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Orbitron |OT| GAFfer-created XBLIG shooter that puts many XBLA games to shame
- Thread starter OnPoint
- Start date
Somone should help Warm Machine put together a score competition, I need a reason to fire it up with so many other games to play.
It kind of blows my mind that the game is still not selling very well as far as I can tell, I don't see it in the Top Downloaded list at a very high ranking. It's $3...less than a Latte...
It kind of blows my mind that the game is still not selling very well as far as I can tell, I don't see it in the Top Downloaded list at a very high ranking. It's $3...less than a Latte...
Yeah, not sure about the sales but I'm guessing it's very low for the quality of the product. Unless the 1.1 update have reset the leaderboards, I only see 303 entries in Countdown and much less in the other modes. Extra mode has only 38 entries? The game deserves better sales in my opinion.
To be fair, before the update, Extra mode was pretty hard to unlock.
My suggestion is to get in touch with the people who do the XBLIG "Summer of Indie" and "Winter Uprising" promos. This game definitely deserves to be in those promotions.
Warm Machine
Member
Unfortunately the scores were not reset, that 303 is all the gold people who have ever played the game. For every gold player there is 1 silver player so that will give you and idea about the sales.
I have a two of a kind collection of 8x10 glossy images of every enemy and ship in the game as well as the cover of the game. The only other people who have this is Giant Bomb and i doubt they kept them. This would be the prize if someone wants to set up the score comp.
I can supply a image of the prize.
Yesterday Orbitron was the third highest rated xblig in Canada.
GAF is failing you in the viral word of mouth department, maybe something like reddit or digg or maybe "OMGz game so awesome but not selling" fake press release would help 
You can do a Kickstarter "help us port this game to other platforms" trick that I see some other groups doing.
Here's hoping they give ability to temporarily drop prices, that would allow you to run a quick sale and make people like Wario64 work for you when they jump all over cheap games.
You can do a Kickstarter "help us port this game to other platforms" trick that I see some other groups doing.
Here's hoping they give ability to temporarily drop prices, that would allow you to run a quick sale and make people like Wario64 work for you when they jump all over cheap games.
Warm Machine
Member
I blame Skyrim
Seriously though...Skyrim is too good...I look through my friends list and half of them are still playing Skyrim, when you think the hold has loosened they will release DLC
I do think that sites like Joystiq or Kotaku or Destructoid would pick up on your plight and give you some press about it
I do think that sites like Joystiq or Kotaku or Destructoid would pick up on your plight and give you some press about it
I'd happily organize a score comp, but I'd like to know how you'd like me to go about tracking things. (Excel spreadsheet, Silver XBL gamertag to group the competitors under, etc.)
I'd create a new thread. It'd be like free advertising. I'd need to PM a mod to get it going first though.
I'd create a new thread. It'd be like free advertising. I'd need to PM a mod to get it going first though.
At least that's slightly better than what I expected. It's still a shame regarding total sales since this game is perfect for short burst shmup fans (I thought most were on 360 this gen?)
Sounds sweet
Grats. hopefully it picks up and gets more exposure.
This is totally anecdotal, but maybe "3 minute" games just are not popular with kids today? You know, like true arcade games were and Orbitron is in that vein. The reason I say kids is because any XBLIG that has multiplayer that I've tried online has no adults playing. At least I haven't found any. Everyone sounds like they are 10.
Stereophonic
Member
Just finished playing the demo and, as previously mentioned above, the "Defender-esque" gameplay feels great! Purchased!
Orbitron is extremely well polished for an indie game, both visually and mechanically. Hats off to Warm Machine for creating such a quality product.
I look forward to playing this and following your future projects WM. Great job!
Orbitron is extremely well polished for an indie game, both visually and mechanically. Hats off to Warm Machine for creating such a quality product.
I look forward to playing this and following your future projects WM. Great job!
Warm Machine
Member
The Xbox indie market is finicky. Dec was especially bad though. Elf squad 7, Volchaos, and Orbitron all did the same numbers more or less, were released at the same
time, but we were priced $2 higher.
I think that gamers typically need an end goal beyond score and they prefer to play as a character or something more resembling a character. Story, or progress that infers story also seems to be key.
time, but we were priced $2 higher.
I think that gamers typically need an end goal beyond score and they prefer to play as a character or something more resembling a character. Story, or progress that infers story also seems to be key.
If Cave can port their insane bullet hell shooting games to mobile then Orbitron can work too, I think drag finger up and down and swipe left and right would work pretty well actually. The 3 minute gameplay is kind of perfect for mobile and I nearly seek out games that fit that mold. Maybe only the 2012 devices would run Orbitron very well but I don't think it's impossible.
That said, my impression is that Radiangames Supercrossfire probably hasn't set sale records on iOS relative to how well some other strange and crappy games are selling, so mobile is tough marketplace too. It's very saturated with games and then you do have casual shooting games like Space Miner where you level up your little spacecraft with space bucks you get from shooting asteroids...
The thing I'm stuck on is that I know for a fact there are more than 10,000 shooting game fans on 360 (maybe there's even more like 50,000), so sales of < 1K are simply too low even if it's only shooting fans who will buy it.
The funny thing about this is that Geometry Wars 1 did great (and was more expensive, lol). I'd rather play your game than GeoWars, personally. Just like you said, something resembling a character or story helps, and your game DOES imply that all, to a degree (I can't get over the feeling that having the 2 ships differ would have helped some, however. Like giving one lasers, and the other pulse blasters). I also find your enemy placement for the starting waves much more interesting than the start waves of Geowars. And your alternative modes more interesting, racing to destroy drillers was a nice suprise. Though I do have to say, it'd be nice if there was some kind of core-repair mechanic (Like all cores get 10 HP back after a driller has been killed from each), as the realization that in the end, you kinda HAVE to lose, is a little depressing, lol.
I always thought leaderboards were a great compromise to "boss battle", personally. They both make you feel as if you're striving for something, and as if you have an "End" to aim for. I enjoyed attacking your leaderboards as much as I did Burnout Crash's.
Warm Machine
Member
I was going to reference Geo Wars 2 in my post as that had sold 500k at $10. I think it is a perfect game and one I have dropped loads of time into. It being an Arcade title, with built in name recognition, showcased in the summer of arcade got it massive exposure. No comparison can be made in those terms however the audience is out there but I failed at getting the word out far enough or in the right places.
Knowing MS wasn't going to do anything (which is fair given the way Xbox Live business operates) it is actually balls hard to make people aware of your game. I can't, for example, post on Penny Arcade forums about the game and make them aware of it. While we had some fantastic news stories posted on Destructoid, Kotaku, and Joystiq as well as a good few indie channels it is was about 25% of the outlets I contacted and reached a fraction of the audience for this type of game. I even reached out to the best Geo Wars players to see if they wanted to get in on it.
Marketing, advertising, and awareness is very hard. THQ might have launched a ton of balloons and made a mess but people heard about it and responded to it. I don't think I underestimated the need for press but I overestimated the amount who would run a story. I also underestimated the competition at the launch date, which was three weeks after the last big game release on Xbox, not believing that more than two months since launch Skyrim would still be pulling news stories. It does make sense though and I see why they put sim much attention on such a massive game with a huge player base.
Knowing MS wasn't going to do anything (which is fair given the way Xbox Live business operates) it is actually balls hard to make people aware of your game. I can't, for example, post on Penny Arcade forums about the game and make them aware of it. While we had some fantastic news stories posted on Destructoid, Kotaku, and Joystiq as well as a good few indie channels it is was about 25% of the outlets I contacted and reached a fraction of the audience for this type of game. I even reached out to the best Geo Wars players to see if they wanted to get in on it.
Marketing, advertising, and awareness is very hard. THQ might have launched a ton of balloons and made a mess but people heard about it and responded to it. I don't think I underestimated the need for press but I overestimated the amount who would run a story. I also underestimated the competition at the launch date, which was three weeks after the last big game release on Xbox, not believing that more than two months since launch Skyrim would still be pulling news stories. It does make sense though and I see why they put sim much attention on such a massive game with a huge player base.
Kai Dracon
Writing a dinosaur space opera symphony
All the old classic Japanese arcade shooters put more work than people would think into silly details like implied background for their ships, pilots, settings, and enemies. Lots of really loving design work.
But that made them memorable. It helped players build the universe up in their imagination and become invested in it. That's what a lot of the new generation of indie shumps sometimes forget... they create completely generic "spaceships on random background" scenarios that don't invest the player even if the play mechanics are intriguing. Geometry Wars seems an exception to this, as its theme of When Graph Paper Attacks sort of defines its abstract universe with real character.
I think you did a great job with Orbitron here, I should say! It's a really cool thematic idea for the play mechanic and it does suggest a story is being roughed out. Just enough of a hook to care.
Warm Machine
Member
However you want to run a score comp is fine by me. I recommend collecting the gamertags from the xbox live gold members who want to get in on the comp and then pick a mode to compete in. If you friends list the competitors you can filter friends only on the expanded scoreboard screen to see who stacks up where.
I can also get the score server to friend list the people involved which would make it even easier. All I need are the gamer tags to do that.
I can also get the score server to friend list the people involved which would make it even easier. All I need are the gamer tags to do that.
Warm Machine
Member
It is because you are constantly connected peer to peer to another player to get the latest scoreboard data. The scoreboards are like an mmo where all that happens is people trade numbers.
The best tip I can give to score lots of points in Extra is wait until the radar is mostly filled with enemies and then Powershot in one direction or the other then start mopping up in the opposite direction. The multiplier will grow really quick because the powershot will be destroying everything it its path at the same time you are. 100x multiplier should be easy to get in this situation
Be careful about the Powershot as it approaches you as you will need to dodge it. When the powershot has completed its full 360 fire another one and do the same deal.
Warm Machine
Member
We are doing a two day fundraiser for the BC Cancer Foundation via The Ride to Conquer Cancer to help fund research at the BC Cancer Agency.
http://firebase.ca/2012/01/19/fight-cancer-destroy-robots/
http://firebase.ca/2012/01/19/fight-cancer-destroy-robots/
Warm Machine
Member
1080p 60fps on PC.
Warm Machine
Member
I'm going to let loose a big drop of media for the PC version today on the Firebase site. Hopefully someone in the world of PC games picks up on it.
God luck, lets hope the best.
I can't imagine how the camera would be any better, did you expect it to be closer? If it were closer then you would ram into enemies when you are moving fast to the left and right.
Having a first person mode would be pretty cool in this game though (probably extremely dizzying)
Having a first person mode would be pretty cool in this game though (probably extremely dizzying)
By the camera angle I mean the angle the camera is pointing.
I find the camera swinging nauseating, and the camera pointing down the movement plane makes it harder for me to read the position of the objects I'm firing at. I appreciate that it is trying to show more of the upcoming enemies.
It's just a taste thing though, I probably just prefer 2D games to be 2D when it matters, like Gradius 5, Ikaruga, etc.
I wish you guys the best with it!
I find the camera swinging nauseating, and the camera pointing down the movement plane makes it harder for me to read the position of the objects I'm firing at. I appreciate that it is trying to show more of the upcoming enemies.
It's just a taste thing though, I probably just prefer 2D games to be 2D when it matters, like Gradius 5, Ikaruga, etc.
I wish you guys the best with it!
Should send an email to RPS or create a Reddit submission. Is there any release date for the PC version? I'd buy it in an instant, Steam or not.
Warm Machine
Member
Yesterday we sent an email to all the majors, including RPS. I have a terrible feeling every email ended up in their corresponding junk folder. Such is the life of indie development.
Here are all the new screens btw.
http://firebase.ca/2012/01/26/pc-media-storm/
I can understand what you are getting at. All of your shooting is done on the horizontal so just line up your ship with the enemy and fire away. Shots only ever travel the distance of screen space so if it is on screen proper, you will hit it. Perspective distortion from the camera is pretty light in regards to gameplay.
crimsonheadGCN
Banned
It made Blue's News, at the very least:
http://www.bluesnews.com/s/129495/pc-orbitron-revolution-announced
Warm Machine
Member
Yeah, strange how it worked out like that. I emailed Blue's News along with everyone else. Really happy he picked it up.
Warm Machine
Member
PC version just went gold! Hopefully you get to play it soon!
Warm Machine
Member
Just to give people an update on the PC version. While we respect their decision we are disappointed that we can't offer Orbitron: Revolution on Steam.
Warm Machine
Member
Thats really fucked up and dissapointing. Don't really know the details about your case but having heard of other games thats really stupid (especially since there are imho lots of games on steam that are not exactly your quality and probably not as fun).
Had planned to give away some free copies for the steam release, pretty sad =/.
Is there a way to gift away things on gamersgate?
nvm: you can
Well, the next five people to post here will get a free copy on GamersGate. Might be asleep soon so it will take some time to deliver the games.
