Downloadable game features?

[GameStudioD]

I know this is an odd question, but... If you had to categorize the features people look for in downloadable games what would they be?

I have come up with a list of seven:


# of players
Can be played with the mouse only
Gamepad support
Online highscore tracking
Online multiplayer
Mod Friendly (level editor, etc)
Multiple player profiles supported


Am I missing something?

[Sillysoft]

Am I missing something?
Fun? A theme or game mechanic that speaks to players? Replayability? I don't think people look for games to download based on the features that you have (maybe some like multiplayer).

[GameStudioD]

Fun and replayability are opinions, whereas "online highscore tracking" is a fact (feature). Nag screens list features similar to what I have listed. Features are a component of what motivates a user to buy or download a game. On your download page, you mention "mod friendly" and "online multiplayer" as key features for Lux. So, users must find this information important.

[papillon]

Replayability isn't *entirely* an opinion, and it is a feature I sometimes look out for. Perhaps it's the features added to *encourage* replayability that should be counted? (things like unlockable bonuses and multiple endings)

[Nexic]

It's really hard to prioritize these, as they are all important. If possible try to add all of these (though possibly the "mouse control only" should be changed to "has mouse control as well as keyboard, and it defaults to mouse control"

[mahlzeit]

Something I look for:

- Easy to learn. I want to be playing within 10 seconds; if it takes longer to figure out what to do and when, it's quit + uninstall. Unless it's something like a simulator, which I'm willing to invest more time into learning. This also includes configuring controls and whatnot (I don't want to have to configure anything, just let me play dammit).

Something that more games should do:

- Respect my system. A lot of indie games I try move all my open windows into the upper-left corner and/or resize them to 640x480 or whatever. Leave them alone! I will not shutdown any running apps in order to play your game. This is not 1983, Windows can multitask (somewhat anyway).

[cliffski]

this is entirely genre dependent. my game has only 1 of these. if you are talking about arcade games fine, but not all downloadable games are arcade games. I'm sure Lux has no gamepad support :D (i bet Im wrong...)

[electronicStar]

IMHO the principal thing they are looking for when downloading games is "to kill some time" preferably in an entertaining way that gives them neural stimuli. I think the rest is accessory and/or depends on each individual.

[GameStudioD]

"Easy to learn" is another opinion. Some users may learn quicker. Also, certain genres may be easier than others. Democracy, for example, requires a bigger learning curve when compared to Bejeweled, but that does not make Democracy a difficult game to learn.

"Respect my system" can be subjective also. Some users do not like a game to immediately go into fullscreen mode, others do not care. Also, the install may leave temp files on your computer or install spyware. I have not come across a downloadable game which is Windows Logo tested, so it would be difficult to make a yes or no determination of whether a game respects a user system.

I know I am being vague, but I have a feeling that my list is not complete. Maybe it is. The features (or facts) of downloadable games are just one component of what makes a user download one game versus another, which is important for the project we are currently working on.

Download size and 3D hardware may be features, but in a technical sense.

[svero]

One feature we dont see nearly often enough but which I believe is a selling point is "side by side" play at the same computer. Not too many games offer this but many that do sell very well.

[Robert Cummings]

Am I missing something?The game.

This isn't a flame but most people come along asking what's good and shall we have xyz, but in reality all it takes is a fun game! look at nexic - his older games were somewhat crap but he's accelerating, he's getting somewhere better with each new game.

Just make the game, then think of improvements...

If I were you I would want to make something thats very "light" very easy to get into, don't make anything difficult to understand... thats by far the most important thing for a downloadable game imho.

[Olivier]

One feature we dont see nearly often enough but which I believe is a selling point is "side by side" play at the same computer. Not too many games offer this but many that do sell very well.

I must be a bad marketing guy.. or a bad developer.. or both! :( :( :)

[Nexic]

One feature we dont see nearly often enough but which I believe is a selling point is "side by side" play at the same computer. Not too many games offer this but many that do sell very well.

I totally agree with this. One of my older games, Arch Wing (which didn't sell that well) had two player side by side mode. A couple of people who bought it emailed me and said that although the game wasn't very good in the single player aspect, they bought it because they really liked playing two player with their friends.

I think when I get around to doing another game I will try to get this in. I was going to do it in Xeno Assault, but for some reason I forgot about it.

My girlfrined and I really enjoy playing Platypus together every once in a while :)

[Didier]

Not Game Features but i'll think you should list them too with all the rest:

* Unconditional 30-day money back guarantee
* Unlimited Support 24/7 and this a lifetime long


Didier

[svero]

I must be a bad marketing guy.. or a bad developer.. or both! :( :( :)

Coincidentally I just played your game today for the first time. Wonderful artwork, but IMO, terrible gameplay. I think with some work it could be turned into a much better game. Some aspects of it are really nice. It seems to be a game of the "fixer upper" variety. Just needs a bit of renovation.

[Olivier]

Coincidentally I just played your game today for the first time. Wonderful artwork, but IMO, terrible gameplay. I think with some work it could be turned into a much better game. Some aspects of it are really nice. It seems to be a game of the "fixer upper" variety. Just needs a bit of renovation.

Thank you very much svero. :)
I'd really like to know what could be done to improve MinuteMatch according to you. We're so new in the business. Despite I'm reading this board we still have a lot to learn.
A few days ago, thanks to Indiegamer I realized MinuteMatch's nagscreens were pure crap. Fixed for the next version.

I'll have to put a feedback form somewhere on my website or maybe in the game itself.

EDIT: Sorry GameStudioD for being off-topic. :)