SlickZeroHouston, TexasMember, Sous ChefPosts: 2,870
Photics said: It's not? The tool has no factor in the end result? Then why are we all here? I should just go outside and build an app out of rocks and dirt.
This is a reoccurring defense here — it's the developer not the tool — and it's more like fanboyism than reality. Sure, the developer has to know how to use the tool... but that's not the only problem here.
We are all here because GameSalad is the best drag and drop tool for creating games for non-coders there is. And you can make a game out of rocks and dirt. Depends on what you do with it whether or not it will be fun. Let's say someone isn't very good at art. At all. Will using Photoshop make them a better artist if they use that instead of Microsoft Paint? Or will whatever they create look like crap no matter what? It's the developer and not the tool is not a re-occurring defense here. It's reality.
Call me a fanboy if you want, doesn't bother me. I love GameSalad, it has allowed me to follow my dream and change my career. So forgive me if I don't think GameSalad sucks because they don't do what I think they should be doing, when I think they should be doing it.
Grunt said: Mago please do the math for me! but did you have 360,000 downloads in ten months.? Were those mostly of the free ones?? I mean you have only one free app..sn't it so. So did you have only 18000 paid downloads @ 0.99$. I don't know but ehm...please!. I m sorry I dont want to dig into anybody's accounts but I always thought hitting the number one spot brings you better $figures, than that....
its simple, ePig dash has 500.000 downloads, the rest free downloads are from ePig Dive treasure hunter that Was one week Free with Free app a Day, and ePig Rope was also free a couple of days.
I love GS, and think it's simply the most fun tool anyone could use to create games.
In comparing Microsoft paint versus Photoshop, I agree, the tool doesn't make the artist, but if you have an experienced artist whom is very talented, Microsoft paint will only take their images so far.... Photoshop has far more features, and a wider range of tools than MS paint could ever offer...
So it depends on what angle you take it...
I agree 120% that the tool does not make the developer.
BUT, when speaking in terms of an experienced artist, or talented developer, some tools have a wide array of features, and bells and whistles that could make their game even better, whilst another tool may not have that... yet.
SlickZeroHouston, TexasMember, Sous ChefPosts: 2,870
Don't get me wrong, I do agree with some of the things and comparisons mentioned. This all started because my first response in this thread was a sarcastic joke, and that's on me. My fault, I de-railed the thread. I apologize. I have a sarcastic sense of humor.
I agree, GameSalad can improve a lot of things, the memory, loading times, and performance etc... They said they were addressing that, and I'm sure that they are. All these things will be here in due time, like you mentioned.
I think an interesting exercise might be for the original poster to go to other SDK forums and ask the same question.
I think very few, if any, would be able to say they'd broken into six figures.
As in most creative markets, only the top 5% games make 95% of the money. So 95% of us on here will make no money.
Shocking, eh?
So… what to do? I think Joe put it best - the money should be your last thought. Make a great game, and your chances of making money goes up. It's really that simple
And a few people here seem incapable of understanding what 'A bad workman blames his tools' means.
I'll try and distill it into its simplest, purest form.
Say you have workman A and workman B. They both have the same hammer, the same piece of wood and the same nails.
Now, workman A hammers the nail into the wood no problem! Well done workman A!
Workman B tries to hammer the nail in, and he ends up splintering the wood.
Remember, they're using the same tools!
So workman B says to workman A "This hammer's rubbish - it screwed up my wood".
Can you see why Workman A might think differently? He used the same hammer, on the same wood, with the same nails.
Why *would* workman B blame his tools?
Because it's easy. Because it's quick. Because it's convenient. Because it leaves intact his sense of 'self'.
It's far harder, and sometimes counterintuitive, for someone to admit, "Hey - I'm the reason the wood splintered". That might require some introspection. Some hard questions being asked. Some sense of responsibility. Some changes to be made.
The thing is, if they *did* admit that, they'd have a chance to address the real issue at hand, rather than try and blame anything else. They could perhaps, having identified where their weak points are, started to improve upon those.
