How to make the next big game.

TheRealBanango · April 2018

make getting hurtful spells and attacks hard to get.
Make combat hard so it's frustrating sometimes.
Make killing another player a gamble
Make mobs hard to kill

force people to socialize to beat the game

Slapshot1188 · April 2018

No...

Simply make a few slides talking about an incredible feature set.
Maybe a few pieces of concept art.
Toss in a smattering of "Lore".
Post about how "different" your game is, while vilifying non-believers...

Open Crowdfunding.

Pretty good odds of getting 7 figures in backing.
Then you can take a few years posting "Updates" about all the work you are doing... yet somehow the release date never gets any closer or firmer...

Vrika · April 2018

1. Get some good education
2. Get a job at established dev studio that is making big games

Or alternatively:
1. Make RPG maker game
2. Name it as The Next Big Game

Ungood · April 2018

Slapshot1188 said:

No...

Simply make a few slides talking about an incredible feature set.
Maybe a few pieces of concept art.
Toss in a smattering of "Lore".
Post about how "different" your game is, while vilifying non-believers...

Open Crowdfunding.

Pretty good odds of getting 7 figures in backing.
Then you can take a few years posting "Updates" about all the work you are doing... yet somehow the release date never gets any closer or firmer...

You forgot to add..

Quit a Good Paying Job as a Programmer, where you have a reliable income.
Have a History in Game Development.
Sell your house to invest into the Company, you know, just to make this look legit.

Then.. you know.. actually start to build stuff..

Get that going and you might have the next big thing..

or just have an amazing reputation in the field of game design.. and ask for money.

Asheram · April 2018

Sell concept items like ships.

aleos · April 2018

Make each level cost the amount of money its worth.
Sell in game land for money.
Make armor and weapons cost money
When the player dies make them spend money to revive.
Deleting a character will cost money.
Add items like shoe laces and buttons and charge a fee to use them.
Charge money for the amount of letters in a name.
Make quests cost money and charge money to obtain new quests with more money.
Tax money spent in game with more money.
Make using skills cost money.
When the player acquires money make him pay rent money to play your game further.
Once the player buys the game at 149.94 charge him more money in game.

Shaigh · April 2018

Build a game your friends would want to play and ask them for feedback on what would make the game more fun. Don't let your ego get in the way of making a fun game.

Slapshot1188 · April 2018

Ungood said:

Slapshot1188 said:

No...

Simply make a few slides talking about an incredible feature set.
Maybe a few pieces of concept art.
Toss in a smattering of "Lore".
Post about how "different" your game is, while vilifying non-believers...

Open Crowdfunding.

Pretty good odds of getting 7 figures in backing.
Then you can take a few years posting "Updates" about all the work you are doing... yet somehow the release date never gets any closer or firmer...

You forgot to add..

Quit a Good Paying Job as a Programmer, where you have a reliable income.Which you needed to do anyway as you aren't known as a "team player"

Have a History on the periphery in Game Development.

Sell your house extra land you owned to invest into the Company, you know, just to make this look legit. This is called seed money and can be pointed to throughout years of development and millions of dollars raised as a measure of your "commitment" It's just a fraction of the total of what other people (players) will pay towards development, yet can be used as a shield with no expiration date. Also, it guarantees you 100% ownership of all potential profits. Normally when you go to a bank/investor you would put up some money and the bank would loan you the rest (you must pay it back with interest)or give up part of the company to the investor. This way, you get to keep it all yourself, never have to repay the money, nor any interest and could even potentially list yourself as a creditor in case you must file for bankruptcy. As a matter of fact, if your fanbase is dedicated enough, you can simply create images of digital items that till take an hour to create and sell them for whatever you desire. Almost like a digital printing press for real world money!

Then.. you know.. actually start to build stuff..like a website store to bring in the 7 figures. With the occasional "Journal" to talk about your latest neat idea". Post some static screenshots and make sure to repeatedly let everyone know how great development is going even though you have nothing to show by the time the game was supposed to be released. It's OK... dates are more general concepts than deadlines. The longer you can drag out production, the longer people will pay your salaries since you know it can never do what you promise at release. To fill the time, have your lead developer spend an hour or two creating a page of "lore" that can be posted on the website. Then within a week announce a sale of items based on the "lore". It's a win-win!

