Adventurer #15 31 июля 2004

Игры

Interface - gamemakers questionnarie.

While  being  at CAFe'2003 I paid attention to the large amount
of  games  -  6  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> Еnthusiasm. 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 5 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
<polygons_for_a_model> 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 2
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 2 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  3  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...