Putting the 'role' back in role-playing games since 2002.
Donate to Codex
Good Old Games
  • Welcome to rpgcodex.net, a site dedicated to discussing computer based role-playing games in a free and open fashion. We're less strict than other forums, but please refer to the rules.

    "This message is awaiting moderator approval": All new users must pass through our moderation queue before they will be able to post normally. Until your account has "passed" your posts will only be visible to yourself (and moderators) until they are approved. Give us a week to get around to approving / deleting / ignoring your mundane opinion on crap before hassling us about it. Once you have passed the moderation period (think of it as a test), you will be able to post normally, just like all the other retards.

Interview Broken Hourglass interview at Four Fat Chicks

Vault Dweller

Commissar, Red Star Studio
Developer
Joined
Jan 7, 2003
Messages
28,035
Tags: Planewalker Games; The Broken Hourglass

<a href=http://www.fourfatchicks.com>Four Fat Chicks</a> has posted a large and interesting <a href=http://www.fourfatchicks.com/Rants/Interviews/Jason_Compton/JC2.shtml>interview</a> with <a href=http://www.planewalkergames.com/>The Broken Hourglass</a> developer, Jason Compton.
<br>
<br>
<blockquote><b>Can you give us any idea on what kind of distribution plans you may have for The Broken Hourglass?</b>
<br>
<br>
Well, one encouraging thing is we have had some interest from a couple of publishers at this point—companies that are willing to at least consider taking a chance on an outfit like ours, which is very encouraging. We'll see how that goes. If nothing happens there, or even if it does but there are certain regions that aren't taken care of, we're certainly ready and willing to do our own direct distribution. I am not proud—I will put labels on envelopes and send things out.
<br>
<br>
I'm interested in digital distribution—I've been a little discouraged about what I've seen in terms of the existing digital distribution options. There are sites out there which cater to digital distribution of the kind of retail, so-called triple-A titles—and so probably aren't necessarily appropriate for us. And then those which do cater more towards the independent game and the independent gamer—most of those are in the casual game space, and casual games tend to be a lot smaller, just physical download size, than ours—so that's an issue as well. And those that aren't, in my estimation, their fee structure doesn't really fit the services that they're providing. I don't mind paying somebody to mind the cash register, but the fee structures I've seen so far for some of these independent portals are much more appropriate for somebody who is a true partner. And I haven't really seen that any of them have a big marketplace of buyers that would justify that premium above just minding the store and sending out the download.
<br>
<br>
I'm keeping an eye out for things that are happening there—it's always possible that Amazon or Apple or WalMart or somebody will step in and kind of bring order to that marketplace the way that Apple did with iTunes, where they kind of set the standard for what music downloading was going to be like—which kind of whipped everything into shape and gave a little clarity when there were a lot of smaller, fragmented sites where policies and so forth weren't real consistent. That would be one possibility that might make things a little easier on the digital distribution side.</blockquote>:salute:
<br>
<br>
 

FrancoTAU

Cipher
Joined
Oct 21, 2005
Messages
2,507
Location
Brooklyn, NY
Good interview. It was different instead of the generic PR talk about how great the game will be. Any chance of indy RPG devs getting together for a single distribution portal?
 

Vault Dweller

Commissar, Red Star Studio
Developer
Joined
Jan 7, 2003
Messages
28,035
FrancoTAU said:
Good interview. It was different instead of the generic PR talk about how great the game will be. Any chance of indy RPG devs getting together for a single distribution portal?
We are working on it.
 

FrancoTAU

Cipher
Joined
Oct 21, 2005
Messages
2,507
Location
Brooklyn, NY
Vault Dweller said:
FrancoTAU said:
Good interview. It was different instead of the generic PR talk about how great the game will be. Any chance of indy RPG devs getting together for a single distribution portal?
We are working on it.

That'd be awesome. Besides divvying up the costs, you'd probably get more press under one banner.
 

Sir_Brennus

Scholar
Joined
Jun 7, 2006
Messages
665
Location
GERMANY
Vault Dweller said:
FrancoTAU said:
Good interview. It was different instead of the generic PR talk about how great the game will be. Any chance of indy RPG devs getting together for a single distribution portal?
We are working on it.


I hate even the idea of digital distribution. It will ruin my beloved hobby (physically collecting CRPGs and playing them) and I will do everything I can to prevent this trend to evolve.

I buy even the shittiest CRPGs of the Z category that are released in a box to support the classic retail way, but I won't ( and never have) buy anything non-physical game online. That prevented me from buying WYVERN CROWN OF CORMYR and PIRATES OF THE SWORD COAST which I would have loved to buy and play.

I don't mind if the game is shipped in a cheap Amaray box w/o a manual as long as it is physically there.

There are a lot of B to Z-grade publishers in Germany (eg. magnussoft, CDV, frogster...) who die to publish CRPGs in Germany becaus they know they will make money.

Why doesn't anyone try this way? *SIGH*
 

Vault Dweller

Commissar, Red Star Studio
Developer
Joined
Jan 7, 2003
Messages
28,035
Not a big deal. I'm sure that most indie developers will be more than happy to ship you a box. AoD's mail edition will include everything you expect from a retail package - a nice, shiny box, color manual, nice jewel case, etc. We can easily afford the best with small orders.
 

Sir_Brennus

Scholar
Joined
Jun 7, 2006
Messages
665
Location
GERMANY
Vault Dweller said:
Not a big deal. I'm sure that most indie developers will be more than happy to ship you a box. AoD's mail edition will include everything you expect from a retail package - a nice, shiny box, color manual, nice jewel case, etc. We can easily afford the best with small orders.

Shipping to Europe, do you?
 

Human Shield

Augur
Joined
Sep 7, 2003
Messages
2,027
Location
VA, USA
What is Stardock's fee system?

Sir_Brennus said:
I hate even the idea of digital distribution. It will ruin my beloved hobby (physically collecting CRPGs and playing them) and I will do everything I can to prevent this trend to evolve.

Buy a CD burner tard.
 

FrancoTAU

Cipher
Joined
Oct 21, 2005
Messages
2,507
Location
Brooklyn, NY
Human Shield said:
What is Stardock's fee system?

Sir_Brennus said:
I hate even the idea of digital distribution. It will ruin my beloved hobby (physically collecting CRPGs and playing them) and I will do everything I can to prevent this trend to evolve.

Buy a CD burner tard.

And than go to Kinko's and print out the pdf manual and maps :)
 

Sir_Brennus

Scholar
Joined
Jun 7, 2006
Messages
665
Location
GERMANY
Human Shield said:
What is Stardock's fee system?

Sir_Brennus said:
I hate even the idea of digital distribution. It will ruin my beloved hobby (physically collecting CRPGs and playing them) and I will do everything I can to prevent this trend to evolve.

Buy a CD burner tard.

You are missing the point here. I despise the business model itself. I own a friggin CD burner and I burned the FATE demo on a CD, but I won't oder the full FATE game, because they won't send me a complete product for my collection.
 

Vault Dweller

Commissar, Red Star Studio
Developer
Joined
Jan 7, 2003
Messages
28,035
Sir_Brennus said:
Vault Dweller said:
Not a big deal. I'm sure that most indie developers will be more than happy to ship you a box. AoD's mail edition will include everything you expect from a retail package - a nice, shiny box, color manual, nice jewel case, etc. We can easily afford the best with small orders.

Shipping to Europe, do you?
Everywhere. It's good for business.
 

suibhne

Erudite
Joined
Aug 21, 2003
Messages
1,951
Location
Chicago
I think Steam is great. Others dislike it for reasons which are mostly philosophical (like Brennus' bizarre fetish for having a physical CD pressed by the manufacturer :wink: ), but it does have some practical downsides as well - particularly the lack of any real price advantage over retail.
 

Volourn

Pretty Princess
Pretty Princess Glory to Ukraine
Joined
Mar 10, 2003
Messages
24,924
Games should be sold in stores. This is why I like won't buy AOD depsite it looking pretty darn good. :evil:
 

KazikluBey

Cipher
Patron
Joined
Feb 10, 2007
Messages
785
PC RPG Website of the Year, 2015
Vault Dweller said:
Not a big deal. I'm sure that most indie developers will be more than happy to ship you a box. AoD's mail edition will include everything you expect from a retail package - a nice, shiny box, color manual, nice jewel case, etc. We can easily afford the best with small orders.
You can afford the best because of the small orders? That sounds counter-intuitive.

I'm somewhat indecisive when it comes to digital distribution. In theory, it sounds great (more money for the developer and all), but there's always the "what happens if the company disappears?" (of course this is really only for games with copy-protection schemes build into the download client). There's also the fact that I'm somewhat infatuated with owning a physical copy with a box and paper manual and all that (has anyone ever actually read one of those PDF manuals?).

Anyway, where do I pre-order? ;)
 

Vault Dweller

Commissar, Red Star Studio
Developer
Joined
Jan 7, 2003
Messages
28,035
KazikluBey said:
Vault Dweller said:
Not a big deal. I'm sure that most indie developers will be more than happy to ship you a box. AoD's mail edition will include everything you expect from a retail package - a nice, shiny box, color manual, nice jewel case, etc. We can easily afford the best with small orders.
You can afford the best because of the small orders? That sounds counter-intuitive.
What I meant is if I were distributing the game via retail and needed 100,000 boxes, I would have had to go for the cheapest option because a large order will turn even a few bucks per box into a small fortune. If I were to order a few hundred copies, I can easily afford to order the best, because the order is small and the overall amount is manageable.

I'm somewhat indecisive when it comes to digital distribution. In theory, it sounds great (more money for the developer and all), but there's always the "what happens if the company disappears?" (of course this is really only for games with copy-protection schemes build into the download client). There's also the fact that I'm somewhat infatuated with owning a physical copy with a box and paper manual and all that (has anyone ever actually read one of those PDF manuals?).
Do you play Spiderweb games? If not, I highly recommend. At least try the demos. Also, try Escape Velocity Nova - cool game with 5 main quests lines.

Anyway, where do I pre-order? ;)
We don't do pre-orders. I want people to try the demo and if they like what they see and feel that I wasn't completely full of shit, then they pay.

Btw, thanks for this:
http://www.fz.se/forum/thread.fz?id=9707
 

KazikluBey

Cipher
Patron
Joined
Feb 10, 2007
Messages
785
PC RPG Website of the Year, 2015
Vault Dweller said:
Do you play Spiderweb games? If not, I highly recommend. At least try the demos. Also, try Escape Velocity Nova - cool game with 5 main quests lines.
I have played an Avernum demo, and I was close to buying the trilogy back when it was still a trilogy, along with Geneforge 1 to 3 - but I figured my current list of games that I already have available is too long as it is. For example, I bought the <a href="http://www.mobygames.com/game/dos/gamefest-forgotten-realms-classics">Gamefest Forgotten Realms compilation</a> some time ago, and I'm making my way through those games for the first time.

Vault Dweller said:
We don't do pre-orders. I want people to try the demo and if they like what they see and feel that I wasn't completely full of shit, then they pay.
Yeah, I know. I just got excited with the whole box+manual thing as I had expected it to be download only.

Vault Dweller said:
I tried to make them give AoD and TBH front page coverage (I believe it's the largest gaming site in Sweden, so it would be nice publicity), but it was not to be. They prefer newsposts about the latest hawtest screens from The Shivering Isles.
 

Elhoim

Iron Tower Studio
Developer
Joined
Oct 27, 2006
Messages
2,878
Location
San Isidro, Argentina
Yeah, I know. I just got excited with the whole box+manual thing as I had expected it to be download only.

The hype is starting to have effect, VD!
 

As an Amazon Associate, rpgcodex.net earns from qualifying purchases.
Back
Top Bottom