we feel is worth a purchase. There's still more work to be done but we'll be sure to be _very_ transparent about that whole process as soon as we get some numbers back. It's scary, but more exciting than anything. We're looking forward to having a 1-to-1 relationship with the people that play our games. Hey Tom, good to see you here. Thanks for posting that link. We’ve actually been reading that article here at the office. It’s very good and we definitely see eye-to-eye with it. In fact our next game, Liferaft, will be shareware/direct-purchase in Flash. We’ve certainly been encouraged by your experiences with Now Boarding and we’re going to take the leap and head out into the foggy unknowns of pay-to-play. Fig. 8 was a 2 week game and I’m not sure how well it’d be received as direct purchase. However, we’ve spent the last few months working on Liferaft, putting something together that we feel is worth a purchase. There’s still more work to be done but we’ll be sure to be _very_ transparent about that whole process as soon as we get some numbers back.

It’s scary, but more exciting than anything. We’re looking forward to having a 1-to-1 relationship with the people that play our games.

]]> By: Tom http://mile222.com/2009/08/making-and-selling-fig-8/comment-page-1/#comment-1092 Tom Wed, 19 Aug 2009 14:28:49 +0000 http://mile222.com/?p=704#comment-1092 I think all flash developers should read Danc's "Flash love letters" over on Lost Garden. Part 2 is particularly applicable here: http://lostgarden.com/2009/08/flash-love-letter-2009-part-2.html You guys at Intuition have the chops to break out of the portal-dominated short form market. Don't let your experience with Dinowaurs deter you. There are other revenue models to try, and other games to make. Sponsor money is drying up because ad money is drying up. Our direct sales with Now Boarding haven't been drying up. -Tom I think all flash developers should read Danc’s “Flash love letters” over on Lost Garden. Part 2 is particularly applicable here:

http://lostgarden.com/2009/08/flash-love-letter-2009-part-2.html

You guys at Intuition have the chops to break out of the portal-dominated short form market. Don’t let your experience with Dinowaurs deter you. There are other revenue models to try, and other games to make.

Sponsor money is drying up because ad money is drying up. Our direct sales with Now Boarding haven’t been drying up.

-Tom

]]> By: mile222 » Blog Archive » Fig. 8 released! http://mile222.com/2009/08/making-and-selling-fig-8/comment-page-1/#comment-1086 mile222 » Blog Archive » Fig. 8 released! Tue, 18 Aug 2009 22:02:58 +0000 http://mile222.com/?p=704#comment-1086 [...] sponsor in YoArcade. These things always take awhile, and certainly this go-round took a lot of pavement-pounding to get it sold but I feel it was worth it in the [...] [...] sponsor in YoArcade. These things always take awhile, and certainly this go-round took a lot of pavement-pounding to get it sold but I feel it was worth it in the [...]

]]> By: Sketch http://mile222.com/2009/08/making-and-selling-fig-8/comment-page-1/#comment-1066 Sketch Mon, 10 Aug 2009 16:37:11 +0000 http://mile222.com/?p=704#comment-1066 I like your article, and your idea of creating hype. I love that your shoving innovation down peoples throats, as i have struggled with profit vs a good game my self. neat game, hope it does well... If you could give me a nudge with your profits and stats post sponsorship i would appreciate that. I like your article, and your idea of creating hype. I love that your shoving innovation down peoples throats, as i have struggled with profit vs a good game my self.

neat game, hope it does well… If you could give me a nudge with your profits and stats post sponsorship i would appreciate that.

]]> By: Andy Moore http://mile222.com/2009/08/making-and-selling-fig-8/comment-page-1/#comment-1058 Andy Moore Thu, 06 Aug 2009 23:27:08 +0000 http://mile222.com/?p=704#comment-1058 I had some rough times with FGL and the sponsors there, and had a bunch of conversations with the folks there. I haven't been back since to see the fallout, but the article you linked and the description of their "Editor Ratings" sure explains a lot, and I've lost some animosity towards them just by reading this, so thanks for that. To be honest, it feels that linked article by fgl_eric was directed specifically at me and addresses all of my complaints. :) I fully agree with the undervaluing of sponsorships though - especially considering the amount of income that some of those places generate. Portals can afford to share a bit more wealth, IMHO. It's made me want to avoid the two-week game market altogether. I like to hold on to the dream that if a product is good, it will sell itself. I've recently began to embrace reality, which is that a product has to be *amazing* to sell itself. Thanks for posting your experience and I look forward to a follow up with the results of your wheeling and dealing. I had some rough times with FGL and the sponsors there, and had a bunch of conversations with the folks there. I haven’t been back since to see the fallout, but the article you linked and the description of their “Editor Ratings” sure explains a lot, and I’ve lost some animosity towards them just by reading this, so thanks for that. To be honest, it feels that linked article by fgl_eric was directed specifically at me and addresses all of my complaints. :)

I fully agree with the undervaluing of sponsorships though – especially considering the amount of income that some of those places generate. Portals can afford to share a bit more wealth, IMHO. It’s made me want to avoid the two-week game market altogether.

I like to hold on to the dream that if a product is good, it will sell itself. I’ve recently began to embrace reality, which is that a product has to be *amazing* to sell itself. Thanks for posting your experience and I look forward to a follow up with the results of your wheeling and dealing.

]]>