Marble Craze

[Cybergoth]

Hi there!

 

On the development page it says "Marble Craze" will be released this March.

 

So - where is it?

 

Greetings,

Manuel

[Albert]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Cybergoth:

On the development page it says "Marble Craze" will be released this March.

---

 

I think it's a pretty safe bet that we're not going to see Marble Craze this month. I'm sure Paul will update us with a more realistic date, perhaps, "When it's ready".

 

..Al

[Paul Slocum]

It is reasonable to think I'll have a playable version in April, but I'm probably going to release it at CGE. Currently, the game kernal is very close to being done. You'll see some screen shots soon.

 

I'm working on in-game music right now, which is turning out pretty great!

 

-Paul

[StanJr]

Its not going to be a CGE exclusive is it???????

[Paul Slocum]

It might be, but it's too soon to say for sure.

 

Here's a little sample of one of the in-game songs: marble_music.mp3

 

-Paul

[moycon]

quote

It might be, but it's too soon to say for sure.

 

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!

 

 

Also: Oh man that music is too cool!!!

[Snider-man]

Don't know what the big deal is about 'Craze being a CGE exclusive. I've been saving $$$ since January just to get out there and buy all those CGE goodies. I'll be picking up one, that's for sure.

 

Let's just NOT go through the "Can't get to CGE - you people suck - woe is me" BS again this year, OK?

[moycon]

"Don't know what the big deal is about 'Craze being a CGE exclusive."

 

Ummm Cuz not everyone is willing to/can use up some of their vacation days, spend $1000 on plane tickets and hotel rooms etc... So that they can get the latest Atari games???? Is that a big deal? Wish I had Snider-Mans job position/bank account/priorities Then I could get all those games too!!! WOOHOO!!!

I guess everyone thats not Snider-Man just suck.

[atarimastermarty]

Moycon I hear what you're saying. But what about the people who take off from work and spen there money on CGE. They deserve an exclusive or two.

[moycon]

True dat Atari Master Marty.... Like I said... I suck.

 

Actually I was just pointing out that some people who might want to go really bad, can't because of either location or finances... I just don't agree that that is BS is all.

 

Oh well there's always Hozer right!????

 

[ 03-19-2002: Message edited by: moycon ]

[Snider-man]

Moycon, were you even *here* for all the CGE-exclusive bitchin' last year? Jesus-on-a-pogostick, this message board was filled with nothing but people screeching that the programmers were bastards because the games were only available in Vegas; that those folks who managed to get to Vegas were deep-pocket jerks; etc. The flames were high and hot on here, let me tell you.

 

Nextly, I've done nothing since January but sell stuff on eBay and scrimp my nickles in order to get to Vegas again this year. I've already made arrangements with my boss to free up that weekend, and I'm shopping for cheap airfare. Every week, I set aside $20 in a special "CGE fund" used specifically to get out there. I've already saved enough for airfare, the hotel, and food. Now I just gotta save up "speding cash." Do I have a limitless bank account? No, you fool! I'm making my plans NOW so I can get out there in August!

 

You know what's keeping you from going? Your attitude, my friend. I've been working on arranging this vacation since this year started. You on the other hand have plans to bitch for the next 6 months that you can't afford it, can't make arrangements to go, can't take time from work/school, you're too young, too old, too poor, whatever. Well, if you want to go bad enough, you'll find a way. Just don't be one of the screamers come August 1st.

 

Moycon, I'm not trying to flame you, 'cause I know you from the boards and you're a somewhat righteous dude. But, this issue was a VERY sore point with me last year and it appears that it will be again this year. In fact, Sean kelly of Digital Press recently said it best in his most recent ROMpage column. I'll copy it here:

 

"I'm sick and tired of all this "I'm not rich enough to run out to Las Vegas and attend CGE" bullshit! A plane ticket from anywhere in the country can be had for no more than $400. You can't afford to set-aside $1 a day? Yeah, I know...there's hotel expenses and food as well. So can you manage $2 per day? Cut one package of Ho-Ho's out of your daily food intake and you're there! What about spending money? Well sell some of your extra stuff on eBay or have a garage sale or go to your local blood bank and sell a pint of blood a week. I simply refuse to believe that some of these guys can afford to "waste" money from time to time buying old videogames and can't scrape-together a

few bucks once a year to make it to CGE."

 

"CGE is going on it's fifth year in 2002 which means you've had the past four years to try and set-aside a few bucks to make it out there. If you've attended at least once and it's not your cup of tea - fine. I have no problem with that whatsoever. Those of you who have never been there yet insist on bitching and crying after the show every year about the stuff you were unfairly cheated out of can kiss my ass!"

