$1 Xbox Live Indie RPG Successfully Sells 30K

[Fortesque]

and sadly.. I still cant get this in Australia.

 

[hansari]

I meant it's stupid that the developers have to pay to put their games on XBLA.

Really?
Not only does this stop XBLA from being flooded with a pile of crappy, 'made in an afternoon'-style games that we users would have to sift through, but it also helps Microsoft to host these games on LIVE.
I don't see how anyone could think that the membership fee is a bad idea.
Big-boy developers have to pay way more, Indies can pay a small fee.

So can they buy like a one month card, use it, upload their game, and then make another game. Repeat?

 

[Baby Tea]

I meant it's stupid that the developers have to pay to put their games on XBLA.

Really?
Not only does this stop XBLA from being flooded with a pile of crappy, 'made in an afternoon'-style games that we users would have to sift through, but it also helps Microsoft to host these games on LIVE.
I don't see how anyone could think that the membership fee is a bad idea.
Big-boy developers have to pay way more, Indies can pay a small fee.

So can they buy like a one month card, use it, upload their game, and then make another game. Repeat?

No, it's a yearly subscription.
Plus the membership gives you the tools and such that you need to export to, and test on, the 360. It's an essential membership to have right when you get going.

 

[Leftnt Sharpe]

Kind of makes me wonder how many copies Aphelion sold because I preferred that to Breath of Death.

 

[kgagne]

Sadly 30k in the 6 months or so is barely enough to scrape by for those 2 ppl. Definitely not gonna get rich at the dollar pricepoint .

Nope. But after listening to a podcast interview with Zeboyd Games [http://www.rpgamer.com/rpgcast/rpgcast_archive.html], I'd guess game development and another part-time job (like teaching English at the local community college) could be sufficient.

They might not get rich, but it sounds to me like they're doing what they love, which is a lot more than many cubicle-dwellers can say.

 

[kgagne]

Next stop; Proving that making more sales through a cheaper price point will pay off on future title releases. Take that Activision.

A recent CNN article with the misleading headline "Video game piracy: Is it good for business? [http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/gaming.gadgets/09/09/video.game.piracy/index.html]" made that same case. An excerpt:


Giving games away for less and then offering a range of optional, bite-sized downloadable purchases -- sometimes called microtransactions -- at a variety of prices may be a better deal than demanding a one-time $50 to $60 retail purchase for everyone involved.

Likewise, providing free games (or portions thereof) up front, then rewarding those who choose to buy in with a steady stream of high-quality downloadable extras or added adventures, could be a better model.

 

[Onyx Oblivion]

Loved Breath of Death. Never finished it...I need to fix that.


Cthulhu Saves the World is officially the best game title ever.

 

[_Cake_]

It was great game too. I really liked the personality and look every single character in the game(In almost ever RPGs there is at least one character I HATE). I loved the mix of a classic JRPG setting and post apocalyptic together.