Hi, Dark.
I realize that. My actual point was to point out that while programming
accessible games is often rewarding it also can be disenchanting once
you discover all the legal and technical entanglements that goes with
the job. I'm not sure what the lead developers reasons were, but I know
how I feel about the issues I mentioned earlier. Which I braught them up
as an example of the kinds of problems we face as audio game developers.
As far as the developers comments about "he now had a life" I agree this
sounds more like teenaged anxt than anything else. I program and play
accessible games, but I do have a life outside of it. I'm not sure where
he is coming from, but maybe he felt it took up too much of his time.
Its hard to say without him giving his reasons.
Smile.
dark wrote:
Hello tom.
While I understand the various reasons behind your annoyence with
licensing and other issues, these weren't the reasons given by the
lead developer of Dragonslayer.
I actually had several conversations with him, sinse I felt he had a
lot of enthusiasm, and indeed potentially good ideas of implementing
interesting games even if he was just learning his craft, ----- pluss
he was a genuinely nice chap to talk to.
After this great display of enthusiasm though, he literally just
dropped off the map, and I don't just mean in terms of programming I
mean in terms of the games community in general.
He no longer posted on the forum, nor indeed when i E-mailed him did
he answer.
At a later date, another friend of mine happened to run across him on
Skype, and asked why, to which he dismissively replied that now he
"had a life" so wasn't bothered about accessible games anymore.
the fact that one can be interested in computer games and indeed have
a life, interests, and friends outside them had planely not occurred
to him at all.
while he on average showed a mature atitude, this sounded to me more a
case of teenaged anxt than anything else, ----- he certainly never
voiced the concerns your raising.
Beware the Grue!
Dark.
----- Original Message ----- From: "Thomas Ward"
<thomasward1...@gmail.com>
To: "Gamers Discussion list" <gamers@audyssey.org>
Sent: Friday, September 18, 2009 1:54 AM
Subject: Re: [Audyssey] dragonSlayers games
Hi Dark,
Being a game developer myself I think I can understand the lead
developer's reasons well enough. It is pretty easy to get
disenchanted and out right discouraged when creating audio games. I'm
obviously a lot older and more seasoned than the lead developer for
Dragon Slayer Games was, but even I feel like hanging it up from time
to time. Although, my major gripe has to do with licensing issues.
When I first started writing accessible games I imagined writing
games like those I use to play in the good old days when I still
could see. I figured as the common person does that I would be able
to make my own versions of Double Dragon, Castlevania, Tomb Raider,
Star Wars, whatever, and the mainstream companies would leave me
alone. No such luck. i found out the hard way when I got threatened
with a law suit over Montezuma's Revenge, and now i feel pretty
bitter about that. Especially, considering the fact that current laws
grants these companies nearly godlike control over their copyrights,
trade marks, and creations regardless of accessibility concerns. That
alone killed many of my hopes and dreams for creating audio games.
Then, there is the technical aspects to deal with. If a developer
wants to specifically program for Windows the sky is the limit.
However, over the passed couple of years I have joined the ranks of
blind computer users that use alternative operating systems such as
Linux and Mac OS.
This makes writing games tricky because it is hard to find any
programming API, specification, that is supported on Mac, Linux, and
Windows. There are some good ones out there like the FMOD Audio API,
but it isn't free for commercial developers. Licensing can be steep,
and a certain percentage of all sales will have to go into licensing
the API. This isn't necessarily an acceptable situation given USA
Games doesn't make all that much off our games to begin with.
Basically, enough just to properly license, sounds, music, and
perhaps an API like FMOD if we can afford it.
Finally, after all that there are complete jerks out there that will
happily crack and redistribute the game to every disreputable blind
person on the planet. To them it doesn't matter how long it took to
create the game, how much it cost the developer to license this or
that, and so on. All of that means nothing to them. Instead the game
is something they can hack, crack, and pass around like bubble gum
cards.
So, bottom line, there is a lot a developer can get disenchanted
about. It is hard work for very little financial gain, and sometimes
little recognition. I do it because I generally like the work despite
the troubles, bologna, and other crap I have to put up with.
Cheers!
---
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