[Game] Check Out My Game: Break Blocks
- Thread starter Xienen
- Start date
We're sooo close! Less than a month away! So we released another song straight from the game: http://www.greatergoodgames.org/?cmd=devblog
Here's the rest of the Dev Blog entry(for all you lazy people
):
What have we been doing for the past 2 weeks? Well, we have continued plugging in some more sounds, models, and Dance Moves; as well as hooking up the ability to configure your keys. We also did some initial testing of the game with a very small group of people, just to see how close we are to launch. Good news! Things went smashingly well in those tests!
From here, we need to squash a few more bugs, balance some of the levels, and finish plugging in the rest of the content. Unfortunately, I don't have an exact release date, but I can say that we're on schedule to launch in mid-June at the latest. That means you're less than 1 month away from being able to test out your virtual break dancing skills before slapping down a few bucks for a game that's already being touted as an incredibly addictive action puzzle game!
Here's the rest of the Dev Blog entry(for all you lazy people
):What have we been doing for the past 2 weeks? Well, we have continued plugging in some more sounds, models, and Dance Moves; as well as hooking up the ability to configure your keys. We also did some initial testing of the game with a very small group of people, just to see how close we are to launch. Good news! Things went smashingly well in those tests!
From here, we need to squash a few more bugs, balance some of the levels, and finish plugging in the rest of the content. Unfortunately, I don't have an exact release date, but I can say that we're on schedule to launch in mid-June at the latest. That means you're less than 1 month away from being able to test out your virtual break dancing skills before slapping down a few bucks for a game that's already being touted as an incredibly addictive action puzzle game!
We've posted a new Dev Blog at http://www.greatergoodgames.org/?cmd=devblog
When we started this venture, developing Break Blocks that is, we simply wanted to create great games for the sake of creating great games. This focus has not changed, in fact, it has been turned into an obvious focus for anyone who visits Greater Good Games and fully comprehends the point of its philosophies. We landed on this concept by remembering that we just want to make awesome games, thus we do not need money beyond that which is necessary to continue making games. So, with such a company focus, we realized that our customers, too, would benefit from such a setup, as they would be improving the world by doing what they love to do: play games.
Simply put, this is our passion, and we will only be able to do this for a living with your help and contributions. We are forever grateful for your support and we look forward to doing everything in our power to ensure that you all enjoy every game we produce. Beyond that, though, we are all in this for a better tomorrow; hoping to improve the world through our passion for making great games and your passion for playing them.
So, thank you for following us, for supporting us, and for joining us in our quest to improve this world through games!
When we started this venture, developing Break Blocks that is, we simply wanted to create great games for the sake of creating great games. This focus has not changed, in fact, it has been turned into an obvious focus for anyone who visits Greater Good Games and fully comprehends the point of its philosophies. We landed on this concept by remembering that we just want to make awesome games, thus we do not need money beyond that which is necessary to continue making games. So, with such a company focus, we realized that our customers, too, would benefit from such a setup, as they would be improving the world by doing what they love to do: play games.
Simply put, this is our passion, and we will only be able to do this for a living with your help and contributions. We are forever grateful for your support and we look forward to doing everything in our power to ensure that you all enjoy every game we produce. Beyond that, though, we are all in this for a better tomorrow; hoping to improve the world through our passion for making great games and your passion for playing them.
So, thank you for following us, for supporting us, and for joining us in our quest to improve this world through games!
I got a chance to play the demo beta (courtesy of Xienen) and I have to admit that I was thoroughly wrong about this game. It's pretty damn addictive once you get a grasp of exactly how it works, which took me a couple of games to do.
One thing; it crashed when I won the second training match, dunno if that's just my computer but it might be something to look into.
All in all, fantabulous game, totally work the 2 quid or whatever it'll sell for.
An :IS2: for you, Xienen!
One thing; it crashed when I won the second training match, dunno if that's just my computer but it might be something to look into.
All in all, fantabulous game, totally work the 2 quid or whatever it'll sell for.
An :IS2: for you, Xienen!
You know, this has been reported by others but I haven't been able to reproduce it. I'll continue trying to reproduce this issue, as I can't stand to have my game crash, ever.
Thanks for postin, mamoo =)
Well here are my specs for reference:
Pentium Dual-Core 2.10GHz processor
4GB RAM
Win7 64-bit OS
Intel 4 Series Chipset: 1759MB total memory, 128MB Dedicated graphics memory, DX version 10.
New Dev Blog Discussing Free-To-Play Games, Feedback Wanted: http://www.greatergoodgames.org/?cmd=devblog
I'd have to read up more on the Free-to-play idea to understand exactly what you were getting at. I'm not all that familiar with it
Interesting...well, the basic premise is that the game is free for everyone to play, but there's some sort of limitation on it. Generally, there are 2 directions used: some levels/weapons/units/items are only available if you pay, but the more common one is that you can earn all of the available items...paying for them just saves you the effort. APB: Reloaded, for example, allows you to earn money in game to buy things or use real money instead.
If we're going to do it, though, we would definitely lean toward all items being earnable without paying, but there's a key difference from most games out there. As I stated in my Dev Blog, we wouldn't attempt to focus free-to-play around "maximizing profit", which is the driving factor that a number of games currently do with the earnable model. They do this by making it *very* difficult or time wasting to earn the best items, essentially forcing people to buy them. We would hope to strike the balance to allow most players to earn the buyable items by just playing the game.
There are some obvious tradeoffs here. On one hand, more people will be able to experience the game, because it's free. On the other, the game could become easier for those willing to pay more money, though we'd obviously do everything we could to keep this from happening.
If we're going to do it, though, we would definitely lean toward all items being earnable without paying, but there's a key difference from most games out there. As I stated in my Dev Blog, we wouldn't attempt to focus free-to-play around "maximizing profit", which is the driving factor that a number of games currently do with the earnable model. They do this by making it *very* difficult or time wasting to earn the best items, essentially forcing people to buy them. We would hope to strike the balance to allow most players to earn the buyable items by just playing the game.
There are some obvious tradeoffs here. On one hand, more people will be able to experience the game, because it's free. On the other, the game could become easier for those willing to pay more money, though we'd obviously do everything we could to keep this from happening.
I hate free to play. When I buy most games (with the exception of DLC, which I also don't care for, but that's another matter), I feel like I own them. With free to play, it feels like the company making it is constantly trying to nickel and dime me. They're always trying to upsell me on something, and usually the stuff they are selling confers some kind of gameplay advantage, which is unfair in my opinion. Free to play games also generally end up making it very hard or unfun to play as a free player.
Take Battlefield Heroes for example: when it released it actually had a pretty good microtransaction system. Most of the stuff you could buy was only cosmetic, and the weapons you could buy were earnable through regular gameplay as well. The paying players weren't really gaining a gameplay advantage, they were just taking a shortcut. Then they significantly changed the system, making the weapon upgrades MUCH more expensive and much shorter-lasting. This made the upgraded weapons very hard to afford without spending real money. Yes, it did make them more money, but they completely sold out on their "free to play" label.
If the company wants me to spend 20 or 30 dollars on their game in the first place, why not just be honest about it and up front, rather than trying to get me addicted to the game and then attempting to convince me to spend money on their "free" game?
Take Battlefield Heroes for example: when it released it actually had a pretty good microtransaction system. Most of the stuff you could buy was only cosmetic, and the weapons you could buy were earnable through regular gameplay as well. The paying players weren't really gaining a gameplay advantage, they were just taking a shortcut. Then they significantly changed the system, making the weapon upgrades MUCH more expensive and much shorter-lasting. This made the upgraded weapons very hard to afford without spending real money. Yes, it did make them more money, but they completely sold out on their "free to play" label.
If the company wants me to spend 20 or 30 dollars on their game in the first place, why not just be honest about it and up front, rather than trying to get me addicted to the game and then attempting to convince me to spend money on their "free" game?