Now, I'm not saying that the tool doesn't need improving in certain areas - but you know, there are people 'getting on with it' and hammering that nail in with the hammer they have *right now*
SlickZero said: And you can make a game out of rocks and dirt.
...a game yes ...but I wrote the word "app"
SlickZero said: So forgive me if I don't think GameSalad sucks because they don't do what I think they should be doing, when I think they should be doing it.
I think GameSalad is great software... but it can be a lot better... and that's what betas are about. To critique the skills of the developer doesn't advance the software. Do you think Apple made the iPhone that way? Did they say that the user should simply learn how to use a more complicated phone? No... they worked hard to make the iPhone simple and powerful.
I think GameSalad got the simple part right. It makes iOS/Mac game creation fast and easy. But just because GameSalad is easy to use, why should power be sacrificed?
• Games should load faster • RAM usage should be improved • More features should be included — Especially iOS features like Universal Binary and GameCenter. • Developers should have a way to add features themselves (Export to Xcode or an API) • Export to HTML 5 not to GameSalad.com — don't try to own my game.
GameSalad could be so much more than some hatchet apps on the iTunes App Store or part of a get-rich-quick scheme. I see GameSalad as the Macromedia/Adobe Flash of this decade... but that's if someone else doesn't get there first. HTML 5 and Apps... two of the hottest things online... so I'm not surprised that lots of the people here love GameSalad. The problem is... why don't more people love GameSalad? Unfortunately, there seems to be a lot of GameSalad hate out there.
I think improving the software is one of the ways to improve GameSalad's image — to improve the tool! The better the tool, the better the games.
Should the regular version of GameSalad be free? That's something of good debate, but I don't think it matters. The reality is this... GameSalad doesn't have the equivalent of an Angry Birds, Tiny Wings or Bubble Ball success. A 14 year old boy has built a more popular app than the majority — if not all — of the developers here. So... is it the developers or is it the software?
The biggest GameSalad success story that I know of (firemaplegames) isn't a GameSalad success story anymore. It's a highlight of the urgency here. I think GameSalad is amazing software, but what good is that software if the company shuts down? GameSalad requires a connection to the server for publishing.
That's why I don't like the idea that it's the developers fault. While your instinct may tell you that you're defending GameSalad, it hinders the feedback process... which is critical for the success of this software.
@Photics: The 14 year old boy's app was free, not paid. Would have been an entirely different story if he made it paid.
I agree that the software should be improved, but the tool does not make for a better developer, and QS nailed it, no pun intended
A shitty developer, is a shitty developer, is a shitty developer. The tool 'aint gonna' change that.
@Photics: I challenge you to move to another SDK, and make another game. Come back in 3 months and tell us how it went. Do you think moving to another SDK will make your game more successful than if it were made with GS? I challenge you to it.
SlickZeroHouston, TexasMember, Sous ChefPosts: 2,870
But a shitty game IS the developers fault, Photics. No extra features are going to change that. I'm not trying to hinder any feedback process, I'm just disagreeing with some of the feedback. If someones opinion is not the same as the others, that doesn't mean they are hindering the process. It just means they have a different opinion.
butterbean said: @Photics: The 14 year old boy's app was free, not paid. Would have been an entirely different story if he made it paid.
That's true... it was a free app... but this community, like Corona, also has a mix of free and paid sites. I think that's an area of improvement for GameSalad. Sure, there are lots of bad games made with GameSalad... but what about the good ones?! Does GameSalad work as hard to help their top developers? I think the App of the Month is a good start... but as comparison... Corona does that weekly.
And to be clear, I'm not a Coke vs. Pepsi developer. I think GameSalad is great software... as is other powerful software. The difference with GameSalad is that it's a subscription. Later this year, I have to answer a tough question... should I renew my Pro subscription? Right now, that answer would be no. The two main reasons... there's not enough improvement in Pro features... and the basic version is free.
butterbean said: @Photics: I challenge you to move to another SDK, and make another game. Come back in 3 months and tell us how it went. Do you think moving to another SDK will make your game more successful than if it were made with GS? I challenge you to it.
