Opulent Records Seeking Game Creator

[OpulentRecords]

Hey folks,
my name is Jason Appleton and I am a music manager with Opulent Records Management.

My priority band is preparing to launch a new album (Just Left Town) in January and I have been trying to think of an interesting way to market the album aside from the norm. ( www.TheBigCreak.com )

Considering the band is made up of self proclaimed geeks, I thought it might be neat to have a shareware PC adventure game made in the likes of Maniac Mansion etc (the best game ever created by the way).

I have made up a full story board for the game as well as how it should play out etc, what I am in need of is someone who really enjoys projects like these and is capable of putting something like this together.

The game concept is not something that I would consider too time consuming, but I guess that depends on the effort put into it overall.

I am looking to make the game freeware/shareware where the developers name and payment info are available while requesting a donation from people who enjoy the game.

Whoever takes on this project must be able to create impressive background imagery with some skill in basic animation. Think a modern day Maniac Mansion with better graphics..?

Overall, I need someone who an take a well thought out description of each location, characters, puzzles and a map and create the imagery and put it together into a working format.

Lastly, bear in mind that the band is nearing their first record deal and if this does in fact take place, we stand to see a very high number of downloads (hopefully resulting in donations) due to the number of people performing Google searches for the band etc.

Overall, this is meant to be a fun project and something I personally have always wanted to be a part of. I am also willing to do any of the "grunt" work (so long as I am capable) to make things easier for the developer.

Yes, you will also get a free copy of the album and show tickets if you are in a town they will be performing in.

The band is actually incorporated as an LLC and as such may be able to provide college credit for those who participate.

Lots of options for interested parties.

Once the completed project is ready, I will then be taking the game (assuming it is high standard) and send copies of the game to all game oriented trade magazines along with copies of the full album. I feel this may well be a very unique way for a band to market themselves and as such may well be a viable method of getting gaming mags involved.

Overall, I am looking for someone who is truly willing and able to offer their support in this venture in exchange for a cut of the shareware proceeds earned through its use and distribution and possibly an advance.

If your interested, please contact me directly at:
bimmer@seidata.com
AIM: Opulent Records

Please have examples of your work or links to a website where I may view previous projects.

Thank you all and I do hope to hear from some of you soon.

[OpulentRecords]

I thought I should say,
if someone is only interested in the design of the background work, this may be of interest to me as well.

I am getting into the guts of this program and may be able to put the game together myself.

I'm kinda dumb so we shall see.

[Scavenger]

Wait a moment, please! All you've told us on the game related side is that you want someone to help you make a game about your band, you want it to be a modern day Maniac Mansion... you've worked out a storyboard and how it will play (but you haven't told us) and said it's gonna be freeware/shareware. I'm very interested in this project (though unfortunately, I wouldn't be able to contribute due to my lack of time and skill ) but can you tell us more? Like resolution, colour depth (for the artists, you see) some of the storyline (a basic synopsis would do) and other game related (not business related) information?

I don't want to nag... you just didn't write enough of the good stuff

[OpulentRecords]

hehe my apologies.
I didn't want everyone to have to read through a book unless there was actual interest.

As for the game, there are 17 locations within the game setting currently mapped out. The theme of the game is Just Left Town, the title of their new album.

The plot is simple, leave town.

Seriously though, the game begins with each of the 4 members in a living room of which can be used indivudually for specific functions. The object of the game is to wonder through the city streets while building up the bands fan base and cash so as to better market their new CD and ultimately land a record deal so they can leave their hometown.

The game will be filled with little comedic puzzles mixed in with specific missions needing to be accomplished. You have to get or fix instruments, pay people off for airplay, perform shows, buy flyers and get someone to distribute them, get a manager etc etc. All the things that make up developing a band with a cooky twist.

The game should be high color 16 bit at 800x600 rez (better if possible) and should be truly visually appealing. Something that could be marketed and respected by gaming industry folks as once the game is completed, all trade mags will be sent copies of the game as well as the full album as I try and convince a handful to write about it in some manner.

I am looking for a cartoony type feel to things. Fun, hilarious and challenging.

If you have any other specific questions, Im happy to answer them.

[OpulentRecords]

When I say trade mags, I mean Computer gaming Trade mags.
The band has an industry PR rep handling music press etc. The game may also play a role in some magazine reviews from a music standpoint.

Overall, this game stands to get quite a bit of exposure.

