Hi Che, I think there could be quite a number of reasons why Rail Racer didn't sell as well as you had hoped, and most of what I am about to say is just my own experience dealing with the blind public. First, allot of blind computer users I have met online seam to take the attitude they want the games for free. I've been personally emailed more than once by blind gamers asking if I would give them a free key when the game is released, and they would follow it up with a story about how they don't have money etc. It may even be true, but they forget I need that money to buy sound effects, music, software upgrades, and so on and I don't plan to give all my games away for free. This attitude of everything should be free is most apparent in the blind Linux user market where most software is free or low cost. I have heard more than one time user x stopped using Windows because it costs to much, Windows software is a wrip off, accessible software should be free since we have to pay so much for the computers, and so on and so on. My general impression was allot of Linux users used Linux because it was free rather than if it was really a better operating system or not. Second, in the five years or so since I joined the blind gaming community there has always been a number of blind gamers that begin asking for spoilers, cheat codes, complaining this or that is to hard, etc the day after a new game is released. I've been always one who dislikes cheat codes and don't generally ask for a spoiler unless I am truly stuck. So I've personally always felt those who do it the day after the game is released don't enjoy challenges, difficulties, and don't want to use the gray matter in their head to figure some of this stuff out. They want everything handed to them so the game is easy to play. With Rail Racer you have made the game such that you can not just jump in and begin playing. The player must work hard at training up to Rail Racer Pro, learn to take the curves, experiment with gearing and wing angles, and is certainly not easy. it is a fun game for the advanced gamer, but because it is not easy, doesn't offer cheats, etc most gamers are likely turned off by the difficulty. Third, it could just be user interest. Some gamers are not into racing games, and your game may not attract racing fans because it is not a Nascar or Formula 1 racing game. Speaking for myself here I like the game, don't get me wrong, but in the beginning I was less interested in the game because it wasn't a Nascar type of racing. When I think of racing games I most asociate with games like EA Sports Nascar Thunder 2006. That is not saying Rail Racer is bad, but it doesn't grab the attention of Nascar fans the way a truly Nascar game might. In summary when you get down to it we have a very small community as it is. When you subtract all the gamers who for one reason or another do not want to pay for it, all the gamers who think the game is to hard for them to play, and all the gamers that simply didn't like the game for their own personal reasons you end up not doing well. There have been games like Aliens In the Outback, Troopenum, GMA Tank Commander, Shades ofDoom, that have done well and it might be a good idea for blind developers such as you and I to find out what our customers want before going to task writing a game that will fail.
--- Gamers mailing list __ [email protected] If you want to leave the list, send E-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] You can make changes or update your subscription via the web, at http://audyssey.org/mailman/listinfo/gamers_audyssey.org. All messages are archived and can be searched and read at http://www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED] If you have any questions or concerns regarding the management of the list, please send E-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
