Bob''s Game

[Tobs]

That's an interesting question PoisonedV; the pandora has a very small userbase and many of them are pro open source (and hence free) things. Unlike the DS, which has a large casual base; people who just want games for it and expect to pay for games. I'm thinking pandora users might take a little getting used to paying for games (particularly with the heavy emphasis on emulators/free roms), which could stop large developers from releasing commercial games for the pandora.
It's exciting because it's moved from DS to pandora. DS homebrew isn't the easiest thing to do (after emulation stopped working, I was swapping cards between computer and DS between every build), so for him to switch to the pandora really shows it has something great going.
Bob's game looks pretty good. Depending on price, I probably would buy it, or at least donate.

Tobs

 

[psychodegu]

Take a look at the Payback GP2X report, it's a great read and it'll show you that this was definitely not a straight-from-GBA port.

I don't understand what TeaJunky has against it - I think it's safe to say that there is such a thing as a 'GTA genre', just as there are the 'Doom', 'Dune 2', and 'Bejeweled' genres, if you get my drift. The only bad thing is that I suspect Payback did not enjoy the sales numbers it actually deserved, though that can probably be said about most commercial GP2X games too.



Well I retract my comments about Payback's lameness. From that report it apparently was far from a port, was actually an upgrade to the game. Though I still probably wouldn't get into that style of game play.

Now I'm conflicted on how novel the fact bob's game is headed to the Pandora. On one hand it isn't the first game to be ported to open source hand held (Improved or not), but it does seem to be happening in a incredibly early stage of the console. The Pandora is not in our hands, and there already is a chance that there will be an commercial port. impressive, but not necessarily revolutionary.

 

[Prometheus]

the pandora has a very small userbase and many of them are pro open source (and hence free) things.

I'm pro-open source, but I'm certainly not averse to paying for commercial products - if a product that looks worthwhile to me requires payment, and based on the information available to me I think that I would enjoy that product, then I will put down my money and purchase it.

The fact that I'm in favour of open source things doesn't mean that I'm in favour of not paying for things also (and then there's the issue of making money from open source things, too, which I'm also not against, although that whole thing is beyond the scope of this post ). I'm sure plenty of others feel the same way.

 

[quadomatic]

It has that Eathbound vibe to it, which definitely isn't a bad thing.

I thought the exact same thing.

 

[dentrado]

the pandora has a very small userbase and many of them are pro open source (and hence free) things.

I'm pro-open source, but I'm certainly not averse to paying for commercial products - if a product that looks worthwhile to me requires payment, and based on the information available to me I think that I would enjoy that product, then I will put down my money and purchase it.

The fact that I'm in favour of open source things doesn't mean that I'm in favour of not paying for things also (and then there's the issue of making money from open source things, too, which I'm also not against, although that whole thing is beyond the scope of this post ). I'm sure plenty of others feel the same way.


and open source don't have to mean that you don't pay for it, if you like a project you can always donate (or help with development if you know how)

 

[likwidoxigen]

So with things getting ever closer think there'll be the ability to pre-order Bob's Game?

 

[Gilrad]

Dunno. You could ask him, though. The guy's pretty friendly.

 

[God Ginrai]

Things may be getting closer to the Pandora's release, but I think Bob's game's release is still a ways off for the DS.

-God Ginrai

 

[fiveseven]

I'd certainly be happy to pay for it. Looks awesome!

Any word on what exactly is being changed/upgraded for the pandora version?

 

[PoisonedV]

who knows... probably not much. Anyway, who knows, pandora might actually see it first since DSi isn't hittin NA for a while.

 

[cb88]

ahem... not every open source proponent is a richard stallman clone

heh... linux gets flash 10 first now we get bob's game first ... things are looking up for linux

 

[God Ginrai]

ahem... not every open source proponent is a richard stallman clone

heh... linux gets flash 10 first now we get bob's game first ... things are looking up for linux

Hey, no one guaranteed that we're getting Bob's game first. As far as I'm concerned, Bob's game is going to be released for the DSi first until Bob tells us that his game is coming out on the Pandora first.

-God Ginrai

 

[airbeckley]

ahem... not every open source proponent is a richard stallman clone

heh... linux gets flash 10 first now we get bob's game first ... things are looking up for linux

Hey, no one guaranteed that we're getting Bob's game first. As far as I'm concerned, Bob's game is going to be released for the DSi first until Bob tells us that his game is coming out on the Pandora first.

