Posts by zaphod

  • Zero Gear - an indie multiplayer kart racing game

    well, I would buy L4D in a heartbeat if there was a restriction like only paid players could play as Zombies.

    I am mostly worried that there won't be enough of a user base to support a vibrant multi-player experience. So many multiplayer games get released and die because there are only 200-300 players trying to play at once. If there was a free component then at least there would always be people playing.

    If we attract people that are only playing it because it is free, and don't care about all the other cool stuff you could do with the paid version - were they really going to buy the game in the first place? I'm not sure that is really a lost sale. Those people would still be a value to the game though because it is someone to fill up a server slot.

    also, another quick accessory: "Eye Poppers"

    [Blocked Image: http://nimblebit.com/eyepoppers.png]

  • Zero Gear - an indie multiplayer kart racing game

    Quote from tofu

    I feel you'd be laughing all the way to the bank if you tied the cost around 10 EUR. PvZ is doing super well and a lot of that has to do with its price + word of mouth ("Hey its really cool and only 10 EUR!"), where as others that are slightly more expensive aren't pulling as much fare - they lack the zombies however If you release at 10 EUR, why not hold back a couple items from every category (carts and levels included) and release it a month or two later as a free update, to gain more exposure?

    I think you could have a lot of fun in figuring out ways to draw players in, your production values are insanely high also - I don't think it'll be hard to convince anyone to pay 10-15 Eur if you can link them to some footage or at least get the word spreading like wild fire.

    I would be open to any price between 10-20 USD, I think a lot of what it will come down to will be getting people's reaction towards what we plan to release + what advice the steam guys have to give us based on what they have experienced.

    What do you think specifically about having a free version of the game running along with the paid version specifically?

  • Turning the Apple TV Into a Game Platform

    Here is a blog post I wrote up the other day extolling how awesome an Apple TV game platform would be. I wanted to get Mapcore's take on it so I copy/pasta it here for joo.

    http://www.nimblebit.com/2009/05/turnin ... -platform/

    [Blocked Image: http://www.nimblebit.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/appleconsole.jpg]

    There have been a lot of rumors floating around out on the inter-tubes with speculation that Apple might be jumping into the console space. Here is a great article by Appy Entertainment with some reasons why something which might seem absurd on the face of things might actually be vital for Apple to pursue.

    Quote

    Suppose Apple continues to treat Apple TV as a “hobby” and allows somebody else (say Microsoft) to occupy this space? This could put iTunes is at risk which would then start to reverse the momentum that Apple has spent so many long years building — jeopardizing their entire ecosystem including the iPod and iPhone franchises. Can Apple really build their strategy around “Digital Lifestyle” and not have a strong presence in the living room? Can they own this space without home gaming? - Appy Place

    I could write a long article about all the reasons why it would be good for Apple to support an app store on the Apple TV, but I would pretty much just be re-writing the article quoted above. Instead, lets think of what an app-enabled Apple TV would mean for the people we really care about, game developers!

    Here are a few general assumptions we might make about an Apple TV console that would be important to developers:

    • -digital distribution only ( iTunes / App Store)
      -720p resolution
      -dedicated graphics chipset (mac minis currently pack a NVIDIA GeForce 9400M)
      -core duo or core2 duo processor
      -at least 1 gig of ram
      -at least 80 gig HD
      -internet connectivity
      -some kind of controller
      -open developer program

    If all these things came together into this device, it would mean a big opportunity for developers:

    Lowest barrier to entry of any home console platform ever built.

    The iPhone app store completely blew the doors off platform accessibility for developers. While there has been some growing pains associated with that leap, there is no question it was a milestone event in the history of commercial game development that has spurred the imaginations of over 50,000 developers across the globe. Bringing a similar creative explosion to a home console platform would trigger a similar shift in console games as a fresh wave (probably more of a tsunami) of developers and games that were previously relegated to other very low barrier platforms (the PC and web) completely engulf a fresh audience of couch-bound gamers.

    Familiar and accessible development environment.

    It seems like with every “next generation” game console that emerges, developers encounter some new technical configuration to re-learn. It would be almost guaranteed that a games-enabled Apple TV would run some form of OS X, a platform that many Mac and iPhone developers have already become very intimate with. It has proven to be a stable, robust and easy platform to develop on. If Apple’s app development strategy continued the trends of the iPhone and iPod, then the Apple TV would also serve as a dev-kit - something that is very costly and difficult to obtain from other game console manufacturers.

    Not just games, but applications too.

    Consoles have dabbled a bit in the areas of applications, the Nintendo Wii has things like weather and news, and some consoles provide access to the web which can have app-like usefulness. You only need to take a glance at the iPhone to see the enormous potential for 3rd party applications for a TV device. While there has been markets for digitally distributed games on consoles for the past few years - there has never been the opportunity to make non-game applications, which is an entirely new frontier in it’s own right. Developers could create applications that let users check the weather, use twitter, email, read news, use facebook, instant message, access all kinds of media, or decide where to go out to dinner, all from the comfort of your couch.

    Bringing games to a new audience

    Another trick of Apple’s with the iPhone / iPod has been to introduce mobile gaming to a large audience of people that would never have invested in a mobile game console such as the Nintendo DS or PSP. Many gamers on these platforms bought an iDevice to make phone calls or listen to music before discovering the treasure trove of games and apps available to run on their platform. It was not billed solely as a games platform, games are merely one of the entertaining things it is capable of, and the same would be true of the Apple TV. There would be the opportunity to introduce games to an entire segment of non-console owners who would be using the Apple TV for movies and television who suddenly find themselves with the ability to use games on their TV for entertainment.

    Will it ever happen?

    We here at NimbleBit love open game distribution channels, we think it inspires creativity and provides many developers opportunity. While it is unknown if Apple has any sort of plans like this, it is fun to fuel the flames of speculation and fantasize about a new open game distribution channel opening up. If it ever does, you can be sure you will be able to find some NimbleBit games on it.

  • Zero Gear - an indie multiplayer kart racing game

    We are not really that jazzed about the mirco-payment part of a free to play game, I have yet to see a western game that has been successful using that kind of setup. In fact Kart Rider has pulled it's western release presumably for the reason they found people here would not support that model.

    So the biggest reason we would have a free to play element in the game would be to boost players, it would essentially be a risk free and constantly running demo - with the added benefit for paying users that they have a bigger set of games and players to interact with. The biggest question would be what you could limit in the free version that would actually inspire people to pay for the game to unlock those features, without doing things that make the free players experience feel shitty, and turn them off from the game.

  • Zero Gear - an indie multiplayer kart racing game

    11 characters

    12 karts

    14 wheels

    25 hats

    11 accessories

    11 maps

    we don't know for sure about the cost, we will probably have to consult with some people who are more knowledgeable than us before we know for sure. It will not be more than 20 dollars at least.

    since the game is primarily multiplayer, we really want to get as many people online playing at once as possible. One way we have considered achieving that is to release the game for free, and then lock certain elements and functions in the game unless you purchase a zero gear license. Things like the garage might be available in the free version so you can deck out your awesome character, but then when you go to save or exit it tells you that you can only customize your character with a license, etc.

    what do you guys think?