Why buy rm games, and why not? + Poll
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Velocir_X":2q1f8a4x said:
Excellent, those games are still hailed as the best rpg's ever made, a time when the limit of the console pushed the necessity for good game design to lift itself above it's competitors. I keep saying this but it doesnt seem to be taken in. Why can't the BEST things be created in RM?
- The best puzzles are designed on PAPER, if you can't port that design into rm then that's the creators limit.
- The best stories are written on paper, if the game creator can't write the best stories, that's the creators problem.
- The best games systems are designed on paper, if you can't achieve them in rm, then thats the creators problem.
Basically the true limitation of rm is that it can't make 3D imagery and for that I say thank god. The quality would be lower than it already is. Games are harder to design in a 3D environment. Even the likes of FF7 wasn't 3D, it was on pre-rendered backdrops, just as achievable in RMXP using a Perspective Script, though it would be a lot of work. The resolution should have an auto adjust or some sorts, and at many times the coding isn't perfect, framerates easily suffer. Is this enough to mean a great game can't be made in it, nonsense. RM Games aren't about lightning reactions and pinpoint accuracy and collision physics, it does what it sets out to do and makes SNES-era RPG's.
I don't see why not. As Calibre has pointed out, RM is just as capable of producing what you call 'retail-level' games. It may not look like FFXII, but there are several commercial games out there with specs that RM is more than capable of imitating, if not outdo entirely. Again, using RM is a choice made by you, the developer, because it caters to exactly what you need. If you wanted something along the ranks of Half Life or Grand Theft Auto IV, then yes, RM may not be enough and you'd be a fool to attempt as much on it. But that's not to say RM is inferior.
Success/Profit is in marketing. Naturally, one has to know one's product to sell it properly. In RM's case, a game file is normally no larger than 200MB. Actually, that's already very large in comparison to most currently in distribution, but let's hypothesize that an all-custom game with a completely original and extensive musical score may reach such a size. By modern standards, that's chump change in disk memory, perfect for online distribution and placing in your portable hard drives to play with when goofing off at work or in class.
Going 'retail-level' where you actually distribute your game in printed copies is impractical and a lot more expensive than distributing online. You'll probably need to place a bigger price tag on your game to cover these expenses. For what? Better exposure? Probably not. When you're at a Target or Best Buy looking at your game's package sitting between a World of Warcraft and a Modern Warfare 2- no, make that between Septerra Core and Dune 2 (They're either old or obscure, but will probably look way better than your game anyway) you have better chances of selling if you'd placed your game in the bargain bin, in which case you'd probably lose more money than you made in a sale.
In contrast, let's try opening up Big Fish Games' online catalog. Collapse. Zuma. Plants vs Zombies. Text Twist. Next to these things, an RPG would look spectacular. With the exposure these games get on major websites as well (I believe Yahoo! is partnered with Big Fish), that's a lot of eyes and potential sales for you. And it won't be as expensive as distributing printed copies.
What seems to be holding everyone down here is they're setting their sights too high. First, this is a question of would we buy an RM-made game, not a question of whether or not it would be competitive against other commercial games. Second, you can't compare how an RM-made game will fare in comparison to say, Final Fantasy XIII or even Lunar:SS because they're on entirely different platforms. You can't really compare an RM-made game to the likes of Fallout 3 or Half Life either because the genres are different. There are actually very little English JRPGs commercially distributed for the PC, so that's actually a fresh market you could tap into where you may reap huge rewards in. As Calibre has also pointed out, there's a niche market for those who prefer playing old school- I myself prefer my games in 2D, so if the TS asked if anyone would buy an RM game to see if he would make any profit at all in selling, then yes, he probably would. How much is another discussion entirely.
Success/Profit is in marketing. Naturally, one has to know one's product to sell it properly. In RM's case, a game file is normally no larger than 200MB. Actually, that's already very large in comparison to most currently in distribution, but let's hypothesize that an all-custom game with a completely original and extensive musical score may reach such a size. By modern standards, that's chump change in disk memory, perfect for online distribution and placing in your portable hard drives to play with when goofing off at work or in class.
Going 'retail-level' where you actually distribute your game in printed copies is impractical and a lot more expensive than distributing online. You'll probably need to place a bigger price tag on your game to cover these expenses. For what? Better exposure? Probably not. When you're at a Target or Best Buy looking at your game's package sitting between a World of Warcraft and a Modern Warfare 2- no, make that between Septerra Core and Dune 2 (They're either old or obscure, but will probably look way better than your game anyway) you have better chances of selling if you'd placed your game in the bargain bin, in which case you'd probably lose more money than you made in a sale.
In contrast, let's try opening up Big Fish Games' online catalog. Collapse. Zuma. Plants vs Zombies. Text Twist. Next to these things, an RPG would look spectacular. With the exposure these games get on major websites as well (I believe Yahoo! is partnered with Big Fish), that's a lot of eyes and potential sales for you. And it won't be as expensive as distributing printed copies.
