quote: Original post by Ironside
Time for some 12 hr coding sessions eh boys?
:D

12 hours? You mean you only work half-days?


Steve Pavlina
Dexterity Software
www.dexterity.com

naaa....I just don''t sleep much

Who buys Windows 3.1 software these days? More importantly, given that your Galaga clone is still selling, is it viable that an updated version would sell at the same level? It just seems like the bar has been set much higher than it was in '95.

[Edit]
I guess that Strayfire is the modern update to your Galaga clone.

Take care,
Bill

[edited by - Siebharinn on June 17, 2002 9:20:49 PM]

give strayfire a try, and you will see its nothing at all like a galaga clone. Its an overhead scrolling flying game, more like the raiden or r-type games.

quote:
give strayfire a try, and you will see its nothing at all like a galaga clone. Its an overhead scrolling flying game, more like the raiden or r-type games.

Oops. I didn''t mean to imply that StrayFire was like Galaga per se, rather that it was the modern equivalent of a "simple" game, like Galaga was 10 years ago.

I guess my problem is that I don''t understand the "budget" model. I don''t understand how a 7 year old Win 3.1 game can still be generating a couple hundred dollars a month. Who buys these?

With all respect to Steve, I don''t think that I would buy a game like Dweep, nor could I imagine any of my friends or family. But people obviously are. Same with Strayfire. I played the demo, and it was alright, but I wasn''t going to rush out and buy it.

I think that the model Steve describes is sound. Start with small, low-income projects and work up a steady cash-flow. That makes sense to me. What I don''t understand is the market for the budget project.

Steve mentioned doing research to find out where a niche is. Where do you look for that info? I''ve been too brainwashed into just going to Best Buy and browsing the aisles. Where does someone even buy budget games?

Help! I''m confused!

Take care,
Bill

Wow! Great thread! I guess I have a few things, so here goes. I''ve been working on a 3d shooter game, which contains quite a bit of comedic elements to it. It is beginning to near completion. I''m beginning to search around for places to get it sold shareware. I''m really not sure as to what places have proven track record of bringing in sales. I feel as though my game would be quite salable, as it is very nice quality. Does anyone know if lamothe''s site (xgames3d) has any luck with selling games? Also, after having seen this thread, i checked out Dexterity, and WOW! I must say, that is the most professionally done site I have ever seen. It totally convinced me that I would like to submit my game there, although they say they generally like puzzle-type games and not 3d shooters. I''d be interested in whether it is possible at all for it to be accepted or not, if you could let me know Steve. If so, i''d try submitting it to you, because I must say, your site sold me on wanting to have you guys selling my software.

Thanks,
Mike

The technology of a game has little to do with how viable it is. Think windows solitaire. I know folks that would be LIVID if solitaire vanished from their machines. Has it changed AT ALL from the windows 3.1 version? Nope. Would people be willing to spend 5-10 bucks on it? Probably.

To address Siebharinn:
You are thinking to much of the main-stream gaming crowd. There is a huge market for the casual gamer out there that is largely untapped. Think about the folks that are nervous of turning on a computer or the people that get ecstatic when they win a round of Minesweeper. That is a great market to target. Will the shell 50 bucks for Doom3? Not likely. Will they shell 10 bucks for a puzzle or card game that looks nice? Yep. And they will go back to the same source to get more if they like what they get.

P.S. Anybody know how to put a tab in a line? I hate not indenting my paragraphs.
P.P.S. Wee! Thanks Null - didn't even occur to me to use those. Problem solved.



God was my co-pilot but we crashed in the mountains and I had to eat him...
Landsknecht

[edited by - landsknecht on June 18, 2002 7:03:26 PM]

quote: Original post by Landsknecht
P.S. Anybody know how to put a tab in a line? I hate not indenting my paragraphs.

Try some of these:
 

Five of those produces this:
A small indentation.

quote: Original post by Siebharinn
Who buys these? ...I don''t think that I would buy a game like Dweep, nor could I imagine any of my friends or family.

And I dont think I would buy an N-Sync or Britney Spears CD, but they sell dont they. Its a very normal trap to fall into..."I like the same stuff as the rest of the world", but thats never true.

quote:
LordKronos
And I dont think I would buy an N-Sync or Britney Spears CD, but they sell dont they. Its a very normal trap to fall into..."I like the same stuff as the rest of the world", but thats never true.

That''s a good point. I wasn''t trying to say that the rest of the world wouldn''t (or shouldn''t) buy Dweep because I wouldn''t, just that I don''t understand the market that does buy Dweep. That market is so outside of my realm of experience that I have a hard time getting my head around it.

quote:
Landsknecht
You are thinking to much of the main-stream gaming crowd. There is a huge market for the casual gamer out there that is largely untapped. Think about the folks that are nervous of turning on a computer or the people that get ecstatic when they win a round of Minesweeper. That is a great market to target. Will the shell 50 bucks for Doom3? Not likely. Will they shell 10 bucks for a puzzle or card game that looks nice? Yep. And they will go back to the same source to get more if they like what they get.

I know I''m thinking too mainstream. And I''m trying to figure out the other side. Where do people get $10 card games? I found a few shareware download sites last night and looked at the top downloads for each one.
What bothers me is that I know you''re right about the untapped market, I just know very little about it. So I''m doing some research and educating myself about it. I''ll probably end up joining the ASP, since they might know a thing or two about shareware.

Thanks guys, this has been an interesting and enlightening thread.

Take care,
Bill