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A League of Legends approach to F2P is nice, you can earn everything gameplay-wise just by playing the game (A LOT)... if you can tweak the numbers on your game it could be a good choice.
Ahhhh, ok.
Well. Then in general I am against the Free to Play. Trying out a few games with limitations usually leaves me less than impressed. Knowing there are options I could pay for that other players may be using never quite sat well with me, although I understand needing some sort of income for pay for development.
I would actually prefer some sort of free weekend thing where players can experience the game in full and decide if they like it or not. This way, you can possibly hook more players and by offering a game at a fair price for both players and those creating it, you can accomplish your goals and continue creating more games.
Well. Then in general I am against the Free to Play. Trying out a few games with limitations usually leaves me less than impressed. Knowing there are options I could pay for that other players may be using never quite sat well with me, although I understand needing some sort of income for pay for development.
I would actually prefer some sort of free weekend thing where players can experience the game in full and decide if they like it or not. This way, you can possibly hook more players and by offering a game at a fair price for both players and those creating it, you can accomplish your goals and continue creating more games.
Let me first say that I'm certainly not opposed to the traditional "Buy The Game Once" model, but it appears that due to the type of game we're planning on making next(if we're so lucky), Free-To-Play offers some advantages in terms of the game's longevity and gameplay. A large part of the game will be collecting items(including trading and betting items). The gameplay itself will be intense, but you will have to use the items you've collected in the game to win(no, they won't be one time nor limited use items...once you own the items, they're yours until you trade em or lose them in a bet).
The idea would be that everything available for purchase is earnable through the game. The earning system would work on winning(random item earned), trading, betting(and then winning), and very rare items would be given to those winning tournaments. There will also be a number of items you can earn that you can't purchase(some of the best items, as well as the limited use buffing items). Now, all of the items for sale are gameplay effecting, but the idea is that experienced players will be better at the game and will have earned most of their items, but new players and/or casual players will be paying the bills for everyone if they choose to purchase items. Thus, dedicated players will generally play cheaper and be better at the game.
That's the general idea, with a focus on allowing players to earn items by playing a good deal, but not so much that everyone feels like they have to put money into the system to keep up.
I definitely agree on the Free Weekend. That's an excellent tactic. Does my response to Bobdog above ease your concerns about my Free-To-Play implementation? Particularly that there will be items that you can only earn, not purchase...some of which will be the best items.
The idea would be that everything available for purchase is earnable through the game. The earning system would work on winning(random item earned), trading, betting(and then winning), and very rare items would be given to those winning tournaments. There will also be a number of items you can earn that you can't purchase(some of the best items, as well as the limited use buffing items). Now, all of the items for sale are gameplay effecting, but the idea is that experienced players will be better at the game and will have earned most of their items, but new players and/or casual players will be paying the bills for everyone if they choose to purchase items. Thus, dedicated players will generally play cheaper and be better at the game.
That's the general idea, with a focus on allowing players to earn items by playing a good deal, but not so much that everyone feels like they have to put money into the system to keep up.
I definitely agree on the Free Weekend. That's an excellent tactic. Does my response to Bobdog above ease your concerns about my Free-To-Play implementation? Particularly that there will be items that you can only earn, not purchase...some of which will be the best items.
To clarify what I meant, I don't think free to play is inherently bad, just that it tends to end up badly. BF Heroes was good for a free to play, until the devs changed the system in an effort to make more cash.
The difference between other companies and GGG, however, is that other companies are only concerned with making more profits (since they have stockholders to answer to, etc.), so they will change a game for the worse if it means higher profits. GGG won't have that problem, so I'm not worried that you'd degrade the gameplay experience in order to raise revenue.
A system like that would be fine with me. My only concern after that is how intrusive the ads for the shop are.
The difference between other companies and GGG, however, is that other companies are only concerned with making more profits (since they have stockholders to answer to, etc.), so they will change a game for the worse if it means higher profits. GGG won't have that problem, so I'm not worried that you'd degrade the gameplay experience in order to raise revenue.
