Interface - gamemakers questionnarie.

<b>Interface</b> - gamemakers questionnarie.

While being at CAFe'2003 I paid attention to the large amount
of games - six quite good entries that took part in the game
compo, which had never such success before. Moreover, we have a
contest here called 'Your Game' and other possibilities to
promote your creation. Actually, Spectrum game making can be
easily equated with underground self-expression, and this is a
paradox, especially if considering other mainstream platforms,
where people make games usually for money by releasing a
preview and finding a publisher. So, I've decided to make this
situation more clear by taking a poll between the authors of
presented games, here they are:

Stanly / Studio
Stall Arhon / GBG
Newart / n-Discovery
Kirill Kagan


1. It is well known, that there are no acceptable means of
earning money currently on Spectrum. And the game making is not
an exception, while it is an industry in the whole world. What
makes you create games for Spectrum in this weird time?

Stanly> Enthusiasm. Nothing to do, so we make different things.
As for me, it is the same kind of self-expression as, for
example, poems for others. If I have any stupid idea - I can
use it in my game. Only one amidst May our games has no idea -
Tower Pod, the others are build upon a zest which I tried to
deliver for the public. Unfortunately, gamers are either dumb,
or tardy, cos you need to complete the game to comprehend it's
meaning, but there are not so much people, who understood
something. It's a pity.

Arhon> It's quite strange, but sometimes you begin to think
about it. The main reason, I guess, is that we want to make a
game for Spectrum in particular:) Financial side of this
affair is interesting too, though it's not the leading
incentive. However, money is always in need, at least for
couple of beer:)

Newart> First of all, it's an interesting process. Besides, I
know Spectrum very well, for example, GBA, PS and others need a
long learning of particulars, also it's hard to promote your
game for these platforms.

Kirill Kagan> Love with this wonderful machine, the possibility
to gain some experience in game making, animation and drawing.
Spectrum games are not estimated with quantity of
 and hardware requirements. Spectrum game
is an idea first of all.

2. You presented your game at CAFe'2003 - why not 'Your Game'?
Are you gonna make something for this contest? If not, what
stops you?

Stanly> It's a pure accident that our game joined CAFe'2003
game compo. That won't repeat. We don't want to set the records
and to think about what we have to do to make our game win the
compo. We create for nothing. We don't expect any reaction in
return - not in money, nor in any replies. The only thing, what
we are interested in, is the information, that someone has
completed our game and understood it. That's all.

Arhon> We took part at CAFe'03 to show what are we doing on
scene now. To learn the opinion of people. To decide which way
to go in our development. 'Your Game' contest, as a manner of
distribution is too early to think about. Embarrassing is that
the right of personal distrubution expires. Anyway, it's good
alternative.

Newart> Fire And Ice was presented at CAFe because it's not my
habit to visit the party with empty hands. I had no picture
ready, so I took the game, though it was ready only at 95%.
I'll try to support 'Your Game', but it's too hard to make two
games at the same time and 3rd till the end of November.

Kirill Kagan> It could be nice, but not this year.

3. There appeared two foreign labels, that officially distrubute
Speccy games thru auctions and mail order during last couple of
years - Cronosoft and Zxif (only adventure games). What
prevents you from trying to publish your game with their help?

Stanly> We don't need money for our games. I have enough. If
we'll make games for money, they'll be double lower in quality
and treble less will be the interest that we gain while
creating. We make a game when we want just to make it, to make
it interesting, beautiful. If we'll do it for money and in rush
because of customers and other curious people, we just can
leave it saying that we don't really need it. What about
distribution ... If the game is really interesting, it will be
spread very quickly by those who are interested in this, to
their friends and others, and so on.

Arhon> Honestly, we never considered this method of
distribution cos we know nothing about it:) We'll see. It's
very interesting.

Newart> I think everybody except game makers know about those
distributors. There are following difficuilties with game
publishing:

You don't know, who will buy your game, so it's hard to choose
the appropriate computer configuration (memory 128/256,
disk / tape) and the game genre.

Morever, you can barely gain more than $ 50 for a game, made by
at least three people, sold with the help of these distributors.
Also, there's a confusing situation with the rights, for
example, I'll sell the game to a distributor, but it's not
clear, when it will be available for free.

Kirill Kagan> I've never heard of them before. Although, I
think that our (russian) spectrumists won't buy anything there.
Anyway, we make games mainly for them ...