psychicsoftware
June 5, 2012
Game Musings

(Long) Tails and Online Games

June 5, 2012
Game Musings

The last 4 games, all small ones, that I have completed for mobile devices are all stand-alone single-player. Block Rockin’ was mostly an exercise in getting to know the Shiva game engine, but also a fun little physics-based block breaker. Mars Defender was really an outgrowth of some experimentation with spaceship models and testing out of some roleplaying ideas in Shiva. Afterburn 2150, perhaps the graphically most impressive of the games (but also perhaps the one worst received by players), was the result of some playing around with rail-shooter concepts and tilt-based game controls. And Let’s Break Stuff! was really an attempt at making a more broadly appealing casual game using Shiva’s excellent physics engine as well as some nice 3D models from Dexsoft that were really begging to be used. I would classify Mars Defender as a minor success, probably for its unique and quirky little story coupled with retro gameplay, while early indications are that Let’s Break Stuff! will be the most successful of the lot, judging from its reception on the BlackBerry PlayBook and Android.

Sales of single-player mobile-device games really tails off fast though, from what I can see. Mars Defender has already slumped to a trickle, only 6 months after release. The development effort involved makes a poor trade-off versus what I have seen with Darkwind, which is still going strong after 5 years. Admittedly, Darkwind is a very different beast, but I’m increasingly convinced that online games are the thing to do. Mobile online games are also relatively under-represented on the app stores, and at the same time mobile broadband is ubiquitous. Sure, there are some successful town/farm/empire-building games, and a few ‘lite’ MMOs. My son is still convinced that my High School RPG concept, which mixes Roguelike play with resource-based strategy, is a good one. I have also bought a really nice pack of zombies from 3drt.com, and I’m playing around with these and some ideas about multiplayer co-operative turn-based survival games.

I want a free lollipop!
Let’s Break Stuff! – Update

Newsletter

Join Email Newsletter

 
We take your privacy seriously and will never give your details to anyone else.

Presskit

Press Kit here

Games in Development

  • The Necromancer's Tale
  • Newby Chinese

Games Released

  • Darkwind: War on Wheels
  • Let's Break Stuff!
  • Musclecar Online
  • Goblins & Gottos
  • Orbs.it
  • Mars Defender
  • Demon Pit
  • Afterburn 2150
  • Block Rockin'
  • More on Gooogle Play
  • More on iOS Appstore

Unfinished Projects “On Hiatus”

  • Zed's Dead
  • Ping Pong Planets
  • Godkin

Archives

  • March 2025
  • August 2024
  • December 2023
  • June 2022
  • April 2022
  • May 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • August 2020
  • May 2020
  • March 2020
  • October 2019
  • October 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • January 2018
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • May 2017
  • July 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • September 2015
  • July 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • October 2014
  • August 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • September 2013
  • July 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • December 2012
  • October 2012
  • August 2012
  • June 2012
  • May 2012
  • April 2012
  • March 2012
  • February 2012
  • January 2012
  • November 2011
  • October 2011
  • September 2011
  • August 2011
  • July 2011
  • June 2011
  • May 2011
  • April 2011
  • March 2011
  • February 2011
  • January 2011
  • March 2006
  • February 2006
  • January 2006
  • November 2005
  • October 2005
  • September 2005
  • August 2005
  • July 2005
  • December 1995

Categories

  • Afterburn 2150
  • Block Rockin'
  • Conferences & Events
  • Darkwind
  • Dead By Dawn
  • Demon Pit
  • Game Musings
  • Goblins & Grottos
  • Godkin
  • Guest Posts
  • Let's Break Stuff!
  • Mars Defender
  • Monster Melee
  • Musclecar Online
  • Newby Chinese
  • Orbs.it
  • PC Gamer
  • Rock Paper Shotgun
  • Techie
  • The Necromancer
  • Uncategorized
  • Zed's Dead

CyberChimps WordPress Themes

PSYCHICSOFTWARE | Psychic Games Ltd.
Sam Redfern indie games developer and university academic