I'll add a few words of my own, and I sincerely hope it's "little" stories like mine that can help. Though happiness truly has to come from within, and to be able to create what you both want to create, and to see your unique visions implemented must mean something.
Gridrunner++ was and is an important game to me, one of the main reasons I decided to start my own hobby games. Space Giraffe inspires me much the same... as an expression of the ideas and vision inside the mind. I love that.
My son gave a small talk at his Chinese class last week, and "showed off" a couple of my games. The kids loved them, and I was thrilled. The point, though, is you guys have had at least that impact* I can't put into words how stupidly excited and thrilled people have been experiencing your games.
Bill
*Understatement!
*HELP* (serious), positive vibes needed ..
It's hard. When you put your heart and soul into something, and the reaction goes pear-shaped. When you know you've not only done your best, but that your best was bloody good, and people aren't realising that. When people are making snide comments about your ability, but they don't have a 10th of the ability you have. That's hard to bear. It weighs heavily on the soul. And when all that is making life hard, financially as well, it's almost impossible to turn it off, it's always there, the horrible thought "what if they are right, what if I'm actually useless?"
None of it is true. None of it is real. It's your mind turning on itself.
Space Giraffe is not just a bloody good game, it's a work of art. Great works of art get a reaction, they polarise opinion. You either love Picasso's 'Guernica', or you hate it, and the same is true of Space Giraffe. The difference between Space Giraffe and (for example) the remake of Frogger is like the difference between "Dark Side of the Moon" and - erm - an "S Club 7" album. People remember DSotM, they will remember Space Giraffe.
Some counselling is probably not a bad idea, likewise beastie skritching. My offer for free accomodation for skiing is still on, although the season doesn't start for another month.
Simon
None of it is true. None of it is real. It's your mind turning on itself.
Space Giraffe is not just a bloody good game, it's a work of art. Great works of art get a reaction, they polarise opinion. You either love Picasso's 'Guernica', or you hate it, and the same is true of Space Giraffe. The difference between Space Giraffe and (for example) the remake of Frogger is like the difference between "Dark Side of the Moon" and - erm - an "S Club 7" album. People remember DSotM, they will remember Space Giraffe.
Some counselling is probably not a bad idea, likewise beastie skritching. My offer for free accomodation for skiing is still on, although the season doesn't start for another month.
Simon
"massive retard™", "full of shit™", "tiny bitch™", "retarted™", "a bit of a one trick pony™", "petty™", "simple minded idealistic twat™", "miserable humourless fucker™"
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Public Hermit
- Baaaaa!
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Look at the big pic Jeff, you have created games that have been critically acclaimed and loved by many people.
You have a forum and community that rivals nothing like I have seen on the Internet, this is a reflection of your personality and something to be proud of.
You live in a beautiful farm in Wales surround by beasties you love.
You have a partner in Giles that sounds very fortunate to have.
It all sounds to me Jeff that things are pretty damn good
Take care ride the storm and ride it with style.
You have a forum and community that rivals nothing like I have seen on the Internet, this is a reflection of your personality and something to be proud of.
You live in a beautiful farm in Wales surround by beasties you love.
You have a partner in Giles that sounds very fortunate to have.
It all sounds to me Jeff that things are pretty damn good
Take care ride the storm and ride it with style.
"Don't move, you're surrounded by armed bastards " DCI Gene Hunt. 
OK, how about this:
In 1982, I got a VIC20 for Christmas. I had two games with it; Rabbit Softwares' "Frogger", and Romiks' "Martian Raider". Both quite fun, but ultimately not especially inspiring.
Then, some time later, I bought Matrix.
25 years later, my enthusiasm for trippy visuals, lightsynths, utterly cunning code, and a creative spark that for many never endures past childhood, all still remain with me. The fact that I'm still able to buy new funky Llamasoft games is a lasting pleasure. As a self-confessed and unashamed geek and 'terminal junkie', my two personal heroes are:
Alan Turing and Jeff Minter
I think the fact that Jeffs' name, in my opinion, ranks alongside that of the (arguably) father of the modern digital computer, says it all.
Don't give up. Do what you do best. Tune out the 'net, if it helps. Create.
In 1982, I got a VIC20 for Christmas. I had two games with it; Rabbit Softwares' "Frogger", and Romiks' "Martian Raider". Both quite fun, but ultimately not especially inspiring.
Then, some time later, I bought Matrix.
25 years later, my enthusiasm for trippy visuals, lightsynths, utterly cunning code, and a creative spark that for many never endures past childhood, all still remain with me. The fact that I'm still able to buy new funky Llamasoft games is a lasting pleasure. As a self-confessed and unashamed geek and 'terminal junkie', my two personal heroes are:
Alan Turing and Jeff Minter
I think the fact that Jeffs' name, in my opinion, ranks alongside that of the (arguably) father of the modern digital computer, says it all.
Don't give up. Do what you do best. Tune out the 'net, if it helps. Create.
Oh and trying to think about the future is a futile task , fuck knows what can happen.
Tomorrow we could be bankrupt with 300k debts with two kids , worse case scenario we lose everything and start over BUT the difference is I will still have two kids and a wife and knowledge I have given it my best shot.
Its not nice to hang onto negative thoughts but if the most negative scenario is something you can come to term with its quite refreshing and frees your mind up.
Tomorrow we could be bankrupt with 300k debts with two kids , worse case scenario we lose everything and start over BUT the difference is I will still have two kids and a wife and knowledge I have given it my best shot.
Its not nice to hang onto negative thoughts but if the most negative scenario is something you can come to term with its quite refreshing and frees your mind up.
"Don't move, you're surrounded by armed bastards " DCI Gene Hunt.
Without Jeff there would not be a community like yakyak and that's something to be very proud of.
Throughout my gaming life Jeff has always been there in some form sticking his fingers up at the 'money is more important than anything else' corporations and striving to do his own thing and in my view succeeding. I remember looking forward to reading new entries on the website back around the time Jeff was doing stuff for Atari (iirc). He wasn't a faceless programmer in a cubicle somewhere who who couldn't relate to.
Trip-a-Tron was a real eye-opener for me. Here was a way to combine music, art and computers - bliss
Whilst it has its critics Space Giraffe is a triumph for all involved. Some people are simply not going to get it but then you can't please all the people all of the time.
If at all possible take a complete break from all things internet/coding. Easier said than done I know but there are more important things in life - love, health, friends etc.
And Giles, take care of yourself as well. Its not easy to remember that - but believe me I know.
Keep on trucking.
peace, hugs & love
Throughout my gaming life Jeff has always been there in some form sticking his fingers up at the 'money is more important than anything else' corporations and striving to do his own thing and in my view succeeding. I remember looking forward to reading new entries on the website back around the time Jeff was doing stuff for Atari (iirc). He wasn't a faceless programmer in a cubicle somewhere who who couldn't relate to.
Trip-a-Tron was a real eye-opener for me. Here was a way to combine music, art and computers - bliss
Whilst it has its critics Space Giraffe is a triumph for all involved. Some people are simply not going to get it but then you can't please all the people all of the time.
If at all possible take a complete break from all things internet/coding. Easier said than done I know but there are more important things in life - love, health, friends etc.
And Giles, take care of yourself as well. Its not easy to remember that - but believe me I know.
Keep on trucking.
peace, hugs & love
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Sir_LANs-a-lot
- Sheepie Whore
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Stone
- Sheepie Whore
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Guys,
Remember it's dead easy to hang onto the negatives - there's a lot of people playing who won't be constantly saying nice things about SG. I was playing it yesterday and wondering at the ridiculously massive scores on the Leaderboards
People wouldn't bother to play it until their thumbs bled (and they'd scored over a BILLION points) if it was a bad game, honestly. So what if some people don't like it? Never hurt Marmite 
Keep fighting; there'll always be a crowd of (quiet) appreciative people drowned out by the odd negative comment. You just have to remember that the crowd still exists
Stone
Remember it's dead easy to hang onto the negatives - there's a lot of people playing who won't be constantly saying nice things about SG. I was playing it yesterday and wondering at the ridiculously massive scores on the Leaderboards
People wouldn't bother to play it until their thumbs bled (and they'd scored over a BILLION points) if it was a bad game, honestly. So what if some people don't like it? Never hurt Marmite Keep fighting; there'll always be a crowd of (quiet) appreciative people drowned out by the odd negative comment. You just have to remember that the crowd still exists
Stone
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Sir_LANs-a-lot
- Sheepie Whore
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Having had two periods of stress-induced illness resulting in extended periods away from work, I know where you are coming from.
The thing that got me through the second time was that I knew that I had beaten it once. I knew how low I could get, and I also knew that I could get back to what I once was. Hang on to that thought, because it is important. I echo the suggestion of professional help if things get really bad.
Other than that, big fluffy hugs, and as many positive vibes as I can send.
The thing that got me through the second time was that I knew that I had beaten it once. I knew how low I could get, and I also knew that I could get back to what I once was. Hang on to that thought, because it is important. I echo the suggestion of professional help if things get really bad.
Other than that, big fluffy hugs, and as many positive vibes as I can send.
Also Frogger had "300 MSP for Frogger"(actually they accidentally put it as 200 MSP at first) promotion week... I guess many purchases came from the period.Sir_LANs-a-lot wrote:Additionally, don't get hung up on the old Frogger issue - It's most likely that it's because it's not as abstract as SG and it's more accessible to people (read: casual new 360 owners) not familiar with Llamaware.
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zip accident
- Sheepie Whore
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