-God Ginrai


Sorry to bump this thread but I wrote Bob a short mail after having a look at the game, reading about it on here and drooling for a Pandora release - he's a throroughly nice chap and news of a sequel is interesting. Here's hoping for that Pandora port...

(for clarification his comment re Borland is because I work for Borland and sent the mail from my Borland work account )

Dear Robert,

I'll be short as I'm sure you have been deluged with emails but I just wanted to congratulate you on what looks like a fantastic game and thank you for considering the port to the Pandora. I, I suspect with a majority of pre-ordered Pandora users, will be really happy to see this arrive and pay you a good price for it.

Huge good luck in your endeavours, you deserve every success from this marathon project – time to start thinking about Bob's game "The sequel" (once the Pandora port is done naturally!)

Kind Rgds,

Anthony

Thanks, Anthony!
Sorry for the delay, I'm just starting to catch up on emails.
I've already got a "sequel" in mind, but it'll be something very different.
I'll be sure to keep you updated on the progress for the Pandora port.
Things are moving along nicely here, and I should have the site updated with news shortly.
Again, thank you for the email, and just for the record- I first learned C++ with Borland C++ Builder.

 

[-knowledge123]

Bob's game has hit some 'issues', read about it here. :angry:
Let's get behind him guys! Digg it, stumble it etc etc. Send some emails to Nintendo (I sent one to all the emails on the .com and .co.uk sites :lol: )

 

[Username]

Bob's game has hit some 'issues', read about it here. :angry:
Let's get behind him guys! Digg it, stumble it etc etc. Send some emails to Nintendo (I sent one to all the emails on the .com and .co.uk sites :lol: )


Thanks for the update, wouldn't have checked had it not been for you. I'm gonna try to email Nintendo as well (just because I don't like them) and see what happens.

 

[Bramrash]

I sent a message to that customer service thing. Bit out of order that they havent got back to him in 17!!! weeks....

 

[Nailz]

:huh:

Yikes, not a big fan of the corporate machine that Nintendo is either, but barricading yourself in your home for 100 days or until Nintendo responds seems childish doesn't it? Is he holding his breath until he turns purple as well?

Clearly he's not had the real life experience of working for someone else and having to do things that make no sense whatsoever.

I hope he gets things straightened, but locking himself in doesn't really make him look good either.

 

[Alex.]

Why does he care so much that he release it for the Nintendo DS? Why does he crave the attention of a faceless corporation after they made it so clear that they want nothing to do with him? There are plenty of other platforms (Pandora, Wiz, PC?) that he could release his game on, and still reach just as many people.

 

[Bramrash]

maybe he's already coded it all two screeny and touch screeny and doesnt want to change it much. If he's put 5 years into making it perfect for the DS (yes i know its not been out that long" then I think he'd be dissapointed if he had to change it.

Although he supposedly is making a port for pandora, so i dunno

 

[PoisonedV]

Why does he care so much that he release it for the Nintendo DS? Why does he crave the attention of a faceless corporation after they made it so clear that they want nothing to do with him? There are plenty of other platforms (Pandora, Wiz, PC?) that he could release his game on, and still reach just as many people.

at first I thought that was pretty stupid what you said, but I didn't see the website. Well, Nintendo fanboys love to proclaim how nintendo 'cares' about the customers but we all know thats false, we're just worthless geeks & otaku after all, right?
the 100 day protest thing is pretty childish though. nothings going to get accomplished by being lazy/whining
does doing this 'protest' really show his maturity as a 'company'?
its like hes desperate to be a corporate whore or something.

I worked on this project for five years because I wanted to make a "Nintendo game."
I wanted to make a "Nintendo game", too. when i was five.
there isn't enough demand for a game like this on the COMMERCIAL DS market- doesn't he understand? thats why theyll never license him, he won't be a cashcow and no ones heard of him before. and this stunt sure doesnt help.

Nobody has ever single-handedly created a retail length RPG type console game this size. How do I know that? They told me!
they told him wrong. I know people who have created heavily customized RPG maker games that rival playing times of even CRPG's.
and ive seen non-rpg maker games get created by one man and sold later down the road, too, that were very lengthy.
It's a special case- an industry first- and it's going to take someone in the company taking extra initiative and making a move.
its not an industry first, at least not in the 'games industry' which you seem to be implying

he had a much better chance before he pulled this, anyway.