RMXP: Now wut? (Due to nerd rage)

[RoseSkye]

Due to nerd rage I am giving a warning. This post is not serious, this post is speculative. This post is an unreal pie in the sky situation much like "What if you found a million dollars in the street". I am gravely unsettled that I have to explain this even with the context of the first post below.

This post is just a "What would you do in this situation" post. Please don't go on a lynch party because of a post that has never happened. It is just a light-hearted post.. really.

You've been anxious to finish your project for awhile.. and you finally finish it after 3 years or so.
People admire it and it does well. It makes it to a few 'video game' shows on G4, you win some awards. Lets go pie in the sky and say that a small video game company wants to buy rights. Even though you  make a killing off of this RMXP project you dont have time to do another game.

Now what?

[Kagutsuchi]

Well, game making IS a job after all ^^ Option nr. 1 here =D

[G_G]

I dont plan on making money off of rmxp. I almost did but my laptop suffered in a terrible magnet storm....So I'm just going to experiment with different programs. Lately I've been messing with game maker 7 and rmvx. Trying to learn both of their scripting languages

[Blizzard]

Voted for the last option. RMXP game for 3 years? You actually think you can make money worth of the work for 3 years? Don't be so naive. There are 3 things you are overlooking.

1. Publishers don't like independent developers. If you don't come there boasting that you paid for an Unreal Engine license (of which the newest version costs $170,000, if I'm not wrong, for ONLY 1 GAME), you have not the slightest chance to get any serious publisher. No serious publisher means no heavy marketing (marketing is expensive). No marketing means no sellings. No sellings means no money.

2. You can make a game in 3 months that will earn you more money. Currently casual games (read: shitty games) sell quite well and if you can manage to make a few games, you'll earn enough money that you can actually spend a whole year working on a bigger project. Why do casual games sell so good? They don't. But if a few thousand "copies" can be sold, you've earned quite a bit of money. And the marketing is practically free for you as the DRM sites and game portals do the marketing themselves.

3. One-man projects might be nice since you earn all the money, but the success and game complexity is quite low. Today games are done in teams. I'm not talking about teams of 7 people, I'm talking about teams of 50-100 and more people. When you have something to show as portfolio (such as 10 smaller, rather popular casual games created over the period of 3 years), you should have a decent chance to work on a big project and/or get a job at a serious game dev company.

Conclusion:
Even if you get one of the game portals to sell you're game, it will be for some miserable money. Casual gamers won't buy it because it's not an actual casual game. Hardcore gamers won't buy it because it's a "shitty game with cheap and old graphics". The rest won't buy it because there is a small chance that they will ever find out about your game. Why? The game portals' marketing isn't really something. If you can sell 1000 copies of an RMXP game, wow. Be happy. If they sell it for $20, this means $20,000 earnings. When you subtract their part and the taxes, you'll probably end up with $5,000. Congratulations. You've worked your ass off for 3 years for poor $5,000. Great job.

[RoseSkye]

Voted for the last option. RMXP game for 3 years? You actually think you can make money worth of the work for 3 years? Don't be so naive. There are 3 things you are overlooking.

1. Publishers don't like independent developers. If you don't come there boasting that you paid for an Unreal Engine license (of which the newest version costs $170,000, if I'm not wrong, for ONLY 1 GAME), you have not the slightest chance to get any serious publisher. No serious publisher means no heavy marketing (marketing is expensive). No marketing means no sellings. No sellings means no money.

2. You can make a game in 3 months that will earn you more money. Currently casual games (read: shitty games) sell quite well and if you can manage to make a few games, you'll earn enough money that you can actually spend a whole year working on a bigger project. Why do casual games sell so good? They don't. But if a few thousand "copies" can be sold, you've earned quite a bit of money. And the marketing is practically free for you as the DRM sites and game portals do the marketing themselves.

