Xbox Live Arcade? PlayStation Network? DS?

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AuthorTopic: Xbox Live Arcade? PlayStation Network? DS?
Apprentice
Member # 711
Profile #0
I'm wondering if Spiderweb plans to put its game onto XBLA or PSN, or maybe even DS. If not, I'm suggesting so.
Posts: 3 | Registered: Monday, March 4 2002 08:00
Shaper
Member # 32
Profile #1
Probably not...

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Lt. Sullust
Quaere verum
Posts: 2462 | Registered: Wednesday, October 3 2001 07:00
Shock Trooper
Member # 5545
Profile Homepage #2
I'm wondering why this seems to be the most common type of annoying new topic on general.

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Posts: 344 | Registered: Friday, February 25 2005 08:00
Shock Trooper
Member # 6666
Profile #3
Kids these days...
Posts: 353 | Registered: Monday, January 9 2006 08:00
BANNED
Member # 13806
Profile #4
Ooh! Can I play Blades of Avernum on a Jumbotron? :D
Posts: 134 | Registered: Sunday, February 3 2008 08:00
Electric Sheep One
Member # 3431
Profile #5
But I think I remember Jeff posting here, not too long ago, and saying that he was quite interested in making games for such systems, because he could easily reach an enormous market with them. Porting any existing games is another question. But if in the future Jeff made a console game, and it sold really well for him, I bet he'd find it worthwhile to port some old titles.

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Posts: 3335 | Registered: Thursday, September 4 2003 07:00
By Committee
Member # 4233
Profile #6
He would have to change a fair bit about the games though, especially combat interfaces. A lack of a keyboard would make targeting more interesting, for example, as well as spell selection.
Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00
Warrior
Member # 8131
Profile Homepage #7
Jeff has previously suggested he at least has a passing interest in digital console distribution (even if a very small fraction of current console owners were interested it could be very profitable). I'm not sure what Microsoft's plans are for the XNA stuff (the games are free right now but I'm pretty sure they are scheduled to be paid for at some point) but XNA might be a viable option for something. I can't imagine the current games being ported due to control issues but aybe a streamlined Avernum or Geneforge game. I'd play a 2.5d isometric action RPG in the Avernum or Geneforge universes. There have been a couple efforts on Xbox Live but they have had really shoddy stories. Arkadian Warriors comes to mind, gameplay was reasonably fun but NO quality storyline, tell them to contract Jeff Vogel out for writing.

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alexkaltsas.com
Posts: 145 | Registered: Sunday, February 18 2007 08:00
By Committee
Member # 4233
Profile #8
Avernum would probably be the best candidate, what with its streamlined spell system.

The tricky part would probably be developing a targeting cursor.
Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00
Raven v. Writing Desk
Member # 261
Profile Homepage #9
Targetting would suck. I also suspect that the quantity of text in these games would greatly reduce their appeal for the console market.

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Posts: 3560 | Registered: Wednesday, November 7 2001 08:00
Shaper
Member # 32
Profile #10
The PS3 supports the use of a mouse and a keyboard. I'm not sure about the xbox, but I imagine it does as well. So targeting really wouldn't have to change...

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Lt. Sullust
Quaere verum
Posts: 2462 | Registered: Wednesday, October 3 2001 07:00
Lifecrafter
Member # 7538
Profile Homepage #11
quote:
Originally written by Lt. Sullust:

The PS3 supports the use of a mouse and a keyboard. I'm not sure about the xbox, but I imagine it does as well. So targeting really wouldn't have to change...
Pretty soon, PS3 is just gonna be considered a different OS (if it isn't considered one already, that is).

Regarding the topic: apparently some people don't understand the idea of shareware.

I think it's very unlikely JV will port any of his games to any other kind of console, for aforementioned reasons, and then some. Remember that to please many people these days, a game has to have graphics superior to those of any Spiderweb game.

Furthermore, what's the point of him porting to another system? The games already run on both Mac and Windows, and who doesn't have one or the other? It'd be cheaper for people to just get them for their own computer OS.

[ Monday, March 10, 2008 18:42: Message edited by: Nemesis. ]

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Posts: 743 | Registered: Friday, September 29 2006 07:00
Shaper
Member # 32
Profile #12
Because console games generally attract a larger crowd than computer games? Unless, of course, the name of your company happens to be Blizzard...

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Lt. Sullust
Quaere verum
Posts: 2462 | Registered: Wednesday, October 3 2001 07:00
By Committee
Member # 4233
Profile #13
I don't think most xbox 360 or PS3 owners tend to opt for keyboards and mice, nor do I think they would in order to take advantage of downloadable games.

I think if there is an opportunity for Jeff's games on other media, it would be on portable platforms, like cell phones, or maybe touch ipods/iphones, where graphic resolution isn't as important. The problem with the standard cell phone of course is there is insufficient display space for all the text (though targeting wouldn't be as much of a problem with an array of phone buttons). The touch ipod/iphone, on the other hand, could make for much more interesting targeting, and display space isn't as much of an issue.
Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00
Shaper
Member # 32
Profile #14
The DS offers a larger display than the Iphone if you include both screens. However, as I mentioned in the other thread, the DS only has 4mb of internal RAM. Even with the best external ram cartridges the max is 36mb. So that system would probably be limited to the Exile Series.

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Lt. Sullust
Quaere verum
Posts: 2462 | Registered: Wednesday, October 3 2001 07:00
By Committee
Member # 4233
Profile #15
The DS is also a whack custom platform to format for. I think keeping Exile/Avernum in the company of Popcap-style games on phones and more universal portable media would be the way to go - you want to appeal to the older market of folks who still harbor love for the Gold Box games and would want such an RPG. The market for the DS, by contrast, is largely younger.

With regard to file size, surely that's just a matter of configuration. I can't imagine that the Golden Sun games were any less complex, but they fit on a cartridge.
Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00
Shaper
Member # 32
Profile #16
The market for Nintendo consoles has widened considerably within the past few years. As far as the old folks go, I don't think they'd be any more willing to play cell-phone games than something on a DS. From my experience they tend to remain very stationary. ;)

File size isn't a problem; it's making sure that the program uses memory efficiently. Converting to the DS would also be easier, since there are free programs which convert C/C++ code into the appropriate format. There was a decent sized community that figured out most of the difficult work relating to homebrew. Though it is dwindling now, projects like DSLinux still live on...

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Lt. Sullust
Quaere verum
Posts: 2462 | Registered: Wednesday, October 3 2001 07:00
Law Bringer
Member # 6489
Profile Homepage #17
If I could play Avernum on my iPhone,that would be awesome. Targeting would be a breeze on this platform, and since it uses a version of OS X, which Jeff already develops for, I would imagine that it wouldn't be hard to port it.

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Posts: 1556 | Registered: Sunday, November 20 2005 08:00
Shaper
Member # 32
Profile #18
Apple even appears to offer it's own Development Kit. Although it still seems way too expensive for a phone if you ask me...

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Lt. Sullust
Quaere verum
Posts: 2462 | Registered: Wednesday, October 3 2001 07:00
Warrior
Member # 6923
Profile Homepage #19
The SDK itself is free, it is only the developer program which costs money. The SDK includes the iPhone sim, so he could at least see how feasible it is and how much work he would have to do to port it. If it isn't too much work it really would be very cool.

I think A1-3 + Nethergate would work best (resolution and lower requirements) and depending how file transfer works BoA (probably not the editor though).

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Posts: 74 | Registered: Friday, March 17 2006 08:00
Warrior
Member # 8131
Profile Homepage #20
Step 1: Spiderweb releases games on iPhone.
Step 2: Convince employer we need to switch from Blackberries to iPhones.
Step 3: Find a dusty basement closet to hole up in.

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alexkaltsas.com
Posts: 145 | Registered: Sunday, February 18 2007 08:00
Shaper
Member # 32
Profile #21
I doubt that any port to systems with such a small screen could get by with just a resolution change. The interfaces would probably need major changes to make everything reasonably visible.

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Lt. Sullust
Quaere verum
Posts: 2462 | Registered: Wednesday, October 3 2001 07:00
By Committee
Member # 4233
Profile #22
the interface on A1 and especially the Exile series was already pretty small. It probably would just take rejiggering to pop-up inventory displays a la the current games.
Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00