Actually... in three months time... I should have lots of new games and a finished book.
Will it be more successful? That's a good question. I don't have to go into specifics to answer that question... a simple yes or no is good enough. Maybe in three months I'll have an answer. I did something like this recently with Amazon vs. Apple for book publishing... http://photics.com/the-kindle-experiment ...Apple won. HA! It looks like I'll be renewing my developer registration.
Trying other SDKs is why I like GameSalad. It highlights what they got right. Yet, I have a vision for where I'd like to take my website, books, apps and games. Can I do that with GameSalad? Right now, I'm uncertain.
SlickZero said: No extra features are going to change that. I'm not trying to hinder any feedback process, I'm just disagreeing with some of the feedback. If someones opinion is not the same as the others, that doesn't mean they are hindering the process. It just means they have a different opinion.
Well, I think the difference is that I look at the high-end of GameSalad. I don't really worry about lousy games made with GameSalad. It's like worrying about bad blogs made with WordPress. There are enough good blogs out there that people know not to blame the platform. Are there enough good GameSalad games out there to offset the bad ones? Things are certainly improving around here, but I think GameSalad ultimately sets the pace.
A great example... Device Clock.
Before that, it would tough to create a FarmVille/CityVille type of game. Now, GameSalad games can tell time... so that flowers can grow and cool stuff like that. No matter how talented the developer was before, how could they work around that issue? That's my point! No matter how great I get at game development... I can't add voice chat to my GameSalad games until GameSalad put it there... or networking... or achievements... or universal binary support... or movie files... or arrays... etc.
StusApps said: Yes, because it is very easy to make a crap game in GS. That's the reputation issue really. 9 times out of 10 you see the GS logo and you know you are going to be underwhelmed.
On a related point to the post my Mathical games have been pulling in around 200 paid downloads a day for the last week between the ipad,iphone and mac. With an average sell of approx $1.60. Which is a good week.
Wanna trade places? haha Your one day, beats my grand total.
bluebyu25 said: Event thought those guys are as far from professional as you can get,
That is why I paid $500 to get my own splash. It is what it is, I refuse to be guilty by association with games like that lol.
Good thing their review site took off.... haha jk it flopped. No one likes pretentious reviewers, it only works when Yahtzee Crowshaw does it.
SlickZeroHouston, TexasMember, Sous ChefPosts: 2,870
I also look at the high end of GameSalad. And a lot of things are coming that we all want. They just don't happen overnight, unfortunately.
And no, if multi-player, voice chat, achievements, etc. are not available, you can't put them in a game. But if the game doesn't do well because it's not what people want to buy, none of that matters. Nobody is going to say, "Even though this game sucks, they have leader boards, it's going to do real well because of that"
And I get your point. The other side of the coin is, If you are a good developer, and you do make a game that people buy, then these things can add to the gaming experience. And that is true. They will add to the experience, they won't make or break the gameplay, though.
Everything we want is coming. They said it was, and they haven't lied to us yet. If something doesn't come out the day they say it will in the Roadmap because it's not quite ready, I understand that. GameSalad has a bright future, it just takes a little time to evolve into that butterfly.
Im getting bored of reading loads of threads going this way ... The original poster asked if anyone had made 6 figure sums, he/she wants to hear about success stories. Please keep it on topic and if you still want to discuss SDK's, start a new thread for it.
Excellent concept. Excellent design. Blood, sweat, and tears. Repeat.
If you make a game and think to yourself, "I guess this is good enough." or "I worked really hard on it. It's not exactly what I was going for, but it's pretty much there." then your game isn't going to explode like you want it to.
Think like a multi-million dollar developer. Would you release a game with terrible graphics, terrible gameplay, and terrible audio just because you know the people who worked on it "did their best"?
You'd be looking to fire the people who worked on that game.
Work for yourself like you are going to be fired if the product you make isn't good enough. Work for yourself like your family is dependent on the success of what you're creating.
If you aren't good at graphic design, then spend ALL of your time doing the developing, and bring in a designer. If your designer's work isn't as high or higher quality as the work you're doing with your coding, then find a new designer. Period. It's business.
