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What a shockingly bad year for gaming last year was. The recent demise of game company Rage is just one of hundreds who in recent times have fallen due to the evil might of debt. Capcom have reported plummeting profits, SEGA are re-shuffling their plans and Nintendo have had to cope with the failure to meet targets. Excluding of course the many target changes made by Microsoft. So what about you, how would YOUR games company do in such a situation? Below is a game you can play, you must make decisions, keeping in mind of course the importance of SURVIVING, at the end of it all please tell us how you did :)
Stage 1: So with a bit of capital behind you, you begin your game company. First off you have to think up a really clever name, something that will get you noticed. Names have included the different ‘Rockstar’ and the strictly bizarre ‘super happy fun fun’. You can easily find yourself a team, programmers and designers from larger teams may leave in order to try something ‘different’ than their normal sequels and can deliver important expertise and finding people desperate to break into the industry is surprisingly easy. Now you’ve got your team and decided your name you can move onto the next stage.
Go to stage 2.
Stage 2: Now it is important you choose the type of game you wish to make. Due to time restraints from your publisher (usually about a year) and a low budget (all because your new) it would be easier, to start off with, to make a relatively normal game and in order to get it noticed you should buy a relatively cheap license such as ‘Robocop’ or ‘Rocky’. Alternatively you can opt to jump in at the deep end, and try to make a strikingly original game but be warned you haven’t got years to perfect it.
If you want to buy a cheap license and make a game based on it go to stage 3.
If you want to risk it and design an original or new concept go to stage 4.
Stage 3: So you’ve opted for the old license game. Not a bad idea, but you’ve stumbled across a problem. Because you are a new developer your game may suffer in the sales due to lack of advertisement! So you are presented a problem, do you get your head down and concentrate on making one awesome game, or do you transgress from your tight time-period with a few other team members and do a bit of free marketing. Offering frequent updates with screenshots in magazines, showing up and making nice looking stands at game shows like E3 and even building your own website.
If you choose to concentrate on making your game as good as possible go to stage 5.
If you choose to get involved in some marketing then go to stage 7.
Stage 4: So you’ve gone with the original concept, you could create a completely new genre defining game or alter an existing one to the point that you make it your own (like a skating game in which you have to shoot people). That isn’t too important. After sitting down with your enthusiastic team you come up with a host of ideas, each level would offer something fresh and new, you would ask bands to lend their music to the game, you have big plans including online and multiplayer ideas, you could also if you have time make different levels for the various consoles. Alternatively you could just use the basic idea for the game, concentrate mainly on the graphics but also pushing your original idea across.
If you think making this incredibly genius and effort filled title is what you should do then go to stage 6.
If you think you should make a simple yet graphically wonderful game then go to stage 8.
Stage 5: By the end of the year you have finished your title, be it a beat ‘em up, a first person shooter or an adventure game. The effort put in really shows and the various websites and magazines award your game a good 75-85%. Despite not reaching the 90’s you feel pleased as your game is after all made in a year with only a limited budget. Namco spend years and thousands making the best beat ‘em up for example. Sadly as your game cannot be distinguished amongst ‘the croud’ the public don’t pay much attention to it and failure to market the product has meant the game sells heavily below what was hoped for. You are forced to make redundancies before shutting your doors for good and selling your license on. Your team now goes looking for other jobs boasting the relatively impressive game as part of their portfolio meaning they could probably get more jobs in the industry, so it isn’t a total loss.
FINISH
Stage 6: Well haven’t you just been a ‘little’ over ambitious. You realize that to finish your game within the time restrictions you’ll have to cut corners, downgrading the graphics, maybe making a few ‘cheap’ ways to make the game longer… Alternatively you can scrap your ambitious idea, the ideas that have yet to be programmed should be scrapped unless necessary, keep the simple idea with a few of your extras and concentrate on making what you have done brilliant!
If you decide to go for your massive project and cut corners go to stage 10.
If you decide to dumb down your idea and concentrate on the basic idea then go to stage 9.
