Investing in Quality Game/s

[rulerofzu]

By the way, DO NOT mail me if all your game is, is a out of the box game engine with a new template. That's not what I am after. That seems to be most of what I am getting at the minute...

Thats more than likely all your going to get.

You want a original well designed not yet released game that you didnt put any effort into but may or may not invest up to $15k in (highly doubt it) for 50% of the game.

Seriously. So if someone has a original well themed game just about to be released that had time and effort into the theme,content,code,gameplay then why upon release all of a sudden want or wish to have an "investor".

Really it sounds like your trying to get your hands on something for doing very litte.

I would recommend the following to ANYONE considering this.

Contract.

Investment. Agree on a sum which should be paid even if it is in regular amounts or a lump sum. That way if the investor decides to bail out then your still getting your money.

Percentage. Negotiable depending on the sum agreed above. Should be for an arranged amount of years ie not for life.

The investor does not require access to your control panel, code, backups etc etc.

Legal considerations.

Regardless of the contract if your both in different countries then the legal costs would out way any investment. $15k in legal costs is nothing. So if either side breaks the contract then more than likely your going to be able to do nothing about it.

[JordanD]

I don't see why everyone is confused about this. Many businesses that grow quickly get some kind of venture capital investment which is similar to what Kieran-R is offering. Facebook wouldn't have been able to grow as quickly as it did without receiving investments by venture capital companies. This seems like a reasonable business offer for anyone that is working hard on a great game, but doesn't have the financial means to properly market it.

Since this would be a real and serious business investment, I would have to disagree with you, rulerofzu. If Kieran invests in 50% of a game/business then he would own 50% of it for life, not for a set number of years. He should also have access to the cpanel and everything in it if he owns half of it and invests thousands of dollars into it.

Just make sure that you sign a contract to protect both of you and I personally would only make a deal with someone involving thousands of dollars if that person lived in the same country as me (the US), but that's just me.

[rulerofzu]

There is levels of investment I dont believe the investment stated here warrants consideration of a 50% stake for life. Disagree as much as you wish but its called business.

[Kieran-R]

Rulerofzu, capital investment even on an already made game could massivley help a game reach is highest potential. Not everyone wants an investor, but it will help a massive amount for most people.

I am only looking for permnament investment (not yearly like you are suggesting).

[LearningCoder]

Kieran-R what kind of game you looking for? One like GP or GB?

[rulerofzu]

I would suggest you rethink what your bringing to the table then Kieran.

$15k with next to no actual work input apart from shelving ideas and a bit of coding for a lifetime 50% profit return really does not cut it from where I am sitting. Perhaps for noobs with no common sense yeah.

If it was interested, of which I am not this is hypothetical, I would offer you 20% for an investment of $15k.

Why? Bearing in mind the level of experience and input that you have to offer. As far as I am concerned you have yet to show you have a decent standard of coding or have had experience in this field at all. Successful game? Previous partnerships? Advertising and marketing experience. The list goes on.

Dont take this the wrong way. This is business nothing personal. Approach it as such from both sides. It seems that the money is the appeal where in actual fact its not. You can easily spend $15 on advertising alone and your game still be a complete utter failure.

[a_bertrand]

I would agree with rulerofzu here. 15k may seems a lot, but a professional development cost a lot more than that. Just to give you an hint, a professional developer working a full year for you will cost you between 60K and 120K (if hired in the US). So 15K is just for the development of a custom code... nearly nothing.

For the advertisement, sure it may bring some people, but think that advert is extremely costly. So you may burn it in 3-5 month or even less depending on the campaign you are doing.

So overall the 15K which is the top of what is proposed here, is a lot for an HOBBY website, but peanuts for any professional development. For an hobby website then maybe the 50% share could make sense, for a pro, certainly not at those conditions.

Remains all the legal issues which are clearly hard to judge just like that, but even hiring a lawyer to check the contract and make sure the transaction is valid and makes sense will eat up already some money. Maybe not the 15K, but quiet certainly more than 500$.

As somebody stated already, would make more sense to use the 15K to build yourself a project than investing into somebody else work.

[Kieran-R]

A lot of you are misunderstanding me a bit I think. Im looking to invest, not enter a partnership where it is equal work. Also, I dis say that 50% is only my idea, but I could settle for less in some cases if I see the potential. Furthernore, I can invest more than $15,000, but that would only be in exceptional curcumstances.

Why I dont make a game myself? Because I am not the best with ideas, I do not have the paitence to create a full game, nor do I have the time to create or manage it once it is complete.

