'Releasing' a retro game in 2010 A.D.

[InfernalKeith]

As I hurtle closer to finishing "Herding Cats," and start thinking about my next project, I also have something in mind that I've told myself I was gonna do when I finally got back to programming.

 

Assuming the game is worthy, and turns out as well as I hope, I'm making plans to make a small number of actual, physical copies of the game for sale, in a box, with printed instruction manual. The plan is to make no more than 100, and probably a lot less, depending on how I decide to print up boxes and manuals. I'm going to number each one and when they're gone, that's it. (I suppose I should say "if" they're gone...)

 

Does anyone have any thoughts on this? Obviously, I don't make TI 99/4A games to make a bunch of money. But as someone who also collects software from the old days, I like getting things with original packaging. Also, it is my hope that if I make the game available on Ebay and online, outside the already-established TI channels (here, the Yahoo! groups, etc), some people who don't know about our community might discover it and make their way into the fold.

 

The game will still be distributable, I'm not saying anyone would have to buy a copy to play it. That would be dumb, even if it was enforcable. You'll have the option of downloading it for emulator or a real TI, but the "real" copies would be there for those of us who enjoy having those things.

 

Any thoughts?

[Opry99er]

I released "Lemonade Stand" at the 2009 Faire with a nice 16 page color manual and a fancy little label. I sold them at the Faire and sold out of every copy. Then, 2 weeks later, I released it as "freeware." It is still a working concept, and Faire attendees are looking to buy new software. Greg Lemke sells new software every year at the Faire. Go for it, man... I'll buy one!!!

[TI99Kitty]

The game will still be distributable, I'm not saying anyone would have to buy a copy to play it. That would be dumb, even if it was enforcable. You'll have the option of downloading it for emulator or a real TI, but the "real" copies would be there for those of us who enjoy having those things.

 

Any thoughts?

 

It's what I have in mind, as well. I mean, the purpose of making retro games is for people to play them. But for those of us who like to collect things, it's also nice to have a neat little, "one-of-a-kind" item to display. Especially if you can point to it and say, "I made that." ^_^

 

This way, you get the best of both worlds; you have a game you can share and everyone can play, and then you also have a boxed cartridge you can show off.

[+retroclouds]

Assuming the game is worthy, and turns out as well as I hope, I'm making plans to make a small number of actual, physical copies of the game for sale, in a box, with printed instruction manual. The plan is to make no more than 100, and probably a lot less, depending on how I decide to print up boxes and manuals. I'm going to number each one and when they're gone, that's it. (I suppose I should say "if" they're gone...)

 

I would be interested.... it's also a sign of a maturing TI homebrew scene.

Also think that the TI scene needs a publisher, like they for example have for colecovision

[InfernalKeith]

Assuming the game is worthy, and turns out as well as I hope, I'm making plans to make a small number of actual, physical copies of the game for sale, in a box, with printed instruction manual. The plan is to make no more than 100, and probably a lot less, depending on how I decide to print up boxes and manuals. I'm going to number each one and when they're gone, that's it. (I suppose I should say "if" they're gone...)

 

I would be interested.... it's also a sign of a maturing TI homebrew scene.

Also think that the TI scene needs a publisher, like they for example have for colecovision

 

 

There's a company in the UK releasing new games for the Vic 20 and Commodore 64. They just put out an RPG called Realms of Quest, for the 32K expanded Vic-20, and it's a beautiful looking game. Full color booklet, packaging, and the back of the disk contains the author's entire collection of other PD games to date as a bonus. Really nice and elaborate!

 

Mine won't be quite THAT spectacular, but I definitely want to have color cover and nice booklet, and maybe a laminated quick reference card to show all the cat-herding commands at a glance.

 

For my next game, the mini RPG type game, I'm thinking of writing a small novella to go with it, and comb-binding that to include with the package. That may be a little overly ambitious, I don't know... but I love the idea enough that I might go for it, no matter how ridiculous.

 

Keith

[Opry99er]

Keith---I was thinking, why don't you send Hal (from CTIUG) an email and demo "Herding Cats" this year at the Faire? It's definitely a cool and original concept, and you would certainly be able to sell some there.... Make your gas money back. Hal is always eager for new demonstrators.

Edited February 9, 2010 by Opry99er

[InfernalKeith]

Keith---I was thinking, why don't you send Hal (from CTIUG) an email and demo "Herding Cats" this year at the Faire? It's definitely a cool and original concept, and you would certainly be able to sell some there.... Make your gas money back. Hal is always eager for new demonstrators.

 

 

My goal is to have Herding Cats and Downward both finished by then, and to demo them both at the Faire. I'm not 100% sure I want to release HC on its own yet, or if I can have Downward finished in time -- I want to see how it's coming along in a month or two and then decide. If Downward turns out really good, I might "release" it in a package, and put HC on it as a bonus, or something. It's all still too nebulous right now for me to make a final decision. Ideally, I'll be done with both games and on to the next project by then, but life has a way of sneaking in there and messing up plans...

 

Right now I just gotta focus on getting HC done this week. I still have to finish designing all the levels, once the actual functionality of the game is done.