3. One-man projects might be nice since you earn all the money, but the success and game complexity is quite low. Today games are done in teams. I'm not talking about teams of 7 people, I'm talking about teams of 50-100 and more people. When you have something to show as portfolio (such as 10 smaller, rather popular casual games created over the period of 3 years), you should have a decent chance to work on a big project and/or get a job at a serious game dev company.

Conclusion:
Even if you get one of the game portals to sell you're game, it will be for some miserable money. Casual gamers won't buy it because it's not an actual casual game. Hardcore gamers won't buy it because it's a "shitty game with cheap and old graphics". The rest won't buy it because there is a small chance that they will ever find out about your game. Why? The game portals' marketing isn't really something. If you can sell 1000 copies of an RMXP game, wow. Be happy. If they sell it for $20, this means $20,000 earnings. When you subtract their part and the taxes, you'll probably end up with $5,000. Congratulations. You've worked your ass off for 3 years for poor $5,000. Great job.

.. o.O Way to take a light hearted post seriously. I've been on RMXP for one year, you've been on for three.. so.. ... yeah...

Come on, Blizz.. who in here completed a huge game? Noone in RMXP in CP has done it except for you.. and you're getting upset at me for making a hypothetical, don't take it serious, 'what if' thread. 

Also hardcore gamers WILL buy it. That's why they are HARDCORE. >=/
You know Retro gamers.

[legacyblade]

He's not getting upset, just telling you how totally unrealistic it is.

[RoseSkye]

This topic? Unrealistic? Naaaaaaaaaw.

I mean I even said in the first post "pie in the sky" which is a phrase for "Yeah, that'll never happen". Of course, who would of known that someone would come in the thread with their 4chan helmets on and nerd rage over a hypothetical situation.. that makes two of you.

This is one of the "what if you find a million bucks in the middle of the street" posts.. except RMXP. Jeez, taking internet way too seriously.

[Kagutsuchi]

Please, don't feed the troll.. (Blizzard)

[legacyblade]

Oh, I wasn't trying to come in on the rampage. I think it'd be freaking sweet if someone could do this. However, I think until he gains enough games to create a decent continued revenue, he should keep his dayjob. The chances of that ever happening are about the chances of someone writing a series as popular as Harry Potter, but it can happen. However, there are non-best seller authors that manage to support themself solely on writing due to sheer mass of products they produce. While in games this generally requires mass production of crappy games, it can work. (though it is not likely, as has been pointed out by other users)

[RoseSkye]

Please, don't feed the troll.. (Blizzard)

*Covers Kagu's mouth*
Shh don't insult god. He'll smite you with the ban hammer.. and me for questioning him.

All Hail Blizzard! ALL HAIL THE KING OF RGSS!

Oh, I wasn't trying to come in on the rampage. I think it'd be freaking sweet if someone could do this. However, I think until he gains enough games to create a decent continued revenue, he should keep his dayjob. The chances of that ever happening are about the chances of someone writing a series as popular as Harry Potter, but it can happen. However, there are non-best seller authors that manage to support themself solely on writing due to sheer mass of products they produce. While in games this generally requires mass production of crappy games, it can work. (though it is not likely, as has been pointed out by other users)

Again the concept of hypothetical, woosh.. over your head.

[legacyblade]

I was stating it as a hypothetical course of action  *rereads first post*

oh, I missed this part

Lets go pie in the sky and say that a small video game company wants to buy rights.

Sorry. Well in that case, then that would be like publishing harry potter. In that case, then I'd say freaking quit your day job, and make a squeal to the game, lol Not a dumb cookie cutter squeal, but something original that still relates to the first one. Since you're now working on this full time, and might even have the funds to hire some help (like commissioning a spriter or an artist), then you'd be able to make the sequal much faster, and it'd probably be better. Sorry, I missed part of the hypothetical situation presented in the first post.

[fugibo]

Voted for the last option. RMXP game for 3 years? You actually think you can make money worth of the work for 3 years? Don't be so naive. There are 3 things you are overlooking.