[juncmodule]

16 bit at 800x600 rez (better if possible) and should be truly visually appealing

:o URK!

Wow, you just cut the available artists for your project to pieces. There are only a handful of artists that can produce stuff that good around here.

As I am not one of them, I will offer to help with coding, but I have the impression you intend to do that bit.

Well, good luck. I must say, I would encourage you to lower the color depth and resolution and go for a RETRO look, and promote it as such. You may have an easier time at finding folks.

later,
-junc

[remixor]

Well, I'd say 16bit is fine (probably even easier than finding a good 256-color artist), but 800x600 resolution is dangerous.  You won't find many takers for that around here.  Anything over 640x480 is not too popular among the AGS community.

[Andail]

Just so you know, it's extremely hard to recruit artists for that kind of projects (truly visually appealing and 800x600), especially by complete strangers whose capability of leading a game project is unknown.
Usually nobody can engage a good artist before they have made some sample-games first, to prove they are able to row it to shore, if you get me.
But you seem pretty serious, so I wish you good luck

[tamper]

It's refreshing to see some original thought going into artist promotion!

I would question however the validity of releasing any promotional game as 'shareware'. For a start, very few AGS games (only 2 I believe) have gone this route, to limited success.

Moreover, I think there's an expectation from the public that a promotional 'freebie' would be just that - free, and perhaps released on an enhanced CD single/album.

Not that I don't think it's a good idea to do a game - I think it's fabulous. I just think whomever gets involved will be doing it for love, not money.

Then again, you could always blag a pile of CDs from your A&R men to hand out to participants...

t

[Kweepa]

Hmm, that sounds like a lot of work.
Each background is probably two days of work for a pro, so 34 days there.
Then walk cycles for the four main characters, and event specific animations, probably another 10-20 days.
I'd say it'd take at least three months, given that Christmas is coming up, so it's unlikely you'd hit the January release.
Unless you compromise on the graphics, or get two people working on it, or preferably both.

[shbaz]

I emailed you.

[OpulentRecords]

I am thinking the best way to get the game out is to offer the fulle game free of charge, however, offer an option to make a donation of which will be filtered through those that help create the game.

If a great team is put together to create the game and money isn't an issue for them then by all means, I'm not looking to make a profit from it. However, I would like to make sure that those that help create this game have more to gain that simply a completed project.

I want this to benefit everyone involved as a whole.

[jannar85]

Stop and think about the system requirements for once. If you go for 640*480, it will ten double the gamers who CAN play the game.

800*600 just puts the requirements really high, and it's just not worth it.
Go for 640*480 I'd say. You can make brilliant kick arse graphics with that res as well.

Oh, and the project sounds interesting!
Good luck!

[Miez]

Each background is probably two days of work for a pro, so 34 days there.

And I think that's a VERY optimistic guess!

[OpulentRecords]

Im open to 640 rez.

You have to understand, I dont know anything about this stuff qute yet, so if you say we can get something great in 640 rez, lets do it.

Im used to playing games at 1024 or higher..So, I just kinda thought..

All fine with me

[shbaz]

Those games at 1024 aren't created by amateurs though, likely. They probably use modern gaming technology with over a dozen programmers and graphic artists. This is just a guess, because I know there are probably a few amateur projects like that. This community is based on people with nostalgia for older games, the ones that always used less than 800x600 res. The engine isn't even designed for more than this. Digging through the archives of games, I think you'll find you can still enjoy a game with less res than that. It's all about whether the game is interesting or not in the end.

[Pumaman]

Also, with 3D first-person games, you can simply up the resolution and get a more detailed rendering. The same doesn't apply to 2D games, where the graphics all have to be drawn in more detail in order for a higher resolution to work.

[Kweepa]

Each background is probably two days of work for a pro, so 34 days there.

And I think that's a VERY optimistic guess!

Obviously I wasn't talking about the kind of detail you put into a background
But I know artists who can paint great backgrounds with enough detail in a couple of days - full working days, mind you.

[m0ds]

I think the main problem is the time scale you're trying to get the game made in. This is a good three or four month project at least.

[shbaz]

Do you think it might be feasible to make a demo to bundle with the cd and press packs in January and leave a web address for a later full version? This would increase your website hits for sure, and the game would still be a part of the big picture.

As much as I'm optimistic about my background skills (I'll be mailing you one tonight) I still don't see this all coming together so quickly..