Crime Solitaire 2: The Smoking Gun
Community Forums/Showcase/Crime Solitaire 2: The Smoking Gun
| ||
| My new Blitz game (and 17th, I think? I lost count a bit) has been released today on Big Fish Games for Gameclub members (tomorrow for everybody else). Just the PC version for now, Mac version is imminent. Crime Solitaire 2: The Smoking Gun    After my previous project went tits-up (won't repeat the tale, I'm sure you know), this is what I decided last April (2013) to work on instead. A sequel to Crime Solitaire was always on the drawing board - in fact much of what is in CS2 is what I didn't have the time, money or experience to put into the original. The game is set in fictional Evergreen Heights in 1935, and loosely based on Chicago mob culture of the era. The 'main event' is the Story Mode which features extensive dialogs between the game's many characters which I hired pro voice actors for and they did a great job, recording a 6,000-word script in just three weeks. For the purists there's also a Challenge mode, and five-peaks game with high-scores shared between local players. Yes, it's solitaire. No, it's not to everyone's liking, and yes, I'm capable of more. But I wanted to do this sequel to draw a line under the blank spaces left by the original and take the comedy to a new level with the script and voice-acting which I think sets it apart from anything else of the genre. Whether that's a good or bad thing, only time will tell. I think it's my best game so far (admittedly there's been some shite along the way), so it's kind of ironic that it comes on the same day as Blitz3D goes open-source (that's for another thread, please), and in all probability will be my last Blitz game as the time has come for me to target other platforms which Blitzmax simply doesn't support. It's been a great 15 years here, with plenty of ups and downs and I owe much of what I've done, to what Mark Sibly and Blitz Research have done, as well as the folks here who've helped out with code and motivation over the years. So, massive thanks to anybody who feels I might be talking about them. I could write a list but I'd be here all day. Anyhoo, have a play. Have fun. |
| ||
| Congratulations on your latest release! Hope you have a not unreasonable amount of success with it, and good luck in your future endeavours. :-) |
| ||
| Nice!! Congratulations gfk! |
| ||
| Congratulations! Well a chapter 3 is a must at this point :P you can't stop it now! (well, you could choose another age to change a little the story's background... or just consider the finance-side (This is an offer you can't refuse) (just kidding) ps: next platforms means mobile? Have you some feedback about revenue on this market? I just think it's a very 'hard' market, unless you have a strong IP o a lot of money to spend in marketing! Ideas (great or not) are copied at the speed of light... |
| ||
| Nice to see how graphics shift during the years (looks more "crisp" than previous games). Maybe it is a personal opinion but the blurred background have really vibrant colors (maybe that distracts only on stills and not during real gameplay). May I ask who painted the cards (the queens/kings/...) as most of the cards I found either looked dull or there copyrighted (when buying card decks you mostly find the same images ... but I doubt you can use them without proper licence) of course it is way more difficult if you have "local" card decks (eg. the German Skat-card deck is using other pictures). comparison of german "queen" card decks - I grew up with style "5".  (edit: I did not want the image to appear automatically, I did not wrap it into an img-tag, sorry). Hope you enjoy the changes other platforms "enforce" (lower screen size means bigger "texts" and therefore less space for other things - screen resolution is another story then). Good luck with your sales and gift the guys whose work/libs you use a beer - or two. bye Ron |
| ||
| Thanks all. @degac - the door has been left open at the end of Story Mode in case I want to do a part 3 later. At this stage though, I doubt it. All I've worked on since 2010 is solitaire games. It's time for something else now. Mobile is a very hard market. You can't just make something and hope that people find it, and knowing the ins and outs of the market is something I've still to research, but it's certainly the way everybody else is moving and I'm not one for swimming against the tide. @Derron - The ones I used are slightly modified versions of a public domain cardset by Byron Knoll. The originals can be found here - https://code.google.com/p/vector-playing-cards/ |
| ||
| Nice graffix, did you draw those yourself?. |
| ||
| Congratulations on new game :) Looking much better than Original Crime Solitaire! Going try the demo and let you know what I think :) |
| ||
