Blimey, Real makes a packet!

http://www.gamezebo.com/2007/05/how_much_is_your_favorite_casu.html

Yeah, real arcade made $23,900,000 dollars in the first quarter of 2007. Who says match-3s don't pay? I think you can get shares in Real, then you can profit even more from them selling your own game!

Basically casual games are growing hugely and I've got my knife and fork ready for a nice big slice of the pie.

/sigh

Didn't you just have a demo of a match 3 engine out a few days ago? You're sending out very mixed messages. If you had an objection to the games, that would be one thing. What bothers you about this? The fact that he's doing it or the fact that he's more successful at doing it?

@ Grey: You might need some indigestion tablets (;-)

I've said it before but my next slice of pie isn't a match-3 game.

Blitzplotter: Yep hopefully there'll be no room for desert!

I don't call selling a few hundred copies and 15% per copy successful. People lose sight of what the indie scene is all about. It's not about money. If money is your motivator then most of the time the game will suck.

Match 3s are inherently boring. There might be a way to do one in a refreshing way, but if money is the center of focus it will be rushed and lack any original ideas. There's your answer Gabriel.

So all the people who buy match-3s buy them, despite finding them boring to play?

I guess the this whole thread is a moot point because I'm speaking for myself, not the consumer. I find them boring, the market is saturated, clones are coming, because now people are trying to get a piece of the pie (money). So expect a plethora of boring match 3s to to surface over the next few months. Say goodbye to innovation. True indie developers create games because they want to make something great, not turn a buck. A solo developer who's only income is the games he makes...that's a desperate situation perfect for the birth of boring games just to pay the bills. Again, it's my opinion.


Let me also add, if money is your motivator then you're in it for the wrong reasons. (and the game will suck) IMO!

No it isn't. That's just more griping about Match 3's. It doesn't explain why you're trying to sell an engine to make Match 3's and simultaneously complaining about Match 3's. A case of "don't do what I do, do what I say!"?


Not the whole thread, just your sighs.

I think your first quote is absolutely correct. Invest the money you would have spent making a game into Real Networks stock and reap better rewards. Make money off of all of the saps who are feeding the casual game machine with fresh meat every week. That's what IndiePath is trying to do with PJIO.

Why bother making a game at all? Seems like the poorer investment option.

I'm making a match 3 puzzle engine in hopes that maybe someone will do something new and innovative. I'm tired of standing by and complaining so I'm getting involved. If I can let the developer concentrate more on the story and gameplay then I made a difference.

I can't help but /sigh when I hear that someone's motivator is money. My motivator is creating something innovative and fresh. That's my goal. Anything else is icing on the cake.

I think the casual market is going to collapse. It's like every new Match-3 game is an Atari 2600 ET-esque blow to the indy industry.

Consumers will eventually get fed up of this stuff and start looking for something new. If you can catch the wave before they do, good for you, but don't expect to be able to feed off this stuff forever.

My motivation is both, who says it has to be either/or.

I'll leave it thanks.

nm

.

Oh right, sorry, I misunderstood. I thought when you were talking about how real indie developers wanted to create innovative new games you mean something different, not the same match 3 gameplay engine with some different graphics and a new theme.

Again you miss the point, on purpose no doubt for sake of argument. Just drop it Gabriel.

Oh. I won't bother licencing your match 3 engine, then.
Um.... OK. So... let me get this straight.

You've written a match 3 engine, which you fully expect to sell to us lot. You aren't doing it for money, you're doing it for some other reason. Yet you're charging for it, and claim that match 3 games are "boring"? Why would I want to pay YOU so that I can make a boring game?

I'm so confused.

How much of that 23 million is yours?

£1.75.

NONE of Real's money is mine, in fact they have some of mine for a couple of games I bought. Real wouldn't take my games, sniff - the don't do seasonal titles. However, in the report (if anyone read it) some of BFG's money (in fact quite a lot) is mine and same with Playfirst. Reflexive isn't mentioned but they make solid money for me too. Basically despite what some idealists think round here, customers (that's people with money who like to spend it) DO really like my games and people who buy one often buy the others and I've had many lovely emails and comments from them. Oh and my mum likes my games too :-)

People can theorise all they want but with no website and no games to back them up it's all just waffle as far as I'm concerned.

Roll on the Indie forum where maybe we can discuss these issues properly without them being invaded by naysayers. Mind you Indiegamer has plenty of naysayers too...

I'm probably gonna stop posting in these threads now as the tennis match is boring and all been said before for YEARS on Indiegamer - in fact when it starts on that forum people often cry out in pain at the pointlessness of it. With any luck I'll be able to get back and focus on with my current uncreative only made for money over-polished no gamplay atrocity which rips out my soul and makes true Indies bleed internally when they play it ;-)

I'm doing it because maybe someone will make a match 3 game that doesn't suck. I do it because I can and I have fun coding. It's up to you whether your game is boring.

If you're content doing clones that's fine. I think match 3s are boring...but, I'm making a match 3 engine. Maybe by making the engine I'll come to some revelation that they aren't boring, who knows. People make games that they wouldn't play. It happens all the time. I'm not motivated by money.

Less talking, more coding...

GA, I never pointed you out specifically on the match 3 games. I actually admire your games because you're the underdog and you're competing with the big dogs. But apparently you've taken it very personal. I'm not sure at what point you started getting nasty at myself and Dampe personally. No need though. When I say I don't like match 3s I don't mean yours. That'd be like telling a good friend that his wife is fat. Just not cool. But, in your defense, maybe I'm being insensitive to you and other people and for that I apologize.

We're at a very painful design stage atm. The whole gameplay hinges on decisions being made right now. Do we go left or right? I can tell you it's not match 3, but it does have matching of a sort. But, you honestly don't even realize you're matching, that's the glory of it!