Please Help--download our free game!
TheMenOfHonor
Member Posts: 147
Currently, we are selling 0 copies per day of our full game, Project: Breaking Point. We know how powerful the gamesalad community is, and we really need your help by downloading the Lite version of our game, so we hopefully can push it into the top one-hundred and raise awareness for the game.
Most of the people who have played our game really like it, but even though we've tried plenty of marketing things, it's not doing so well.
We're just trying to get it into more peoples' hands, because we believe in the quality of our product once people try it out.
We'll be updating the thread in the following days letting you all know how many people have been downloading our game, and how it has affected the full version's sales from 0. Because of this, we believe that statistics we gather from this will be accurate as to how powerful the community here can be!
If you can, please leave a rating and review on iTunes. Don't be afraid to be totally honest--if we need to improve, we need to improve!
Lastly, we'd like to thank everyone here for your support. We appreciate the friendly and powerful community at gamesalad!
You can find the free game here: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/project-breaking-point-lite/id451929002?ls=1&mt=8
Trailer:
Most of the people who have played our game really like it, but even though we've tried plenty of marketing things, it's not doing so well.
We're just trying to get it into more peoples' hands, because we believe in the quality of our product once people try it out. We'll be updating the thread in the following days letting you all know how many people have been downloading our game, and how it has affected the full version's sales from 0. Because of this, we believe that statistics we gather from this will be accurate as to how powerful the community here can be!
If you can, please leave a rating and review on iTunes. Don't be afraid to be totally honest--if we need to improve, we need to improve!
Lastly, we'd like to thank everyone here for your support. We appreciate the friendly and powerful community at gamesalad!You can find the free game here: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/project-breaking-point-lite/id451929002?ls=1&mt=8
Trailer:
Comments
I'm also kinda in the same boat with my game Road Rage FREE! Please download and leave a rating/review if you could. Every bit of feedback/help is appreciated!
Here's a link to my game on iTunes: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/road-rage-free/id451667466?mt=8
And aario, I just downloaded Road Rage FREE as well. I'll review it in a moment! I told our team to download it as well.
Biggest problem I have is that I think the platform needs to be higher or something, I can't ever tell where it is because my thumb covers it up.
Alse when I lost the first level "Failure" came up, and it was in Times New Roman or some other gamesald built in font. I think the built in fonts always look bad, and especially in this case cause you have such a stylized game, that has really cool graphics. Why not make a failure button that's on theme?
Also I can't figure out how to restart the level.
The levels themselves look AWESOME. But the menu's look a little bland in comparison, also doesn't look like they support retna graphics?
There is a lot right about your game too, I'm not saying I can do any better, I don't even have anything out yet. This is just a users humble opinion.
Best of luck!
1) The free lite version should be under 20MB so that it can be downloaded over 3g. It's currently 20.9MB so it's just barely over. That will increase it's chances of getting downloaded.
2) The music in the trailer is slow/depressing and does not seem to fit the exciting/frantic pace of your game.
The game certainly look fun and interesting from the trailer. I'll try again to download the lite version when I get home tonight.
- Jeff
Agree with pretty much everything you both said. The trailer music was an aesthetic choice, one that we weren't too sure of.
The restart bug was fixed . . . but it looks like publishing undid it. It's serious, and shouldn't be happening. I'm gonna get an expedite update ASAP. It doesn't occur in the full game.
The Failure thing is pretty bad :P That'll be fixed in the second update. We weren't sure about the menus, but we'll look into changing them up (More Geometry Wars-esqe, eh?)
The platform actually needs to remain close to the bottom, and though its not a full fix, you can have your thumb or finger on any place on the screen below or slightly above it to use it without wasting energy.
Thanks for the replies, I'm really not too thrilled about the restart bug . . . what you can do for now is either restart the application or go to the ingame store and buy more hearts. Thatll reset the lives.
EDIT: Hello! This is another member of TheMenOfHonor writing, I just want to thank all of you for your outstanding constructive criticism. This will help us improve our game.
aario - Just downloaded Road Rage. Will play and review.
I'm going to be really honest, your game is all flash but no substance, lots of effects going on, but they totally overwhelm the gameplay experience instead of adding to it. Music is alright, but it's too loud, and the few sound effects you have, can barely be heard even with a pair of good headphones, but definitely not on the speaker. Agree with previous posters about music doesn't suit the game trailer.
So to try and give you a direction to make it better, lower the amount of visual fx, add more
game play through more power ups etc.
Sorry for being so harsh, but the problem is that your game has generic gameplay, in a quite crowded genre.
On a positive note, I do like the art style, hope these comments will help a little at least.
The full version has 15 powerups, and 11 pets. The energy bar can also be used for both paddles when you unlock the DubblePaddle powerup. Remember that this isn't the full game, and won't contain many of it's features, including an entire mode of play and four worlds.
I haven't heard about this before, but the music volume is a good point if you're having trouble. I'll look into lowering it. It has gone rather crazy since 0.9.6 came out, and the only way to publish with music is to manually raise the volume every scene. As far as testing has gone, I use my 3GS iphone and sound effects always appear crisp and easy to hear.
As far as graphics go, this is actually the first I've heard of them overwhelming the player, but it is a legitimate point. I'll look into that with more testing with different people.