| @steve - a lot of it i did myself. the bits I didn't do are the character cardset and character artwork, intro, outro and trophies. Oh, and the court cards in the classic cardset as mentioned above. |
| ||
| Very nice looking game GfK, off to try the demo ;) |
| ||
| Not a fan of card games but this actually looks very fun! I'll give it a whirl a bit later! :) |
| ||
| I love Title Music as it fit so perfectly and great game :) |
| ||
| Looks good! Interested to see what type of game you tackle next. |
| ||
| . |
| ||
| @Gfk Thanks for the link ... a pitty it only contains french colors (spades) while I like the colorful German ones ("Eichel, Herz, Schell, Grün" - acorn, heart, "schell", green/leaf). Like said, good luck. bye Ron |
| ||
| Congrats on the release, Dave! Hope it does well for you! At least you managed to get it released on its own, for some reason BFG decided to launch LOS2:COTD with another game :( Love the script and the voice overs, although the humor does make me groan in a good way :) |
| ||
| Congrats Dave, and long life to bmax games :-) Therevills, when we released JM4 there was 2 other games the same day ;-/ bwa ha ha ha... |
| ||
| #2 card game today - I honestly don't think anything will shift Big Fish Casino at #1. #56 in the Top 100. Pretty happy with that. @therevills/pingus - there are two other games released today, too. Mine got the TGT, and one of the other is down as "Today's Release", which sucks a bit as I've lost that bit of visibility. |
| ||
| Hey Dave, what is the typical ratio of PC to Mac sales? Is it a big boost to get the Mac version up? |
| ||
| Looking good Dave :) It shows it doesn't matter what tools you use its how much effort you put in to it :) |
| ||
| @Why0Why - in my experience, Mac sales are around 20% of PC sales. That's globally, not specific to any one publisher. |
| ||
| Will you be doing for IPAD as I think would do well in term of sale! |
| ||
| Well I suppose that's 20% ya wouldn't have had and if its just a few clicks its worth it, if item recoding loads of the engine I would have to think about it |
| ||
| @HotShot Not a chance. Did that with the original Crime Solitaire and it was hell. And the sales just didn't weigh in. Nobody pays for mobile games any more. @EdzUp The Mac version was about an hour's work on top of the 15 months I spent on the PC version. But if you have to go buy the hardware and everything JUST to do the conversion, that's when you need to be sure you're onto a winner with your game, or you've money to burn. |
| ||
| Dave: what are the percentages of PC/Mac/android/iOS sales I would be interested in the figures as I want to do a android Star Rogue game but if the sales are gonna be dire then it won't be worth it tbh. |
| ||
| Wow! that is a shame. I thought card games is very popular |
| ||
| Never released on Android so, no idea. The only game I've released on iOS was the original Crime Solitaire, but there's a tale behind that. Originally it was going to be published to iOS by Big Fish Games which is why I started doing the conversion to Monkey in the first place, which took about six weeks. Literally the very day I completed it, they pulled out of the deal for unknown reasons. But by coincidence, shortly afterwards, the mobile version of Fairway appeared. So I was basically left with a fully functioning iOS game, and nowhere to go with it. So I threw it up in the App Store myself and just left it to fend for itself. Sales are crap, probably 20 or so a month. But I don't advertise that it's there and I never have. I only keep it on there while the return covers the $99 subscription fee. But yeah, don't use this as a comparison because it's totally skewed. I've put no effort into iOS at all. |
| ||
| Yup. The gaming industry is a TOUGH industry. :/ |
| ||
| Bought it for my mum. Youve done a good job with this game. Very well done Gfk. I hope you do well with this game. |
| ||
| Thanks. :) Got my first 1/5 review score today, on the basis that it's too hard, and NOT Fairway Solitaire. It was only ever a matter of time. :D |
| ||
| Got my first 1/5 review score today, on the basis that it's too hard, and NOT Fairway Solitaire. It was only ever a matter of time. :D Don't you just love the reviews some people do ;) |
| ||
| Oh yeah! Sucking at games (even when they've rated themselves 'expert') totally justifies a 1/5 score. :D |
| ||
| Some reviewers rate games differently ... eg. if it is a "ripoff" of another game of the same author (replaced gfx and renamed game...). Also they compare games to their parents (if sequels) - did things improve or stay they the same. And of course there are reviewers just scoring based on their beloved themes/settings. So wrong theme = -20% score. I think you should not really care -except there are more low-score-reviews than better ones. I think you do not like some movies too - and give them a <20% just because you do not like it - or you do not like shaky cameras or ... personal opinions. I cannot imagine you get a score of 20% or less when they use different rating schemes (10% of total score is handling, 10% is technical setup/engine, 50% is gameplay and so on). bye Ron |
| ||
| I do enjoy the solitaire games sometimes and my wife really does. I do think a tablet is the perfect device for this style of game. Seems like the original could still do well with some promotion. Do you have a link to it in the new one? |
| ||
| 6 weeks only for a IOS port with Monkey ?!!! I would dream to be able to port our games in less than 6 months ;-) We had the same problem with BFG and IOS two years ago, and I know another develloper who was in the same case. Maybe BFG do not do *that* much money from IOS games and stopped to take risks. Bad rating sucks of course but one 1/5 on 11 rating is really good. And reviews seems at least moderated on BFG which is a good thing. |
| ||
| @why0why - nah, publishers really don't like you to hard-code cross-promotion. But whats interesting is that Mac version of the original was back in the top 20 card games yesterday zo people have obviously gone looking for the sequel, not found it, and checked out the original instead. @pingus - after the 1/5 its scored three 5/5s one after the other, so it more than makes up for it. [edit] then two more 5/5s! :) to port to monkey I just went through the entire blitzmax code and made all the obvious changes. Then it was just a case of compiling, fix errors, compile, fix errors, repeat ad nauseam. As well as rewriting certain bits that needed it - most notably the loading/saving stuff. There were a hell of a lot of problems to fix which were just related to case sensitivity, which of course isn't an issue in Blitzmax. Not overly difficult, but mind-bendingly tedious. |
| ||
| looks great as expected |
| ||
| Well done, hope it does well! |
| ||
| Thanks - a little disappointed with where it sits in the top 100 (#53 just now) but with the review scores and feedback so far I have little to complain about as most people are rating it 5/5 and six of those came just yesterday. This game has to fund the next 12 months of development so I hope that the sales reflect the reviews to some extent. Remaining apprehensive though. |
| ||
| LoS2 only got to around 50 too, but it still made a 5 digit figure (just) in its first month and been making an okay 4 digit figure for the last few months. Are you releasing it with any other portals and are you going to do any localizations? |
| ||
| Have you thought about posting different forum to tell about your game as then you will be able build bigger fans base meaning it will increase your game sales? |
| ||
| Steve - that's good news. I hope I get somewhere near that as the game currently owes me a shade over £20k. It's also going to be released on Gamehouse sometime around the 20th August (subject to change, of course), and later on Zylom - they've mentioned localising it at a future date but I'm not sure if they've checked the magnitude of what they're taking on. I think there's about 8,000 words - 5,500 of which are just for the dialogs, which is huge for a solitaire game. But at least, anybody who's played it will understand why that is. The game wouldn't have stood out without the lovely Ed Mace's voice-overs, and the script to go with it. Anyway, I'll take the localised versions as a bonus but I'm not especially holding my breath on it. Hotshot - My biggest problem is I'm a programmer, not a... er... sales dude. Something that's going to have to change as I step away from PC games and into mobile. [edit] Up from #53 yesterday, to #41 today! |
| ||
| Zylom didnt want to do the translation of LoS2, due to the amount of words (7260) and the performance of the game at Gamehouse. But they were willing to take localizations I had done ;) The German company INTENIUM offered to do the German version of LoS2 for exclusive 30 days rights of that language. And BFG was kind enough to give us some French contacts (again they didnt want to translate it themselves), where I hired one, that one cost 600 euros and was done within a week. Just wondering, were you offered exclusivity with BFG or asked for it? |
| ||
| Nope, wasn't offered and I didn't ask or want exclusivity this time. Been sneered at so many times for doing it in the past, I just thought 'sod it'. |
| ||
| Bought at full price (no redemption code) to support indie's :) WOW! that is one professional looking game. I've not spent much time with it yet but it does look and feel very well polished and presented. Great work indeed. I wish you all the best with it and hope it brings in enough dosh for your next game. I've almost finished my latest contracted iOS game and after it's done I can finally get back to doing my own stuff after three+ years. Doing other peoples games sucks but at least it puts food on the table. |
| ||
| WOW! that is one professional looking game. I've not spent much time with it yet but it does look and feel very well polished and presented. Great work indeed. I second that ;) |
| ||
| Congratulations on releasing yet another one, GfK!!! |
| ||
| ...it does look and feel very well polished and presented. Sure does - congrats. The voice overs and humour really add to the game. Maybe it is a personal opinion but the blurred background have really vibrant colors (maybe that distracts only on stills and not during real gameplay). Yes, they would be less distracting and give more depth if the background colours were less saturated. |
| ||
| Thanks for all the comments. :) Yes, they would be less distracting and give more depth if the background colours were less saturated. I desaturated the backgrounds in the original Crime Solitaire for exactly that reason, and I always thought it made them look really dull. Always regretted doing it.Clearly the saturation is a balancing act and being completely colourblind I haven't a chuffing clue about colour most of the time. |
| ||
| I desaturated the backgrounds in the original Crime Solitaire...I always thought it made them look really dull. Always regretted doing it. Clearly the saturation is a balancing act and being completely colourblind I haven't a chuffing clue about colour most of the time. lol, then several versions for the game testers to vote on next game then :) |
| ||
| We also have trouble about making translating JM4 (>10000 words). For next games I must keep in mind to use as few words as possible, anyway people do not read ;-) I agree with others about the background colors, they are quite saturated and highly contrasted (blue, red, green). |
| ||
| Now available for Intel Mac! CLICK HERE: No, here!. |
| ||
| CLICK HERE: No, here!. That's my joke, almost ;) |
| ||
| That's my joke, almost ;) It is? Sue me. :p(and it's up to #35 in the PC Top 100 today!) \o/ |
| ||
| 27 today!!! Congrats! |
| ||
| 37 today - the drop begins! |
| ||
| Finally fell out of the top 100 PC games at BFG after five weeks, peaking at #27. Meanwhile, it's currently #12 in the top 100 at Gamehouse. |
| ||
| Make any good cash though mate? Now the dust has settled. |
| ||
| Yeah, we live to fight another year. |
| ||
| Haha, awesome...That's what it's all about. |
| ||
| If anybody wants to buy the rights (and my soul) for $2.5bn, I'm willing to talk. |
| ||
| lol, I'll buy a copy of CS2 to support ya, I quite like the relaxing style of game and humour mix...If you can find a (reliable) artist, ever thought of a Monkey Island type game? |
| ||
| lol, I'll buy a copy of CS2 to support ya and I quite like the relaxing style of game and humour mix Thanks - just make sure you aren't signing up for recurring game club payments or anything as it's tripped a few people up. If you can find a (reliable) artist, ever thought of a Monkey Island type game? It's been on my "to do" list for years, but the artwork would cost a small fortune which has always ruled it out. |
| ||
| lol yeah, they caught me out with that too...Not again! Maybe some negotiation on the royalties then? I'm sure you and Dabz could come up with something original...The games market is hardly that these days...Get your mad asses on Kickstarter. |
| ||
| Dabz? I don't think he does gamey stuff any more. |
| ||
| Doesn't have too. Last time I checked you guys had a comedy double act thing going on lol. |
| ||
| It would also be mint to do a shit-your-pants scary horror game... something that makes Silent Hill look like a day out with The Tweenies. |
| ||
| Well Dr Mal did that for your target audience haha ;) ...A real scary horror...Yeah, I like that idea...Don't hold back, it'll get you noticed. |
| ||
| Feeling a little boasty, but it's now up to #3 in the Gamehouse Top 100! |
| ||
| Boast away! We all live vicariously through you ;) |
| ||
| At least you know bigger words than me. Had to google that! |
| ||
| I remember reading in another thread about your giving up on programming. But pleased to hear you have some good news this time. Don't give up Dave. Roll along with the good times as well as the bad ones. If you can. |
| ||
| Yeah, keep going mate. |
| ||
| Sweet! Congratulations! |
| ||
| It would also be mint to do a shit-your-pants scary horror game... something that makes Silent Hill look like a day out with The Tweenies. Curse of the Killer Smints? |
| ||
| Crime Solitiare 2 released on iWin.com today. http://www.iwin.com/games/crime-solitaire-2-the-smoking-gun |
| ||
| I drag my laptop everywhere in the vain hope I'll crank it open and start something... And... Nowt! I have a couple of ideas for mobile games, but I just haven't got the go in me like I used too... I blame work, beer and women... In that order! :D Dabz |
   |