First generation games for OpenPandora?

[ibisum]

HTML5? Meh.


Lets use MOAI instead. (http://getmoai.com/) A lot more powerful than HTML5 ..

 

[StreaK]

Actually, yes I think that, but it's a personal impression I get from the description (not my type of game), from the reviews (mediocre game with framerate problems) and marketing (32bit as a selling point, are we back in the "bit wars", really?).


Maybe I will give it a try some day (after exams) and will be proven wrong.


Also most people probably don't even know of this game as the only means of advertising were a thread on the forum (not every owner goes here), a mention on PandoraPress (not everyone reads it) and the official website of the game. Even with those groups overlapping you won't have targeted nearly 2800 users.

just edited prev post.. i'll post it in here:


Another example PolloPollo, 6 licenses sold. Game isnt good, looks awfull, sounds crappy? Of course not.. maybe is too expensive? Of course not. For 3 euro i'll buy 2 bars of mars and pepsi can. Well after all maybe it isnt just worth buying? NOT. Its because gpl alternatives out there in instances like "PicoDrive". Just download picodrive , download columns rom, and you have fun with quasi-like pollopollo there. Dont like columns, maybe Super Puzzle Fighter 2 Turbo then.. go mame go spf2t.zip and you're ready to go..


just speculation:


Anyway, even if only 1/2 people that owns pandora [1400] looks on repo, and 1/3 ot these people likes shootemups.. there's still 466 people.. compared to 30 sold.

 

[StreaK]

HTML5!


HTML5 has solved this already.


Write your apps in it.


Release on EVERYTHING.

Yeah, theres already a BOOM for browser games [not really HTML5 games but still html+php], like icaram or schulterglatze [ http://browsergameoftheyear.com/ ] so maybe it's really way to go.

 

[foxblock]

Another example PolloPollo, 6 licenses sold. Game isnt good, looks awfull, sounds crappy? Of course not.. maybe is too expensive? Of course not. For 3 euro i'll buy 2 bars of mars and pepsi can. Well after all maybe it isnt just worth buying? NOT. Its because gpl alternatives out there in instances like "PicoDrive". Just download picodrive , download columns rom, and you have fun with quasi-like pollopollo there. Dont like columns, maybe Super Puzzle Fighter 2 Turbo then.. go mame go spf2t.zip and you're ready to go..

Exactly, if you make something that is already out there and don't make it better than something out there so it does not seem to be worth paying for, then you have already lost because people will not pay for it.


Again, I have not played the game in question, it certainly does not look bad, but again it's not my type of game and I currently don't have money to throw at everything.


We are a close knitted community and while there is a strong sense of alliance, it does seem to end in commercial development as it's not as supported as it seems it should be (just for the sake of supporting commercial development). I give you that, yes.


But I don't say it's all the fault of the community, software also does not get bought for the reasons I mentioned above and while I am sad to see there is not more interest than there is, I also have to blame myself for this and hope this situation might better when there is some more activity in the commercial sector (currently a commercial app seems alien, when there are 50 of them this won't be a problem).


Still I would like to see a commercial game blowing me out of the chair - for example I would gladly pay for "Forget me not", which is just a very original, unique and well designed game.


EDIT:

just speculation:


Anyway, even if only 1/2 people that owns pandora [1400] looks on repo, and 1/3 ot these people likes shootemups.. there's still 466 people.. compared to 30 sold.

Numbers are MUCH lower than that, even for platforms like the PSP - you assume 15% of all owners would technically buy this game, that's a dream come true for every AAA title.


EDIT:

HTML5!

HTML5 is just not there yet, look at your jetman example, it runs like absolute crap on the Pandora (and we are still talking about the Pandora here) - just like every other HTML5 game btw.


I can see a big future for this kind of game development, it does what made Flash so popular - the ability to make something and have it available on every device (be it PC, Mac, Phone, etc.).


But, HTM5 still has it shares of problems, like missing HW acceleration (on most platforms), browser overhead and the usual stuff you get with web-development, like file access, exploit-ability and locked-up access to the actual host computer.