If you have to ask a lot of random people "Are these graphics good enough?" or "Look at my game, is it gonna sell?" the answer is going to be an emphatic NO from the masses. You HAVE to work as hard as you can for as long as you can to remove those questions yourself. When you have a game that's finished and you think to yourself, "Wow, this is amazing. I can't wait to share this with the world.", then you're getting somewhere.
We only have so many minutes in this world. Make something you can be proud of until the day you die. Money will come and go, but the things you create will stick around if you honestly put your everything into them.
GS isn't the problem. I say this with conviction.
GS is amazing and growing. And so is the gaming market. And so are we.
Creative people will work around the limitations of the software, and create something amazing. But how are we supposed to get more professional developers using gamesalad if the tool is missing essential features, has performance/RAM issues, etc? We have a few creative minds here creating amazing games, but to compete with the games being produced with other sdks we need more. I think thats what the problem is. GS lacks the features necessary to attract more professional devs. The better the tool, the better the devs using the tool, the better the games produced from the tool.
GS has a lot of potential, but things are moving too slow. Just because it's the easiest way to create and publish games doesn't mean it should lack major features.
Bubble ball initially started as a GS game but was later ported to corona. Maybe more hit apps that we see on the app store could have initially started as a gs game.
Think, find creative idea, make your game in suitable quality (graphic-sound-performance-gameplay), release, then money (without any marketing or reviews)
Again, take a look at Tiny Wings, and see what I told above.
@QS I must be C. I always seem to do something the tool wasn't ment for. Or try to hammer the wood into the nail. Something like that. I end up with loads of broken wood and bend nails but I know one day I will have my masterpiece. If anyone else thinks so is a different question but that is not what I am aiming for. I want to play in the first place and do something I believe in. Sure I hope someone else sees what I am doing. Maybe a few million, but I am satisfied with enough buyers to have some extra cash for my next project.
butterbean said: I think the general consensus is that yes, GS could use some improvements, and features, which are all coming, and are on the roadmap.
Just don't blame the tool for lack of success in the app store.
There are plenty of successful games that are made with GS, and to blame the tool is a total cop out, plain and simple.
Agree, Creativity is everything. (like doodle jump)
The blame is on the developers and Gamesalad. Why do people blame one or the other, it can be both..lol
I'm a programmer, been coding for over a decade, so I do have credibility. I don't mean coding for websites and stuff, I do intense coding for databases. Everytime the company gets a software update, it automatically improves the quality of of work.
The thing that is very appealing about gamesalad is that there is no code required. I personally don't want to learn another language (1 is more than enough). When everything is drag and drop, there will be limitations (atleast for the time being).
I do believe gamesalad has some fundamental issues that they need to fix, many mentioned them already.
And someone mentioned that I should goto other SDK forums and ask, believe it or not I joined 4 other forums (unity, gamemaker, corona, and gs). The difference in the quality of games is significant. But I'm not going to learn Unity just for a simple game. The purists on Unity trashed gamesalad, because for them its an insult that non-coders can drag and drop to make games. But Unity is more for team developers. Most individuals get excited in the beginning on Unity and get overwhelmed and abandon their game or publish a crappy one for the sake of ending their misery.
Anyways, I think Gamesalad/Gamemaker are the future. The only concern is that fundamental issues must be fixed asap. As a programmer, when I see loading issues, that's a big no no.
I've been doing alot of research before committing, and honestly still don't see a SDK that is a clear winner. They all have some kind of advantages/disadvantages.
I'm looking into Gamemaker also. But I'm still undecided. I'm in no hurry. In all honesty, $500 a year is steep.
I think there are just two sides to the same coin. Yes, if you are a crappy developer generally the SDK will not make your games better. But this is not always true. For example, maybe you are a crappy developer because the SDK you are using does not provide you with the items that would make use of your particular skill set. As an example (I know not the same as SDKs) but..... I can't for my life draw (pen and paper) 3d objects or sculpt them with clay (I have tried). But, in Blender, I can create some pretty cool 3d objects using the sculpting tools. Why? I think because its easier to undo my mistakes and because I just work better using virtual tools rather than my hands. While the 3d objects I create in Blender are objectively not as good as many things I have seen created with Blender, they are 1000 times better than when I tried to physically sculpt of draw.