What seems to be holding everyone down here is they're setting their sights too high. First, this is a question of would we buy an RM-made game, not a question of whether or not it would be competitive against other commercial games. Second, you can't compare how an RM-made game will fare in comparison to say, Final Fantasy XIII or even Lunar:SS because they're on entirely different platforms. You can't really compare an RM-made game to the likes of Fallout 3 or Half Life either because the genres are different. There are actually very little English JRPGs commercially distributed for the PC, so that's actually a fresh market you could tap into where you may reap huge rewards in. As Calibre has also pointed out, there's a niche market for those who prefer playing old school- I myself prefer my games in 2D, so if the TS asked if anyone would buy an RM game to see if he would make any profit at all in selling, then yes, he probably would. How much is another discussion entirely.
I'd buy it if it's really fun.
Like Paradise Blue, if it was commercial I'd buy it as it feels very retro yet very well done gameplay wise (at least before you go crazy with your dream team and just mop out the normal mode).
Also I'm a custom gfx freak...It's an instant win for me if it's really pretty. I'd buy it. And by pretty I really mean pretty.
Like Paradise Blue, if it was commercial I'd buy it as it feels very retro yet very well done gameplay wise (at least before you go crazy with your dream team and just mop out the normal mode).
Also I'm a custom gfx freak...It's an instant win for me if it's really pretty. I'd buy it. And by pretty I really mean pretty.
Velocir X, i think you missed the whole idea that a retail game literally means a game that is sold. That has no bearing on quality in either presentation, marketing or fun-factor. There are already retail games made in rmxp, Aveyond being the most obvious example. It would be a likely assumption that within 10 years, no games will be sold in stores and only downloaded anyway.
If you agree that a game made in rmxp can be great, then surely that game would be worthy of parting cash with, therefore making it a fine retail game. I don't believe what you're saying has an ounce of logic.
Here's a random DS game that does retail...
What's stopping me making a game that looks better than that?
If you agree that a game made in rmxp can be great, then surely that game would be worthy of parting cash with, therefore making it a fine retail game. I don't believe what you're saying has an ounce of logic.
Here's a random DS game that does retail...
What's stopping me making a game that looks better than that?
Calibre":d6ddmgte said:Velocir X, i think you missed the whole idea that a retail game literally means a game that is sold. That has no bearing on quality in either presentation, marketing or fun-factor. There are already retail games made in rmxp, Aveyond being the most obvious example. It would be a likely assumption that within 10 years, no games will be sold in stores and only downloaded anyway.
If you agree that a game made in rmxp can be great, then surely that game would be worthy of parting cash with, therefore making it a fine retail game. I don't believe what you're saying has an ounce of logic.
Here's a random DS game that does retail...
What's stopping me making a game that looks better than that?
I agree. Got talent? use it! :>
cordynasty
Member
Sabao":yo46yq53 said:
Another pet peeve. English JRPGs. A lot of people do those actually, but they're not on the market. I'm talking more from an Indie point of view here. If anything, I prefer people to broaden their views and do something a bit different in look, feel, setting, etc. One good point I read a while back on rpgs is that people from this genre are traditionally, and still, are hooked to sci fi and fantasy settings. It's more of a convention than a rule-to-follow. If the people in this community wish to show some success in the future with their games, I recommend they broaden their experiences. Wild Arms did an rpg in the old west. But it's JRPG setting made it a bit easier to accept, I suppose, than if it was truly nitty-gritty like how the true setting was. Fallout took the atmosphere into a post apocalyptic environment which caught on quickly to express the feeling that the player, newly from the vault, is out in this world where the only law is whose the strongest (though smartest if you go the diplomacy route).
In short, there are not many RM games yet that have showed potential to be sellers. As Sabao put it, it takes a large amount of work in the first place to produce those games, both from a development and financial point of view. Even for something as small as a handheld game, it can still take some work to get right and then get it out there as a legit marketing success. As Sabao also pointed out, RPG Maker isn't taken seriously as a platform to develop on, at least RPG Maker 2000 and 2003, so saying that someone used the "engine" to create their game will be a hard marketing tool to use since there hasn't been a large RPG Maker success story yet. The solution to this is if someone actually took the time to use the software to create a good game and break open the way for future RPG Maker games that wish to be on the market, as well. This is basically the Indie scene, anyway, so as it was said, having someone who already has the credits, such as Big Small Games, can really get you out the door.
I will buy a RM game when I see the measures were done right to get it out there to sell, along with having interesting concepts that still keep a player immersed in the world that was created.
Guest
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;D
Why, is it your work?
I'd say it looks a little empty and the foreground seems to float above the background. I'm not overly keen on the character design from a personal stand point but the foreground architecture looks good enough.
There's no definitive answer for whether something will sell or not, that lies purely in the hands of the consumer.
I'd say it looks a little empty and the foreground seems to float above the background. I'm not overly keen on the character design from a personal stand point but the foreground architecture looks good enough.
There's no definitive answer for whether something will sell or not, that lies purely in the hands of the consumer.