If you wouldnt accept a $15k investment then that is fine, but there is plenty of people who would, and I have already receoved some reasonable offers.

[LearningCoder]

Why invest in all these big games? Why not invest in a game what isn't the best then they could make I better?

[HauntedDawg]

Why invest in all these big games? Why not invest in a game what isn't the best then they could make I better?

Because when you have a game that its not capable of reaching his mind set, he does not have to invest in it?

It's like saying,

Hey invest in me, im on this forum, you know me, dont invest in that huge company thats going to bring you triple your profit.

@rulerofzu: I do not see him saying "Please let me invest in rulerofzu.com". So stop trying to bring down some one Else's opportunities

Edited April 24, 2012 by HauntedDawg

[LearningCoder]

I'm saying if it was me I would look for a game what has not got full potential ATM and invest into that...

[HauntedDawg]

You don't invest into waste space.

On another note, if he had a bit of thought, and if it was me, i would pump in $150 into all these out of the box games to give them a design xD

[LearningCoder]

Yeah that what i mean lol :) but I didn't know how to say it

[Kieran-R]

I'm saying if it was me I would look for a game what has not got full potential ATM and invest into that...

Okay, so lets say you are investing. Here is the scenario:

Game 1: Currently making $500 per month, with a good user base.

Game 2: Game making $0 per month, with little to none users.

You would invest in game 2? Is that what you are saying? I am not saying I am not investing in new games, not at all. But I thought I would just add my point to your opinion.

[LearningCoder]

What I'm saying is I would rather invest in a smaller game than a big one tbh as smaller games can still make a lot of money I had a game with like 20users online a day and I was making about 200 a month I know it's not much but it's something

[LearningCoder]

And I do know what you mean but like if you inest $150 into my game lets say and that would get all exploits taken out, re styled and I already have a few advertisers waiting to advertise it.

[Kieran-R]

And I do know what you mean but like if you inest $150 into my game lets say and that would get all exploits taken out, re styled and I already have a few advertisers waiting to advertise it.

I'm not interested in your game at all. Sorry.

[LearningCoder]

Lol ok so much for investing in new games aha I bet you want one like gp or gb as they r **** tbh

[a_bertrand]

Well investing in game one which is doing 500$ per month, I would say you are a bit late as the owner has all the possibilities to grow alone and yet do not share the profit. On the second game, if your participation is marketing, and ideas then maybe it will be profitable for both.

[LearningCoder]

So a_bertrand you saying you wOuld rather invest into the second game?

[a_bertrand]

I would say yes, but of course it doesn't depends just on those criteria, it depends on who did both games, what they are, how they are unique and how the premium / membership is planned. So overall it's a lot of different criteria which needs to be taken in account and not simply the current gain.

In our example, if the second game is made by somebody not knowing anything about PHP, first game ever made, nobody knows him/her, no story, no business plan, then of course it would be totally stupid to invest there. BTW investing just 150$ for a template will make little to nothing. A game doesn't run on a template even if you don't believe it. Check Kingdom of Loathing which DO NOT have any fancy template, nor fancy images, and yet is one of the most successful text game I know.

[DeaTH_RideR]

Hello , I wasn't really sure if i wanted to post anything here or not but here i am.

I am running MCC v2, The game has been open since the first of the year, i have a user base of about 200 and have lost a lot after a reset of the stats.( it was beta testing , should have been more clear about it)

I don't really want to go into much details about my game just that its about a time traveler and it has made about $500 since opening.

Everyday i think to my self , i should ask a few of my friends to invest with me but i don't because i just feel they would laugh it off.

This game is my fourth game and my last i hope, trying to use what i have learned from 3 failed attempts to make a prospering game. I am in no way any kind of programmer. I am soon to be 40 years old and this is what i do. I pay for everything i need done coding wise and any thing else out of pocket like most i assume.

 

An investor would be awesome but then again it would just leave me where i am now trying to find someone that can be trusted to code at a reasonable price. I use the services of Sniko right now when i need something done. He is about the only one that has any idea of what i have put into or am trying to do with my game. I wish everyone involved in this the best of luck.

[runthis]

Hello, my name is Robert Miller. I am 25 years old and I have recently received my Associates Degree in Computer Science.

Although there were several classes for programming and database structures in college, i actually began learning how to program in 2003 by downloading large open source projects and editing the source code.

I currently live in Pasadena Texas with my Fiance. It is not the best area for starting our family, but it is cheap and we keep to ourselves.