As to GS, there are things I want to do but can't because of the SDK's limitations (and I'm not talking about GC since that does not effect my ability to make certain types of games, but more like arrays, joints, custom collision, etc...--I know these are coming soon, so harray!). Sure, I have been able to do some wonky work-arounds to address some of those currenlty missing elements but they never look quite right and always kill performance. Unfortunately, this means that the creative games ideas I have come up with just won't work at this point using GS. I could continue working on wonky work-arounds and release a wonky game, but I won't do that.
I will just add to some of the remarks above and as this thread is about making money. It is not about money or no money. But I want my game to be successful. At the end of the day, I am the one who faces the criticism and failure. You will find the same statements regarding passion to be at the root of making music and films and they are true. But if you make a great entertaining game and if there is a market where it sells, you should be rewarded. I will just point out to one more thing I read in the job board of a giant game company.The statement says a lot about the subject at hand and is relevant( and in my own words while preserving the meanings=)). Wanted a game designer who can design games that can generate good revenue for the company.....
firemaplegames said: My game The Secret of Grisly Manor has had 160,000 paid downloads so far. The iOS version was originally created with GameSalad.
Other than a 20$ press release, I have not spent any money to market it.
My two other GameSalad games, Danger Cats! and Stunt Squirrels!, have had a little over 40,000 paid downloads between the two of them.
GameSalad is more than capable of powering hits in the App Store!
That being said, I have been doing this for about 20 years now. As an independent developer, it definitely requires a lot of dedication and a love for creating games and making people happy. The money has to be last on the list or it usually won't work. You will quickly burn out and become discouraged.
What website did you release your press release from because I've been looking at using that as a source of marketing and the cheapest I've seen is $100 and that was prweb.com
I can't believe the E-pig line hasn't sold waaaay more than that! I am a fan of epig dash and epig surf and I think they are just amazing. I figured you were a millionare by now from those games! I think a full version of epig dash may be more successful as it is addicting and can get very competitive. Maybe with different modes, kinda like fruit ninja has zen and w/e else.
And as far as the 6 figure thing, I think it is totally possible with Gamesalad. I have been playing with the program on and off for over a year and finally released a game, and I am pretty confident I can do pretty much anything with Gamesalad. Sure sometimes you have to use little tricks like moving actors from off-camara, so that the game doesn't run like crap, but even though some things make you go out of your way, you are still saving so much more time using Gamesalad. When someone learns it as well as Tshirtbooth or QS, or FMG(and a few others), thats when they know how powerful it really is. There are a few features it is lacking, but there are many hits which do not include those features anyway so who cares.
Maybe GameSalad should remove the "GameSalad" logo on startup for the free version. This will not put a stigma for people who create good games using GameSalad. People who put out crappy games will not tarnish the GameSalad name.
I think the free version should not be able to publish at all. The can publish version should be with GS splash screen title and a 100$. Pro should be as it is
Comments
Call me a fanboy if you want, doesn't bother me. I love GameSalad, it has allowed me to follow my dream and change my career. So forgive me if I don't think GameSalad sucks because they don't do what I think they should be doing, when I think they should be doing it.
I love GS, and think it's simply the most fun tool anyone could use to create games.
In comparing Microsoft paint versus Photoshop, I agree, the tool doesn't make the artist, but if you have an experienced artist whom is very talented, Microsoft paint will only take their images so far.... Photoshop has far more features, and a wider range of tools than MS paint could ever offer...
So it depends on what angle you take it...
I agree 120% that the tool does not make the developer.
BUT, when speaking in terms of an experienced artist, or talented developer, some tools have a wide array of features, and bells and whistles that could make their game even better, whilst another tool may not have that... yet.
I agree, GameSalad can improve a lot of things, the memory, loading times, and performance etc... They said they were addressing that, and I'm sure that they are. All these things will be here in due time, like you mentioned.
