NEW BLOOD? PART DEUX

I think too big an issue is being made of this game creators vs. game players thing. If you are making a game, it is sort of natural to assume that you are also a "gamer" and are interested, naturally, in playing games. Which games do you play? The ones that look interesting to you. If you aren't playing other people's games, it's because they do not look interesting, either because a) the game is just really not interesting - likely - or b) the creator marketed (hyped) it very poorly or not at all - also very likely. Playing video games is not some sort of chore or duty that must begrudgingly be performed. Make better games, hype them, market them, and generally just sell your audience on why they should play it and this problem should disappear.

Between the years of 03-04 the only time I ever went to GW was to see if there were any new games released. I wasn't seriously making one of my own at the time and was not very involved in the community - I just wanted to play more cool games like the ones I'd previously enjoyed. I didn't need to have a vested interest in the site to go seek out and play its games, and I think that would be a pretty common sentiment among fans of indie games. Seriously, the only reason nobody ever doesn't want to play a game is because it looks completely uninteresting.

Actually, I just realized "new games" are never really on my mind when I type in rpgmaker.net. My disparaging opinion of the modern RM scene aside, I do think the "new games" section is too understated. New games should, in theory, be the lifeblood of the site, but all you really see on the front page is a title and a barely discernible thumbnail of a screenshot.

You see "Newest Games: Myth Xaran". But what is Myth Xaran and why would I want to click that and check it out? As far as the front page will tell you, it's exactly the same as the one above and below it (aside from the title) so why would anyone click that game in particular? They probably wouldn't! I imagine many game pages get most of their views through the random screenshot generator on the right side - at least you can see what the game looks like that way! The front page needs to be saying "Here are all these cool games we have for you, and here is why you should play them! Check it out broooos our site and users are awesome!!"

It would help not only with awareness of new games but SEO as well if the site automatically updated with a little more information and text about these new games right there on the front page. Yeah, it would take up significantly more space, and certainly not everything that gets through is of what you'd call the utmost quality, but!!!!!!!! It's kind of the thing that drives the site forward and things seem stagnant if that element is understated.

Same thing about new news, articles, tutorials, etc. Really, the release of AGM would be a perfect time to drive loads of new content straight onto the front page, making both new users and Google very happy. There should be more visible, enticing content on the front page and not just vague links pointing to things people know absolutely nothing about. Like, there is no reason at all for anyone to click on one of the "recently reviewed" things, unless it is someone who already played the game and is interested in seeing what someone else thought of it. Include the rating and first sentence of the review on the front page, right in that little box. If I see like "5/5 Stars This is the egam that will rockr you world!!!" I would be like "woah this sounds great I will read the rest of this review and check out the electronic media entertainment in question!"

See what I mean??? :o :o :o :o

wall_of_text.rtf ~ the magi

author=Ciel link=topic=3375.msg67945#msg67945 date=1238014689
They probably wouldn't! I imagine many game pages get most of their views through the random screenshot generator on the right side - at least you can see what the game looks like that way!

This a thousand times. I can tell you I have found so many games that I would never have noticed if it weren't for the random generator. While it's not the most convenient way to look for games, it certainly is a split second way to look at one. I think we should incorporate that aspect to the rest of the stuff on the front page.

Forgive me for being somewhat bitchy and rude here, but I feel it is sort of something that needs to be said:

All of these requests and changes demand work from me. Put yourself in my shoes for a moment. Pretty much the majority of the work rests on your shoulders while the rest of the people around you mention "It would be great if you did this." and stare blankly at you.

Don't think this means I am not going to work on the site. I stopped working on RMN3 nearly close to three months ago due to me growing a very large hatred toward people at the site.

But if you want things to get done, whom better to do it than yourself?

author=WIP link=topic=3375.msg67907#msg67907 date=1238002484
RMN3 had a working "showcase" already completed. It's called the Locker. It was directly attached to a member profile.

./me drools

Get off your ass, WIP! :P

bahleted

Personally I would rather WIP make his game than work on the site l.m.a.o.

Actually, when I think of how difficult it must be to find someone intimately familiar with coding who also has a passion for RPG Maker (the antithesis of coding) it is very surprising that anyone makes RM sites at all.