Adventurer #15 31 июля 2004

Игры

Reviews - Trends in Spectrum games industry.

Modern game making industry
Chasm / CyberPunks Unity

 by Chasmoid

 Development Trends
 Spectrum game
 Industry


In the last year or two on the Spectrum scene became visible 
again increasing interest in computer games and their 
production, moreover, this phenomenon is affected

not only in the former Soviet Union, but
Eastern and even Western
Europe. In this article I want to
trace the origins of this phenomenon and possible development 
trends of this area of ​​creativity in the world spekovskoy 
scene. 

Historically, that
by about 1994 all major
labels such as Ocean, Codemasters, Gremlin, and others have 
stopped its publishing activities

on the Spectrum, shifting their activity to the Amiga, PC, and 
start typing in the global popularity of the console. In this 
connection, to of a powerful stream of game releases coming 
from western Europe to the East began to wane, until completely 
dried up. Significantly do not know how yet

was the case in Poland, Slovakia,
Czech Republic and other countries of the former
socialist camp, but I can guess that until the mid-nineties and 
there, the Spectrum (Along with the C64 and Atari) remained

the most common computer, which shows the output in the period 
1990-1995, such gaming masterpieces as "Twilight",

"Quadrax", "Prva akcia", "Sherwood", "Adventurer", well, and 
the situation in ex-USSR, I can say with confidence that 
Spectrum here until the late nineties is the most popular 
computer that focused hundreds of thousands of users. First, 
and foremost it was associated with quite democratic prices on 
the Spectrum clones, which in large quantities were produced in 
those years (Sometimes even in industrial

amounts to state-owned enterprises), and
as the price of more modern
Computers were kept at a relatively high level, most people 
just physically could not afford to buy

such an expensive machine. For example, we can say that the 
price of Amiga and PC hesitated at that time

300-1000 within the U.S. and
normal Pentagon, Scorpion
were available for 20-100
same units, of course, depending on configuration.

As we know, most computer users are geymery, so the main
Sales of software for the Spectrum in the ex-USSR was held at 
the games, first These were games that failed in its

time to get to us from the west, and in
and subsequently produced by domestic authors. Of course
most "pure" players
enviously looking at a happy
Owners of the "cool" machines,
which could play more advanced games, compared with those that 
were available ordinary spektrumistu to

mid-nineties, it is this
and pushed the majority of authors
Games to create the conversion of popular games, as this could 
bring not only moral satisfaction from the act of creativity, 
but also the real material gains. In regard the foregoing can

to recall the success of "UFO 1, 2", "Prince of Persia", 
"Mortal Kombat", "Black Crow" (the prototype was "WarCraft") 
and others, but the undeniable popularity and won the author's 
projects, such as "Star Heritage and its

clones, "Kolobok Zoom", "Pussy",
"Technodrom", "Last Hero of Light
Force ". By the end of the nineties
there was a difficult situation,
arisen in connection with the cheapening of used PC and the 
spread of relatively inexpensive consoles

SPS, 3DO and Saturn, which resulted in an outflow geymerov with 
Spectrum, in connection with the Spectrum Gaming industry in 
the post space began to come in

decline is not capable of finding the mass consumer to pay 
money. This can be clearly illustrated by the following table 
and graph showing the number of games released in the period 
1990-2003 year: 

+==+==+==+==+==+==+==+==+==+==+==+==+==+==+==+
| G. | 90 | 91 | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 00 | 
01 | 02 | 03 | +==+==+==+==+==+==+==+==+==+==+==+==+==+==+==+

| K | 03 | 07 | 08 | 17 | 33 | 81 | 57 | 39 | 33 | 31 | 21 | 16 
| 11 | 09 | +==+==+==+==+==+==+==+==+==+==+==+==+==+==+==+




Here we directly come to the consideration of the current 
situation arose in the world spekovskoy geym industry. In the 
beginning the new millennium, on the Spectrum

was released catastrophically
little game releases, an exception to the general rule can be
called Activity Studio Stall and
Action that with an enviable
persistence makes the game playing,
The rest mass of the encoders and
programmers were keen demoscene.

This situation has led to
that a group of Perspective at the beginning
In 2002 a competition was announced
"Your Game", which prompted
many programmers to write games. As a result, we have
rather extensive collection of interesting games. Perspective 
decided to This does not stop and continued its activities 
publication of a new product from Action - "Imperia 2", but 
this action failed due to poor quality of the game (the 
publisher did not bother to check it out playability) as well 
as the appearance of freeware copy on the Internet. 

In early 2003, Briton Simon
Ullyatt founded the record label Cronosoft
oriented edition of the Games
a retro car, such as
Spectrum, ZX81, C64, Vic 20, Oric,
Sord M5, Dragon 32 and others at this
time label subject to the following games for Spectrum:
"Egghead in Space"; "Football
Glory "; PEC of four games:" Zblast
SD "," Scrolly Stack "," Dotathon 2 "
and "Soliyawn"; "Rough Justice";
"Gloop!"; "FlashBeer"; "Hop'n,
'Chop ";" Wanted Dead or Alive ". However, it is worth noting a 
few high (by Russian standards) price - from 1.5 to 2.99 pounds 
and the moment that all these games are published exclusively

on tape (because of the numerous DOS'ov abroad), but
encouraged by the fact that Simon Ullyatt
carefully monitors the quality of
its releases, checking them personally
playability.

