Feedback Request - Website & Demo
Hey Guys,
I've redone my website with updated info on our development and would like your thoughts on the site, and also changes to our demo of our first game. Screenshots of the demo are on the site.
http://www.unitedmindsgames.com
Your help will be appreciated.
P.S. I know some of you before said that there was a Space Rangers out already, but I really haven't come up with another name for it yet, I thought that if that fact that it was called Space Rangers 2: Ultimatum, that would help some, but I don't know. What do you think?
--EDIT
Thanks for your feedback. I'll be making some changes. Have a great one!
Last edited by eppskevin; 07-13-2006 at 02:44 PM.
The site looks Ok, but I think you should change the current solid white background color, and use a gradient like you did on the Main Menu and Newsflash sections.
Also, when viewing the screenshots, the image around the cursor is magnified by default. Could you turn that feature off ?
Space Rangers
I agree that the site looks OK and that the screenshots thing should be turned off - it doesn't help and it's pretty annoying.
Space Rangers and Space Rangers 2 are Cinemaware titles. IMHO, OK to rip-off game play styles, not so great to actually take names.
I would suggest doing something about your sites organization. Don't make me dig to find screen shots. Seriously. And take screen shots that don't have debug read outs on them.
Savant, it's ok. Someone's already told me about that and I plan to change that. I actually must've put the wrong pics in the gallery. I don't even know why those are still showing. I'll handle it, though. As far as the zoom, I forgot to publish the changes to take that out. Yeah, that's annoying to me, too! It's gone now though.Originally Posted by Savant
As far as 'digging' for shots, I'll figure out a way to have include a link or something to the gallery of each game. Still trying to figure that out.
I should've stated this stuff in my previous post, I know, but I was in a rush at the time.
As far as the name issue, I guess it can't be helped. I guess I have to change the name. I hate to have to do that, because I really liked that name since 02.
You tell people to click "Gallery" but it's actually "Photo Gallery". My eyes kept scanning the beginning of each item on the main menu for the "G" at the beginning of "Gallery."
Your website is far too cluttered. There's nothing for visitors to focus on:
Put all that stuff after "Welcome to United Minds Games" at the top of the "About Us" page instead and place your Space Rangers games front and center along with a large demo download button and thumbnails. You shouldn't put news announcements on the front page (especially the bottom of the page) telling visitors to click stuff in the menu. Delete the news items and just put the information about your games there.
Give all the different things at the bottom of your Main Menu (the register and login fields) a little more breathing room. Everything is too jammed together.
And do you really need both "Latest News" and "Popular"? They contain almost the same information. Just use "Latest News". It will help clean up the front page. (The fact that you have "Latest News" and then "News Flash" on a different part of the page creates even more clutter. You don't need both.)
Your title bar image is dull. Spruce it up with artwork more related to your games.
I'm not sure what kind of tone you're shooting for -- but this reads a little fanboyish:
"Hey Guys!! The version 0.5 demo for Space Rangers 2 is available for download! I would LOVE to hear what you guys think! Just comment on the comment form below. Here's the link:"
This might be a little more professional:
"Greetings! The version 0.5 demo for Space Rangers 2 is available for download. Try it and then let us know your thoughts. You can have a hand in shaping the final game!"
I also don't see the comment form to which you refer anywhere on the main page.
Finally (whew!) you need some grammatical tinkering:
"What do think of this site layout?" should be "What do think of this site's layout?" Lots of exclamation points and words like "Awesome!!" and "Sucks!!" make me think fanboy rather than professional indie developer.
Hey Dad,
Thanks for all of your comments and I'll work on the homepage and the clutterness of the pages. As far as the top image, I plan on changing that when I have more finished images that are related to my games.
Thing that I would probably disagree with is defining what "professional" is. I believe that the word "professional" is used a little too much, but the type of site that I'm going for is a friendly, nice site where the user reallys feels welcome to the point that they feel like family. I DO NOT want to focus so much on what "terms" I use just to sound that I'm "legitimate". I personally will not deal with someone if that's their main focus, instead of just making sure that I'm happy and satisfied. A person using certain words doesn't impress me at all. It's what he DOES and the fact that he actually WANTS to do it. And that's the type of feeling that I want to give. That this company is here for anyone that needs us. There so many people that would like to see 2D games made again, but may not know how or they would do it themselves. This site should be a "We feel your pain, and we're here to try to make this possible. Let's do it together" site.
I'll fix things around the site to make it so that it isn't so jumbled, though. And also fix that comment form issue.
I do appreciate everyone's help with this though! All of you really helped.
I would agree with that sentiment.
www.spacerangers2.com
Popcorn Boy - Freelance game designer and writer by day, crime fighting superhero by night!
The Dracula Files Burger Island 1 & 2 Purrfect Pet Shop Puzzle City Defender of the Crown: Heroes Live Forever Satisfashion and more!
Point taken. Already in the works.
No worries. Thanks!
Popcorn Boy - Freelance game designer and writer by day, crime fighting superhero by night!
The Dracula Files Burger Island 1 & 2 Purrfect Pet Shop Puzzle City Defender of the Crown: Heroes Live Forever Satisfashion and more!
I think I may have settled on Space Marshals. I know that isn't taken. I liked Ranger Force, too. But, that's taken. Or what about Space Ranger Force?
I too had trouble finding the gallery, because it's actually called "photo gallery."
And why not have just a normal page of screenshots? Do you really need mouseover tooltips and counters and whatever all that other junk is just for screenshots?
You need to go over the grammar in the game. One of the screenshots contains the text: "I am looking for my family. Do you know there wherabouts?"
And I agree - tone down the "awesomeness" of the site. Professional presentation does not automatically mean an unfriendly or unwelcome site.
I obviously need to make sure that all spelling issues are taken care of before posting for feedback. I'm the type of guy to likes to know know about bigger things before I go back and change smaller things like spelling. By bigger and smaller, I mean the amount of time it will take me to do things. If I have like two smaller things, but find out that I may have to do one big change eventually, I just wait until it's time for me to make the big changes and do it all at once, rather than doing small stuff here and there. My point? The spellings issues have been noticed already and I'm just focusing on the actual LOOK of the site and game. Once I get that, I can move on to make those changes. Why were the grammar mistakes there in the first place? Because It was like 4:00 in the morning when I typed it and no one's perfect.
I'm not trying to sound defensive, I just want to get that out of the way so noone wastes anymore time telling me about the grammar mistakes that I already know about when that time could be spent telling me what you think of the site.
Hey Maupin,
I'm going to change the screenshot page. I was using a screenshot module that came with the CMS and kept the default functions. I'll go through and take some of the excess stuff out.
Perhaps this is a minor point but I didn't pick up the s in the middle of your URL when I first read it. I suspect that a few people will accidentally visit www.unitedmindgames.com instead of www.unitedmindsgames.com.
Mark
IndieSFX Game Sound Effects
http://www.indiesfx.co.uk
Bytten Game News & Reviews
http://www.bytten.com
Heh,
Yeah I get that all the time, even when I'm calling other businesses and such that I have a relationship with, and even utility people as well, LOL! I'm to far into it to change the name, but I should buy unitedmindgames.com as well. So people can be redirected. Thanks for that, Mark!
I agree to say that screenshots should be accessible from the main page, quickly and easily. But you already know it.
Also agree with the too much white background of website pages.
About the Space Renegades 2 screenshots, I would say that the enemies grid is maybe a little bit too.. squared. Try giving more life by creating patterns.
Also must say that space background should be reworked. At least, do not distribute in so repetitive pattern so identical stars. Try using differents sizes and different lightness, and also try to distribute them as clouds.
Hope this helps.
Anyway, good work. Good presentation.
Alexis.
Hey Alexis,
Thanks for your comments.
About the enemies layout, yeah, the enemies will have more "life" from Stage 3 on. I just wanted to give the player a chance to make a little money before the patterns start to get more dynamic.
Yeah, I was thinking about the background color as well. I'll probably change it to something else. Just don't know what yet, though.
I'll do some variations with the background, but I must let you know that I'm not using OpenGL or any other hardware accelerated library to code this (I dont want someone to have to purchase a graphic card JUST to play my game) so everything is sprite based. I'll try to do what I can, but I also have to take into consideration size and whatnot as well. I'll definitely change the sizes of the stars dynamically, though.
Again, thanks for your comments!!
Or even "What do you think of this site's layout?"
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?
That question isn't there anymore to even comment on.
Ah! Drat. I just can't keep up with these topics sometimes!
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LOL! Sorry about that. Yeah my wife is a journalist as well and as soon as I heard about the grammar issue, I had to make sure it was fixed before my wife saw it, or I wouldn't have heard the end of it. LOL!
The center of the page looks empty , maybe it can be filled with something that's interesting.
Thanks Escapee,The center of the page looks empty , maybe it can be filled with something that's interesting.
Yeah, I was thinking that, too! I'm trying to figure out what else I could put on the homepage that could fill in that emptiness without looking like it was just "placed" there, you know? I may rearrange the middle of the homepage, but I don't know yet.
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