RPG Maker game gets $8,000

[Kain Nobel]

Marketing power? You've got a whole internet to advertise on :box:

 

[Spoo]

I don't think I'd even need over $500 unless I wanted to go extreme on my game. All I'd really need is a musician and a script helper.

 

[Zankoku no Yami]

Dunno how much I'd even need... but anything at all would really help with costs. I mean, I got an artist, spriter, and programmer. A mapper off and on... mainly because I can never afford too much at once so whenever I can afford it he disappears for a while, haha. There is a musician I want to hire (since I have worked with him some) but dont have the funds for it. And it would certainly help with other things I have not even been able to touch on yet because of price (like menu and such designs... or a trailer... blah!). For those who really want to go all the way with their game; and those truly passionate about their work, this could really help.

Though, I cannot say much about this guy. But I've seen my fair share of deserving games. To think, what we'd actually be able to do if we could all actually afford to get the help we need (like me... my only REAL talent is writing. I really, really, really wish I could do more. I mean, I want to realize my vision but need help from others. And as all things in life, it aint free!).

Neat idea nonetheless. Just WOW on $8000.

 

[udivision]

Dang, I'd finish every project I started if there was $100 waiting for me on the release date.

 

[Echo Magnum]

$100! I could do it for $50 without complaining, If I had $8000 I'd probably live my entire existence making my game until its finished without even going to school or anything,
I mean I already work my ass off for my projects for free and I don't even earn $1 for every night I stay up working on sprites or editing some animations e.t.c, this guy hypes an RTP-Drenched project with supposedly custom graphics and all of a sudden he's rich.
I just hope he's not bullshiting about the custom graphics because so far all I can see is RTP. If he thinks an edited RTP map is original someone has to flush this project down the drain.

I don't know about you guys but this really stinks. I have a feeling who ever is funding this is being totally ripped of. Two things though, I wish I was in U.S and I wish I had this kind of funding scratch that I wish every indie game-dev could at-least earn $100 for each project that has a lot more heart than this rtp-dogpile of a game.

 

[gRaViJa]

Later screenshots show his custom graphics, but i still agree with most of your post. Though having 8000$ doesn't make you rich.

 

[Toams]

maybe i'll put mine on kickstarter too
man maybe someone's willing to pay for my unity pro license

i could add dynamic shadows and blur and bloom and godrays and noise

ohgod

 

[Ceiling_Cat]

His "rewards" crack me up. Worst sellout ever.

I'd try, but not in US so meh.

 

[BlueScope]

Oh god, this is going to be another topic where everyone says something of a different opinion than mine, I feel temped to throw in a different one for the sake of discussion, and everyone starts hatin'. Well, here we go... :down:

I don't think the game looks bad as it is. Yes, it looks like the RTP, but why would that bother the general public. Actually, iirc, it's been entire .org saying using RTP is not bad because it's provided for a reason when I said it's more interesting to see custom graphics...
As for the used scripts... they indeed look copypasted, however you got to admit it looks all smoothly fitting together and dynamic. I actually liked what I saw better than the average 'I can do game design me' topic, and getting money for that seems justified.

All of that being said... 8000 bucks for a complete project, marketed from all the users of the internet? Seriously, for a commercially aimed project, I don't think that's a lot. It equals to about 5000 Euro, and when I take into consideration what a big project costs me time-vs-effort-vs-research-vs-puttingittogether-wise, I could make a lot more by just doing photography, trade fair building or whatever else. If I choose game design over all of those and only make 8000 for a let's-say-12-months-project... ouch. And remember we're talking about an infinitely marketable product here: a digital copy costs you nothing, and you get money depending on the amount of people wanting to buy it, meaning you could theoretically sell unlimited copies - this doesn't apply to client photography, trade fair building or whatnot. And I could still make more than this. Because I don't have to market my stuff. These guys apparently did their marketing homework somewhat. They made 8000 bucks from game design, which is likely 7000 to 8000 more than you did. That makes them more successful, period.

That doesn't mean the game is good or bad just yet... but it doesn't sound like anyone here has played it, so I wonder how everyone knows it's a bad game.

 

[Jason]

Finally, someone agrees with me! Thanks Blue!

 

[Spoo]

Whether it's a good or bad game is beside the point, though; he's deliberately hiding the fact that he's using a pre-made engine to develop his game. I believe people donated to him because they thought he had done a whole lot more work than he had.

Sure, it could be a good game in the eyes of the general gaming community. Heck, it could be a good game by our standards, but the fact is that he swindled a lot of people for money he likely doesn't need.

 

[StudioBlue]

I have heard about this from one of the developers that I work with...I believe.

