Problems with distributor GarageDeveloper International

[Tovy]

Hello,

We have big problems with the indie distributor GarageDeveloper International.
They sell our game Jets'n'Guns about five months and they have not sent us any royalties or info about selling the game. We tried to contact them several times in last 3 months, but they didn't answer and if did, they said only "we apologize, we will send money soon..". Has anybody the same problem with them? We are thinking about a plea with this company.

Thank you,

Pavel T..

[cliffski]

this would suggest problems: (actual domain now gone)
http://www.desgraff.com/site/articles/404eng.htm
I can't say this 'publisher's homepage is inspiring much confidence either.

heres more:
http://www.gamedev.org/yabbse/index.php?action=display&board=5;threadid=243;start=0

[soniCron]

I found the original in the Internet Archives (though some resources are missing):

http://web.archive.org/web/20030502040204/http://www.polyfrag.com/vsgarage/

[Robert Cummings]

I have never heard of this company and I would avoid them at all costs. It pays to ask around here before signing with anyone.

[KNau]

I've heard of them, and almost published a game through them. As I recall they used to post on the old Dexterity boards acting all friendly and they even had a book on independent game development that they were trying to sell at one time. I didn't even have to ask about their legitimacy because their entire situation is full of red flags. The full story is (as I recall):

They are not a "real" publisher. It is run from a single storefront in the US - a computer sales and servicing shop. They burn CDs of demos and sell (!) those CDs in-store and online. Anyone who has released a game in the last 5 years is probably on one of their disks (I've seen games from Kronos, Addictive 247, Lux, Wildsnake, Yamisoft, etc.) . They also look for full games to burn and sell, again in-store only. The real deal is that they have no retail exposure beyond their own storefront, a terrible website with little traffic and do no marketing on titles they carry.

It is a rotten situation but I can pretty much guarantee that you aren't missing out on royalties for more than 10 - 20 copies at the most. They are too insignificant of an opperation to have helped or hurt you.

Forget they lawyers, buy a plane ticket to the US and beat the sh*t out them, you will be back on the plane and free from prosecution before they even know what happened. It's cheaper than court and a lot more fun.

[Tovy]

Oh, thank you for your responses! We use a lot of distributors and this is our first problem, so it is ok. Thanks!

[GarageDeveloper]

This is Greg(the owner of GDI). I was directed to this site
by a recent email. I read this post and was going to let it go. But....this
time I can't....I won't. I'm not going to sit around and take this sh*t lying down.
Moderators/Site owners, you can go ahead and ban me after this if you want. But thanx in advance for disabling the 7-day lurker thingy.
I'm going to exercise my right(if I have any here...) to respond to the smearing
and it's about to get ugly.

pavel:
Your payment was sent through your ecommerce link. It didn't make sense to send
you money via international bank draft because of the costs. As far as the sales of
your game, there haven't been any since March 2005 and it was only 1 copy at that.
If you'd like to verify the information, I'll send it to you and then you can verify it by contacting
the folks at plimus.com. At any rate, I sent you way more money than what was sold even
after buying a small stack of your CDs. Even after your game was saturated in the market.
Even after so-called "game review/news sites" ignored our press releases. Why? Because it's a cool game. Anyway, sorry for the lateness.


this would suggest problems: (actual domain now gone)
http://www.desgraff.com/site/articles/404eng.htm
I can't say this 'publisher's homepage is inspiring much confidence either.

My domain is not gone. My webhost upgraded my account and servers. What's inspiring
about you? Of all the issues surrounding indie games, you're 'pining about a small publisher's website?
I don't need your confidence, you're a stuck-up donkey anyway.
I suggest you take your foot out of your mouth and keep it closed.

I've heard of them, and almost published a game through them. As I recall they used to post on the old Dexterity boards acting all friendly and they even had a book on independent game development that they were trying to sell at one time. I didn't even have to ask about their legitimacy because their entire situation is full of red flags. The full story is (as I recall):

You're wrong homeboy, you didn't "almost" publish a game through me. Powermad was a game?
I am friendly. It's not an act. But I "CAN" be mean, just like you buttocks breath....so that's what
I'm gonna do. If I spend tons of my own money trying to further the indie cause, how does that make me
not legitimate? What red flags? I think that that's the skeptical female in you doing the talking......
Did you put your yellow panties on backwards today? Did you have a bad experience at Neverland?
What's my situation homey? I'll tell you....I own my own business. That's it. What are you?.....hmm....lemmeee see.
A bitter sucker ass 4th rate game reviewer who's got nothing better to do than be just another sucker ass "jump
on the bandwagoneer". Care to know the facts before you post stuff like this? Naw, you don't. You know why?
Because you're ignorant, just like Cliffyboy-(btw, I don't like you either, you opinionated elitest ignorant a$$wipe)


They are not a "real" publisher. It is run from a single storefront in the US - a computer sales and servicing shop. They burn CDs of demos and sell (!) those CDs in-store and online. Anyone who has released a game in the last 5 years is probably on one of their disks (I've seen games from Kronos, Addictive 247, Lux, Wildsnake, Yamisoft, etc.) . They also look for full games to burn and sell, again in-store only. The real deal is that they have no retail exposure beyond their own storefront, a terrible website with little traffic and do no marketing on titles they carry.