The game that i am working on is a Hacking Game. The idea came to me when i was playing an old windows based hacking game from 2001 and i needed some information. When i visited the forum for the hacking game i noticed that there were people (even today) still asking "Wheres the sequel", "Will there be an online version?" etc etc. Usually when i visit that forum it has about 30 non registered guests at any given time of day. Remember, this is for a windows based game that didn't make it to a store near you from 2001. Anyway, i digress. I started programming a very rough copy of a hacking game.

When i began i decided "No game engine". A hacker friend of mine (last year) broke into and stole source code from a hacking game website (started in 2005) and asked if i wanted the source code. I told him "I dont want my game to be nothing like that". I wanted my game to be fresh and unique, not the same old hooplah. I did not want my game to look like a website, like so many other games tend to look like. I was hoping for a game that looked like an actual game. I named my game "Pure" and i wanted it to be the kind of game that anyone would want to play, because of it's diversity of features.

I decided i was going to try some fancy programming. I wanted the effects of your actions (like cracking a password) to look like it does in the movies, with the digits spinning around and landing on a correct one, etc. I totally did it and as i began to progress in programming this game i realized that this is a really untapped market full of unlimited possibilities. All of the feedback i received was great, i was shocked when one of the users requested that i add a donate button (i didn't think it was ready for one), when i did, i received my first donation, it was for $100. Talk about a moral boost.

Some interesting features (not specific to hacking games) is a smart phone made to look like an actual phone, where inside is a complete messaging system with room for much more sections (such as a help section tucked right in there). Smart input boxes, i wanted the inputs to not just let you input, but know what the hell you are trying to say if you copy and paste something wrong.

As of now, my partner Ben has not been online in over 3 months. I do not use facebook much so i signed up and pulled up his page, he hasn't been online. I hope everything is well with him because i have no other way of contact. He lives in the UK and is a great guy. I recently contacted customer service after a temporary suspension and managed to add the remaining balance of collected donations of our paypal account into the server via "Gift".

I am in need of some small financial backing. We can discuss the goals and structure of the company/game as well as what possible financial backing could bring into the market for Pure. I am available through telephone, email and messenger, and if need be, written letter. My email address is provided below.

Any monetary benefits or otherwise you may require as partial owner can be discussed. Shared copyright ownership for the games development will be offered as well.

 

I hope to hear from you.

Robert Miller

[email protected]

 

On a side-note: the community surrounding this game is awesomely nice. There is no flaming that happens, it just for some reason, i cant explain it, has a natural positiveness all over it and the users are always eager to offer ideas and track down possible bug scenarios.

Edited April 26, 2012 by runthis

[Michael Evans]

Ok i have a few questions for you if you don't mind giving an answer.

 

• when you say your looking for games to invest in do you offer a option where when you have made your money back you lower your %?
  
• 
  
• i.e. starts at 50% then when you make x amount of money your drop your % down to a lower % like most investors do?
  
• 
  
• also what would you bring to a game that you invest in like you say you have owned a game and know how a game works so what would you bring to the table besides money?
  
• 
  
• if at a later date a game owner did not wish to have you on the team is there a way to buy you out at a set price that is stated in the contract?
  
• 
  
• when you say you would want 50% how come what if the game was to only offer you 49% of a game there for making you a silent partner would you be happy with that?
  
• 
  
• if a game owner wishes to sell his game what rights to that sale do you own?
  
• 
  
• and when you say you would like your ideas in-putted what if the game owned did not like your ideas?
  
• 
  
• there is a contract to sign ok may i ask who you got to Wright it up the name of the layer/company?
  

 

Also you say you do not like mccodes, what about some of the big mccodes based games i can think of a few right now that have made it big.

Thanks for your time to read my questions

Best regards,

Michael Evans

Edited April 26, 2012 by Michael Evans
edit added a line

[Kieran-R]

Hello, my name is Robert Miller. I am 25 years old and I have recently received my Associates Degree in Computer Science.

Although there were several classes for programming and database structures in college, i actually began learning how to program in 2003 by downloading large open source projects and editing the source code.

I currently live in Pasadena Texas with my Fiance. It is not the best area for starting our family, but it is cheap and we keep to ourselves.

The game that i am working on is a Hacking Game. The idea came to me when i was playing an old windows based hacking game from 2001 and i needed some information. When i visited the forum for the hacking game i noticed that there were people (even today) still asking "Wheres the sequel", "Will there be an online version?" etc etc. Usually when i visit that forum it has about 30 non registered guests at any given time of day. Remember, this is for a windows based game that didn't make it to a store near you from 2001. Anyway, i digress. I started programming a very rough copy of a hacking game.

When i began i decided "No game engine". A hacker friend of mine (last year) broke into and stole source code from a hacking game website (started in 2005) and asked if i wanted the source code. I told him "I dont want my game to be nothing like that". I wanted my game to be fresh and unique, not the same old hooplah. I did not want my game to look like a website, like so many other games tend to look like. I was hoping for a game that looked like an actual game. I named my game "Pure" and i wanted it to be the kind of game that anyone would want to play, because of it's diversity of features.

I decided i was going to try some fancy programming. I wanted the effects of your actions (like cracking a password) to look like it does in the movies, with the digits spinning around and landing on a correct one, etc. I totally did it and as i began to progress in programming this game i realized that this is a really untapped market full of unlimited possibilities. All of the feedback i received was great, i was shocked when one of the users requested that i add a donate button (i didn't think it was ready for one), when i did, i received my first donation, it was for $100. Talk about a moral boost.

Some interesting features (not specific to hacking games) is a smart phone made to look like an actual phone, where inside is a complete messaging system with room for much more sections (such as a help section tucked right in there). Smart input boxes, i wanted the inputs to not just let you input, but know what the hell you are trying to say if you copy and paste something wrong.

As of now, my partner Ben has not been online in over 3 months. I do not use facebook much so i signed up and pulled up his page, he hasn't been online. I hope everything is well with him because i have no other way of contact. He lives in the UK and is a great guy. I recently contacted customer service after a temporary suspension and managed to add the remaining balance of collected donations of our paypal account into the server via "Gift".

I am in need of some small financial backing. We can discuss the goals and structure of the company/game as well as what possible financial backing could bring into the market for Pure. I am available through telephone, email and messenger, and if need be, written letter. My email address is provided below.

Any monetary benefits or otherwise you may require as partial owner can be discussed. Shared copyright ownership for the games development will be offered as well.

 

I hope to hear from you.

Robert Miller

[email protected]

 

On a side-note: the community surrounding this game is awesomely nice. There is no flaming that happens, it just for some reason, i cant explain it, has a natural positiveness all over it and the users are always eager to offer ideas and track down possible bug scenarios.

Hi mate, can you mail me some more stats about your game (eg, members, activate members, traffic, revenue (if any) ect). I may be interested in this.

 

Ok i have a few questions for you if you don't mind giving an answer.

 

• when you say your looking for games to invest in do you offer a option where when you have made your money back you lower your %?
  
• i.e. starts at 50% then when you make x amount of money your drop your % down to a lower % like most investors do?
  
• also what would you bring to a game that you invest in like you say you have owned a game and know how a game works so what would you bring to the table besides money?
  
• if at a later date a game owner did not wish to have you on the team is there a way to buy you out at a set price that is stated in the contract?
  
• when you say you would want 50% how come what if the game was to only offer you 49% of a game there for making you a silent partner would you be happy with that?
  
• if a game owner wishes to sell his game what rights to that sale do you own?
  
• and when you say you would like your ideas in-putted what if the game owned did not like your ideas?
  
• there is a contract to sign ok may i ask who you got to Wright it up the name of the layer/company?
  

 

Also you say you do not like mccodes, what about some of the big mccodes based games i can think of a few right now that have made it big.

Thanks for your time to read my questions

Best regards,

Michael Evans

when you say your looking for games to invest in do you offer a option where when you have made your money back you lower your %?

That would have to be discussed with the original game owner, it depends.

also what would you bring to a game that you invest in like you say you have owned a game and know how a game works so what would you bring to the table besides money?

Ideas, help with some day to day administration duties, big fixing (if any) ect. The original owner will still be the main game manager.

if at a later date a game owner did not wish to have you on the team is there a way to buy you out at a set price that is stated in the contract?

It depends on how much invested and current game revenue. It would be an option, yes. But it would be impossible for me to put a set price on a contract for a later date buy out.

when you say you would want 50% how come what if the game was to only offer you 49% of a game there for making you a silent partner would you be happy with that?

Why wouldnt I be happy with 49%? It just means initial investment would be lower.

if a game owner wishes to sell his game what rights to that sale do you own?

Well if I am on 50% revenue then obviously I will get 50% of sales cash.

and when you say you would like your ideas in-putted what if the game owned did not like your ideas?

Then though from my side. Like any partnership, if one doesn't agree on an idea, then it doesn't get implemented. If it's an idea from the original owner though, I would most likely accept it (unless it was clearly going to seriously damage a website).

there is a contract to sign ok may i ask who you got to Wright it up the name of the layer/company?

There is no legal contract already made, but I am sure i could work something out.

I don't like mccodes, but I did say I wouldn't rule them out in some circumstances.