Didn't this guy go on a website to appropriate funds to make his game, and got some obnoxious amount to develop it? (like $8000)

Actually, that doesn't sound like a bad idea if you are making a commercial game.

Of course, with artwork costing what it does these days, how far will $8000 get you in game development anyway?

 

[BlueScope]

Whether it's a good or bad game is beside the point, though; he's deliberately hiding the fact that he's using a pre-made engine to develop his game. I believe people donated to him because they thought he had done a whole lot more work than he had.

Sure, it could be a good game in the eyes of the general gaming community. Heck, it could be a good game by our standards, but the fact is that he swindled a lot of people for money he likely doesn't need.

So, your point is that every kid who doesn't get that games are partially based on pre-mad engines and not all worked-up from scratch get effectively betrayed? Sure, it would take more effort to progra everything from scratch, and whoever does should rightfully advertise the game as such... the fact that this team/that person doesn't mention it is no reason for me to say they didn't deserve what they earned... after all, it's donations, and donations are based on individual's opinions, not judged by quality (hence the different donation markers, I believe).
Just imagine you head to a job interview and mention the fact that you were walking there on your hands only. Do your chances of getting the job increase because of additional effort taken? Unlikely. Do the employers get mad if you come by bus and don't tell them upfront? Nope.

 

[Draycos Goldaryn]

Want to know what I seriously think about this?

Not a damn thing.

So he made $8,000 on his rmvx game concept. So it looks like he used rtp. So he asked for money, and got it. So what?

I don't care. good for him. I don't really want to get paid for my game ideas. honestly, I don't have as much freetime as I would like to work on it. For me it is just a hobby. For him it is something more. If he found people willing to give him money, good for him.

I'm going to sleep now. I'm tired from working all week and then coming home just to work some more...

 

[StudioBlue]

Whether it's a good or bad game is beside the point, though; he's deliberately hiding the fact that he's using a pre-made engine to develop his game. I believe people donated to him because they thought he had done a whole lot more work than he had.

Sure, it could be a good game in the eyes of the general gaming community. Heck, it could be a good game by our standards, but the fact is that he swindled a lot of people for money he likely doesn't need.

I hate to break it to you, man, but almost every single game studio in the world uses a pre-made game engine.

In fact, making game engines and selling them is a multi-million dollar industry.

And Enterbrain makes and markets RPGMaker for just that, for people to use. It's the same as if you spent $500,000 on Gamebyro.

The US RPGMaker Community are the ones who decided that you shouldn't make money off of that engine.

So it's not swindling. It's both legally and ethically sound.

 

[gRaViJa]

Yeah i don't have a problem that he got 8000$ while using rmvx. I am however suprised that people want to give 8000$ to a small homebrew game like his.

 

[regi]

There's nothing wrong with using a pre-made engine, but considering the $8000 input into this project some of us would frankly expect something higher-quality than that. Of course it's no good to judge on screenshots (which I assume is where most of our opinions are coming from), but when most of the coding is done for you, you expect the rest of the game (graphic, music, and gameplay-wise) to be excellent. Out of the things we can judge, I'll admit the soundtrack is fantastic, but the screenshots just don't do justice for me.

 

[StudioBlue]

Yeah i don't have a problem that he got 8000$ while using rmvx. I am however suprised that people want to give 8000$ to a small homebrew game like his.

I know, right? Kind of makes you wanna know what is his marketing angle was!

 

[StudioBlue]

There's nothing wrong with using a pre-made engine, but considering the $8000 input into this project some of us would frankly expect something higher-quality than that. Of course it's no good to judge on screenshots (which I assume is where most of our opinions are coming from), but when most of the coding is done for you, you expect the rest of the game (graphic, music, and gameplay-wise) to be excellent. Out of the things we can judge, I'll admit the soundtrack is fantastic, but the screenshots just don't do justice for me.

Agreed, $8000 is a lot. It does give me confidence that if I (or anyone here with great talent) wanted to get that kind of funding, it could be feasible.

Not guaranteed, though.

And I'll admit, the game does look rather "shrug" in the graphics department. The soundtrack seems nice.

Maybe it has kick-ass game-play and an amazing story.

 

[Spoo]

I didn't mean it's a bad thing to use a pre-made engine; saying that would make me a hypocrite. It's the fact that at no point has he given the slightest indication that he's using a program so aptly called RPG MAKER. It's not required for him to do so, I'm pretty sure, but I think he doesn't want to share the fact that the base of his game and -- at this point -- a lot of his resources, can be acquired by anyone for sixty bucks.

If he were straight with everyone, I would be able to accept this easier. Right now it just seems sort of wrong, even if it really isn't.

That being said, I agree with regi; the OST is good, but the graphics seem sort of cheesy.