 

[StreaK]

Another example PolloPollo, 6 licenses sold. Game isnt good, looks awfull, sounds crappy? Of course not.. maybe is too expensive? Of course not. For 3 euro i'll buy 2 bars of mars and pepsi can. Well after all maybe it isnt just worth buying? NOT. Its because gpl alternatives out there in instances like "PicoDrive". Just download picodrive , download columns rom, and you have fun with quasi-like pollopollo there. Dont like columns, maybe Super Puzzle Fighter 2 Turbo then.. go mame go spf2t.zip and you're ready to go..

Exactly, if you make something that is already out there and don't make it better than something out there so it does not seem to be worth paying for, then you have already lost because people will not pay for it.


Again, I have not played the game in question, it certainly does not look bad, but again it's not my type of game and I currently don't have money to throw at everything.

Thats why i stated previously , that one indie dev will never jump to level of quake 3 / doom 3, and it seems that doom 3 like game is really demanded more that anything else [because we have "anything else" already for OP in apps / games / emus derived from GPL sources]. And here is my small statement that actually gpl kills small indie devs..

 

[craigix]

HTML5? Meh.


Lets use MOAI instead. (http://getmoai.com/) A lot more powerful than HTML5 ..

And will they (ever) run on the Pandora?


Actually, do they even run in a browser? It mentions Chrome, does it compile to JS? How does it work? Does it need a plugin?


Sounds like it's a step backwards from what HTML5 is trying to do.

 

[StreaK]

Craigix, i wonder what's your predictions about commercial c/c++ games on OP. Since you can compare this segment slightly with ios [and wizzley sellings..]

 

[TrashyMG]

Personally I'd buy Arora 32X once my Pandora returns back from RMA, I didn't even know it existed until reading this thread.. so I guess indirect advertising..


I think GPL has given developers good tools through out the years and without these there wouldn't be so many developers.. I follow a few Linux games sites and recently I've seen a ton more commercial, closed sourced games put on the market.. most likely using GPL tools to build them.

 

[foxblock]

Thats why i stated previously , that one indie dev will never jump to level of quake 3 / doom 3, and it seems that doom 3 like game is really demanded more that anything else [because we have "anything else" already for OP in apps / games / emus derived from GPL sources]. And here is my small statement that actually gpl kills small indie devs..

That is a problem indeed.


I also see that more and more people are only looking at the graphics side of things, want 3D or really awesome 2D sprites, which is sad as we should not be playing games for the graphics, but the gameplay.


As an indie developer you should NEVER try to make something along the lines of doom 3 or similar, you just can't handle it (let alone that doom3 is a pretty rubbish game). As an indie developer you should go for innovation, uniqueness and new gameplay mechanics - then later think about the graphics (basically the "Braid" approach).


Also why work alone, there are plenty of talented people out there willing to help, so why not team up? I can't compose music, so I always ask somebody to help me out in that regard and so far it has been an incredible great experience as you get somebody else interpret your work in even new ways and add his personal touch to it. You get to know new people and those people can also help you out with feedback and stuff like that. Working in a team is required more than ever in the current business world and so far I can only recommend it for hobby projects, too.


Btw, I edited my post above with comments about your figures and Craig's HTML5 idea. Clicky

 

[craigix]

Craigix, i wonder what's your predictions about commercial c/c++ games on OP. Since you can compare this segment slightly with ios [and wizzley sellings..]

I doubt there is any chance of that.


Wizzley won't compile for the Pandora without huge modifications.


People have tried to get Dizzy Wizards running right on the Pandora too without success.


HTML5 establishes a standard across all systems, so an app written in it will work on anything which runs a modern browser, I've no doubt, it's the future of apps.


Once Apple fully supports HTML5 in iOS (which they are going to do) I think the move to HTML5 apps will be gigantic and swift - the Pandora could then run those Apps if we have HTML5 support.


(It can probably run them now in Chrome, but it will be slow due to lack of hardware graphics support).

 

[StreaK]

Personally I'd buy Arora 32X once my Pandora returns back from RMA, I didn't even know it existed until reading this thread.. so I guess indirect advertising..

Lets say, i would really like to advertise Arora 32X and PolloPollo, just because wether they're bad or good. They're cheap enough to buy it and dont regret that choice [like a buy a baked roll , and you are not regret this choice since you were hungry. ]

 

[foxblock]

Personally I'd buy Arora 32X once my Pandora returns back from RMA, I didn't even know it existed until reading this thread.. so I guess indirect advertising..

Lets say, i would really like to advertise Arora 32X and PolloPollo, just because wether they're bad or good. They're cheap enough to buy it and dont regret that choice [like a buy a baked roll , and you are not regret this choice since you were hungry. ]

See, that is exactly what I was talking about - even people going to this forum (and being active here) don't know this game existed.


Can't really blame the community spirit for that...

 

[FaeMinx]

So having no programming experience... What are the downsides of HTML5?

 

[StreaK]

Also why work alone, there are plenty of talented people out there willing to help, so why not team up? I can't compose music, so I always ask somebody to help me out in that regard and so far it has been an incredible great experience as you get somebody else interpret your work in even new ways and add his personal touch to it. You get to know new people and those people can also help you out with feedback and stuff like that. Working in a team is required more than ever in the current business world and so far I can only recommend it for hobby projects, too.

There is a problem, that today Craigix faces with ZodTTD. Dev'ing in group but without money is possible [just take a look for polish prods for atari xl/xe from 2007-2012], but not with money involved.. it will ends probably like feud craig with zod..


I was talking with Ruckage in 2008 [i think] and he said theres as well personal ambition thingy that prevent dev'ers in openhandheld community to involve in one bigger projects. I find it true.. because we are too much individuals..

 

[Ziz]

Where is the difference between a game, which needs an HTML-5-Browser and a game, which needs SDL and a C Compiler to compile?


Please don't forget: For small games, HTML5 is quite okay, but Javascript and the Browser Canvas (drawing stuff) will NEVER be as fast as real compiled Code (doesn't matter, whether C, glBasic or Free Pascal).


And there is another reason, why people still play with Pandora, Caanoo and Co: Buttons! Hardware Buttons! There is a BIG differences, whether I play a Jump and Run in a HTML5 Browser with mouse/keyboard or multi touch display or with real console buttons. ;-)


And webGL is real crap at the moment because of the whole canvas system in the background.

 

[foxblock]

There is a problem, that today Craigix faces with ZodTTD. Dev'ing in group but without money is possible [just take a look for polish prods for atari xl/xe from 2007-2012], but not with money involved.. it will ends probably like feud craig with zod..

You judge on one case gone wrong? There are plenty of other cases gone wrong, of course, but there also enough where it went perfectly fine.


I admit, it's always more tricky when money is involved, but there are solutions for that, one is "contract work" the other actually meeting the people you are going to work with (and in case money is involved this should pose no problem).

 

[StreaK]

I admit, it's always more tricky when money is involved, but there are solutions for that, one is "contract work" the other actually meeting the people you are going to work with (and in case money is involved this should pose no problem).

But then, one indie dev will not gather funds to make "contract work" to anyone. It works only with smaller / bigger dev studios. Other than that we're specific community that really as you said previously, are a little but still alien to every commercial activity, and this is widely visible. And that could lead to stop any commercial activity on OP handheld.

 

[StreaK]

Personally I'd buy Arora 32X once my Pandora returns back from RMA, I didn't even know it existed until reading this thread.. so I guess indirect advertising..

Lets say, i would really like to advertise Arora 32X and PolloPollo, just because wether they're bad or good. They're cheap enough to buy it and dont regret that choice [like a buy a baked roll , and you are not regret this choice since you were hungry. ]

See, that is exactly what I was talking about - even people going to this forum (and being active here) don't know this game existed.


Can't really blame the community spirit for that...

well, without gpl'ed apps / games for Pandora, aurora rift will be surely more visible.


OK. need to go.

 

[Ziz]

well, without gpl'ed apps / games for Pandora, aurora rift will be surely more visible.

Okay. And WHERE would it be visible? And PLEASE stop to mix GPL with freeware/non commercial. -_-

 

[Prometheus]

Visibility or not, if a game isn't to someone's taste then they're not going to buy it, no matter what else is available...