1. Publishers don't like independent developers. If you don't come there boasting that you paid for an Unreal Engine license (of which the newest version costs $170,000, if I'm not wrong, for ONLY 1 GAME), you have not the slightest chance to get any serious publisher. No serious publisher means no heavy marketing (marketing is expensive). No marketing means no sellings. No sellings means no money.

2. You can make a game in 3 months that will earn you more money. Currently casual games (read: shitty games) sell quite well and if you can manage to make a few games, you'll earn enough money that you can actually spend a whole year working on a bigger project. Why do casual games sell so good? They don't. But if a few thousand "copies" can be sold, you've earned quite a bit of money. And the marketing is practically free for you as the DRM sites and game portals do the marketing themselves.

3. One-man projects might be nice since you earn all the money, but the success and game complexity is quite low. Today games are done in teams. I'm not talking about teams of 7 people, I'm talking about teams of 50-100 and more people. When you have something to show as portfolio (such as 10 smaller, rather popular casual games created over the period of 3 years), you should have a decent chance to work on a big project and/or get a job at a serious game dev company.

Conclusion:
Even if you get one of the game portals to sell you're game, it will be for some miserable money. Casual gamers won't buy it because it's not an actual casual game. Hardcore gamers won't buy it because it's a "shitty game with cheap and old graphics". The rest won't buy it because there is a small chance that they will ever find out about your game. Why? The game portals' marketing isn't really something. If you can sell 1000 copies of an RMXP game, wow. Be happy. If they sell it for $20, this means $20,000 earnings. When you subtract their part and the taxes, you'll probably end up with $5,000. Congratulations. You've worked your ass off for 3 years for poor $5,000. Great job.

I voted the last option because I was lazy. 0_o

[Fantasist]

I voted for the last one. Well, as for this thread being 'hypothetical', I dunno... It looked like a genuine question to me, with the poll and all. And in defense of Blizz, he wasn't taking anything out on anybody. I found his post the most enlightening in this thread.

PS: And talking about taking internet too seriously, I'm surprised the word "troll" even came up here, now THAT's what I call making something serious over nothing O_o

EDIT:

*Covers Kagu's mouth*
Shh don't insult god. He'll smite you with the ban hammer.. and me for questioning him.

All Hail Blizzard! ALL HAIL THE KING OF RGSS!

Geez, I think Blizz can take some criticism, provided it's genuine...

[RoseSkye]

I voted for the last one. Well, as for this thread being 'hypothetical', I dunno... It looked like a genuine question to me, with the poll and all. And in defense of Blizz, he wasn't taking anything out on anybody. I found his post the most enlightening in this thread.

PS: And talking about taking internet too seriously, I'm surprised the word "troll" even came up here, now THAT's what I call making something serious over nothing O_o

EDIT:

*Covers Kagu's mouth*
Shh don't insult god. He'll smite you with the ban hammer.. and me for questioning him.

All Hail Blizzard! ALL HAIL THE KING OF RGSS!

Geez, I think Blizz can take some criticism, provided it's genuine...

"You've been anxious to finish your project for awhile.. and you finally finish it after 3 years or so.
People admire it and it does well. It makes it to a few 'video game' shows on G4, you win some awards. Lets go pie in the sky and say that a small video game company wants to buy rights. Even though you  make a killing off of this RMXP project you dont have time to do another game.

Now what?"

Idiom Definition for 'Pie in the sky'
If an idea or scheme is pie in the sky, it is utterly impractical.

Impractical
   impractical - not practical; not workable or not given to practical matters

Practical
        Level-headed, efficient, and unspeculative

Unspeculative
        Not Given to conjecture or speculation.

There is no way shape or form this is a topic that is to be taken seriously. Its a what would you do in this situation topic.. no matter how you look at it. Allbeit possible in the realms of slim chance, close to zero.. its unfeasible. The thread as I said was a question "WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF THIS HAPPENED TO YOU" not "Is this even possible?".

I shudder at the thought if I said "What would you do if you found a billion dollars in the street" and someone came into the thread calling me naive and saying how impossible it is.

[Fantasist]

Oh this is getting out of my hand. We're just playing with words here and I'm not good with that game, so I'll stop here. No hard feelings

PS: OK, this thread might be lighthearted, but the topic itself is interesting, to me at least. But hey, I now have a much better understanding of "Pie in the sky"

[Blizzard]

Lol, no. I didn't want to come over as upset. I'm just telling you the harsh truth. ._. Because I love you. <3

[RoseSkye]

Lol, no. I didn't want to come over as upset. I'm just telling you the harsh truth. ._. Because I love you. <3

Oh Blizz. I love you..

Spoiler: ShowHide

 ..r candied ass dripped in cake frosting

too.

[Blizzard]

In any case, the biggest problem is the expensive marketing. This is what is preventing you from being successful with just one game without investing loads of money first (either marketing yourself or using a brand engine that you paid for to make the game so big developers will take you seriously).

Hardcore gamers don't play oldschool RPGs. They play new stuff that can't be even run on low-end graphic cards or lags like hell on them. If you don't have Oblivion/Crysis graphics, you can forget that hardcore gamers will buy your games. That's why they are hardcore. They have "professional" hardware. People like that have the latest graphic cards in SLI/Crossfire mode, mice on 4000 dpi precision and even mouse mats they pay $100 for. And that's just their basic equipment. :/

[RoseSkye]

.. You're still on that? I gave the scenario however unrealistic it is. You are to comment on THAT scenario.
I want to know what you'll do in THAT scenario.


Also.. you're getting hardcore gamers and casual gamers mixed.
Hardcore gamer would be like my spriter. He collects all sorts of games recent or old.

Hardcore gamers are the type of gamers like Angry Video Game Nerd.
Casual gamers are the type that'll only play good graphic games, end.

You're explaining casual gamers to me and passing them off as hardcore. IF this topic was about that I would say.. dude, Blizz.. no. However, its not.. so I'll spare you of the links.

Speaking of links.. I should have put this in forum games.. but I didnt know anyone like *cough*Blizzard*cough* would not read the first post.

[Blizzard]

.. You're still on that? I gave the scenario however unrealistic it is. You are to comment on THAT scenario.
I want to know what you'll do in THAT scenario.


Also.. you're getting hardcore gamers and casual gamers mixed.
Hardcore gamer would be like my spriter. He collects all sorts of games recent or old.

Hardcore gamers are the type of gamers like Angry Video Game Nerd.
Casual gamers are the type that'll only play good graphic games, end.

You're explaining casual gamers to me and passing them off as hardcore. IF this topic was about that I would say.. dude, Blizz.. no. However, its not.. so I'll spare you of the links.

Speaking of links.. I should have put this in forum games.. but I didnt know anyone like *cough*Blizzard*cough* would not read the first post.

Very, very wrong.

Casual gamers are people that sit down for 15 minutes and play some game on their cellphones or play a hidden object game. They rather rarely play games with good graphics as they aren't really interested in games. Unlike you I won't spare you the links.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casual_gamer
I did not say that casual gamers are hardcore gamers. Don't put words in my mouth, that's not nice.

What you described as hardcore gamer, those are just game freaks or game geeks. They love pretty much any game. Hardcore gamers are people that really invest some time into getting good at a game. Hence hardcore.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hardcore_gamers

It's you who mixed up the terms. Casual gamer as in casually playing. Hardcore gamer as in hardcore (skilled) player.

IMO it's quite ignorant to just come around, pull shit out of your ass even though you don't even know what you're talking about and try to convince somebody of your opinion being the facts who actually knows something about the topic. In this case you explaining me what types of gamers there are. Seriously, you have to know that stuff if you're in game development. :/



As for your other scenario...
I love you anyway. <3