Thanks for the criticism TheGamer, and sorry about the lack of fun :P we need to the demo to be representative of the full game in general, but Apple has given us hell over trying to make it so it seems like not everything is unlockable . . . we had to take all of the icons for the extra worlds, powerups, and pets out
I'm so sorry for being this harsh on you, but your game is just plain boring. There is no game in there, just a tech demo from my perspective. You need to add alot stuff before it becomes a game.
Tested on iPad 2.
In the end, I think all the visual fx was too much for me, and turned me off.
There are 5 pets as well. Did you use the energy bar to rearrange bricks or slow down time?
I can understand not liking the general gameplay, but there seems to be a bit you missed :P Pets can be equipped in the menu, and can be unlocked through purchasing. They grant continuous powers, like eternal sticky-paddle, ghost balls, extra energy, etc.
Keep in mind it is only the free version..
The full version includes Game Center and unlimited gameplay. However I am very open to criticism so I would like to know what you think I should add to make it more of a game...
Thank you,
aario
1. People don't read instructions, neither do I.
2. From the outside it looks like like a regular breakout game so thats how I approached it, but you have quite a bit of unique game elements. Without reading the instructions, one would never even think of trying. (See 1)
3. That shopping icon in the middle, I thought that was for in-app purchasing to get the full game. (See 1)
4. Even after I've read it, I still didn't understand how to use the pet system.
5. Since so much is going on the screen, you loose the impact from your power ups, I barley noticed them. (Found more than one this time lol)
6. When the game loads, your logo and game name image are are in landscape mode, while the game is in portrait mode, the switch feels really weird. Button to get out of the in game store is not clear, no feedback for when you are buying stuff. My cash was on -280 something for awhile, weird.
Some final thoughts, as your demo is, you need to fix the bugs as it comes off as unpolished. Since people don't read instructions, you should highlight it's features in the five screenshots you have in the AppStore.
While I agree that you have some unique ideas, are those ideas truly fun? I personally didn't think moving the blocks around added anything to the gameplay, it just made it more busy. Other than that, maybe the game demo just doesn't communicate these features in an easy to understand manner. If you fixed those, maybe other people would be able to appreciate your unique game ideas.
Your game is reminiscent of a game called Spy Hunter, which was a popular Arcade game in the late 80s I think, don't remember the date.
But if I disregard that one,
1. You need a finish to make the player feel that he has accomplished something, not many people can survive on high scores only.
2. The gameplay must be much more unpredictable. Need more cop cars as time goes by, forming different patterns of attack, from different directions.
3. Add power ups to be able to get rid of cops in different ways, like spike strip, oil spray, etc.
4. Add a health bar so one doesn't crash instantly and then it's game over, but so that you have a few chances.
These are only on top of my head, Im afraid that if I go deeper it will become a game that I design and not you.
Anyway, I hope gave some pointers, feel free to use them or not, after all, its your game
Lol, thanks for the confidence, Im going to sleep now, but I promise to check out your game tomorrow night, and give you some feedback.
Thanks for the criticism. Im looking in to implementing some of your suggested changes in the next update..
You have some good points. We should show off some of the game's unique aspects on the screen shots so they'll know it is different right away. And we REALLY need to fix the lite version. The full version is not anywhere near as buggy (and it makes a sound whenever you buy something).
I actually forgot we even had sound effects because I couldn't hear them :P I'll tell the other guy to lower the volume of the music :P
And as far as moving blocks go, you can't always please everyone right?
After a while, they figured that they didn't have to wait for the ball to hit the brick. Instead, they could drag the brick straight to the ball. They could also corner/cage the ball and make a barrier of bricks right above the paddle.
I think uptimistik is right too. You are very good with constructive criticism. You might wanna look into doing reviews
Lastly, thank you for the helpful tips, we will keep updating the game to improve it and make it more fun for players.
-TheMenOfHonor.
I've played your game, but as it's not finished and really difficult to play with a mouse, I'm only going to give you a first impression.
All I can say that it's a really good puzzle game, its not my favourite genre but its fun to play. You have just enough unique-ness to set i apart from other puzzle games and I think it can do really well in the AppStore.
Just a couple of suggestions
1. Try to use different pitch on the bounces when the character is hitting the same rectangle in short succession, it's easier to listen to.
2. Use more than one sound effect for winning and loosing.
3. Maybe make the stars graphic a bit larger, they seem small to me. (Not a deal breaker though)
4. Check the collision detection, when one press the rectangle a little late, some odd bounces can occur. (Could be the fact that I tested on my desktop, and doesn't show up on the device itself, could also be limitation of GameSalad.)
5. You could try and flesh out your character and give him/her more of a personality so that people can get more attached to him/her. Look at Angry Birds, that helped them a lot.
Anyway, I hope your game does really well, as I think it deserves it.
Tested in Safari 5.
I'm also glad that you guys didn't get angry with me, even though I was really harsh.
That is why we ask for reviews, so that we can figure out where we are lacking, and improve on it.
Btw. So far we have gotten almost 100 downloads in the past three days.
The GameSalad community is pretty strong! Thank you all again for your support!
-TheMenOfHonor.
I think that you must include a configuration page with the options of modify the sound levels of music and effects.
Elena