Get that going and you might have the next big thing..

or just have an amazing reputation in the field of game design.. and ask for money.

You are right I did forget a few items so my updated list should include those items in italics above.

Wizardry · April 2018

The great game design needs to happen before any game is actually made.

First they need to draw up and take a LOT of time organizing the game design on paper and what systems are needed and how much time will each system need allowing for a 25% longer time period.

Then whomever starts down this path needs to hire someone completely capable of making the decisions on how much time each area of design will take and what changes may need to happen.A person with a lot of gaming background ,both playing and designing SHOULD know what works and what will take a lot of time to work.

Then after all that is said and done,this competent person goes back to the money guy or the dream guy and says ok your budget won't work or will work and if not,here are the changes to make the budget work.

Still not ready to dive in.They MUST have enough common sense to realize that there is a very good possibility something will go wrong,their employees system guys maybe not as skilled as hoped,so will take longer and cost more.So then they make a decision that is things go badly wrong can we make the game work eliminating something and will that ruin the integrity of the game.

IMo this already means a full year of on paper design theories.Remember Smedley got fired and only a month later was peddling a game on us like it was good or something ROFLMAO yeah right ,the guy is a total shyster.Then after that full year of thought processes time to hire competent employees..YIKES !.
So NOW you can see why so many game devs go small cheap games that are easy to make ,easy to budget,easy to handle and still try and sell them to us like they are AAA games and still lend up looking half finished or underwhelming.

timtrack · April 2018

How to make the next big game: Stop trying to make the next big game. Make it with a strong vision, emotion and passion. It's supposed to be art, not a Las Vegas slot machine.

Kyleran · April 2018

Make sure it has a BR mode.

It's what "everyone" is doing these days.

Loke666 · April 2018

Slapshot1188 said:

No...

Simply make a few slides talking about an incredible feature set.
Maybe a few pieces of concept art.
Toss in a smattering of "Lore".
Post about how "different" your game is, while vilifying non-believers...

Open Crowdfunding.

Pretty good odds of getting 7 figures in backing.
Then you can take a few years posting "Updates" about all the work you are doing... yet somehow the release date never gets any closer or firmer...

A game that loses 90% of the initial playerbase in 6 weeks is hardly the next big thing.

Maybe you should try to focus on making something really fun which you want to play yourself instead of watching what everyone does and trying to trick people into playing your game instead?

The reason games fail is because they aren't fun enough and in MMOs case thay they might be fun but just for a couple of weeks. You need to deliver something that is fun for a long time.

Also, your game can't be so like other games of the genre that it feels like you already played it before, it need to stand out enough so people both think it is fun and it gives them a new experience.

There is no simple solutions like making a game like Wow with modern graphics or making the same game as everyone else but with a couple of twists. Neither is remaking EQ or UO with new graphics (while that would get some players that certainly wouldn't be the next big one no matter how much some hope).

You need hard work and experimentation to get it to work, not a few gimmicks. Of course people always want to find a simple solution they can use with minimal work but that wont work.

Slapshot1188 · April 2018

Loke666 said:

Slapshot1188 said:

No...

Simply make a few slides talking about an incredible feature set.
Maybe a few pieces of concept art.
Toss in a smattering of "Lore".
Post about how "different" your game is, while vilifying non-believers...

Open Crowdfunding.

Pretty good odds of getting 7 figures in backing.
Then you can take a few years posting "Updates" about all the work you are doing... yet somehow the release date never gets any closer or firmer...

A game that loses 90% of the initial playerbase in 6 weeks is hardly the next big thing.

Maybe you should try to focus on making something really fun which you want to play yourself instead of watching what everyone does and trying to trick people into playing your game instead?

The reason games fail is because they aren't fun enough and in MMOs case thay they might be fun but just for a couple of weeks. You need to deliver something that is fun for a long time.

Also, your game can't be so like other games of the genre that it feels like you already played it before, it need to stand out enough so people both think it is fun and it gives them a new experience.

There is no simple solutions like making a game like Wow with modern graphics or making the same game as everyone else but with a couple of twists. Neither is remaking EQ or UO with new graphics (while that would get some players that certainly wouldn't be the next big one no matter how much some hope).

You need hard work and experimentation to get it to work, not a few gimmicks. Of course people always want to find a simple solution they can use with minimal work but that wont work.