I think very few, if any, would be able to say they'd broken into six figures.
As in most creative markets, only the top 5% games make 95% of the money. So 95% of us on here will make no money.
Shocking, eh?
So… what to do? I think Joe put it best - the money should be your last thought. Make a great game, and your chances of making money goes up. It's really that simple
And a few people here seem incapable of understanding what 'A bad workman blames his tools' means.
I'll try and distill it into its simplest, purest form.
Say you have workman A and workman B. They both have the same hammer, the same piece of wood and the same nails.
Now, workman A hammers the nail into the wood no problem! Well done workman A!
Workman B tries to hammer the nail in, and he ends up splintering the wood.
Remember, they're using the same tools!
So workman B says to workman A "This hammer's rubbish - it screwed up my wood".
Can you see why Workman A might think differently? He used the same hammer, on the same wood, with the same nails.
Why *would* workman B blame his tools?
Because it's easy. Because it's quick. Because it's convenient. Because it leaves intact his sense of 'self'.
It's far harder, and sometimes counterintuitive, for someone to admit, "Hey - I'm the reason the wood splintered". That might require some introspection. Some hard questions being asked. Some sense of responsibility. Some changes to be made.
The thing is, if they *did* admit that, they'd have a chance to address the real issue at hand, rather than try and blame anything else. They could perhaps, having identified where their weak points are, started to improve upon those.
Now, I'm not saying that the tool doesn't need improving in certain areas - but you know, there are people 'getting on with it' and hammering that nail in with the hammer they have *right now*
Spooky Hoofs is just one very recent example.
Just my $0.02 on the matter.
QS
Dr. Sam Beckett never returned home...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Quantum_Sheep
Web: https://quantumsheep.itch.io
...but I wrote the word "app" I think GameSalad is great software... but it can be a lot better... and that's what betas are about. To critique the skills of the developer doesn't advance the software. Do you think Apple made the iPhone that way? Did they say that the user should simply learn how to use a more complicated phone? No... they worked hard to make the iPhone simple and powerful.
I think GameSalad got the simple part right. It makes iOS/Mac game creation fast and easy. But just because GameSalad is easy to use, why should power be sacrificed?
• Games should load faster
• RAM usage should be improved
• More features should be included — Especially iOS features like Universal Binary and GameCenter.
• Developers should have a way to add features themselves (Export to Xcode or an API)
• Export to HTML 5 not to GameSalad.com — don't try to own my game.
GameSalad could be so much more than some hatchet apps on the iTunes App Store or part of a get-rich-quick scheme. I see GameSalad as the Macromedia/Adobe Flash of this decade... but that's if someone else doesn't get there first. HTML 5 and Apps... two of the hottest things online... so I'm not surprised that lots of the people here love GameSalad. The problem is... why don't more people love GameSalad? Unfortunately, there seems to be a lot of GameSalad hate out there.
I think improving the software is one of the ways to improve GameSalad's image — to improve the tool! The better the tool, the better the games.
Should the regular version of GameSalad be free? That's something of good debate, but I don't think it matters. The reality is this... GameSalad doesn't have the equivalent of an Angry Birds, Tiny Wings or Bubble Ball success. A 14 year old boy has built a more popular app than the majority — if not all — of the developers here. So... is it the developers or is it the software?
The biggest GameSalad success story that I know of (firemaplegames) isn't a GameSalad success story anymore. It's a highlight of the urgency here. I think GameSalad is amazing software, but what good is that software if the company shuts down? GameSalad requires a connection to the server for publishing.
That's why I don't like the idea that it's the developers fault. While your instinct may tell you that you're defending GameSalad, it hinders the feedback process... which is critical for the success of this software.
I agree that the software should be improved, but the tool does not make for a better developer, and QS nailed it, no pun intended
A shitty developer, is a shitty developer, is a shitty developer. The tool 'aint gonna' change that.
@Photics: I challenge you to move to another SDK, and make another game. Come back in 3 months and tell us how it went. Do you think moving to another SDK will make your game more successful than if it were made with GS? I challenge you to it.
And QS did nail it.
And to be clear, I'm not a Coke vs. Pepsi developer. I think GameSalad is great software... as is other powerful software. The difference with GameSalad is that it's a subscription. Later this year, I have to answer a tough question... should I renew my Pro subscription? Right now, that answer would be no. The two main reasons... there's not enough improvement in Pro features... and the basic version is free.
I was happy to see Angry Anna get popular. I'm surprised at the reactions here when I posted about it... http://gamesalad.com/forums/topic.php?id=30605 Actually... in three months time... I should have lots of new games and a finished book.
Will it be more successful? That's a good question. I don't have to go into specifics to answer that question... a simple yes or no is good enough. Maybe in three months I'll have an answer. I did something like this recently with Amazon vs. Apple for book publishing... http://photics.com/the-kindle-experiment ...Apple won. HA! It looks like I'll be renewing my developer registration.
Trying other SDKs is why I like GameSalad. It highlights what they got right. Yet, I have a vision for where I'd like to take my website, books, apps and games. Can I do that with GameSalad? Right now, I'm uncertain. Well, I think the difference is that I look at the high-end of GameSalad. I don't really worry about lousy games made with GameSalad. It's like worrying about bad blogs made with WordPress. There are enough good blogs out there that people know not to blame the platform. Are there enough good GameSalad games out there to offset the bad ones? Things are certainly improving around here, but I think GameSalad ultimately sets the pace.
A great example... Device Clock.
Before that, it would tough to create a FarmVille/CityVille type of game. Now, GameSalad games can tell time... so that flowers can grow and cool stuff like that. No matter how talented the developer was before, how could they work around that issue? That's my point! No matter how great I get at game development... I can't add voice chat to my GameSalad games until GameSalad put it there... or networking... or achievements... or universal binary support... or movie files... or arrays... etc.
And no, if multi-player, voice chat, achievements, etc. are not available, you can't put them in a game. But if the game doesn't do well because it's not what people want to buy, none of that matters. Nobody is going to say, "Even though this game sucks, they have leader boards, it's going to do real well because of that"
And I get your point. The other side of the coin is, If you are a good developer, and you do make a game that people buy, then these things can add to the gaming experience. And that is true. They will add to the experience, they won't make or break the gameplay, though.
Everything we want is coming. They said it was, and they haven't lied to us yet. If something doesn't come out the day they say it will in the Roadmap because it's not quite ready, I understand that. GameSalad has a bright future, it just takes a little time to evolve into that butterfly.
http://www.joystickdivision.com/2011/08/extra_credits_leaves_the_escap.php
HEY GAMESALAD... MAYBE YOU SHOULD HOST THE VIDEOS!
It could encourage and educate GameSalad developers to make better games, while increasing your reputation and popularity throughout the Internet.
From reading the article, it doesn't seem like the series was that expensive.
If you make a game and think to yourself, "I guess this is good enough." or "I worked really hard on it. It's not exactly what I was going for, but it's pretty much there." then your game isn't going to explode like you want it to.
Think like a multi-million dollar developer. Would you release a game with terrible graphics, terrible gameplay, and terrible audio just because you know the people who worked on it "did their best"?
You'd be looking to fire the people who worked on that game.
Work for yourself like you are going to be fired if the product you make isn't good enough. Work for yourself like your family is dependent on the success of what you're creating.
If you aren't good at graphic design, then spend ALL of your time doing the developing, and bring in a designer. If your designer's work isn't as high or higher quality as the work you're doing with your coding, then find a new designer. Period. It's business.
If you have to ask a lot of random people "Are these graphics good enough?" or "Look at my game, is it gonna sell?" the answer is going to be an emphatic NO from the masses. You HAVE to work as hard as you can for as long as you can to remove those questions yourself. When you have a game that's finished and you think to yourself, "Wow, this is amazing. I can't wait to share this with the world.", then you're getting somewhere.
We only have so many minutes in this world. Make something you can be proud of until the day you die. Money will come and go, but the things you create will stick around if you honestly put your everything into them.
GS isn't the problem. I say this with conviction.
GS is amazing and growing. And so is the gaming market. And so are we.
Time for me to get back to work.
:^)
GS has a lot of potential, but things are moving too slow. Just because it's the easiest way to create and publish games doesn't mean it should lack major features.
Bubble ball initially started as a GS game but was later ported to corona. Maybe more hit apps that we see on the app store could have initially started as a gs game.
Don't hesitate to make game and money.
Think, find creative idea, make your game in suitable quality (graphic-sound-performance-gameplay), release, then money (without any marketing or reviews)
Again, take a look at Tiny Wings, and see what I told above.
Just don't blame the tool for lack of success in the app store.
There are plenty of successful games that are made with GS, and to blame the tool is a total cop out, plain and simple.
If anyone else thinks so is a different question but that is not what I am aiming for.
I want to play in the first place and do something I believe in. Sure I hope someone else sees what I am doing. Maybe a few million, but I am satisfied with enough buyers to have some extra cash for my next project.
Lump Apps and My Assets
Creativity is everything. (like doodle jump)
I'm a programmer, been coding for over a decade, so I do have credibility. I don't mean coding for websites and stuff, I do intense coding for databases. Everytime the company gets a software update, it automatically improves the quality of of work.
The thing that is very appealing about gamesalad is that there is no code required. I personally don't want to learn another language (1 is more than enough). When everything is drag and drop, there will be limitations (atleast for the time being).
I do believe gamesalad has some fundamental issues that they need to fix, many mentioned them already.
And someone mentioned that I should goto other SDK forums and ask, believe it or not I joined 4 other forums (unity, gamemaker, corona, and gs). The difference in the quality of games is significant. But I'm not going to learn Unity just for a simple game. The purists on Unity trashed gamesalad, because for them its an insult that non-coders can drag and drop to make games. But Unity is more for team developers. Most individuals get excited in the beginning on Unity and get overwhelmed and abandon their game or publish a crappy one for the sake of ending their misery.
Anyways, I think Gamesalad/Gamemaker are the future. The only concern is that fundamental issues must be fixed asap. As a programmer, when I see loading issues, that's a big no no.
I've been doing alot of research before committing, and honestly still don't see a SDK that is a clear winner. They all have some kind of advantages/disadvantages.
I'm looking into Gamemaker also. But I'm still undecided. I'm in no hurry. In all honesty, $500 a year is steep.
As to GS, there are things I want to do but can't because of the SDK's limitations (and I'm not talking about GC since that does not effect my ability to make certain types of games, but more like arrays, joints, custom collision, etc...--I know these are coming soon, so harray!). Sure, I have been able to do some wonky work-arounds to address some of those currenlty missing elements but they never look quite right and always kill performance. Unfortunately, this means that the creative games ideas I have come up with just won't work at this point using GS. I could continue working on wonky work-arounds and release a wonky game, but I won't do that.
It is not about money or no money. But I want my game to be successful. At the end of the day, I am the one who faces the criticism and failure. You will find the same statements regarding passion to be at the root of making music and films and they are true. But if you make a great entertaining game and if there is a market where it sells, you should be rewarded. I will just point out to one more thing I read in the job board of a giant game company.The statement says a lot about the subject at hand and is relevant( and in my own words while preserving the meanings=)).
Wanted a game designer who can design games that can generate good revenue for the company.....
I recommend both!
And as far as the 6 figure thing, I think it is totally possible with Gamesalad. I have been playing with the program on and off for over a year and finally released a game, and I am pretty confident I can do pretty much anything with Gamesalad. Sure sometimes you have to use little tricks like moving actors from off-camara, so that the game doesn't run like crap, but even though some things make you go out of your way, you are still saving so much more time using Gamesalad. When someone learns it as well as Tshirtbooth or QS, or FMG(and a few others), thats when they know how powerful it really is. There are a few features it is lacking, but there are many hits which do not include those features anyway so who cares.
Look if you want to make that much money with your game. You have to have a good plan, a great game and a lot of luck.