Too much competition?

[j0nAsh]

First of all before I begin, I just want to say a huge thank you to whoever made this site and the moderators and staff who put the effort in. I have been searching endlessly for an active forum discuss the development of web based games. Also, P.S sorry in advance for the long rambling post, I sometimes just get a bit carried away like that.

I'm looking at developing my own web based game, and I know half the topics on here already begin like this but don't leave just yet :), the unoriginal starting line is what I want to talk about.

I work for an I.T company and I've recently finished a PHP based financial and project management based system which I developed in a relatively short period of time using a fairly large amount of the available PHP functions and therefore know, even maybe with some difficulty, I could develop a game.

The problem is I have spent the few months researching the games out there using game ranking websites that I remembered from a child such as http://www.mpogd.com/.... and my has it changed. I remember around 8 years ago when I used to play these games the number of votes each one had on that site was massively bigger than now. Anyway I continued my research and found some other ranking websites I go through the ranks 1-100....registering... playing... and taking notes.

I noticed, with disappointment, and I mean this with no disrespect as I understand however you develop a game it is hard work, the majority were based on MCCode game engine with a modified name and perhaps change the mobster to a pimp etc,. I also noticed some had a decent number of active players while almost identical sites didn't, saying this the majority had 0-10 active users. I can only assume that the active players were brought in on some sort of marketing campaign?

Now my question is with the number of games out there and the fact that it is now possible for anyone to make a game, providing they don't mind it being similar to others, is there actually any space in the 'web game market' for new games? and when I ask this question I'm not talking about profits, I'm talking about getting a loyal and active user base.

I know that question depends on whether the game is unique, what it offers and more, but judging by the top 100 games in the majority of ranking websites it actually seems people don't want unique any more.

Personally I couldn't use the engine myself, it would take the fun (and stress) out of making it, but I'm asking myself the question, if I developed a 'good' somewhat original game will people register and login and think, well this isn't mafia wars and then never return...

It would be great if anyone had any actual figures or charts actually showing the number of users involved in web based games and how this has changed over the past few years and I'm sure other users who are interested in starting their own game would find it beneficial.

I also wanted to note, these are just my opinions I'm not saying its true, but it would be nice to have a discussion on this.

Thanks for your time

j0nAsh

[bobbylien]

The problem is the masses of 14 year old kids out there that want to make GTA online. But the thing is that the people who play those games don't spend much money. You're much better off having only 100 active users or so but having them be 30-60 years old with money. So find a way to reach them with your game.

[W3Theory || Peter]

Oh yeah there is a game, most of the games you talk about are 0-20 online, creating a unique game people love and get people 100's of people online (depending on if it is addictive).

[Sim]

The majority of web based games are based around "crime". I myself have tried to move away from that and try to create more of a real rpg feel to it. The problem with this is really the resources as I am basicly a one man team. A true game needs features, content, and art.

[j0nAsh]

Thanks for the replies.

Sim, I know what you mean about the whole crime aspect. I think single character games are somewhat easier than building games which require an army to battle, mainly because of a more complex battle script, and also the MCCode is a perfect framework for developing a game. I myself am want to get away from the crime theme, but there must be a reason, apart from the two I stated, why there are so many out there!

P.S Peter, your layout looks pretty neat :)

j0nAsh

[Diesl]

I think that with engine's like McCodes being as accessible and affordable as it is, anyone can make a game. Since it is already based on the theme of crime, and crime is particularly interesting and proven to be successful, you are going to get a lot of repetitive games.

Now, is the web game market still alive? I would say yes. With crime? I would say that it is dying out and players want new themes that interest them. It is very hard to make a new crime game as a small team or independent developer because a handful of new features doesn't really set you apart from your competition.

I think what you need to find is a really captivating niche market and try to develop for that. I used to play Samurai of Legend a long time ago, and was successful, not because it had amazing features, but because it was different and all the anime/asian fans could relate to its theme. One idea may be to try creating a game based on the theme of magic/wizardry and try to grab the Harry Potter fans.

[Pyromann]

Ohhh, it's true that the browser based game market is bigger every day. The competition is big ... in my opinion, the accent is put on design unfortunately.

It's hard to keep up without 1000 - 2000 $ in your pocket.

It is a hard work to develop a browser game, but i would be happy to see at least 50 - 100 players registered and playing my game ...

just for fun, even without donations, just to see that my work was not in vain.

Good luck for you guys ... we all need that !

[Spudinski]

Well, firstly, welcome to the forums. :)

The background you have in creating a financial system will be a massive benefit while creating a online game, because, it's all just clever maths.

As for "marketing campaign", no, not at all. It's just the way most of those game owners think: if they "appear" to have more users, they will gain more. They simply run a quick script with fake asl's to populate a database, that's all. It's kind of guaranteed that one in every 100 user will stay, no matter how bad the site is.

On to your question;

Is there a still a market? Indeed, there's a massive market.

One have to remember that most people(like you), even though aged, still want to play those classic games we all love or at least something similar. Remember GTA 1, still 2D RPG type where you look from above? Those are coming back strong, but now it's web-based and accessible to anyone, anywhere.

Loyal players will come, and stay - if you give them a reason of course.

The market have changed, yes, but that's not because of MCCodes being so affordable and easily accessible. You have to remember that people have preferences, and search for different things in a game.

Take me for instance: I love TribalWars, and still spend 5USD every month for their premium features even though I can do without it. Why? Because I love the game: it's complex yet entertaining, I have acquaintances there, and it's persistent. That's something I can't say for most MCCodes or even most other MMOGs out there these days. They make everything so "I want money" like, that you have to purchase this or that to even let the game be playable. Although corporate companies do this as well, the main culprit are these teens that buy a engine and simply modify a line of CSS or two, and call it "FREE! Unique TOP Gangster MASSIVE Multiplayer Online GAME" (I've actually seen a title like that, it's very sad and degrading).

Originality is key when making a game, that is if you want loyal and decent players. Sure, not many people would like it, but that will mostly be these young teens that only want to play an online FPS with woman instead of men soldiers. It doesn't matter anyways, because they are normally the ones who make a game unplayable in the first place. You want to build a community in- and around your game, that will make people want to come back.

Another key aspect of a game should actually be play-ability and the longevity of your game in general.

It's basically how long a player can play without becoming bored, and leave. Granted you can't have someone stay forever, but you should aim for eternity when designing the game. Let's take MafiaWars for example: why can one play so long before becoming bored? For me it was a month, then everything just became a routine and there was nothing exciting left to do. But the reason I didn't leave within say, a week, is because it's a social game. Ok, it does not feature a live chat feature or anything, but that was never the point of playing, I simply wanted to see if I can get a higher level than my friends. Plus, I played it on Facebook, so being able to chat with a friend while playing was an awesome thing indeed.

That is something to keep in mind when designing a game, especially if you want to attract a younger audience(18-30): how social can you make it? Just adding a simple chat feature can be a sure-fire way to have the players stay on longer, and if you implement abilities for the players to brag about their achievements, you will keep them even longer.

When it comes down to it, you just need to plan very carefully.

Firstly and foremost: what you want it to be, and what you want out of it. Also think of why you would play it, what would you do to the game if you were playing it and not going building it.

And after all of that, when you have what you want out of it planned to the last detail, then you start asking people what they would like to see. Using a few beta testers of different ages and marginally the same preference for the type of game the like will get you the best results. After you have that input, you adapt the game, but while still keeping it to your liking.

After that it would be time for a public trail, where everyone can give input. After everything is done, and everything is exactly how you wanted it to be, then you can start the clock on the game, sit back, and enjoy your creation. People will come, any many will stay and become very loyal players, it's just gonna take some time.

Wishing you the best with your future(or not) road to creating a game.

Edited August 21, 2011 by Spudinski
typo? NEVER!