*HELP* (serious), positive vibes needed ..

Surfr · Post by **Surfr** » Sun Nov 25, 2007 2:27 am 0

Can't comment on SG as I've not got a 360 or had the chance to play it elsewhere but I fo know that there's a couple of inspired minds bouncing about in that cottage and I know they will continue to churn out games from the heart for a long time yet. Best of luck with it all, and never be afraid to reconsider the business model if it's not working out for you. I can't offer any advice on that, but I'm just saying that if it's hurting you, you might look elsewhere. You need to enjoy your work and be in a positive mindset to produce your best, and It seems that neither of you are 100% right now due to recent events.

Chin up Guys

guythp · Post by **guythp** » Sun Nov 25, 2007 2:40 am 0

I did type out a lengthy (for me) bit about pc versions and at leat us willing to pay a bit for it, but you know and there's no point in me saying, really.

I honestly hope things turn out for the better for you guys soon. I'd give you both a big hug, but I had a bit too much garlic with my salad or dinner, I'm a bit pissed and should go to bed, Oh and I'm the other side of the Island. We all love your games, none of us want you people to be in the situation you're in and it's upsetting to hear you're where you are now, especially since you put so much effort into this. Ah, never mind the garlic!.. *hugs*

skip · Post by **skip** » Sun Nov 25, 2007 2:47 am 0

Sounds like a tough situation to be in, morgatges can be a bit a tightrope walk between comfortable living and 'oh shit, I'm falling'.

Anyway, there's much I could say, but I'm extremely ill at the moment (I hope it's nothing more than what's been diagnosed), so I'll offer my support in a very brief manner (fingers hurt while typing!).

A couple of things (I'm sure you've thought of some or all of these): Surely other bigger companies make a profit on more expensive XBLA games - do MS offer financial guidance or advertising or incentives for developers? I know you're a bit skint, but could 'cheap' forms of advertising be investigated (eg. targeted web advertising)? Is there anyone/anycompany/anthing that could provide funding but ensure that you retain complete artistic control?

Just thought I'd throw out a few random ideas that have popped into my painkiller addled brain. Onward and upward from here for you guys anyway

Psychophylaxis · Post by **Psychophylaxis** » Sun Nov 25, 2007 3:08 am 0

First game I ever played...

Last game I played...

In a world of carbon copy games and flashy graphics over gameplay, thank god someone is still challenging us gamers. Keep up the good work.

disciple · Post by **disciple** » Sun Nov 25, 2007 10:16 am 0

Probably a stupid bloody question and I have no idea what the rate of sale is but would it not be possible to put SG price up to 800 at this point.

Or as another option possibly release some sort of upgrade to 360 Neon via XBLA adding camera support and and whatever other cool stuff we can come up with. Neon^2. Everyone loves visualisers and kids like drugs nowadays don't they! Also it would be unique on XBLA and therefore could be of much interest if done well.

Kronos · Post by **Kronos** » Sun Nov 25, 2007 10:19 am 0

All I can say is I have only bought one game on XBLA in the 18 months of ownership, and that is your game. Simply put there is nothing else there that IMO is unique and can't get anywhere else and worth buying.

Infact I was reading up on Atari 8-bit display lists/Antic/GTIA stuff and the first image that popped into my head was that Psychadelia for it, which I still have somewhere, my first non-game purchase don't you know.

So keep the games coming please, and hope it all gets better

zip accident · Post by **zip accident** » