Question about Elysian Shadows?

[ismetteren]

Sorry to sound like a dick abot everything like I might have... but what's your target price/goal upon release of the game. Specifically, how much cash would you need to start your next project or something?

who said anything about needing cash? They started this one with only the money for all their energy drinks, and they already have jobs. this is just so they can make a fun game and have the extra benefit of MONEY!

IIRC they have said that they would give it away for free, but they might have changed that though. Anyways they are not in it for the money.
(Of course i cant really speak for them, but this is based on what i have seen so far)

[programmerinprogress]

I say just enjoy the ride, falco has already answered all of your questions (and then some), it amazes me that some people can't just enjoy the series and wait for the end product, in whatever form it arrives as at the end.

I don't know about everyone else, but I'm pretty psyched about watching the episodes, and seeing the game take shape, that's why I'm subscribed and that's why I post on the forums

[Trask]

The main reason for this product being sold, which it will still be free in some form or fashion(probably, just a deluxe version being sold), is because it went from a hobby project to them busting their ass for YEARS on this and it's being done at a professional level at this point. Forget the early AiGD series, that was back then. It's a whole new ball game and it doesn't matter what platforms it comes on, because at the end of the day you could put it on virtually anything that they could think of, but what really matters is the game itself. It will rock. 'nuff said. ;D

[Albionremain]

First of all, I love reading posts from people who glance at YouTube videos or topics here on the forums. (Because watching would imply that you sat through the whole thing, maybe even had a cognitive thought about what you saw). I really don’t understand how you can glance at a project like this, think you understand all the hard work that’s going into it, and instantly have a valid enough opinion to come here and post with such an arrogant attitude.

As far as questioning the port for the Dreamcast, you can go ahead and feel free to see yourself to the goddamn door. The engine, even in its most primitive form, was always on the PC first but the Dreamcast emulation and homebrew scene has always been a very motivational community. To be able to code a game, and see it received by a community on a *cough*dead*cough* console, is a dream that Falco and Marcel have always had. Maybe if you had WATCHED any of the other videos you would know this. You should now free to get the fuck out and go troll elsewhere.

[Arce]

I dont get it.. is this like your Big project which you hope to reel in all the cash to open more oppurtunities?

First of all: It is spelled "opportunities." =)

Secondly:

What I have the hardest time understanding is how you, or anybody, can question financial potential. While it is true, this project did not start with (and does not have) a goal set for making profit, can you not recognize our financial potential just from what we've revealed?

Take just a moment to read this absolutely random article:
http://www.1up.com/news/xna-developer-m ... -claims-60

and consider how much a risk a company actually takes by choosing to develop and market by some huge corporation. SIXTY percent going to Microsoft? That is absolutely INSANE! You can (and often do) run into similar situations on the AppleStore and other similar markets.

What makes the Elysian Shadows team different than the other small companies out there working their asses off day after day to produce quality games just to have 60% of their earnings eaten by Microsoft's "promotion" and "baseline 30%" ? The fact that we do not have to do anything like that. We can decide at any given time to add support for any given platform. We can move ourselves into with relative ease any market we think will be most beneficial...And we can entirely bypass this entire crowd of "advertisers" and "publishers." How is this? We've gone directly to our audience already!

Consider this: We, the Elysian Shadows team, decide tomorrow that we're entering the Beta stage for Elysian Shadows. You can now sign onto our website and play the Beta! Simply log onto our site, pay a $10.70 fee, and you'll receive a direct download link from our server. How many people would be willing to do this? Let's assume in a best case scenario that only our most loyal fans are, our subscribers. Well...3,738 * 10.70 = $39,996.60. You know how much of that a "middle man" takes? Zero. You know how much of that we owe to "production costs"? Zero. With that ALONE we'd have met JForce's profit for their game...Still in the Beta stage, on ONE platform, not considering "extra packages," T-Shirts, ads, or any extra revenue stream we could think of.

Maybe the above look is optimistic, yes...But it does convey a very valid point: We have not closed ANY windows in terms of our market, and do not owe ANYBODY a portion of our revenue. Those calculations are assuming our CURRENT fan-base does not increase when we release this game, that we don't make ANY publicity from releasing a full-fledged RPG on a plethora of consoles...

[MrDeathNote]

Simply log onto our site, pay a $10.70 fee, and you'll receive a direct download link from our server. How many people would be willing to do this?

I certainly would

[Ginto8]

Simply log onto our site, pay a $10.70 fee, and you'll receive a direct download link from our server. How many people would be willing to do this?

*makes a sticky note saying to save up $10.70 for the ES beta*

[epicasian]

Simply log onto our site, pay a $10.70 fee, and you'll receive a direct download link from our server. How many people would be willing to do this?

*makes a sticky note saying to save up $10.70 for the ES beta*

I second this motion! :D

[eatcomics]

LOOL. If I give an extra ten dollars, can I by chance get the code to the tool kit?

[pritam]

LOOL. If I give an extra ten dollars, can I by chance get the code to the tool kit?

This is up to Marcel, but still, keeping in mind the Toolkit already gives blowjobs thanks to Qt, you'd have to pay a shitload more.

[Falco Girgis]

LOOL. If I give an extra ten dollars, can I by chance get the code to the tool kit?

This is up to Marcel, but still, keeping in mind the Toolkit already gives blowjobs thanks to Qt, you'd have to pay a shitload more.

$10 is all you think our Toolkit is going to be worth? You shitting me?

[eatcomics]

hey hey hey, I'm willing to negotiate, but I gotta get ahead somehow

[avansc]

...

Consider this: We, the Elysian Shadows team, decide tomorrow that we're entering the Beta stage for Elysian Shadows. You can now sign onto our website and play the Beta! Simply log onto our site, pay a $10.70 fee, and you'll receive a direct download link from our server. How many people would be willing to do this? Let's assume in a best case scenario that only our most loyal fans are, our subscribers. Well...3,738 * 10.70 = $39,996.60. You know how much of that a "middle man" takes? Zero. You know how much of that we owe to "production costs"? Zero. With that ALONE we'd have met JForce's profit for their game...Still in the Beta stage, on ONE platform, not considering "extra packages," T-Shirts, ads, or any extra revenue stream we could think of.

Maybe the above look is optimistic, yes...But it does convey a very valid point: We have not closed ANY windows in terms of our market, and do not owe ANYBODY a portion of our revenue. Those calculations are assuming our CURRENT fan-base does not increase when we release this game, that we don't make ANY publicity from releasing a full-fledged RPG on a plethora of consoles...

I get what you are say, and tho i think you make some valid points, but much of this is counting chickens when you dont even have eggs.
Yes you'll have a few that buy the beta, but i put emphasis on "few", not to mention that you probably should take into consideration the 3-4 or how many years you have worked on this. But thats NOT the point of this, is it? Who cares what jforce and who ever does, this is about your guys' project, and you, screw the rest.

Now dont get me wrong, i wish the absolute best for the team and the game, i hope its a great success. but in terms of having the ability to easily get your game to people, you just cant beat something like the xbox arcade what-cha-ma-call-it. the game runs on DC, linux, osx, psp. Now while thats pretty darn awesome, its rather pointless in terms of trying to estimate a real profit from these platforms. i will say that if you get the game on some form of an apple store, you might be able to get some profit off there. Windows will probably be the biggest earner.

Unless,

you to get the game/libgyro ported to to C#/xbox, i truly believe you can make real money there. Id be willing to wager that you could probably makes as much as 3-4 times the combined sales from the other platforms. As well as probably adding some glitz and glam, you can do some cool lighting/shading effects with normal maps and a few basic shaders. something of this nature, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ut0SqBeAy1Q, but i digress.

Anyways, this is not meant to upset you guys, just my opinion, and some constructive criticism, I respect you guys and enjoy keeping an eye on the project, and perhaps its your semi witty arrogance that makes it all the more fun.

ps: on a last note, this reply was not in any way a reflection of your guys' passion, ability, or merit. IM ON YOUR SIDE.

[Trask]

I get what you are say, and tho i think you make some valid points, but much of this is counting chickens when you dont even have eggs.
Yes you'll have a few that buy the beta, but i put emphasis on "few", not to mention that you probably should take into consideration the 3-4 or how many years you have worked on this. But thats NOT the point of this, is it? Who cares what jforce and who ever does, this is about your guys' project, and you, screw the rest.

Now dont get me wrong, i wish the absolute best for the team and the game, i hope its a great success. but in terms of having the ability to easily get your game to people, you just cant beat something like the xbox arcade what-cha-ma-call-it. the game runs on DC, linux, osx, psp. Now while thats pretty darn awesome, its rather pointless in terms of trying to estimate a real profit from these platforms. i will say that if you get the game on some form of an apple store, you might be able to get some profit off there. Windows will probably be the biggest earner.

Unless,

you to get the game/libgyro ported to to C#/xbox, i truly believe you can make real money there. Id be willing to wager that you could probably makes as much as 3-4 times the combined sales from the other platforms. As well as probably adding some glitz and glam, you can do some cool lighting/shading effects with normal maps and a few basic shaders. something of this nature, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ut0SqBeAy1Q, but i digress.

Ya know, they do have quite a bit of C# experience between the lot of them... wouldn't necessarily be a bad idea, but I don't know how XNA could possibly hinder things. I do like this idea, if only to expand it to a more commercially accessible platform.

As for the rest, I would imagine that most would get enjoyment over the PC edition as it would be the simplest to run thus most used, the 2nd would be the PSP version, then the DC version, followed by the rest. Either way, the whole 'x' amount for access to an FTP would be swell or even a special edition with the shows and materials actually on disc would be great. Buy a label maker, reproduce this stuff... that would be neat. Hell start up donations to get materials and what not, don't be shy. Maybe even throw in something special for those who donate, just a small treat. :D

[dandymcgee]

@Marcel - Could you please post a link to the beta? I looked all over the site but couldn't find it anywhere..