Messages

Wow. I'm impressed that is one nice AGS awards site. Good work bro!

I've closed the doors of SOCKO! early ... I'm all out of stock! Thanks again everyone who supported Fatman.

The Tax reasons are simple. I don't want to fill out all the tax forms to stay legal.

I have made a small profit, but nothing to write home about.

  Hey guys it's been a great run. However due to tax reasons SOCKO! Entertainment will be closing its doors at the end of the 2003 year. I've lowered the price of the game to $9.99 and you still get the free shipping. However, after the 2003  year is up I will no longer be accepting orders and The Adventures of Fatman will be announced as abandonware. I have no plans to host the game or support its move into abandonware.

 Thanks again everyone who helped etc ... and don't think this is the last time you'll see me because the heart of a true adventure gamer beats within me.

So as CJ would say ... cheers.

  Hey guys it's been a great run. However due to tax reasons SOCKO! Entertainment will be closing its doors at the end of the 2003 year. I've lowered the price of the game to $9.99 and you still get the free shipping. However, after the 2003  year is up I will no longer be accepting orders and The Adventures of Fatman will be announced as abandonware. I have no plans to host the game or support its move into abandonware.

 Thanks again everyone who helped etc ... and don't think this is the last time you'll see me because the heart of a true adventure gamer beats within me.

So as CJ would say ... cheers.

I know what I was in for when I released Fatman as commercial. The review was harsh but it's cool Robert. It's your job to look at things objectively. Not a job I would want.

Haddas: I'm looking into a way to release Fatman w/out speech for free. Just sit tight and you may be able to play it soon.

I'm on the Bria server. I hang out on Corellia on Coronet. Name's Evedo.

Very good ideas. I'll try and see if I can install the setup and seperate the voice files ... if the size of the main .zip is small enough I might be able to host it myself.

Chrille: Hey d00d! Yeah I'm still alive. I just don't log onto MSN IM anymore cuz I'm far too busy playing Star Wars Galaxies 24hrs a day.

Petteri: I hope I can make the next mittens! Should be able to if it's in NYC. Send me an email w/ your game idea(s)

Hrm ... you're right I hadn't thought of that. I guess releasing the game as FREE now would be a bit unfair to the folks who shelled out thier hard earned buckazoids. I think I'll just lower the price to $9.99 w/ free shipping.

Oh ... and thanks for the kind words folks. I might not post as much as I used to but I'm always lurking and you guys mean a lot to me. And as far as my next game goes ... I'd love to team up and do a freeware adventure with someone. I've had it with commercial stress!

DGmacphee: Alright bro! It just wouldn't be the same without you.

OUCH! That was a harsh review.

But I'll tell you the truth I expected every review to be as harsh as this one. I'm just not that proud of Fatman as a commercial product. Don't get me wrong I put my heart and soul into this game (as did everyone who helped) and I'm very proud of it ... just not as a commercial product. Somehow I feel dirty? I think he's right as a "free-ware" product it would have been met with open arms. You just can't argue with FREE!

 Now ... I've made back the cash I invested into this game, and I want to make Fatman a FREE download. However, I would need someone to host it for me. This monster weighs in at 212mb on the CD ... and I don't have the orginal files to modify anything. So I can't shrink down the size of the setup file by removing the voice support etc ... Does anyone have this kind of bandwidth?

 Also another question (Forgive me I've been away from the forums ... darn StarWars Galaxies) ... is there going to be an AGS awards this year? Last I heard Dgmacphee wasn't doing it?

I still wear my Larry Vales shirt though.

And I still wear my Rodekill shirt.

[any]

I've almost broke even with my game sales. I've sold 125 copies to date and I'm still getting about 1-3 per week. I have only pimped myself on the "pure-adventure" game sites. I only gave out free review copies to any other game sites if they asked me. (example: Gamer's Hell) So I guess I could have been more aggressive with the PR, but I reached my goal. Honestly, I didn't think there was any market for a 320x200 adventure game. Guess I proved myself wrong. Not only was there a market but I made enough cash to build a sound studio and order some niffty shrink wrap stuff for my next game.

Oh... yes there will be a next game! ... I would love it if you could do the soundtrack on it m0ds. But it is to soon for that yet, as I'm still experimenting with other styles and I might switch over from AGS to DarkBASIC as the next project may be 3d. Not sure yet tho ... so don't flame me!

Here is a screenshot from when I was playing around in flash:

I've seen your Flash artwork Squinky, great stuff. Do you do your drawing inside flash or scan pencil artwork?

The bed might look kind of odd because it retracts into the wall. This is the only artwork I've made in Flash so far. I want to test some characters next.

Does anyone know how to best EXPORT a flash character for AGS?

I just downloaded the 30 day trial version of Flash MX. Wow! What a program. Perfect for cartoon style artwork.  I may consider an entire game in this style. This screenshot isn't for a game. It's more of just a style test. Tell me what you think.  It comes in two flavors ...

Thumbnail .GIF version:


... or full screen goodness: click here to download the 800x600 .PCX version.

** edit **
Doh! Ok, I fixed the link ... it now links to the full sized file.

[Name]

Name: Michael Doak
Age: 27
Email: SOCKO-entertainment@neo.rr.com
Where you live: Ohio, USA
Where you could travel to: New York
Where you would like Mittens to be: If mittens is in New York I will be there! I wish I could afford to fly to the UK but I just don't have that kinda cash. New York is only a 6-8 hour drive for me.

d00d that looked like fun.  Wish I had my own jet.

Don't use Cafepress.com whatever you do! I've ordered some samples from there. They charge a buttload and the quality is pure crap.  

I released Fatman in May, and it's sold a little over 100 copies so far. Not bad for a low budget, low res game. But truth be told, it cost me more to make (paid voice actors etc...) then I've earned.  

However, a game with graphics like your's Igor would sell like hotcakes!  Even faster if it was made for kids. You wouldn't get rich, but the profits you would reap could help make your game even better. (ie paid voice actors, soundtracks etc ...) And you could invest money into your game confident that you would be earning that cash back and perhaps a profit. But it is a large undertaking and there is a lot more pressure on a commercial project, and you have to hype it up etc ... but if it works out this could turn into your full-time job, creating adventure games. Heck that's my goal!

cool site! ... now keep them updates coming!

I dig it m0ds! No doubt about it you got dem midi skills.