Game Creation Kits

[GameGlyph]

Hello,

My current project is a 2D Platform Game Creator. It is geared towards being extremely easy to use, while still maintaining a high level of customizability. This will actually be my first shareware project, and I just wanted to get an idea of what everyone thought of it, and the commercial viability of such a project.

As I said before, I really want this to be something that is easy to use. Because of this, I have scrapped the idea of a tile based editor, where the user would paint ground, platforms, etc, for what I called a segment based editor. The new editor works somewhat like the Excitebike editor for the NES, as it was my inspiration. The user simply selects from a prefabricated list of segments, and pieces them together to create a level.

What does everyone think of the viability of a project like this? Its not really something the portals would touch, so Im kinda out of luck there, but if I do a decent job of promoting it myself, I think I migh thave something here...seeing as I would really have no competition. The only similar programs that I have found are either vaporware or extremely horribly made(not even kidding here...one of them was bad, lol).

BTW - Here's an older screenshot of the editor to kinda give you a visual clue of what Im working on.

http://www.gameglyph.com/images/pfss.gif

[Sharpfish]

I wrote a platform game creator package (moving entities, simple click scripting for them, damage adjustment, flickscreen layouts etc; not just a tile editor) on the Amiga called "Platformation".. I never released it ;) It was pretty good but I didn't finish it to a high enough standard to call it saleable. If I had continued with amiga dev I would probably have given it away at some stage.

Of course we live in different times. I think it would have to be powerful and flexible for people like us (devs) to seriously want to use it to create games we could sell. If it created simpler stuff, and was appealing to the freeware release crowd then you could charge less but maybe sell more.

Very hard to tell without the full package and feature set, and of course a demo game.

I can't imagine there is a massive audience for it like there is for a top casual game though, it is probably of more interest to the techy-tweakers and are they willing to pay? Maybe they will want to buy something like Blitz instead and remain flexible?

good luck anyway. :)

[RWgames]

Hi,
I'm not sure how commerically viable it would be to create a 2D platform game creator so I'm not going to say anything on that basis. The idea of having game creators (ie no programming required) does seem to be something that would appeal to the younger audience who would really be encouraged by quick "visual" results. A product from the creators of DarkBASIC created something called "the 3d game maker (http://t3dgm.thegamecreators.com/)". I'm not sure how popular it was, but it was followed up by FPS creator ("http://www.fpscreator.com/), so I would assume that the game creator must've done reasonably well. Search the forums as I remember seeing a post a couple weeks ago about some 2D game creator which makes it easy to create games like Zuma and other casual games without much coding. IIRC it went one step further by allowing you to code if you wanted to customise even more. Maybe someone else can remember the name of the product, but it's in a similar region to your game. :)

[Frozen In Ice]

Search the forums as I remember seeing a post a couple weeks ago about some 2D game creator which makes it easy to create games like Zuma and other casual games without much coding. IIRC it went one step further by allowing you to code if you wanted to customise even more. Maybe someone else can remember the name of the product, but it's in a similar region to your game. :)

That was an April's Fool Joke.... :) Don't worry, it caught quite a few fish :o

[RWgames]

Dear oh Dear oh Dear :(
I should've kept following the thread..........:o

[GameGlyph]

Yeah, I am quite familiar with The Game Creators and their products, like FPS Creator and The 3D Gamemaker. I have actually been in contact with them about possibly publishing my program, but that was before I changed everything about the program around.

But what Im shooting for is flexible enough to attract tinkerers, and people who are more interested in developing, yet easy enough to use so that someone whos only barely thought about making a game can use. I think the fact taht Im including alot of default graphics will be a major factor in attracting those who arent really good at creating graphics.

If my project turns out as I plan on it turning out, it will be able to create commercial quality games. It would require the user to spend time on his/her project, but it could be done.

I have a makeshift design doc for my project at http://www.gamesforfree.net/inprogress/designdoc.html

[whisperstorm]

One possible strategy is to create a really killer game with your toolset. Use that game to attract attention, and offer to sell the editor to those folks who want to create platformers as good as the sample one you create.

Its kinda a chicken and egg problem. No one wants to buy a sucky editor, but if no one does, then no one will create a great game to ecourage more sales.

Perhaps you might hire a professional game designer to create something with your toolset, and show off it's capabilites. I think people are attracted to Klick and PLay and Gamemaker, etc. because they have discovered a fun game and try to find out who created it and how they did it.

Plus, if you, the creater of the toolset, cannot make a killer platformer out of it, how can you expect anyone else to?

[GameGlyph]

I completely agree with you, whisperstorm. I pride myself more in my game design skills more than my coding skills, and I will for sure be creating the best game that I can along with the creator.

I actually started planning the game that I was going to make with the creator alongside the creator...in a way it helped. It kind of makes you really think about exactly how your tool will need to be used.

[ProgrammingFreak]

I am working on a RPG Engine/Editor myself, be awhile before it gets released though or any demos come out