RealArcade Game of the Year Winners

[Scorpio]

Congrats to the RealArcade GOY Winners...many of whom are regulars on our fourm. :)

Overall: Zuma Deluxe (PopCap)
Puzzle: Jewel Quest (iWin)
Arcade: Rebound: Lost Worlds (Reflexive)
Action: Platypus (Retro64/Squashy)
Word: Flip Words (HipSoft) woohoo! :)
Sports: Gutterball 2 (Skunk)
Mahjongg: Mah Jongg Medley (GameHouse)
Editor's Choice: Feeding Frenzy (Sprout)

I hope everyone's enjoying great sales over the holidays in addition to spending time with family and friends (and maybe a few new games as well).
-Scorpio

[Andy]

The most fair "the best" list I see in this year.
I agree almost with all positions (all I was able to try before)!

Congrats to all winners! You are simply and reasonably the best!!! :D

[Jack Norton]

Where are the categories "Best RPG", "Best Simulation" and "Best Strategy game" :confused:

... joking ;)

[cliffski]

i was wondering thre same thing, Looks like they are really giving up on these categories, which is GREAT news, because it means people wanting more complex games are more likely to find their way to my site.

[Chris Evans]

Mahjongg has its own category? I had no idea Mahjongg was THAT popular.

[Jack Norton]

i was wondering thre same thing, Looks like they are really giving up on these categories, which is GREAT news, because it means people wanting more complex games are more likely to find their way to my site.
Hehe, I think that Realarcade Top Games=Women Players Top Games... I don't think that many females like to play rpg or simulation games... :rolleyes:

[Teq]

We seem to be heading on the right track as far as Real Arcade are concerned (as we are mostly working on arcade/puzzle games to start with), but I will be wanting to move onto management/simulation games at some point, seems a bit of a shame that the biggest sites tend to ignore them :(

[papillon]

I don't think that many females like to play rpg


*pouts at you* :)

Probably depends on the game a bit - I'm sure Neverwinter Nights gets a lot more girls than, say, the spiderweb games would, and then there's the Sailor Moon RPG...

Complexity vs casualness being another factor, of course...

[svero]

I don't think that many females like to play rpg or simulation games

That's only because my titles "Shopping Quest : The magic no-limit credit card", and "Build the Perfect Man" haven't been released yet.

(svero waits in anticipation of posts by angry chicks.. hehe chicks.. i kill me hahahaha)

[alfie]

That's only because my titles "Shopping Quest : The magic no-limit credit card

You might be onto a winner if it's "Shoe Shopping Quest"!

Or, if someone else as already got a finished three in a row game, maybe they could replace the diamonds or whatever with shoes :)

[svero]

Seriously though, I find it surprising there aren't more games clearly targeted at women. Games seem to fall into 2 categories. Gender neutral or male. Is it just me?

[Hamumu]

No, there's gender-neutral (Zuma), male (Doom), and insultingly girly (Barbie's Horse Adventure)!

[svero]

My point was that I hadnt seen the barbie horse adventure games around in the downloadable sphere.

[Andy]

Hehe, I think that Realarcade Top Games=Women Players Top Games... I don't think that many females like to play rpg or simulation games... :rolleyes:

Jack!!! Go and learn the list! :mad:
Want my opinion - I suppose that's exactly the way to success. ;)

And yes, I agree with cliffski. I suppose we are so good exactly because RealOne don't need pinballs. Seriously...

[Scorpio]

My point was that I hadnt seen the barbie horse adventure games around in the downloadable sphere.In our experience, the majority of this market is older folks (mostly females) ...so they wouldn't really be into barbie-horse-adventure type of stuff (that's more the "girl" subset of female, which isn't really this market as far as I can tell).

They definitely buy a lot of games tho! :)
-Scorpio

[papillon]

If Harvest Moon is any indicator, a good gardening sim could end up being a surprise success. :)

(Since gardening seems to be what all older women in THIS country are obsessed with...)

Most young girls with enough of a brain to use the computer are going to end up quickly insulted by super-pink-barbie games. The Nancy Drew adventure games could be considered girl-marketed...

[cyrus_zuo]

a good gardening sim could end up being a surprise success

That is a great idea!

[cyrus_zuo]

Jack!!! Go and learn the list! :mad:
Want my opinion - I suppose that's exactly the way to success. ;)


I'll give you another opinion...there is more than one way for an Indie to make it. Catering to the female/casual audience is one way, but from this forum it seems that a lot of developers would prefer to cater to a different audience.

From Game Tunnel's affiliate sales numbers, the top 5 selling games through the site have been:

Alien Shooter
Crimsonland
Gish
Outpost Kaloki (which should be noted we only ran for about 4 weeks at which point Ninja Bee decided to go the paid review route and we turned all the links back to their website as they rightly determined there was a lot more money to be made that way than by us having an affiliate program with them)
Smugglers 3

In no particular order. Note that not one of those files is a basic puzzle or 'casual game.' The closest on the list is Outpost Kaloki.

There are two things I take away from this, first off that there is an audience out there that is interested in more gritty casual games. Game Tunnel's audience is made out entirely of that type of gamer. Secondly, if the conversion numbers stay true and the number of people who viewed the site were to increase it would be VERY easy for developers aiming for a different casual audience to make a living at it.

I would be really surprised if the developers of Alien Shooter aren't making a living at it as their game is available in many places and it still sells well. In fact to be honest the expansion packs on that game rated 2nd and 5th in our affiliate sales this year. (Alien Shooter itself was number 1).

Still we are a small site with a short but increasing reach. I just don't believe that anyone should believe that there is only one way to go about it. None of our top 10 selling affiliate games fit entirely into the 'casual games' market. I'm convinced that there are other ways to do things....though it may take more time before they fully catch on.

[arcadetown]

From Game Tunnel's affiliate sales numbers, the top 5 selling games through the site have been:
My gut feeling is they type of your site is heavily men, which is good in it's own right. Here we're selling games across the board in all genres as we're trying to appeal to all sorts of users.

[Andy]

I'll give you another opinion...

Wow! Nice to hear from you Russel!

I got a recommendation for you guys as well. Right from almost the next year (two hours before it comes here). ;)

Want to make indie games follow by Russel's tops. Want to make succesful games and get some money follow by RealArcade list. Suppose I'm kidding again? - no way. Seriously!!!

Happy New Year to everybody!!! :D