Now it is necessary to consider the motivation of the producers 
of games. Let's start with the "Russian". As I wrote above, 
currently there is such a situation, that derive any material 
benefit from their project virtually impossible. So

also encourages geymmekerov prodelyvat sometimes simply titanic 
work for free? Elfh asked a few questions to people who took 
part in gamecompo on CAFe'03. As it turned out, the main

motif in this process is precisely the act of creation and 
moral satisfaction from the sight of his game just for 
Spectrum. As far as I can judge from the letters sent by 
Simon'om Ullyatt'om and forums site World of Spectrum, in the 
west formed about a similar situation, as the amount received 
by the author with the sale of its works by Western standards 
are negligible, so it is reasonable suggest that geymmekery

involved in writing games for the sake of
moral satisfaction (pleasure in hands beautifully
executed a cassette with its own game), or of nostalgia as
did this Shaw Brothers.

For final clarification
pictures we decided to learn the opinion
spektrumistov about whether to play
they are at Speke, in that there are going to
buy games on a commercial basis. Were interviewed 38 fans 
Spectrum as active, and inactive, though questions

were sent not only to people from
ex-USSR, but also our foreign
friends. Revealed that out of thirty-eight respondents to the 
question "Do you play games on

Spectrum? "Yes" response 22. The question "would you
bought the game for the Spectrum? "16
the man replied "no", although three
of them expressed their desire to participate in the 
sponsorship game projects and competitions geymmeykerov. In 
passing, we also decided to learn gaming activity and tastes of 
the respondents to the question "when you Last played

Spectrum? "We got the following responses:

Yesterday - 4
3 days ago - 1
a week ago - 5
2 weeks ago - 1
a month ago - 2
2 months ago - 2
3 months ago - 1
4 months ago - 1
Six months ago - 5
a year ago - 3
2 years ago - 3
3 years ago - 1
5 years ago - 1
7 years ago - 1
10 years ago - 1
long - 6

As can be seen clearly, people are still
continue to play in spekovskie
games and, incidentally, answers "yesterday, a week ago, we 
mainly received from abroad. Special

popular with the players enjoyed: "Dizzy", "Dan Dare", "Black 
Crow", "Star Heritage" publication "Your Igra'02"

"Lethargy" and "Pussy".

Also in the survey described the image of "perfect" game, for
the players are ready to give
their money. Russian-speaking geymery primarily uniquely 
willing to buy games like "Star Heritage" and "Black

Crow - hits are hits, by the way,
As far as I'm concerned, the existence of these blockbusters
most Western players
do not even know. Also, no doubt, a success
RPG-level "Moon Wind" and the qualities of puzzles / puzzle 
games. European players prefer action / adventure and

particular clones of "Dizzy". Also
have met specific requirements: for example one of our 
compatriot, requires manufacturers of games must support the 
mouse, the improved sound (GS, DMA), as well as for him

desirable to support the screw, CD and
extended screens (in particular
screen profiles). True, he is willing to buy games with such 
twists and costs 30-50 rubles (1-2 eur) per drive;). Europeans 
are generally more orthodox - for their standard of 48kb + tape 
is enduring classics on which to run any

game, although one respondent
expressed a desire to buy the "advanced game, holding not less 
than 500kb for drives that support a mouse and 512 kb of 
memory, running in the ZXVGS". But in one spektrumisty all 
countries unanimously - by and large genre the game is not 
important, only that it was New game for the Spectrum, made in 
a professional manner and having a good geympley.


Finally, a word for
publishers and developers. As
time showed that in
ex-USSR Commercial
distribution of game releases
almost hopeless, so
most users
Spectrum is not willing to pay the money, preferring to wait 
for free or crack game's release. About buying the Russian 
players of games published by label Cronosoft - though it may 
seem a somewhat insulting to our Western friends, we can say 
unequivocally that: we do no one will pay 50-100 USD. (1.5-3 
eur) for Game-level mid-eighties, besides and in cassette form. 
I'm fine realize that for the western retrogeymerov is not such 
a big fee for nostalgia, but for our

consumers of these products,
spoiled "advanced" games, it's just beyond understanding, 
because even the book "Your Igra'02 "and" Empire 2 "(no doubt 
made an order of magnitude better the majority of releases 
Cronosoft) diverged at a price not exceeding three euros, just

not more than three dozen
copies.

Western game developers can say only one thing - create, but
if you want to see your products in ex-USSR, then you have to 
release free release, or recourse to a label

Perspective, which will be
distribute TR-DOS version of your games, in addition to a large
Profit should not count.

The survey has shown our producers games, they do not even 
think about the commercial distribution of their products, 
realizing a clear failure of this step in terms of pecuniary 
profit, by and large, getting from its creation only moral 
satisfaction from the fact that their games will be able to 
play the maximum number of people (eg, Slip ^ Action confessed 
that he wrote game and gave his consent to its commercial 
distribution in the form of game pack, only with a view to 
people first became acquainted with his literary works - short 
story by "The Empire 2 ").


However, do not forget about the European fans Spectrum
rigid adherence to the TR-DOS and
Russian does not allow them to fully enjoy the wonderful games, 
as best they can use the emulator, and soared in Russian 
letters as we once stared at

obscure the great majority of us Spanish izquierda, derecha, 
arriba, abajo, fuego. By and large to fit into 128kb, make 
literacy booting from the tape and translate the game

English language is not
much difficulty (for example, such an operation is easily 
exposed "Lethargy" from Studio Stall). After

This can easily turn into
Cronosoft and receive moral
satisfaction from the fact that your
the game is available only realschikam
world. Besides, argues Simon Ullyatt, you will not lose the 
right at the game and be able to distribute

it in any desired form,
This collects his fee for
Cronosoft sold copies of your
creation.
So, retrogaming still alive '
Speccy never die!!!