Stage 7: Well haven’t you been the lucky one, a popular multi-format magazine is hosting a regular feature about your game, you generated interest at the game shows you visited and your website is bustling with visitors. Sadly your game has suffered, magazines and websites are scoring it between 40-60% and your game felt very tacked together with little thought into it. Even the magazine that followed you throughout the creation process said your game was a ‘massive disappointment’. Despite this though your marketing has paid off and your game sold relatively well, you have made a very bad first impression but at least you get to fight another year.
FINISH
Stage 8:
What a corker of a plan, your graphical style has got you noticed. Magazines have shown your game off and the publics are appealed to it. The original idea is not only different but also fun and so word of mouth spreads and although its launch was average the game shot up the charts within a few weeks. Now your publisher is offering you more money and advertisement to push future sequels but your not sure if you should, there are after all many other publishers out there offering different deals:
Microsoft – Exclusive to one format, forces you to implement online play so needs constant upgrading, offers loads of money, plenty of advertisement, lets you spend time on making the game that you want and asks you to make sequel after sequel.
Sony – Exclusive to one console, asks you to make a game within a year, offers you loads of money, average push for online games, lots of advertisement and I mean lots, asks you to make a sequel all the time and invests heavily in your company.
Nintendo – Exclusive to one console, allows you to make any game you want, wants it to be original and it MUST be original, GBA connectivity is important, online games aren’t encouraged, your game must sell well or Nintendo will kick you out, Nintendo will offer the use of their characters from the Mario, Pokémon or Zelda games to help sell your game, they will offer lots of money and plenty of time.
SEGA – online play is ok if you want to use it and SEGA net is set up, lets you make the game you want although they ask mainly for games that will have a worldwide appeal, must either make it for Gamecube or X-box using their individual specialties (x-box’s polygons or Nintendo’s special effects) and then downgrading and porting to the PS2, they allow time but not too much as they want to be the largest publisher, they offer lots of money but average advertisement.
EA – Loads of advertisement, but you must make sequel after sequel, year in year out. Money isn’t a problem and a movie license may be bought for you.
Activision – Asks for the games to be made year in year out, willing to allow for delays, offers plenty of money, average advertisement, can release games worldwide, little pressure on developers, would prefer sequels but doesn’t mind if you make a different game once in a while.
Who do you choose?
FINISH
Stage 9: Your idea is dumbed down and you have a very accomplished game, sadly your graphics aren’t up to scratch and you have little to offer gamers other than superb gameplay. You have a small cult following but hardly enough to make a fortune. Your game becomes one of the ‘criminally ignored’ games and it looks like your company may have to sell up. It isn’t necessarily all bad, the entire team is likely to get good jobs elsewhere and as your game was so inventive and original major publishers like Nintendo, Microsoft and SEGA who see the potential may just snap you up as a second party developer.
FINISH
Stage 10:
You cut corners; your game had potential and is now ruined. Graphics aren’t amazing, sound is rubbish and the gameplay is poor. It is reviewed and called ‘a wasted opportunity’ it sells below target but enough to last maybe another re-plan. Be less ambitious to start with or wave goodbye to your company… heard of a fund called Nintendo fund Q????
FINISH
Now go on, what was your company called? How did it do? Would you survive in this ruthless cutthroat industry?
Dringo.
Stage 1: So with a bit of capital behind you, you begin your game company. First off you have to think up a really clever name, something that will get you noticed. Names have included the different ‘Rockstar’ and the strictly bizarre ‘super happy fun fun’. You can easily find yourself a team, programmers and designers from larger teams may leave in order to try something ‘different’ than their normal sequels and can deliver important expertise and finding people desperate to break into the industry is surprisingly easy. Now you’ve got your team and decided your name you can move onto the next stage.
Go to stage 2.
Stage 2: Now it is important you choose the type of game you wish to make. Due to time restraints from your publisher (usually about a year) and a low budget (all because your new) it would be easier, to start off with, to make a relatively normal game and in order to get it noticed you should buy a relatively cheap license such as ‘Robocop’ or ‘Rocky’. Alternatively you can opt to jump in at the deep end, and try to make a strikingly original game but be warned you haven’t got years to perfect it.
