AGS awards questions

Essex · Sat 25/12/2004 22:08:59

Perhaps it was wrong to mention the word "money" relating the AGS award.....

When I try to say something like that I am certainly not thinking in a capitalistic way. I don't think that anybody might become wealthy and rich just by releasing a commercial game or winning an award. Even well known adventure game designers like Scott Murphy, Roberta Williams or Ron Gilbert aren't rich but at least they are able to survive with their job, and that was my whole intention, to help somebody to survive with his creativity in game designing by supporting him.

Money sure isn't the only possibility to do that. What if we try to communicate the AGS award winners in some way to a larger and more professional audience.

After the award has taken place we could write a bunch of emails to game companies that are well known for their interests in adventure games like Lucasarts, Sierra, Funcom and so on......

These emails simply contain the result of the yearly award, a short explanation what AGS is, links to the downloads of the winners and many names of forum members testifying the quality of the game.

This could help to make this forum a bit more popular, shows the taste of the audience and supports young game designers. Perhaps there might be an offer for work or something.

Sure it is possible that nobody reads these letters and that they simply ignore them. But if you think how some game designers got their job........Scott Murphy for example (the inventor of the Space Quest series) used to be some kind of coffee boy in the Sierra studios. During a conference and while he was bringing fresh coffee he mentioned one of his ideas by interrupting the big boys while they had some problem with a kind of space game. They were so overwelmed that they started to support him and his ideas......

Radiant · Sat 25/12/2004 23:00:05

While I applaud your optimism, please understand that large companies do not actually work that way. They will not hire an independent game author just because he created a game that was well-received by a fringe group. They also will not offer money for a game not created by them, nor advertise it.
The current industry wants 3-d, hi-res flashy games measuring at least a gigabyte in size. Besides, many of us have jobs and/or studies to take care of. And, given the recent news about forced burnout at Electronic Arts, it seems the gaming industry is not a very nice place to work at.

For the record, neither Sierra nor LucasArts are well-known for their interests in adventure games - at least not any more, for the last six years or so (Sierra is defunct / bought out, and all the adventure game people no longer work there; LucasArts is only working on Star Wars games, and recently cancelled their Sam n Max game).

Btw what you're saying about Scott Murphy isn't true. He used to work on the King's Quest series before he got into his own series. Sierra wasn't large in those days and didn't have conferences or coffee boys. In fact, Scott and Mark (Crowe) created a small demo in a couple of nights and showed it to Ken Williams afterwards - then he greenlighted it. The entire game design, and concept of the 'space game' is theirs.

Wandering Hippie · Sun 26/12/2004 08:57:31

Quote from: Radiant on Sat 25/12/2004 23:00:05
While I applaud your optimism, please understand that large companies do not actually work that way. They will not hire an independent game author just because he created a game that was well-received by a fringe group.

I dunno, it seemed to work the creator (see 'The Team') of quite a few popular ags games.

(Yes, I realise these games themselves most likely had nothing to do with it, but I'm just saying...

)

Essex · Sun 26/12/2004 10:25:05

QuoteThe current industry wants 3-d, hi-res flashy games measuring at least a gigabyte in size. Besides, many of us have jobs and/or studies to take care of. And, given the recent news about forced burnout at Electronic Arts, it seems the gaming industry is not a very nice place to work at.

I think this is the viewpoint of a programmer. Sure if you are able to work with a couple of scripting languages like C++ then it might be better to work somewhere else. Computers are almost everywhere today and a computer specialist can find work in many places. But what about an artist ?

Me for example, I am a Master of Architecture. I have a full time job seven days a week twelve hours a day in a large architectural studio. I spend my whole day by visualizing costruction details in AutoCAD. For all this I earn about 700 Euro net amount a month. Thats quite normal for young architects at the moment, in fact most of my former student friends are unemployed....

If I had the possibility of doing something else I would take this opportunity, even if it just was creating architectural concepts for computer games or movies. Perhaps I wouldn't earn much more but at least I'd do something I like.......

Thats the architectural point of view......but what about other artists?
I have many friends who studied painting or music. Their situation is even worse. They have to work in supermarkets and book stores to survive. Many of them have enormous debts because they had to pay for their studies. One of my close friends, a concert pianist and composer, ended up in a madhouse because of this situation......

My so called "optimism" isn't more than a kind of despair......

Perhaps it sounds rather naive if someone makes a proposal to write a collective email to game companies........but I don't think it will hurt anybody and who knows what might happen.

Radiant · Sun 26/12/2004 10:59:16

Oh, it certainly won't hurt, but you are unlikely to get a reaction (I have had two of my games officially published, but I had to contact literally dozens of publishers with my offer before one even bothered to send me a response). So all I'm saying is that your efforts are probably better spent in another direction.

The last collective proposal I've heard of was requesting LucasArts to continue working on Sam & Max II. I don't believe they even got an answer.

Wait a sec... you ARE kidding about your job, I hope? You say you work 84 hours a week for a measly 700 euro per month, that amounts to you making two euros an hour. Minimum wages, anybody? A beggar makes more than that.

I suppose that some game companies would hire artists. However, given the market these days, they would probably have to be 3-d artists, and they would likely have to work in high resolutions. AGS games generally don't fall into these two categories. So I would suggest creating a portfolio (say, on Deviant or ElfWood) and using that to contact potential employers. I know in fact that several AGS-related artists have done so, and have become professional graphic designers.

I'm afraid that a major in Art is not necessarily going to land you a job anywhere. There are loads of would-be artists and few takers. Most of them simply aren't good enough (for instance, check fanfiction.net).

If you wanted a job in the game industry, I'd suggest you learn 3D-studio Max, Photoshop, Bryce and/or Poser, and create a couple of 3-d models for your portfolio. Or do a google to see which companies are hiring.

Czar · Sun 26/12/2004 22:23:10

First I wanted to say, DG does that have to do something with the thing Yahtzee said eons ago. Then i remembered that it was really so much before. Even before the last awards.
And then I also saw the conversation evolve.

The one thing i am surprised of is seeing DG's work and resignation going away in such a subtle manner.
I thought there was going to be more noise about it. At least the half of what is seen on those "I'm leaving AGS" threads.
But, the man had it's share of work, and with that he built his reputation, so i think everybody thinks it is fair to have him make his own real decisions and to respect it.

Yes.
Another thing.
How come I havent noticed that Yahtzee is on a payroll AG making team?
Have I become so blind and numb to news, or are just these new contact lenses another marketing scam?

C.

DGMacphee · Mon 27/12/2004 07:18:18

Quote from: Czar on Sun 26/12/2004 22:23:10
First I wanted to say, DG does that have to do something with the thing Yahtzee said eons ago. Then i remembered that it was really so much before. Even before the last awards.
And then I also saw the conversation evolve.

I wish people could forget about this. Espcially when no one asked about "the thing Yahtzee said eons ago". I'd prefer the can of worms to stay shut. Besides, I've made my peace with Yahtzee. I overreacted. Hopefully, he's forgiven me.

As for the subtle manner over resignation, don't be surprised. It's nothing amazing. It's more a non-issue. I'd prefer someone else just take over the awards rather than people make noise about it.

And whatever the deal is with the Awards leading to professional companies, yes that's good, but keep in mind the whole reason I started it was to have a bit of fun. For everyone. Don't take the Awards seriously. They're just some entertainment.

Rui 'Trovatore' Pires · Mon 27/12/2004 07:58:44

Wasn't "award time" the last days of the year? It imght not be, I usually make a lot of confusion, but if it IS, WHERE is it?

Which is my little way of saying, let's not get TOO sidetracked, talking of other things is nice but there's still awards to be given out.

Radiant · Mon 27/12/2004 18:05:43

Good point. Maybe we could start nominating games (and related things). Does anybody have a list of what came out this year? LL2 and TBC remakes come to mind, as does No Action Jackson...

alkis21 · Mon 27/12/2004 19:27:39

I nominate 'Other Worlds'.
What, it's not the time yet?
Uh.. don't mind me, as you were.

Vel · Mon 27/12/2004 20:09:52

I suggest we have a pimping award. Last year I may have got it, but this year guess who it goes to.

Seriously though, I think that there should be 5 games nominated for the best music award.

HillBilly · Mon 27/12/2004 20:14:05

Is there a 'worst game' award? I can't seem to recall.

Vel · Mon 27/12/2004 20:17:03

Yeah, the P3N1SH award.

BerserkerTails · Mon 27/12/2004 20:17:41

There is the P3N1S Award... So yes... Yes there is.

...Vel beat me to it.

HillBilly · Mon 27/12/2004 20:19:15

Ah, yes.

I recall FLASHBAX.

Radiant · Mon 27/12/2004 20:20:08

Vel -> I second that. After all, just about every other category has five entries.

Vel · Mon 27/12/2004 20:23:30

Well, the first year of AGS awards there weren't that many games with music and there were even less which had original music, but now this has vastly changed. I recall around 10 games released this year with great music, and it'd be hard to choose only 3 of them.

DGMacphee · Tue 28/12/2004 03:16:12

Guys, please don't bombard Pesty with suggestions already. No money prizes and no category changes at the moment. First, Pesty has to get a feel for the awards. Let her run the awards the way she wants to this year and save your suggestions for later.

Gord10 · Tue 28/12/2004 14:53:31

Quotethe P3N1SH award.

People, do you think P3N1SH award is discouraging and demoralizing for the developers who "win" it? IMO it demoralizes people to develope more games, so they don't improve themselves on game developing. (Though it's just my opinion and I may be wrong.)

Ishmael · Tue 28/12/2004 15:28:36

The p3n1sh award is not for the worst game, right? It's for the somewhat most useless or downlooked game? Not meant to demoralize, but to encougrage to improve, in some twisted way... If I recall correctly, Flashbax got it, right? That game was not useless, meaningless, but it was downlooked for a number of reasons...

...or something...

AGS awards questions

Wandering Hippie