A system like that would be fine with me. My only concern after that is how intrusive the ads for the shop are.
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Ah, indeed. Once again, as a gamer first, I'd attempt to make sure that the shop is not slung in your face all over the place, but it would still be clear that you have an alternative to simply playing the game with whatever you've earned. It would likely be hanging out in a corner as you are browsing around finding your next opponent(s).
Of course, as with Break Blocks, we will take in user feedback to help guide the course. Obviously, though, if we go Free-To-Play, we will have to reconsider our barrier of entry to get into the User Feedback group. We could go 2 ways with this: free or paid. The only reason we'd even go paid is to reduce the number of idiots that throw out some idiotic feedback, even though they haven't played the game much. But, honestly, I think that's a moot concern, as the people that enjoy the game for what it is will always step in to let people know that person is a frickin idiot =)
So, I think, if we do end up going Free To Play with it(again, pending we even get to continue making games *crosses fingers*), we'd get the gameplay and basic systems rolling, then just release an early version of the game, with the store accepting in-game money only until we go gold with the game. That way everyone can test with us, give us feedback, and no one's wasting money on in-game items until we've got everything "balanced" and "final" enough to truly release the game. What do you guys think, does that sound like a solid plan? Cuz I sure think so
New DevBlog up...click here to listen to the Ninja's Theme Song: http://www.greatergoodgames.org/?cmd=devblog
Or just read the DevBlog entry:
That's right, 1 more week until the launch of Break Blocks' Early Adopters Program! We have nailed it down; confirmed we'll get it all done and polished up by the end of the day(EST) next Saturday. Are you excited? Ready to Break Dance like there's no tomorrow?!?
Anyways, we've plugged in almost every vital piece of content and now we're doing everything we can to make the game more accessible, visually interesting, and polished. Our testing has continued, using mostly friends and family, and we have gotten continually positive feedback about the game.
A number of people have made comments about the game not seeming like something they'd want to play. So, I decided to challenge a few of them to just give the game a try. Every single one of them got hooked on the game, noting how exciting, simplistically complex, and addictive the game truly is. We are really starting to believe in the potential for our game to be as successful as we've been hoping and for our company to reach our goal of donating at least $100,000 to charity.
This will only be possible with your support, so come back to us in a week, check out the Early Adopters Demo and purchase the game if you enjoy it!
Or just read the DevBlog entry:
That's right, 1 more week until the launch of Break Blocks' Early Adopters Program! We have nailed it down; confirmed we'll get it all done and polished up by the end of the day(EST) next Saturday. Are you excited? Ready to Break Dance like there's no tomorrow?!?
Anyways, we've plugged in almost every vital piece of content and now we're doing everything we can to make the game more accessible, visually interesting, and polished. Our testing has continued, using mostly friends and family, and we have gotten continually positive feedback about the game.
A number of people have made comments about the game not seeming like something they'd want to play. So, I decided to challenge a few of them to just give the game a try. Every single one of them got hooked on the game, noting how exciting, simplistically complex, and addictive the game truly is. We are really starting to believe in the potential for our game to be as successful as we've been hoping and for our company to reach our goal of donating at least $100,000 to charity.
This will only be possible with your support, so come back to us in a week, check out the Early Adopters Demo and purchase the game if you enjoy it!
We've also posted some new Screen Shots:
Bustin out a badass Dance Move against the Beatnik! I just cleared a group of blocks and he never saw that move coming
Gettin down against the Robot! I just cleared a group of blocks and am in the process of performing an awesome Dance Move against him. PWNED!
As you progress through the game, more colors are added, making the game a lot more difficult(not to mention the number of other ways we're making the game more difficult).
Bustin out a badass Dance Move against the Beatnik! I just cleared a group of blocks and he never saw that move coming
Gettin down against the Robot! I just cleared a group of blocks and am in the process of performing an awesome Dance Move against him. PWNED!
As you progress through the game, more colors are added, making the game a lot more difficult(not to mention the number of other ways we're making the game more difficult).