If you want to buy a cheap license and make a game based on it go to stage 3.
If you want to risk it and design an original or new concept go to stage 4.
Stage 3: So you’ve opted for the old license game. Not a bad idea, but you’ve stumbled across a problem. Because you are a new developer your game may suffer in the sales due to lack of advertisement! So you are presented a problem, do you get your head down and concentrate on making one awesome game, or do you transgress from your tight time-period with a few other team members and do a bit of free marketing. Offering frequent updates with screenshots in magazines, showing up and making nice looking stands at game shows like E3 and even building your own website.
If you choose to concentrate on making your game as good as possible go to stage 5.
If you choose to get involved in some marketing then go to stage 7.
Stage 4: So you’ve gone with the original concept, you could create a completely new genre defining game or alter an existing one to the point that you make it your own (like a skating game in which you have to shoot people). That isn’t too important. After sitting down with your enthusiastic team you come up with a host of ideas, each level would offer something fresh and new, you would ask bands to lend their music to the game, you have big plans including online and multiplayer ideas, you could also if you have time make different levels for the various consoles. Alternatively you could just use the basic idea for the game, concentrate mainly on the graphics but also pushing your original idea across.
If you think making this incredibly genius and effort filled title is what you should do then go to stage 6.
If you think you should make a simple yet graphically wonderful game then go to stage 8.
Stage 5: By the end of the year you have finished your title, be it a beat ‘em up, a first person shooter or an adventure game. The effort put in really shows and the various websites and magazines award your game a good 75-85%. Despite not reaching the 90’s you feel pleased as your game is after all made in a year with only a limited budget. Namco spend years and thousands making the best beat ‘em up for example. Sadly as your game cannot be distinguished amongst ‘the croud’ the public don’t pay much attention to it and failure to market the product has meant the game sells heavily below what was hoped for. You are forced to make redundancies before shutting your doors for good and selling your license on. Your team now goes looking for other jobs boasting the relatively impressive game as part of their portfolio meaning they could probably get more jobs in the industry, so it isn’t a total loss.
FINISH
Stage 6: Well haven’t you just been a ‘little’ over ambitious. You realize that to finish your game within the time restrictions you’ll have to cut corners, downgrading the graphics, maybe making a few ‘cheap’ ways to make the game longer… Alternatively you can scrap your ambitious idea, the ideas that have yet to be programmed should be scrapped unless necessary, keep the simple idea with a few of your extras and concentrate on making what you have done brilliant!
If you decide to go for your massive project and cut corners go to stage 10.
If you decide to dumb down your idea and concentrate on the basic idea then go to stage 9.
Stage 7: Well haven’t you been the lucky one, a popular multi-format magazine is hosting a regular feature about your game, you generated interest at the game shows you visited and your website is bustling with visitors. Sadly your game has suffered, magazines and websites are scoring it between 40-60% and your game felt very tacked together with little thought into it. Even the magazine that followed you throughout the creation process said your game was a ‘massive disappointment’. Despite this though your marketing has paid off and your game sold relatively well, you have made a very bad first impression but at least you get to fight another year.
FINISH
Stage 8:
What a corker of a plan, your graphical style has got you noticed. Magazines have shown your game off and the publics are appealed to it. The original idea is not only different but also fun and so word of mouth spreads and although its launch was average the game shot up the charts within a few weeks. Now your publisher is offering you more money and advertisement to push future sequels but your not sure if you should, there are after all many other publishers out there offering different deals:
Microsoft – Exclusive to one format, forces you to implement online play so needs constant upgrading, offers loads of money, plenty of advertisement, lets you spend time on making the game that you want and asks you to make sequel after sequel.
Sony – Exclusive to one console, asks you to make a game within a year, offers you loads of money, average push for online games, lots of advertisement and I mean lots, asks you to make a sequel all the time and invests heavily in your company.
Nintendo – Exclusive to one console, allows you to make any game you want, wants it to be original and it MUST be original, GBA connectivity is important, online games aren’t encouraged, your game must sell well or Nintendo will kick you out, Nintendo will offer the use of their characters from the Mario, Pokémon or Zelda games to help sell your game, they will offer lots of money and plenty of time.
SEGA – online play is ok if you want to use it and SEGA net is set up, lets you make the game you want although they ask mainly for games that will have a worldwide appeal, must either make it for Gamecube or X-box using their individual specialties (x-box’s polygons or Nintendo’s special effects) and then downgrading and porting to the PS2, they allow time but not too much as they want to be the largest publisher, they offer lots of money but average advertisement.
EA – Loads of advertisement, but you must make sequel after sequel, year in year out. Money isn’t a problem and a movie license may be bought for you.
Activision – Asks for the games to be made year in year out, willing to allow for delays, offers plenty of money, average advertisement, can release games worldwide, little pressure on developers, would prefer sequels but doesn’t mind if you make a different game once in a while.
Who do you choose?
FINISH
Stage 9: Your idea is dumbed down and you have a very accomplished game, sadly your graphics aren’t up to scratch and you have little to offer gamers other than superb gameplay. You have a small cult following but hardly enough to make a fortune. Your game becomes one of the ‘criminally ignored’ games and it looks like your company may have to sell up. It isn’t necessarily all bad, the entire team is likely to get good jobs elsewhere and as your game was so inventive and original major publishers like Nintendo, Microsoft and SEGA who see the potential may just snap you up as a second party developer.
FINISH
Stage 10:
You cut corners; your game had potential and is now ruined. Graphics aren’t amazing, sound is rubbish and the gameplay is poor. It is reviewed and called ‘a wasted opportunity’ it sells below target but enough to last maybe another re-plan. Be less ambitious to start with or wave goodbye to your company… heard of a fund called Nintendo fund Q????
FINISH
Now go on, what was your company called? How did it do? Would you survive in this ruthless cutthroat industry?
Dringo.
What publisher did you choose Badgerman?
Bunny Killer by Zangoorifian plop
Got to the stage 8 :)
Have it.
Got to the stage 8 :)
Have it.
Super happy RPG created by Dermo
Stage 9 for me
Bloody good topic mind
If there was justice this will win GAD
Stage 9 for me
Bloody good topic mind
If there was justice this will win GAD
'Fish Tank Attack!' Published and Developed by 'The Cluck Cluck Chicken Company'.
Yay! :-)
Great post, a lot of fun.
Yay! :-)
Great post, a lot of fun.
What a shockingly bad year for gaming last year was. The recent demise of game company Rage is just one of hundreds who in recent times have fallen due to the evil might of debt. Capcom have reported plummeting profits, SEGA are re-shuffling their plans and Nintendo have had to cope with the failure to meet targets. Excluding of course the many target changes made by Microsoft. So what about you, how would YOUR games company do in such a situation? Below is a game you can play, you must make decisions, keeping in mind of course the importance of SURVIVING, at the end of it all please tell us how you did :)
Stage 1: So with a bit of capital behind you, you begin your game company. First off you have to think up a really clever name, something that will get you noticed. Names have included the different ‘Rockstar’ and the strictly bizarre ‘super happy fun fun’. You can easily find yourself a team, programmers and designers from larger teams may leave in order to try something ‘different’ than their normal sequels and can deliver important expertise and finding people desperate to break into the industry is surprisingly easy. Now you’ve got your team and decided your name you can move onto the next stage.
Go to stage 2.
Stage 2: Now it is important you choose the type of game you wish to make. Due to time restraints from your publisher (usually about a year) and a low budget (all because your new) it would be easier, to start off with, to make a relatively normal game and in order to get it noticed you should buy a relatively cheap license such as ‘Robocop’ or ‘Rocky’. Alternatively you can opt to jump in at the deep end, and try to make a strikingly original game but be warned you haven’t got years to perfect it.
If you want to buy a cheap license and make a game based on it go to stage 3.
If you want to risk it and design an original or new concept go to stage 4.
Stage 3: So you’ve opted for the old license game. Not a bad idea, but you’ve stumbled across a problem. Because you are a new developer your game may suffer in the sales due to lack of advertisement! So you are presented a problem, do you get your head down and concentrate on making one awesome game, or do you transgress from your tight time-period with a few other team members and do a bit of free marketing. Offering frequent updates with screenshots in magazines, showing up and making nice looking stands at game shows like E3 and even building your own website.
