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First launch soon ready

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Johan
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Joined: 10/05/2008

Hi

So many things to do and so little time. To start a company, get a product range and have a launch ready in two month (just one left) is a lot of work. At the same time try to plan the games for the autumn, sign and write contracts and plan test sessions just take all my time. All this and also having a full time job and a family, I don’t have time to sleep this month. Right now everything is happening at the speed that are planned (I still not have delays, but the panic will come).

Things that I found as the hardest thing is the economic. Specially compensation to game designers, for art and to other people that I work with. What is a fair deal? This is like balancing a thin line. I need to make money on this so I can afford to continue, but I also want the people involved in the work to get there shares.

Another thing that is difficult is all taxes. Tax law is difficult to understand.

I don’t own Gottick. I own a company called Johann Game Design. I don’t have any home page yet and I will launch my games under the Gottick logo. Gottick are three different game design groups, that have joined.

Our first launch (with the start of the company and the group) will be the 3-June. We have 5 games in the Small print line (50 games of each). You can find the games at http://www.gottick.com/gott.html. This page is not ready yet (under construction). My own games are Feeeeed Meeeee and Devil's Deeds. Devil's Deeds and Happy landing will only have Swedish rules at the launch, but in august they will come in an English version. R.A.F has also German version in the plan.
The price is in Swedish crowns (SEK) and $1 is around 7.50 SEK.

There are more games are to come. I know that this is just the start. This autumn (August/September) I will launch several games... here is my planned list (the other design groups will also add several games later), but is can be changed (I expect that one or two games can be rescheduled in the end).
- Darebase: Created by Matt (Bryk), I have the honor to publish this great game and I hope that we can do it justice. We will do new graphic for the game, otherwise will the game be intact.
- Pirates and Cannibals: (The name will be changed). This is a card game where you have to fight savage cannibals, but then decide who of your mates you will eat (you still need food). The game is designed by Toby (Nestalawe) and the artwork is done by (OutsideLimit) (hope I got that right Toby).
- Dragon Attack: A card game where you will take the role of a dragon and will try to get famous. The artwork is done by Peter (gpetersz).
- YARG: (Yet another racing game). A different racing game, where you try to block the other players from doing anything. You also rebuilding (changing) the game board during the game.

In the pipeline there are several games. In mid October launch I have planed at least 4 games. I also hope for a full game production (1000-2000 copies) of at least one of the games.

// Johan

phpbbadmin
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Joined: 04/23/2013
First launch soon ready

Sweet Johan! I wish you all the success in the world. Your company is one of the reasons I started this community! I want people to collaborate and encourage each other, with the end product being new games that we all get to play. Good job and keep up the good work.

-Michael

Zzzzz
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Joined: 06/20/2008
First launch soon ready

Wow so many people publishing their own games(and other peoples games)!! I feel soooo much like a loser!

Congrats and good luck Johan!

Nestalawe
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Re: First launch soon ready

Johan wrote:

- Pirates and Cannibals: (The name will be changed). This is a card game where you have to fight savage cannibals, but then decide who of your mates you will eat (you still need food). The game is designed by Toby (Nestalawe) and the artwork is done by (OutsideLimit) (hope I got that right Toby).

Heh heh, nearly Johan ;)

'OutsideLime' - maybe its time you shared the background to the name Josh ;)

This is a pretty crazy game - Hungry Shipwrecked Pirates fight eachother then eat one of their crewmates... Little do they realise the roasting smell would attract a tribe of Cannibals who attack the Pirates for their own feast...

This is a great opportuniy you are giving your fellow designers Johan, I just hope we can make you proud! Its fantastic to be able to support fellow designers in a community like this.

FastLearner
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Joined: 12/31/1969
First launch soon ready

Congratulations Johan (and Bryk and Nestwale and OutsideLime and everyone else)! Very cool, that's great!

-- Matthew

Ska_baron
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Joined: 08/02/2008
First launch soon ready

Great job Johan & company! I VERY MUCH look forward to contributing a little home grown BGDF support to these great looking games. Just let me know when, where and who to write my check out to! Seriously guys, congrats and best of luck!

-Jonathan

Dralius
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Joined: 07/26/2008
First launch soon ready

Considering the exchange rates the prices look good, I hope the overseas shipping is reasonable as well.
With such small print runs can BGDF members preorder to be sure to get one?

Johan
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Joined: 10/05/2008
First launch soon ready

Hi

Thanks for the kind words. I will need every “good luck” I can get. This is a high risk project and several of times per day I doubt that I will get back the money I have invested (at least it will not be a catastrophe if I loose them). The best thing is that I have given this a try (not just dreamed about it).

As an answer to a direct question: I will not accept submissions. I don’t have the possibility to handle them. Maybe in the future, when we started the full size of this operation (I think that will take around 1.5 years).

If you want to get hold of some of the games you have to go to Sweden ;). We have a couple of distributors that are interested (for both Sweden and Europe) and we are planning a web store in the autumn, but right now no contract is signed yet so I cant say where you can buy the games. If you are interested and can’t wait, drop a mail to johanforsell@hotmail.com and I will make this possible to get a copy.

// Johan

P.S. If you planning to start something like this, believe people when they say that the most difficult thing is to find boxes for the game. That is a jungle and very expensive.

hpox
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Joined: 12/31/1969
First launch soon ready

In that case, I will add a hearty good luck and good success.

Johan
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Joined: 10/05/2008
First launch soon ready

Dralius wrote:
Considering the exchange rates the prices look good, I hope the overseas shipping is reasonable as well.
With such small print runs can BGDF members preorder to be sure to get one?

Yes you can preorder by sending me a mail, but I will not run out of games, since we print the small run our self. When I run out of a game, I will print another set (or send it to a full print).

I have bought a printing machine that give good laser quantity, can handle card stock and have a low price per unit. I also bought a big cutter (can handle up to 15 cards at the time and can manage a little bit over a length of 1 meter paper). My next goal is to get a figure cutter (don’t know the name in English) but it will allow me to make counters.

// Johan

FastLearner
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Joined: 12/31/1969
First launch soon ready

A die cutter (in English). Let us know what you find, I've been trying to find a "desktop" or "workbench" affordable die cutter for a long time.

(I mean besides single-cardboard-thickness die cutters like the Sizzix.)

Zzzzz
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Joined: 06/20/2008
First launch soon ready

Here is some info Fastlearner about about a die cutting (or cutting systems) from a different thread I posted to this weekend. I think the Xyron machine would be better for cutting out cards, since the other CriCut machine requires some font/shape cartridges (and I dont know if a card shape is avalable for it or not).

Zzzzz wrote:
I just saw two decent cutting machines online

Xyron Wishblade Personal Media Cutter - link
This one will connect to your computer and allow various fonts, shapes, images to be cut out. It seems to run about $450 bucks online.

Cricut - link
This is a standalone cutting system, cuts shapes, fonts. It uses cartridges that supply different fonts and shapes. But you dont need a computer. This one sells for about $250-$279, but you have to buy those font/shape cartridges.

Not sure how well they work but they both look great. I saw the CriCut in action and it could cut standard card stock, but I cant find thickness specifications for either machine. Which might be the downfall. And I think both of these can be found at local craft stores, and would be great if you could use a 40% off coupon!

FastLearner
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Joined: 12/31/1969
First launch soon ready

Wow, very cool! Thanks!

The wishblade.com site says "Wishblade cuts most paper, vellum, cardstock, vinyl, and other thin media," but I do wonder what multiple cuts of the exact same placement would do. It also notes " Wishblade cuts a variety of media. Technically speaking, Wishblade can handle media up to 0.3mm thick. When you change media types, the Wishblade software prompts you to place one of 3 colored caps on the blade corresponding to media thickness."

I've got to find a scrapbooking store nearby that lets me rent time on one.

-- Matthew

FastLearner
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Joined: 12/31/1969
First launch soon ready

I also note that the Wishblade system seems to require you to insert SD cards into your computer and to use the fonts and shapes on those cards... it's not clear that it actually allows you to use your own fonts or shapes or such, though it may.

hpox
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Joined: 12/31/1969
First launch soon ready

So I asked and it seems that you can.

Quote:

Jean,

You can customize your shapes. You can visit www.xyron.com to get some more ideas and also instructions on how to do everything.

Xyron customer service

-----Original Message-----
From: Jean-François Lassonde
Sent: Tuesday, May 09, 2006 6:55 PM
To: info@wishblade.com
Subject: Custom shape?

Hi,

Can we make our own original custom shape on the computer and have the
wishblade cut it or do we need to use the preset shapes and letters?

Thank you

FastLearner
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Joined: 12/31/1969
First launch soon ready

Ah, awesome!

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