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Game designs on demand

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Wed, 07/20/2005 - 19:26
jwalduck
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Joined: 09/06/2011

I was just looking around Cheap Ass when I saw a link to Lone Shark Games which is basically James Ernest and Mike Selinker.

Heres how they describe their services:

Quote:
Lone Shark Games does design consulting, runs game show and puzzle events, and creates game designs on demand, for game publishers worldwide. We also have a number of original designs on the Front Burner, which you can view if you're a qualified game publisher.

This throws the whole business on its head - publishers making designers an offer. I guess that is what comes from making a name for yourself.

The game design on demand is intriguing. Could the BGDF do this? Collect a brief, run something like the GDS for initial ideas, polish the one or two best ideas and get it back to the client.

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Wed, 07/20/2005 - 22:39
#1
phpbbadmin
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Re: Game designs on demand

Quote:
Lone Shark Games does design consulting, runs game show and puzzle events, and creates game designs on demand, for game publishers worldwide. We also have a number of original designs on the Front Burner, which you can view if you're a qualified game publisher.

Somehow I don't think they have people knocking down their door to make use of their services... For one thing, I'm not sure how respected Cheapass is among other publishers. Another thing is that most publishers have no shortage of games to publish. In fact, a lot of publishers have backlogs several years long.

Quote:

This throws the whole business on its head - publishers making designers an offer. I guess that is what comes from making a name for yourself.

The game design on demand is intriguing. Could the BGDF do this? Collect a brief, run something like the GDS for initial ideas, polish the one or two best ideas and get it back to the client.

Heh you just missed it. Zev of Zman games did something very similar here just recently. Unfortunately the deadline was this past Monday.

You can read about it here:
-Darke

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Wed, 07/20/2005 - 22:46
#2
FastLearner
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Joined: 12/31/1969
Game designs on demand

There is a market, though, that can use such games. In fact, that Psychology Today article mentioned a week or two ago specifically talked about that adult education/training/simulation market. That's the kind of thing that people might come to you for.

And the idea of joint development is very intriguing. Of course, then there's the nasty "who gets the money" problem.

-- Matthew

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Thu, 07/21/2005 - 00:35
#3
Yogurt
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Joined: 01/09/2009
Re: Game designs on demand

Darkehorse wrote:
I'm not sure how respected Cheapass is among other publishers.

Well, Lone Shark has done work for WizKids (Pirates of the Spanish Main), Z-Man, Rio Grande and Quest Machine, so they're doing okay. They have a gallery of "front burner" designs for publishers to choose from too, which is a nifty idea.

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Thu, 07/21/2005 - 01:07
#4
jwalduck
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Joined: 09/06/2011
Game designs on demand

That list of publishers supprised me too. Especially Pirate of the Spanish Main reference.

I did see and participate in the Zman design competition, but that was a competition and this is something else - a service I guess. There is the problem of distributing the money - "My ideas constitute 13.89% of this title so pay up!"

You could come up with an answer that sidesteps that issue. Say we offered the above service, designed and got paid as a community. Then the community money could be used to publish and sell other games the community designs for itself. Bask is improving reputation. Repeat.

Members only risk the time and effort they are willing to put in, which they are doing anyway. There might be other social costs (you would have to introduce a communal decision making process ie politics).

Well thats my communist rant fo rthe day done.

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Thu, 07/21/2005 - 06:40
#5
hpox
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Joined: 12/31/1969
Game designs on demand

Cheapass is pretty successful and most of their games have good ideas. That would make them respected in my opinion.

I don't think the bgdf could provide such a service. Two or three members working on an idea at a time is alright but a full community? That will just become confusing, even more since we cannot see each other. Look at the Spielunker project, it was amazing but was being pulled in different directions...

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Thu, 07/21/2005 - 08:06
#6
Infernal
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Joined: 12/31/1969
Game designs on demand

Quote:
I don't think the bgdf could provide such a service. Two or three members working on an idea at a time is alright but a full community? That will just become confusing, even more since we cannot see each other. Look at the Spielunker project, it was amazing but was being pulled in different directions...

If each member (or small group) worked on their own game and the best was selected from that to be published.

Here is a sugestion for a system to select a game to be published:
1) A person or group comes up with an initial game idea. This is just a concept sketch. A breif outline of the rules (not a complete ruleset) and description of the pieces (eg 3 types of coloured pawns).

2) Each submission is discussed (like in the GDW). Suggestions for improvement can be offered by the comunity. Once a game is submitted for discussion it becomes property of the community, but the inital creators can have final say on it (but other can make their own modifications and resubmit them).

3) Periodically, a vote is taken by the community (one vote each, but voting is not manditory) to decide which few games will be put into final prototype. Final prototype will be a small production run of the final game.

4) Finaly the comunity has a final vote on which game(s) will make it to production. The games available will, by nesessity, have to conform to budget, compleation, etc.

This is a basic framework (ie I have no experence in this, but it is a place where we can start descussions from). Thjere will undoubtedly be things that are unworkable but please offer suggestions on how we could make it work.

I think this is a great idea some what equivelent ot the Open Source Movement in computer software. The resources offered by this community could be used to bring cheep but very well designed game to the market.

nb: maybe some of the money could be used as a prize for game design competitions heald at thei site (not that I would win any :D)

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Thu, 07/21/2005 - 10:55
#7
jwalduck
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Joined: 09/06/2011
Game designs on demand

As I said, politics would raise its ugly head. But the model Infernal proposed is probably how it would work. Individual or small groups putting together designs with the help of the community.

Also members could be involved to play to their strengths. We have some good illustrators here for example. We have others who have self published or running companies who would have great insight on the production side of things. More than just criticism members would also need to playtest games at various stages.

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Wed, 08/03/2005 - 05:34
#8
pelpo
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Game designs on demand

I love the idea. This forums brings a lot of knowledge together, the output must be truly great.

I do recall a few examples of companies looking for a game designer: one of them was an NGO, looking for a game with a sustainable growth theme. Another example was a christian based youth movement, looking for a game that would emphasise that people are stronger if they work together. So there certainly is a (small?) market of companies and organisations looking for a game to deliver their information to the audience in a more 'youth-friendly' way.

The hard thing would be the marketing part I guess. How would these companies find BGDF? Google and dito engines? I can't think of anything else...

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