What is a "real" publisher? I'm a one man shop, and I'm still able to do what they do, and your point is?
Hey, fool the whole downtown area where my
"computer sales and servicing shop" is located is shutdown, no traffic.
All of the sidewalks and streets are being repaved and redone. You know
what smart boy...I'm STILL getting walk-in traffic. What are you getting?
Have you been to my store stank-face?
Of course the CDs are burned here. I bought the equipment to do it. Of course I have no retail exposure. I don't
have a UPC code....yet. Again, what's your point? Terrible website? Where's your website? Can you afford one?
My site has a great deal more traffic than zero(ie: your website)
What makes me not real stank-face? Because I don't do things according to the way you were spoon-fed? Huh dumby?
You aren't a real game reviewer. Why don't you come at me with some facts
about my CDs, you ho. You dumb ass, do you know the reason I created the series in the first place?
You need to look at the big picture and get out of your little "it's ONLY an instant download" world.
The games on the CDs are either a) submitted by developers, b) developers were contacted for permission,
or c) the developers had "Vendor Info" posted on their websites. No Marketing? What do "you" know about marketing?
I place ads. Do you? I get out on foot and pass out flyers. Do you? I sponsor students and interns. Do you? I
answer questions from high school/college kids who want to run their own businesses someday. Do you?
I do unconventional marketing stuff. I have witty bumper stickers created and give them to folks. What do you do.
I'm not "dependent" on getting customers by having to grovel for your website ink.
See.....I go out and do stuff and don't sit around waiting/and hoping that someone is going to click my "buy now" buttons.
Can you start from nothing and end up somewhere, baby boy?
I did.
Is that independent enough for you, Mr. indie game reviewer wannabe boy?


It is a rotten situation but I can pretty much guarantee that you aren't missing out on royalties for more than 10 - 20 copies at the most. They are too insignificant of an opperation to have helped or hurt you.

Of course I'm insignificant. I do all of this by myself from one little shop. I do everything. And you know what? Folks still come and
check me out. You know why? Because they like my customer service, so they don't mind spending a few more bucks
for a game compilation I created myself. Do you actually think the average gameplayer is going to remember all of the
indie game sites that are out there? Naw...homeboy. They remember the games though. The demos of which are
probably on my CDs. People remember physical stuff. Can you get that butter-brain?
I know how to get people into a store. Do you? Can you do what I've done? I can certainly do what you do geezer.

How signicifant are you? Let's see....you're doing a little bit of bashing because I wouldn't buy your Powermad game.
At the time I spared you, but I'll go ahead and tell you what was up right now homey.
a) Quite frankly, the game was not fun.
b) The game just wasn't fun.
c) There was nothing fun about the game.
d) I was looking for a fun game to publish.
e) You didn't submit a fun game.
f) Your game was making fun of the country I live in and its president. I'll be damned if I'm gonna put a non-fun
game on my label that does that, especially when relatives of mine are ducking bullets in Iraq. Besides, you don't
have the right.

Now this is some logic I do not understand....
A guy has a website where one of his products is a cd compilation series that
he produces himself, the independent way..... to get the
word out about indie games, you diss him/his site. But....
The minute you find out that some warez group has cracked your
game, or some pirate has bought it and released it somewhere,
you bitch up and say "ohhhhh, just ignore it you can't do anything about that anyway..."
You think you're doing something about me/my site because someone posted a wrong complaint?
You're wrong homey. And I'm not going anywhere,
especially not because of your dumbass judgement.

Hey dumby, I shell out dollars out of my own pocket(marketing, pr, raw materials, etc....) without complaining,
all because I want customers to know about indie games.
You know why butt-breath? Because they complain about AAA games.

I guess by now you can sense the overall theme of this response....
But I'll make it just a little bit more clear for you......"I don't give a F$$$ about neither of your opinions."


Forget they lawyers, buy a plane ticket to the US and beat the sh*t out them, you will be back on the plane and free from prosecution before they even know what happened. It's cheaper than court and a lot more fun.

Oh really now? Are you trying to incite someone to do something?
Aaahhh.....is that a threat? Because I know it's not a fact. What's with the "repressed little passive-agressive boy" sentiments?
Hey, I'll go ahead and come down to your level.
Here's a proposition for you....and I'll make it very easy for "you". See........since I'm here in my
"computer sales and servicing shop" most nights throughout the week.....alone from 8pmish - 2am......
I'll leave the door unlocked for "you".
And you can "walk" right on in playboy...... Now that would be fun.......
Just so you know, you won't need a round trip ticket.
Have a nice life punk.

[Robert Cummings]

So you've come here and done nothing but act defensively and spout insults? impressive.

[Mike Boeh]

Well, that's twice I have let people in before the 7 days, and that's twice it backfired. Thread locked.