If you choose to concentrate on making your game as good as possible go to stage 5.
If you choose to get involved in some marketing then go to stage 7.
Stage 4: So you’ve gone with the original concept, you could create a completely new genre defining game or alter an existing one to the point that you make it your own (like a skating game in which you have to shoot people). That isn’t too important. After sitting down with your enthusiastic team you come up with a host of ideas, each level would offer something fresh and new, you would ask bands to lend their music to the game, you have big plans including online and multiplayer ideas, you could also if you have time make different levels for the various consoles. Alternatively you could just use the basic idea for the game, concentrate mainly on the graphics but also pushing your original idea across.
If you think making this incredibly genius and effort filled title is what you should do then go to stage 6.
If you think you should make a simple yet graphically wonderful game then go to stage 8.
Stage 5: By the end of the year you have finished your title, be it a beat ‘em up, a first person shooter or an adventure game. The effort put in really shows and the various websites and magazines award your game a good 75-85%. Despite not reaching the 90’s you feel pleased as your game is after all made in a year with only a limited budget. Namco spend years and thousands making the best beat ‘em up for example. Sadly as your game cannot be distinguished amongst ‘the croud’ the public don’t pay much attention to it and failure to market the product has meant the game sells heavily below what was hoped for. You are forced to make redundancies before shutting your doors for good and selling your license on. Your team now goes looking for other jobs boasting the relatively impressive game as part of their portfolio meaning they could probably get more jobs in the industry, so it isn’t a total loss.
FINISH
Stage 6: Well haven’t you just been a ‘little’ over ambitious. You realize that to finish your game within the time restrictions you’ll have to cut corners, downgrading the graphics, maybe making a few ‘cheap’ ways to make the game longer… Alternatively you can scrap your ambitious idea, the ideas that have yet to be programmed should be scrapped unless necessary, keep the simple idea with a few of your extras and concentrate on making what you have done brilliant!
If you decide to go for your massive project and cut corners go to stage 10.
If you decide to dumb down your idea and concentrate on the basic idea then go to stage 9.
Stage 7: Well haven’t you been the lucky one, a popular multi-format magazine is hosting a regular feature about your game, you generated interest at the game shows you visited and your website is bustling with visitors. Sadly your game has suffered, magazines and websites are scoring it between 40-60% and your game felt very tacked together with little thought into it. Even the magazine that followed you throughout the creation process said your game was a ‘massive disappointment’. Despite this though your marketing has paid off and your game sold relatively well, you have made a very bad first impression but at least you get to fight another year.
FINISH
Stage 8:
What a corker of a plan, your graphical style has got you noticed. Magazines have shown your game off and the publics are appealed to it. The original idea is not only different but also fun and so word of mouth spreads and although its launch was average the game shot up the charts within a few weeks. Now your publisher is offering you more money and advertisement to push future sequels but your not sure if you should, there are after all many other publishers out there offering different deals:
Microsoft – Exclusive to one format, forces you to implement online play so needs constant upgrading, offers loads of money, plenty of advertisement, lets you spend time on making the game that you want and asks you to make sequel after sequel.
Sony – Exclusive to one console, asks you to make a game within a year, offers you loads of money, average push for online games, lots of advertisement and I mean lots, asks you to make a sequel all the time and invests heavily in your company.
Nintendo – Exclusive to one console, allows you to make any game you want, wants it to be original and it MUST be original, GBA connectivity is important, online games aren’t encouraged, your game must sell well or Nintendo will kick you out, Nintendo will offer the use of their characters from the Mario, Pokémon or Zelda games to help sell your game, they will offer lots of money and plenty of time.
SEGA – online play is ok if you want to use it and SEGA net is set up, lets you make the game you want although they ask mainly for games that will have a worldwide appeal, must either make it for Gamecube or X-box using their individual specialties (x-box’s polygons or Nintendo’s special effects) and then downgrading and porting to the PS2, they allow time but not too much as they want to be the largest publisher, they offer lots of money but average advertisement.
