i have to wonder, if they feel so strongly about it, why not move on? put your games out on a different platform...
Seems like they pretty much did "move on". Game Type is their first XBLIG in over a year, and it's a joke release. They did Serious Sam on Steam and are doing Shoot 1Up on WP7 (with Xbox Live achievements).
ehh, one steam game, a port of their xblig (using the same framework) to a different device, and then this game right back on xblig. doesn't sound like they've moved on to me. sounds like they dipped their big toe in the waters of steam and came right back to xna and xblig.
Didn't strike a chord with me. I should try it sometimes I guess.
Kobun of the xblig.co site wrote a quick rant jumping in on the "my game isn't selling" debate:
http://xblig.co/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=187
Negativity generally only breeds negativity in a Star Wars dark side sort of way, it's a very interesting and scary thing.
On a positive note the drop to 80 points seems to really be helping MagicalTimeBean out with Soulcaster I/II sales spiking up:
http://www.magicaltimebean.com/2011/12/magic-seal-pelts-follow-up-first-week-after-price-drop/
I'm not personally familiar with who Kobun is (maybe I do know him but under some other name). I think you get a very different outlook of XBLIG once you've released / developed titles for it vs seeing it from the outside. It especially irks me when those with no experience say that if we want better sales, we need to do better marketing our games. We got a TON of publicity for the Summer Uprising and it didn't translate to sales success. I market the hell out of myself and my games and it doesn't translate to sales success. Outside of a dash promotion, it doesn't seem like anything you do matters. This contrasts sharply to my experiences on iOS, where a good review or a temporary promotion (free giveaway) clearly improves sales. I think it's the disconnected nature of going from the Xbox to the PC that really hurts here and I don't see any way around that.
Must remember to try out Orbitron. Reminds me of Star Ray for the Atari ST.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBC8NNMoGFo#t=0m16s
Yeah although I do think platformers are uphill battle on XBLIG I did expect Volchaos to sell more like 5000 easily, so if it didn't hit that number my feeling is more of frustration with the average Xbox 360 gamer.
Not even close... we just passed 500 sales
ehh, one steam game, a port of their xblig (using the same framework) to a different device, and then this game right back on xblig. doesn't sound like they've moved on to me. sounds like they dipped their big toe in the waters of steam and came right back to xna and xblig.
What did your best game do in sales if you don't mind me asking?Not even close... we just passed 500 sales
Not even close... we just passed 500 sales
And you have an actual studio with employees right?We are right on your tail! C'mon people!
And you have an actual studio with employees right?
No employees. Contractors out of pocket. This is why OTs of these games are important to get the word out. We had an OT for that crotch kicking self defense game that got 1/10 on IGN or whatever for gods sake and here are two real games made by members of the NeoGaf community.
are you not allowed to make an OT for your own game?
I believe it is against the ToS to use GAF as a personal marketing platform.
What did your best game do in sales if you don't mind me asking?
Also, we were talking about you and your game today and my wife wants to know what the other titles you made for XBLIG are.
and no one has offered? i'd do it for you, but i've never made an OT and i don't have any graphic design skills
on an unrelated note, escape goat is very addictive. almost done with the game already!
Yeah, that's kind of nonsense...Not even close... we just passed 500 sales
The more I think about it the more I think maybe you guys could convince someone at msft to include indie games sometimes for free in Gold only sales, that is what Sony does with PSN Plus andcPS Minis
You would be surprised at how many people would come out of the woodwork for a free game
I kid you not I was just thinking in my head on the way home a couple hours ago "Oh this game idea I've been holding onto for the past few years, boy would it be a good match for Tribute Games style"
The channel is not dead nor dying, if anything it's making more money than it ever has by all indications I've seen. The problem is the direction is squarely at pandering sort of games and the creative games still struggle. Games like Avatar Paintball, Laser Wars, Prank Call, I see these getting lots of sales consistently for months and months and months.
Once Orbitron/Escape Goat/Volchaos break 5,000 sales, there is some justice in the world...
Hey I read on 2ch (Japanese message board) some guy saying "Alien Jelly is OMFG awesome, go download it now, I'm serious" - he compared it to Ilomilo and was saying he was going to upload custom levels. Also the first Starzzle game got pretty good reviews and there is Christmas themed one out now which I think is smart (I wonder if the music is holiday themed too). It was always nice to break out Costume Quest at Halloween time, that's the sort of pandering no one should have a problem with...
It's breaking my heart that we're/we've heading/landed in that direction.
If only Funinfused had named his game AvatarChaos... or maybe some sort of dick joke.
Guaranteed sales if changed to:
- VolGina
- Hyperdick Out of her Hole
I'm going to go clean my brain now.
I'm looking forward to that. Use my titles!
Extra Guy redesign is up, if anyone wants to give me some feedback It's not 100% done, but its on its way.
I can't post the pics here but Famitsu 360 gave "Indie Games of the Month" to SpaceCatcher, Volchaos and Oozi Episode 2 for their Feb 2012 issue.