Should I Package "Eagles Of Honor" ?

[CaryMG]

A ton of work's going into this.

This game will make people rethink the Macintosh SE/30 as a viable game platform.

It & PlayStation have similar specs with the Macintosh having a superior hardrive.

So I'd like you guy's opinion on this ....

Should I use fancy shrinkwrapped packaging & sell it by mailorder ?

I'm afraid if I sell it via download it'll just be copied over & over again and I'll lose potential sales.

:b&w:

 

[~tl]

How about shareware? It's probably the best way to distribute it... make people have to enter a serial to use the full version of the game. Having a trial version will probably increase your sales as well. To be honest, people will be put off by a high price for a game for such an old system, and packaging/postage is just going to increase the price.

 

[II2II]

I don't know how well it would work for your game, but I've heard that some interactive fiction writers give away the game itself (maybe to get it out there, maybe because it would be impossible to prevent piracy). They then create and sell "feelies", which are little trinkets that add to the game experience or may even be necessary to complete the game itself.

It sounds like a reasonable approach. I do have a friend who makes an online TV show that he dishes out for free, and he manages to make a fair bit of dough by selling related merchandise (t-shirts, toys, etc.).

Two caveats though: I didn't hear how effective they are at selling feelies, and feelies have been a part of interactive fiction game culture since the days of Infocom (which may bias their customers towards buying feelies).

 

[bestobothworlds]

Soooo... What's the status on this project? Any screenshots or demos planned in the near future? Have you even started to write it? And most importantly, will there be a version for the Classic II? :'( I don't have an SE\30. But I do have an LC with a Daystar 030 accelerator card.

This reminds me, I'm trying to get appropriate development software to make a game I've had in my head for months. It's driving me nuts! Maybe when you release the game, you could provide the engine source to registered users if they wanted to make their own games with the engine.

 

[MultiFinder]

Soooo... What's the status on this project? Have you even started to write it? And most importantly, will there be a version for the Classic II? :'( I don't have an SE\30. But I do have an LC with a Daystar 030 accelerator card.

Hopefully, it'll run on anything with an '030 in it.

/me prays that it doesn't require an FPU

 

[CaryMG]

... make people have to enter a serial to use the full version of the game.

Yep yep -- there'll be a "Flight School" demo free for the download.

Having a trial version will probably increase your sales as well ....

I want people to have the visceral experience of having a physical professionally packaged piece of software in thier hands.

Sorta like the feeling ya get when ya buy an InfoCom game that you're really really into.

To be honest, people will be put off by a high price for a game ....

PLEASE ....

... be honest ! lol

I was thinking $20 shipped.

I've heard that some interactive fiction writers give away the game itself ....

I don't wanna go that far lol

They then create and sell "feelies", which are little trinkets that add to the game experience or may even be necessary to complete the game itself.

mHM mHM

Not so much for the feelies but like I say above -- using InfoCom as a reference, too ! lol -- I do want the "I'm-Holding-Something-Cool" reaction.

I do have a friend who makes an online TV show ....

Funny you should mention that ... lol

Remember this name ....

"Mr. KarateMan & BreakDance Lad" ....

*wink* *wink*

It'll be the next "Homestarrunner" !

Soooo... What's the status on this project?

A work in progress

Any screenshots or demos planned in the near future?

Absolutely!

Before the year's out at the absolute latest

Have you even started to write it ?

Yes & no lol

We're into our 3rd month -- give or take -- but the coding's being done with a collaborator who'll get half of the proceeds.

And most importantly, will there be a version for the Classic II ?

Yes & no again lol

No -- there isn't specifically a version of it but yes 'cause they're the same machine except -- in my opinion -- the

Apple Macintosh Classic II's quote/unquote "sexier".

I do have an LC with a Daystar 030 accelerator card.

It'll run flawlessly

...prays that it doesn't require an FPU

I'll check on that lol

For updates -- please go here > "Eagles Of Honor" WebSite

:b&w:

 

[bestobothworlds]

Having a trial version will probably increase your sales as well ....

I want people to have the visceral experience of having a physical professionally packaged piece of software in thier hands.

Sorta like the feeling ya get when ya buy an InfoCom game that you're really really into.

I highly doubt you'll be able to find a publisher. If you can't, just release the game as shareware and put box and manual printouts in PDF or PICT format.

I do have an LC with a Daystar 030 accelerator card.

It'll run flawlessly

Oh, I also have one more question to ask you. Will the game be in color? Will it support multiple color modes, like 4, 16, 256, thousands, and millions? Also, here's a little suggestion to drive up sales. Make an OSX version.

 

[Quadraman]

Along the line of 'feelies', you can use microtransactions, which was how Sony originally wanted to distribute the next Gran Turismo for PS3. What they wanted to do was package a few tracks with a small number of cars and sell it cheap and then make people pay to download additional tracks and cars if they wanted them. You have to be careful with microtransactions, though and not make people feel like you are just milking them for money. You have to make sure people are getting good value for money, or they won't buy anything more than the basic game from you.

 

[CaryMG]

I highly doubt you'll be able to find a publisher.

Sorry sorry for the mixup on not being clearer earlier !

I'm gonna sell "Eagles Of Honor" from a postoffice box.

...release the .... manual printouts in PDF or PICT format.

There'll be no manual.

This is gonna be so intuitive the HELP menu item'll be enough

Will the game be in color?Will it support multiple color modes, like 4, 16, 256, thousands, and millions?

Again -- my apologies for not being clearer ! lol

It'll be in black & white for "System6"

Also, here's a little suggestion to drive up sales. Make an OSX version.

Nooooooooo ! lol

Thanks for the suggestion but that's a little more complicated than we at BioNary've planned.

The entire "philosophy" -- if you will -- is to enjoy this the way we wanted to when the Golden Age was in full swing & we were all asking

"Why isn't 'Aces Over Europe' on Macintosh computers?"

Now -- with "Eagles Of Honor" -- that experience'll be realized.

... you can use microtransactions ....

That'll be beyond our purview ! lol

But thanks for the suggestion !

:b&w:

 

[luddite]

If you're thinking to shrinkwrap it on a card, then you can easily do that yourself... a few years back I sold some of my Apple II programs on eBay with a little bit of homemade packaging and a one page manual... the nice thing about eBay is that you're getting a *lot* of well-targeted exposure for literally pennies.

 

[MacJunky]

Again -- my apologies for not being clearer ! lolIt'll be in black & white for "System6"

Will it run in System 7 as well?/me has only two Macs that can run System 6 :'(

 

[heebiejeebies]

What a great idea, Cary. I wish there were more developers who realised you don't have to have the latest and greatest hardware to still make good software. Imagine if mainstream software companies were still developing games like this. I look forward to trying it out. :b&w:

 

[CaryMG]

If you're thinking to shrinkwrap it on a card, then you can easily do that yourself ....

Oh absolutely !

We'll have a professionally printed package about the size of a hardcoverbook & the bulk of an LP.

Once those are ordered we'll have a shrinkwrapping machine by then.

We'll wait for the orders ta come in, make a copy of the game individually -- with a nice label on it ! -- slide the floppydisk into it

with a sheet of paper saying any guidance needed to play the game's in the HELP dropdown menu, shrinkwrap it & send it out using bulkmail.

Will it run in System 7 as well?/me has only two Macs that can run System 6 ...

I'm not a coding expert -- thanks to "mu0n", by the way, for the "C++ For Dummies" PDF ! :beige: Sorry I couldn't make any use of it ....

-- but I'm guessing given the premium being put on tight coding -- we want literally each & every byte of the 1, 440, 000

we have at our disposal to count -- it'll be so "System6"-esque it won't conflict with any "System 7" executions, I guess you can say ....

What a great idea, Cary.

Thanks, man !

Believe it or not that makes it all worthwhile

I wish there were more developers who realised you don't have to have the latest and greatest hardware to still make good software.

I agree

I look forward to trying it out.

Thanks again !

You'll love it -- I guarantee it.

My inspirations are "Aces Over Europe", "Chuck Yeager's Air Combat" &, of course, the flatshade polygonal classic

"HellCats Over The Pacific" done by the master himself Eric Parker -- with whom I manitain a semiregular correspondence.

And I may be jumping the gun here a little but networking via modem & a 1-800 number we'll pay for's

-- "1-800-BOXMACS" , for example -- bein' looked inta

:b&w:

 

[luddite]

If you're thinking to shrinkwrap it on a card, then you can easily do that yourself ....

Oh absolutely !

We'll have a professionally printed package about the size of a hardcoverbook & the bulk of an LP.

Once those are ordered we'll have a shrinkwrapping machine by then.

We'll wait for the orders ta come in, make a copy of the game individually -- with a nice label on it ! -- slide the floppydisk into it

with a sheet of paper saying any guidance needed to play the game's in the HELP dropdown menu, shrinkwrap it & send it out using bulkmail.

Getting the packaging *professionally* printed will add a lot of cost to the operation, as you'll probably have to get something like 1000 done. I guarantee your sales will be nowhere near that number. You could print your own packaging individually... I've done something similar with inkjet printed photo paper and rubber cement, that ended up quite nice (it was a miniature LP gatefold for a double CD set)... since you can do what you need to do with a single sheet, the cost will be minimal.

 

[CaryMG]

Getting the packaging *professionally* printed will add a lot of cost to the operation ....

Provisions are made

... as you'll probably have to get something like 1000 done.

That sounds like a good number! lol

You could print your own packaging individually...

No thanks -- I want deluxe all the way on this one

Thanks for the suggestions ! :beige:

:b&w:

 

[luddite]

You could print your own packaging individually...

No thanks -- I want deluxe all the way on this one

Thanks for the suggestions ! :beige:

Well, if you have the finances to go pro, and the desire to do so (obviously), then go for it! Hopefully you can drum up enough biz to make it worthwhile...

It'll be interesting to see a new 68K Mac product that's actually marketed, rather than just tossed out as shareware/freeware.

 

[CaryMG]

Well, if you have the finances to go pro, and the desire to do so (obviously), then go for it!

:beige:

Hopefully you can drum up enough biz to make it worthwhile...

I hope so, too lol

It'll be interesting to see a new 68K Mac product that's actually marketed, rather than just tossed out as shareware/freeware

I agree !

And thank you for the wellwishes !

:b&w:

 

[II2II]

Well, if you're just interested in breaking even the margins should chew up the cost of printing extra boxes. Say that the profit is $15/unit (of course, I'm assuming that your labour is worthless ) Then 20 units sold ought to pay off your expenses.

Though, if I may suggest, I saw a few places selling jewlery boxes with your imprint on it. It may make more sense to get a "classy" box with a silver company imprint (rather than the product name), then include a manual that is printed with a glossy colour cover (including art based upon the game's theme) with laser printed pages inside. The covers and manual pages would be printed in smaller quantities, as needed.

 

[CaryMG]

Here's a couple of examples of what we're going for ....

Just click the names to watch the video

1] "Aces Over Europe"

2] "Chuck Yeager's Air Combat"

:b&w: