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[Eggo]

We've been going nuts over Game Dev Story in the official iPhone gaming thread, but its popularity seems high enough to warrant its own thread. This game is currently available on the iPhone for $4. The premise is simple: you run a game development studio and control nearly every aspect of making a game.

You'll hire, train, level up, or fire a team of writers, producers, programmers, artists, sound engineers, etc. to make the game. Choose the platform, genre, and overall direction of the game (make it cheap, make it fun, good graphics, etc.). Monitor costs closely... you have to make payroll, go through alpha, beta, and code release, even choose to ship the game early before all the bugs are found... Choose the marketing for the game, whether you want magazine ads, radio, TV, endorsements, etc. Go to trade shows, attend first party press conferences as they announce new hardware, watch as the game reviews come in whenever you release a game. Your fans will write you letters and get older over time (so you have to make your name with the younger generation). There are random events that happen too, such as power outages (so you lose progress), competitors releasing a similar game (lowering hype for your game), magazines giving you extra coverage, etc.

The game is surprisingly deep and highly addictive. Be warned you can easily play this for 3 hours straight without knowing where the time went! Sorry for the blown up screenshots. I took them from my iPad, and the game is iPhone native, but it should show you the general idea.

Edit (thanks to Ninja Dom): Developer website http://kairosoft.net/pc/gamedev2.html may have link to download the sequel on PC?

 

[AstroLad]

Reposting my question!

How do I get a hardware engineer in this game? I'm pretty well maxed out on everything and have done numerous searches and tried to switch people over but I just haven't ever seen the position.

 

[Eggo]

Did you try hiring through the Hollywood agent?

 

[AstroLad]

Yes, many times!
(Just checked again all I get is Director x4, Coder, Designer)

 

[Dacvak]

They turned my life into a game?

 

[oracrest]

They turned my life into a game?

I bet you'll play it, too

 

[Gravijah]

oh my god i must own an idevice RIGHT THIS SECOND TO PLAY THIS GAME!!!!!!!!!

 

[TheSeks]

Nice, wish it wasn't iPhone or iPad, though. Probably wouldn't work on iPod nano 6th gen? :lol

 

[Hugbot]

This looks neat, is there an Android version on the way? I'd like to give it a shot but I'm without an iPhone/iPad/iPod that will play it. I can't find an official site to check, either.

Spoiler

Please don't let this post spark idiotic nerd fights.

 

[Nemo]

Concept is not bad!

I'll buy this just to see how close to real life it is :lol

 

[Persona7]

Thread of questionable hygiene after 97 hours of crunch time?

 

[AstroLad]

action shot of my office hard at work on yet another sequel

 

[kiryogi]

:O IF there is an eventual Android version I will get

 

[Gravijah]

This looks so amazing. Seriously. So amazing.

 

[Boney]

Oh man what a great idea :lol

 

[Ninja Dom]

Very nice game indeed.

It's got me well hooked but I'm not doing so good on the game.

So far the only negative is that the graphics could have been slightly better and it was just a tad expensive to buy compared to some of the other games in the App Store.

Check out the Japanese page here: http://kairosoft.net/pc/gamedev2.html

It looks like they got a link to download the sequel to the game on the PC.

 

[Drkirby]

You are complaining about paying $4 for a game?

 

[Persona7]

You are complaining about paying $4 for a game?

People on here complain about free shit.

 

[AstroLad]

People on here complain about free shit.

That is an unfair characterization. They complain strongly about when games they bought for $2 go on sale for $1.

Although to be fair Ninja Dom's is an accurate statement of fact!

 

[Corto]

action shot of my office hard at work on yet another sequel

Activision Mode on!

 

[Glix]

Very nice game indeed.

It's got me well hooked but I'm not doing so good on the game.

So far the only negative is that the graphics could have been slightly better and it was just a tad expensive to buy compared to some of the other games in the App Store.

Check out the Japanese page here: http://kairosoft.net/pc/gamedev2.html

It looks like they got a link to download the sequel to the game on the PC.

YES PLEASE

 

[VibratingDonkey]

YES PLEASE

It's in Japanese and there's little to no sound or music.

 

[Tobor]

Yes, I must buy this.

 

[oracrest]

This game is utterly charming!

 

[bumpkin]

So it's kind of like that G4 show "Code Monkeys", but an actual game... Interesting, indeed.

 

[RiZ III]

Sounds like Segagaga

 

[firehawk12]

Well, hope they translate the PC version... looks cute.

 

[Remy]

I've spent practically all day playing this; it is great and people need to buy it.

A few strategy tips:

1) Hackers are awesome once you enter Y10, but don't bother trying to level them up because each level is +1 to stats (poor) for the 20% salary increase (high). Maybe there's some benefit at Level 5 but I haven't pushed them through yet.
2) Try to have two people with high values in Writing, Graphics, and Sound - often times if you use the same person for the milestones in sequential games they'll complain "Again?!" and give you lower output.
3) Don't neglect the "Train" menu - I went straight to Level Up for the first few years, but the Train menu lets you spend money for stat boosts without upping people's salaries.
4) Remember: end of M3 is when salaries are paid, end of M6 is Gamdex, end of M12 is the Gaming Awards. Save your money accordingly for M3 and M6 if you're skint.
5) You can't create true sequels to games until you get them into the "Hall of Fame" (32 or better from the fake Famitsu). Sequels start with some base stats so developing them to the high heavens is pretty easy!
6) Don't feel bad about letting go people who have been with your company for a long time when a hiring push shows you someone better. Bobby Kottick wouldn't!

 

[Slightly Live]

I must play this. But I don't have an idevice or any type of phone.

Seriously interesting premise for a game and those graphics have some nice charm. Bookmarking this thread in case I get the right hardware in the near future. I know what my first purchase will be.

 

[AstroLad]

(nm one finally became available whoo)

 

[Ether_Snake]

I'll look into this, looks fun.

 

[Remy]

I went through every single job search type again twice and still couldn't find a hardware engineer! Nor can any of my superstud hackers, directors, and sound engineers switch over.

What year are you? I'm wondering if you can't actually do it until a certain point.

(I have one director who shows that she was a Hardware Engineer previously, but the Job Change thing won't let me switch her to it.)

 

[lordfroakie]

Finally, a game business sim thats not Gamebiz. Gonna buy an itunes to play this game

 

[Tiktaalik]

Man I've had this game idea in my back pocket for a long time but I've always been too busy to start working on it. :lol

Oh well now I'll get to play it and see how it differs from how I'd have done it.

 

[randomlyrossy]

Just shipped my second game and it sold over 100k copies!

So happy! :lol

This really is a wonderful little game, really glad I picked it up.

I get so nervous when it looks like we might not meet a deadline on a contract, it's crazy.

 

[pilonv1]

This looks fascinating. I hope you can buy off Famitsu reviews when you release a shitty action game based on your top selling RPG.

 

[AstroLad]

What year are you? I'm wondering if you can't actually do it until a certain point.

(I have one director who shows that she was a Hardware Engineer previously, but the Job Change thing won't let me switch her to it.)

edited, yup one came open

 

[thetrin]

Thanks for the thread. Picked up the game on the app store, and fell in love. This game is truly awesome.

I just wish i understood the character stats a little better.

(also, what are the blue 3.5" discs for?)

 

[lordfroakie]

Jack Kirby is in this game? Nice!

 

[Remy]

Thanks for the thread. Picked up the game on the app store, and fell in love. This game is truly awesome.

I just wish i understood the character stats a little better.

(also, what are the blue 3.5" discs for?)

Research points. Use them to level up your staff or other things!

 

[viralmarketeer]

I've spent practically all day playing this; it is great and people need to buy it.

A few strategy tips:

1) Hackers are awesome once you enter Y10, but don't bother trying to level them up because each level is +1 to stats (poor) for the 20% salary increase (high). Maybe there's some benefit at Level 5 but I haven't pushed them through yet.

I noticed this on my first hacker, but on the second and third dudes they had at least a +12 benefit from levelling up. I didn't mind the higher salary, but I wish I knew how much that +12 actually made a difference at that level. =P

3) Don't neglect the "Train" menu - I went straight to Level Up for the first few years, but the Train menu lets you spend money for stat boosts without upping people's salaries.

Training also unlocks new game genres and types (or whatever you call the two different things that make up the game), Training Writers is really good for opening up tons of options at the beginning of the game.


I still haven't found a Hardware Engineer. I saw it in the list of "job history" on a couple of my hackers (you can SCROLL DOWN when looking at their character sheet), so I thought I could use a job changing manual to get them to swap, but I couldn't, not even after I leveled them up to 5.

I never was able to make my own console before I hit the 20 year mark.

Highest combos:

Spoiler

Sim RPG & Romance, Motion & Fitness, Card Game & Virtual Pet, Puzzle Architecture, Sim RPG & Game Co. (maybe I got bonus points for calling it "Game Dev Story"? =P )

 

[viralmarketeer]

Jack Kirby is in this game? Nice!

They named him Jake Kirby, I also saw Stephen Jobson, Shigeto Minamoto, Walt Sidney, and Donny Jepp (the Actor turned Game Director).

 

[thetrin]

Steve Kingson, S. Presso, and Callie Fornia are my favorite staff members.

 

[XiaNaphryz]

Well, hope they translate the PC version... looks cute.

Get the Recettear team on it. Superior master race yadda yadda.

 

[Burger]

What's with the dodgy screen real estate thing going on ?

 

[Jintor]

Can I get this on my Android phone? :<

 

[lordfroakie]

For those looking for a hardware engineer, saw this on the toucharcade forum:

Spoiler

To get a hardware engineer you have to master every job with one person. I did it with Shigeto Minamoto... and now i have the most successful console, The Hog Master. And my biggest hit was a Mahjong Board Game (Majo Ex 4), which was sold 30 Million times and gaining me a whooping 100mil.

 

[SnakeXs]

Downloaded this when someone posted it in the iOS gaming thread. Started it soon after. Was just able to tear myself away now, only because my battery was nearing death.

There goes my life for the next week.

 

[AstroLad]

whoo finished :lol

 

[Brazil]

Fucking Intendro. They promised me wonders with that fucking IES license, and when I bought it, they released a new console!

Now I'm stuck making shitty Reversi games on PC to raise money. :lol