I would agree with the sentiment but unfortunately you can in fact be “the next big thing” without being fun. Just see the long list of prior “next big things”. They just don’t last long. But that’s why these games are most loved before launch. Everything is promises and sunshine. Story time with the developer with a core of fans sitting around.

Terran589 · April 2018

My two cents:
1. Incremental, meaningful improvements to themepark setup. Like fixing what we know is broken (the unholy trinity).
2. Scrum Agile: If someone is going to be developing for 7-8 years, they need to be demoing deliverables to the users on a very regular basis. As a software dev, having moved to the agile approach has absolutely revolutionized our workplace. It can do the same for these failed projects, which wouldn't have failed had they been demoing their goods regularly along the development path.

Asheram · April 2018

Kyleran said:

Make sure it has a BR mode.

It's what "everyone" is doing these days.

And zombies.

Cryomatrix · April 2018

Step 1: make a pretty game
Step 2: advertise like crazy and have cheap entry
Step 3: subtle manipulative ways to entice people to do microtransactions
Step 4: make a catchy name like black desert.

Cryomatrix

Loke666 · April 2018

Slapshot1188 said:

Loke666 said:
A game that loses 90% of the initial playerbase in 6 weeks is hardly the next big thing.

Maybe you should try to focus on making something really fun which you want to play yourself instead of watching what everyone does and trying to trick people into playing your game instead?

The reason games fail is because they aren't fun enough and in MMOs case thay they might be fun but just for a couple of weeks. You need to deliver something that is fun for a long time.

Also, your game can't be so like other games of the genre that it feels like you already played it before, it need to stand out enough so people both think it is fun and it gives them a new experience.

There is no simple solutions like making a game like Wow with modern graphics or making the same game as everyone else but with a couple of twists. Neither is remaking EQ or UO with new graphics (while that would get some players that certainly wouldn't be the next big one no matter how much some hope).

You need hard work and experimentation to get it to work, not a few gimmicks. Of course people always want to find a simple solution they can use with minimal work but that wont work.

I would agree with the sentiment but unfortunately you can in fact be “the next big thing” without being fun. Just see the long list of prior “next big things”. They just don’t last long. But that’s why these games are most loved before launch. Everything is promises and sunshine. Story time with the developer with a core of fans sitting around.

Yes and no. You could be the next big thing for about 6 weeks without being fun, that is about the time it takes for the optimistic players to realize that the endgame doesn't get more fun then the rest of it and quit in disgust.

But I wouldn't call anuything with it's 3 months player retention less then 25% "the next big thing". If you want long term profits you need long term fun, it is just that simple,

Well, simple might be overstating things since it isn't easy to keep a game fun for months or even years but you certainly can't give the players access to 100% of the game and give them all the abilities in 6 weeks and expect most of the players to keep playing for years after that.

Well, Wow seems to get away with it now but it didn't really at launch.

Loke666 · April 2018

Cryomatrix said:

Step 1: make a pretty game
Step 2: advertise like crazy and have cheap entry
Step 3: subtle manipulative ways to entice people to do microtransactions
Step 4: make a catchy name like black desert.

Cryomatrix

Yeah, strange no-one thought of that before...
ait, there are tons of games like that and while some have been pretty successful most have tanked and even the most successful have hardly been "the next big thing".

Scot · April 2018

I like the way some posters are putting in genuine suggestions while others are so cynical they are just parodying the awful way MMOs are now made.

I would sum up the OP's approach as less easymode and more social, which is a good place to start.

iixviiiix · April 2018

Next big game will relate with VR , i think . Pokemon GO is mobile smartphone AR so my bets are on Oculus GO VR .

It very hard to break in PC market nowadays .

Ungood · April 2018

DMKano said:

So the secret to the next big game lies in 5 simple sentences.

You know the video game industry will now rejoice as the secret formula to blockbuster games has finally been revealed.

I can just see the future headlines....

Video industry market research firms hate him

Well you know.. the Secret to good action movies is more Boobs and Hot Ass

Ungood · April 2018

Slapshot1188 said:

Ungood said:

Slapshot1188 said:

No...

Simply make a few slides talking about an incredible feature set.
Maybe a few pieces of concept art.
Toss in a smattering of "Lore".
Post about how "different" your game is, while vilifying non-believers...

Open Crowdfunding.