 

"You might as well get used to the idea...there will be exclusive games offered at CGE every year no matter how much you cry about it. It's a convenient place for people to release their homebrew stuff as well as prototypes that are being made available in limited quantities. Those of us responsible for running the show will do all we can to entice a few more people out to a show we spend A LOT of time and money putting- together. The show has grown from 200 people at World of Atari to over 1000 at CGE 2001 and if even 10% of that growth is due to the various games released at the show, it was well worth it. Each year we see hundreds of people who had to be very creative in gathering the funds to attend and purchase a few games at the show. If you can't manage to do the same, then it just sucks to be you."

 

[ 03-19-2002: Message edited by: Snider-man ]

[King Asmo]

I agree 100% Snider-man.. I can't believe the amount of BS you went through last year when you were doing the gaming community a favor.. that just wasn't right.

 

How I'd like to see some enterprising homebrewer handle the situation is this. Instead of offering these games as CGE exclusives.. just do a Dutch auction for them on eBay. Hype it for about a month before hand.. let reviewers test the game, what have you. Then just take the 100 or however many copies of the games you made, and do a huge Dutch auction. If they're numbered copies, give #1 to the first highest bidder, #2 to the second highest bidder, etc. I'd also allow people to bid on as many copies of the game as they wanted.. it's their right.

 

I have a pretty good feeling that if this happened, that'd we see that the homebrewers are drastically undercharging for their creations.. I could see an auction like this ending at $80-90 a copy or so.

 

If any homebrewer is interested in such a scheme, I'd be willing to finance a large portion of it.

 

Of course, now people will whine that you're "profiteering". The truth of the matter is, there's always going to be a segment of the population who cries UNFAIR no matter how you distribute the game.. coz for some reason, a lot of people think they have an entitlement to every 2600 game ever produced, or ever will be produced.

 

KA

[Thomas Jentzsch]

So for an homebrew exclusive, only availabe in Europe, would you come over here?

 

Don't forget the collectors outside North-America, just give them a fair chance and they'll do that too.

 

BTW: Most of the latest 2600 homebrews where coming from Europe.

 

[ 03-19-2002: Message edited by: Thomas Jentzsch ]

[Snider-man]

A very good point, Thomas.

 

Though I don't believe I could ever afford to get over to Europe, I certainly won't begrudge those folks overseas who are able to attend the meetings/conventions over there. If I can't get there, so be it. I won't waste my time complaining that it's unfair because "I can't afford $1,000 in airfare, hotel, etc. just to buy some Atari games." I'll just plan to attend the stuff I can afford to attend.

[liveinabin]

Yeah Thomas! and YOU go and give them Ghostbusters 2!! We gotta take the power back

[Albert]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Snider-man:

Moycon, were you even *here* for all the CGE-exclusive bitchin' last year? Jesus-on-a-pogostick, this message board was filled with nothing but people screeching that the programmers were bastards because the games were only available in Vegas; that those folks who managed to get to Vegas were deep-pocket jerks; etc. The flames were high and hot on here, let me tell you.

---

 

To balance things out a bit, there were at least as many messages, if not more, supporting your side and the right to release your games in any way you see fit. It's just that we tend to remember the people doing the flaming. All those threads are still here on AtariAge, not that I'm going to dredge them up.

 

There are always going to be homebrew games released at the various classic gaming shows, and most notably at CGE. It's one of the things they use to draw people to the show, and since a good number of homebrew authors would attend the show anyway, it's only natural that they release their games at this venue for maximum exposure. It takes a lot of work and time to physically manufacture these games, so putting together even a limited number (50? 100?) for CGE might take months.

 

It's up to each individual author to decide where and how to sell his or her game. If that happens to be at a show that I can't attend (as has happened in the past), then those are games I'm simply not going to get my hands on unless the author offers more copies afterwards, or I buy one on eBay for an inflated price. I'm certainly not going to get mad at the author for not coming up with a complex release scheme that attempts to make everyone happy.

 

No one is doing this full-time, so releasing games at CGE allows a homebrew author to easily sell as many copies as he can produce for the show, getting the games into hands of gamers quickly, without having to deal with the hassles of remote payment and shipping. After the show is over, that author can then go home happy, knowing people are enjoying his labor of love. He can then can start work on a new project, without his time being sucked away by processing orders for his last effort. If he wants to make additional copies available, he can always let someone else (like Hozer or Junie's Creations) do this work instead, although these copies won't be the same as the "Limited Edition" releases at the shows. Which of course some people wouldn't be happy with, but I thought it was all about playing the games and supporting the homebrew authors?

 

..Al

[King Asmo]

RE: Europe

 

Yeah, it would suck if you're in Europe and you can't get these games.. the same way it sucks that I haven't been able to find any decent Dutch food since I moved back to North America from Maastricht about 4 or 5 years ago.

 

I do like the idea of selling 100 or so NTSC copies at CGE, then selling 20-50 PAL copies at an equivalent European show, tho I can see why authors wouldn't bother. Even then, the Australians and Brazillians would get mad at ya for leaving them out.

 

I still think eBay is the best way to go.

 

KA

[NoahsMyBro]

I'd love to go to all of the various shows, but unfortunately I can't, due to all of the constraints already mentioned.

 

I've always felt that it was unfortunate, but 'them's the breaks'. I'd also like to have Battlesphere Gold, but again, it's out of my reach. Life goes on.

 

I think it's insensitive to criticize people who are unable to attend for one reason or another, but were people really criticizing fest organizers and developers for the situation??!?!?! That's unbelievably self-centered and immature!

 

What I think would be best, taking as a given that there is to be an exclusive product for show-attendees, is to have a slightly different product available after the show, available to all, perhaps through Hozer. I think QB had a different label after PhillyClassic, IIRC Songbird had a special JagFest version of something (a Lynx game, maybe) with a special splash screen, etc... This provides those in attendance with a limited-run-special-edition sort of item, while the rest of us still get to enjoy the game/whatever.

 

Of course, if this isn't possible, GODDAMNIT, I think every CGE, CinciClassic, PhillyClassic, JagFest, EuroJagFest, etc... from now on BETTER BE HELD WITHIN 60 MINUTES FROM MY HOUSE, OR ELSE!!!

 

Steve

[moycon]

Ok I guess I missed something. I myself can afford to goto Las Vegas tomorrow if I want to. I was under the impression that you were saying that people who don't go to the convention suck:... "Can't get to CGE - you people suck" and that any reason they gave for not going was BS :- "woe is me" BS again this year, OK?" I was just being a smart ass. I'm sure alot of people can't go for like I said finances or location or other reasons that are perfectly legit. I get it now tho. In any case I promise not to bitch if I don't get an exclusive.

 

Back to the topic... Will the game Marble Craze be available from Hozer?????

[moycon]

quote

'cause I know you from the boards and you're a somewhat righteous dude.

 

I actually liked Snider-man till I noticed the "somewhat" in this post.

[Snider-man]

I'm always one to hedge my bets..."somewhat."

 

Now that I've purged my bile, let's get back on-topic. Just prior to the announcement that Marble Craze was in the works, I was kicking about doing a *very* similar game (working title was "The Atari Labyrinth"). Glad it never got past the pen-and-paper stage, 'cause this is shaping up to look quite lovely. However, my next project (after my current one) is a dart simulation (working title: "Dartari").

 

Snider-man

"THWWWIP!"

[Scooterb23]

Snider-man...Jesus-on-a-pogostick????

 

Please say somebody can make an animated gif or a 2600 game of this,

 

As for the games, yeah, I'd like to have them too, but I'm not going to drive (yes drive, I will not get on a plane, ever) from Southern Ohio to Las Vegas to pick up an exclusive version of a game. I'll just wait and get them some other way...

[moycon]

quote:

---

. However, my next project (after my current one) is a dart simulation (working title: "Dartari").

---

 

Will it be first person or side view? Or both? Or haven't decided?

 

I have seen several different types of dart video games in the past. Some involve a dart that is in constant motion all around and is launched when you press the button. Others are more like a Human Cannonball"type game Where you adjust the angle and choose via bar graph how hard you throw the dart. All are pretty fun and that name is GREAT!!

[Snider-man]

I really haven't decided on gameplay yet. Hell, I'm still trying to figure out how the BOARD would be drawn! But, once the basics are hammered out, I think it'll be an easy program. A lot easier than the one I'm trying to complete right now, that's for sure!

 

"Snider-man"

 

P.S. Even better than Jesus-on-a-pogostick is either "Jesus-in-a-rubber-wheelchair" or "Sweet Zombie Jesus" (from Futurama).

 

P.S.S. Yeah, just what the Hell IS a "moycon?"

[Paul Slocum]

I'm not sure how exclusive the release will be yet. I really need time to think about it, and CGE is not for quite a while. I will probably make some available to people outside of the U.S. And it may be available through Hozer at some point.

 

I put over $700 into getting enough parts to make Synthcarts for eveyone who wants one. I'm a student, so I don't have that kind of money just sitting around. I've only recently passed that point of making that money back. I think I will be able to sell all of them, but the money I'm making is TERRIBLE considering how much time I put into the project. Homebrewing is NOT a good way to make money.

 

-Paul