EA – Loads of advertisement, but you must make sequel after sequel, year in year out. Money isn’t a problem and a movie license may be bought for you.
Activision – Asks for the games to be made year in year out, willing to allow for delays, offers plenty of money, average advertisement, can release games worldwide, little pressure on developers, would prefer sequels but doesn’t mind if you make a different game once in a while.
Who do you choose?
FINISH
Stage 9: Your idea is dumbed down and you have a very accomplished game, sadly your graphics aren’t up to scratch and you have little to offer gamers other than superb gameplay. You have a small cult following but hardly enough to make a fortune. Your game becomes one of the ‘criminally ignored’ games and it looks like your company may have to sell up. It isn’t necessarily all bad, the entire team is likely to get good jobs elsewhere and as your game was so inventive and original major publishers like Nintendo, Microsoft and SEGA who see the potential may just snap you up as a second party developer.
FINISH
Stage 10:
You cut corners; your game had potential and is now ruined. Graphics aren’t amazing, sound is rubbish and the gameplay is poor. It is reviewed and called ‘a wasted opportunity’ it sells below target but enough to last maybe another re-plan. Be less ambitious to start with or wave goodbye to your company… heard of a fund called Nintendo fund Q????
FINISH
Now go on, what was your company called? How did it do? Would you survive in this ruthless cutthroat industry?
Dringo.
Stage 1: So with a bit of capital behind you, you begin your game company. First off you have to think up a really clever name, something that will get you noticed. Names have included the different ‘Rockstar’ and the strictly bizarre ‘super happy fun fun’. You can easily find yourself a team, programmers and designers from larger teams may leave in order to try something ‘different’ than their normal sequels and can deliver important expertise and finding people desperate to break into the industry is surprisingly easy. Now you’ve got your team and decided your name you can move onto the next stage.
Go to stage 2.
Stage 2: Now it is important you choose the type of game you wish to make. Due to time restraints from your publisher (usually about a year) and a low budget (all because your new) it would be easier, to start off with, to make a relatively normal game and in order to get it noticed you should buy a relatively cheap license such as ‘Robocop’ or ‘Rocky’. Alternatively you can opt to jump in at the deep end, and try to make a strikingly original game but be warned you haven’t got years to perfect it.
If you want to buy a cheap license and make a game based on it go to stage 3.
If you want to risk it and design an original or new concept go to stage 4.
Stage 3: So you’ve opted for the old license game. Not a bad idea, but you’ve stumbled across a problem. Because you are a new developer your game may suffer in the sales due to lack of advertisement! So you are presented a problem, do you get your head down and concentrate on making one awesome game, or do you transgress from your tight time-period with a few other team members and do a bit of free marketing. Offering frequent updates with screenshots in magazines, showing up and making nice looking stands at game shows like E3 and even building your own website.
If you choose to concentrate on making your game as good as possible go to stage 5.
If you choose to get involved in some marketing then go to stage 7.
Stage 4: So you’ve gone with the original concept, you could create a completely new genre defining game or alter an existing one to the point that you make it your own (like a skating game in which you have to shoot people). That isn’t too important. After sitting down with your enthusiastic team you come up with a host of ideas, each level would offer something fresh and new, you would ask bands to lend their music to the game, you have big plans including online and multiplayer ideas, you could also if you have time make different levels for the various consoles. Alternatively you could just use the basic idea for the game, concentrate mainly on the graphics but also pushing your original idea across.
If you think making this incredibly genius and effort filled title is what you should do then go to stage 6.
If you think you should make a simple yet graphically wonderful game then go to stage 8.
Stage 5: By the end of the year you have finished your title, be it a beat ‘em up, a first person shooter or an adventure game. The effort put in really shows and the various websites and magazines award your game a good 75-85%. Despite not reaching the 90’s you feel pleased as your game is after all made in a year with only a limited budget. Namco spend years and thousands making the best beat ‘em up for example. Sadly as your game cannot be distinguished amongst ‘the croud’ the public don’t pay much attention to it and failure to market the product has meant the game sells heavily below what was hoped for. You are forced to make redundancies before shutting your doors for good and selling your license on. Your team now goes looking for other jobs boasting the relatively impressive game as part of their portfolio meaning they could probably get more jobs in the industry, so it isn’t a total loss.
FINISH
Stage 6: Well haven’t you just been a ‘little’ over ambitious. You realize that to finish your game within the time restrictions you’ll have to cut corners, downgrading the graphics, maybe making a few ‘cheap’ ways to make the game longer… Alternatively you can scrap your ambitious idea, the ideas that have yet to be programmed should be scrapped unless necessary, keep the simple idea with a few of your extras and concentrate on making what you have done brilliant!
If you decide to go for your massive project and cut corners go to stage 10.
If you decide to dumb down your idea and concentrate on the basic idea then go to stage 9.
Stage 7: Well haven’t you been the lucky one, a popular multi-format magazine is hosting a regular feature about your game, you generated interest at the game shows you visited and your website is bustling with visitors. Sadly your game has suffered, magazines and websites are scoring it between 40-60% and your game felt very tacked together with little thought into it. Even the magazine that followed you throughout the creation process said your game was a ‘massive disappointment’. Despite this though your marketing has paid off and your game sold relatively well, you have made a very bad first impression but at least you get to fight another year.
FINISH
Stage 8:
What a corker of a plan, your graphical style has got you noticed. Magazines have shown your game off and the publics are appealed to it. The original idea is not only different but also fun and so word of mouth spreads and although its launch was average the game shot up the charts within a few weeks. Now your publisher is offering you more money and advertisement to push future sequels but your not sure if you should, there are after all many other publishers out there offering different deals:
Microsoft – Exclusive to one format, forces you to implement online play so needs constant upgrading, offers loads of money, plenty of advertisement, lets you spend time on making the game that you want and asks you to make sequel after sequel.
Sony – Exclusive to one console, asks you to make a game within a year, offers you loads of money, average push for online games, lots of advertisement and I mean lots, asks you to make a sequel all the time and invests heavily in your company.
Nintendo – Exclusive to one console, allows you to make any game you want, wants it to be original and it MUST be original, GBA connectivity is important, online games aren’t encouraged, your game must sell well or Nintendo will kick you out, Nintendo will offer the use of their characters from the Mario, Pokémon or Zelda games to help sell your game, they will offer lots of money and plenty of time.
SEGA – online play is ok if you want to use it and SEGA net is set up, lets you make the game you want although they ask mainly for games that will have a worldwide appeal, must either make it for Gamecube or X-box using their individual specialties (x-box’s polygons or Nintendo’s special effects) and then downgrading and porting to the PS2, they allow time but not too much as they want to be the largest publisher, they offer lots of money but average advertisement.
EA – Loads of advertisement, but you must make sequel after sequel, year in year out. Money isn’t a problem and a movie license may be bought for you.
Activision – Asks for the games to be made year in year out, willing to allow for delays, offers plenty of money, average advertisement, can release games worldwide, little pressure on developers, would prefer sequels but doesn’t mind if you make a different game once in a while.
Who do you choose?
FINISH
Stage 9: Your idea is dumbed down and you have a very accomplished game, sadly your graphics aren’t up to scratch and you have little to offer gamers other than superb gameplay. You have a small cult following but hardly enough to make a fortune. Your game becomes one of the ‘criminally ignored’ games and it looks like your company may have to sell up. It isn’t necessarily all bad, the entire team is likely to get good jobs elsewhere and as your game was so inventive and original major publishers like Nintendo, Microsoft and SEGA who see the potential may just snap you up as a second party developer.
FINISH
Stage 10:
You cut corners; your game had potential and is now ruined. Graphics aren’t amazing, sound is rubbish and the gameplay is poor. It is reviewed and called ‘a wasted opportunity’ it sells below target but enough to last maybe another re-plan. Be less ambitious to start with or wave goodbye to your company… heard of a fund called Nintendo fund Q????
FINISH
Now go on, what was your company called? How did it do? Would you survive in this ruthless cutthroat industry?
Dringo.