Pretty good odds of getting 7 figures in backing.
Then you can take a few years posting "Updates" about all the work you are doing... yet somehow the release date never gets any closer or firmer...

You forgot to add..

Quit a Good Paying Job as a Programmer, where you have a reliable income.Which you needed to do anyway as you aren't known as a "team player"

Have a History on the periphery in Game Development.

Sell your house extra land you owned to invest into the Company, you know, just to make this look legit. This is called seed money and can be pointed to throughout years of development and millions of dollars raised as a measure of your "commitment" It's just a fraction of the total of what other people (players) will pay towards development, yet can be used as a shield with no expiration date. Also, it guarantees you 100% ownership of all potential profits. Normally when you go to a bank/investor you would put up some money and the bank would loan you the rest (you must pay it back with interest)or give up part of the company to the investor. This way, you get to keep it all yourself, never have to repay the money, nor any interest and could even potentially list yourself as a creditor in case you must file for bankruptcy. As a matter of fact, if your fanbase is dedicated enough, you can simply create images of digital items that till take an hour to create and sell them for whatever you desire. Almost like a digital printing press for real world money!

Then.. you know.. actually start to build stuff..like a website store to bring in the 7 figures. With the occasional "Journal" to talk about your latest neat idea". Post some static screenshots and make sure to repeatedly let everyone know how great development is going even though you have nothing to show by the time the game was supposed to be released. It's OK... dates are more general concepts than deadlines. The longer you can drag out production, the longer people will pay your salaries since you know it can never do what you promise at release. To fill the time, have your lead developer spend an hour or two creating a page of "lore" that can be posted on the website. Then within a week announce a sale of items based on the "lore". It's a win-win!

Get that going and you might have the next big thing..

or just have an amazing reputation in the field of game design.. and ask for money.

You are right I did forget a few items so my updated list should include those items in italics above.

Well.. I can't speak for anyone else. but I have a lot of respect for people that are willing to bet on their own horse. Even if it Seed money from selling extra property to keep the company in their name, which.. is really a sign of faith that they think this will work.

If they planned to fail, they would be smarter to take out huge loans, rank up the debt, write insane paychecks, and then when things crashed and burned, toss the company as a whole to the bank as a credit collection and walk away, now richer, with a fat wallet, dump that into stocks and bonds and just go get another job at a high paying computer company.

AnOldFart · April 2018

Ungood said:

Slapshot1188 said:

Ungood said:

Slapshot1188 said:

No...

Simply make a few slides talking about an incredible feature set.
Maybe a few pieces of concept art.
Toss in a smattering of "Lore".
Post about how "different" your game is, while vilifying non-believers...

Open Crowdfunding.

Pretty good odds of getting 7 figures in backing.
Then you can take a few years posting "Updates" about all the work you are doing... yet somehow the release date never gets any closer or firmer...

You forgot to add..

Quit a Good Paying Job as a Programmer, where you have a reliable income.Which you needed to do anyway as you aren't known as a "team player"

Have a History on the periphery in Game Development.

Sell your house extra land you owned to invest into the Company, you know, just to make this look legit. This is called seed money and can be pointed to throughout years of development and millions of dollars raised as a measure of your "commitment" It's just a fraction of the total of what other people (players) will pay towards development, yet can be used as a shield with no expiration date. Also, it guarantees you 100% ownership of all potential profits. Normally when you go to a bank/investor you would put up some money and the bank would loan you the rest (you must pay it back with interest)or give up part of the company to the investor. This way, you get to keep it all yourself, never have to repay the money, nor any interest and could even potentially list yourself as a creditor in case you must file for bankruptcy. As a matter of fact, if your fanbase is dedicated enough, you can simply create images of digital items that till take an hour to create and sell them for whatever you desire. Almost like a digital printing press for real world money!

Then.. you know.. actually start to build stuff..like a website store to bring in the 7 figures. With the occasional "Journal" to talk about your latest neat idea". Post some static screenshots and make sure to repeatedly let everyone know how great development is going even though you have nothing to show by the time the game was supposed to be released. It's OK... dates are more general concepts than deadlines. The longer you can drag out production, the longer people will pay your salaries since you know it can never do what you promise at release. To fill the time, have your lead developer spend an hour or two creating a page of "lore" that can be posted on the website. Then within a week announce a sale of items based on the "lore". It's a win-win!

Get that going and you might have the next big thing..

or just have an amazing reputation in the field of game design.. and ask for money.

You are right I did forget a few items so my updated list should include those items in italics above.

Well.. I can't speak for anyone else. but I have a lot of respect for people that are willing to bet on their own horse. Even if it Seed money from selling extra property to keep the company in their name, which.. is really a sign of faith that they think this will work.

If they planned to fail, they would be smarter to take out huge loans, rank up the debt, write insane paychecks, and then when things crashed and burned, toss the company as a whole to the bank as a credit collection and walk away, now richer, with a fat wallet, dump that into stocks and bonds and just go get another job at a high paying computer company.

Not exactly how it would work, if they owned property (not the house kind but the possession kind) then the bank could also go to court obtain an order (since they were the sole owner of the company) and loom to recoup their losses. Not that it would work 100% of the time bit depending on the contract...

Slapshot1188 · April 2018

Ungood said:

Slapshot1188 said:

Ungood said:

Slapshot1188 said:

No...

Simply make a few slides talking about an incredible feature set.
Maybe a few pieces of concept art.
Toss in a smattering of "Lore".
Post about how "different" your game is, while vilifying non-believers...

Open Crowdfunding.

Pretty good odds of getting 7 figures in backing.
Then you can take a few years posting "Updates" about all the work you are doing... yet somehow the release date never gets any closer or firmer...

You forgot to add..

Quit a Good Paying Job as a Programmer, where you have a reliable income.Which you needed to do anyway as you aren't known as a "team player"

Have a History on the periphery in Game Development.

Sell your house extra land you owned to invest into the Company, you know, just to make this look legit. This is called seed money and can be pointed to throughout years of development and millions of dollars raised as a measure of your "commitment" It's just a fraction of the total of what other people (players) will pay towards development, yet can be used as a shield with no expiration date. Also, it guarantees you 100% ownership of all potential profits. Normally when you go to a bank/investor you would put up some money and the bank would loan you the rest (you must pay it back with interest)or give up part of the company to the investor. This way, you get to keep it all yourself, never have to repay the money, nor any interest and could even potentially list yourself as a creditor in case you must file for bankruptcy. As a matter of fact, if your fanbase is dedicated enough, you can simply create images of digital items that till take an hour to create and sell them for whatever you desire. Almost like a digital printing press for real world money!

Then.. you know.. actually start to build stuff..like a website store to bring in the 7 figures. With the occasional "Journal" to talk about your latest neat idea". Post some static screenshots and make sure to repeatedly let everyone know how great development is going even though you have nothing to show by the time the game was supposed to be released. It's OK... dates are more general concepts than deadlines. The longer you can drag out production, the longer people will pay your salaries since you know it can never do what you promise at release. To fill the time, have your lead developer spend an hour or two creating a page of "lore" that can be posted on the website. Then within a week announce a sale of items based on the "lore". It's a win-win!

Get that going and you might have the next big thing..

or just have an amazing reputation in the field of game design.. and ask for money.

You are right I did forget a few items so my updated list should include those items in italics above.

Well.. I can't speak for anyone else. but I have a lot of respect for people that are willing to bet on their own horse. Even if it Seed money from selling extra property to keep the company in their name, which.. is really a sign of faith that they think this will work.

If they planned to fail, they would be smarter to take out huge loans, rank up the debt, write insane paychecks, and then when things crashed and burned, toss the company as a whole to the bank as a credit collection and walk away, now richer, with a fat wallet, dump that into stocks and bonds and just go get another job at a high paying computer company.

What bank would do this? If someone had to sell their property it’s likely because there was no bank or publisher. Or just have bad business sense.

Cryomatrix · April 2018

Loke666 said:

Cryomatrix said:

Step 1: make a pretty game
Step 2: advertise like crazy and have cheap entry
Step 3: subtle manipulative ways to entice people to do microtransactions
Step 4: make a catchy name like black desert.

Cryomatrix

Yeah, strange no-one thought of that before...
ait, there are tons of games like that and while some have been pretty successful most have tanked and even the most successful have hardly been "the next big thing".

I was being sarcastic though, but tough to interpret from just text.

btdt · April 2018

This one is easy...

Make a game that I like.

Sorry it's my game. If you want a game that you like, you'll have to request your own.

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How to make the next big game.

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How to make the next big game.

Comments

Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV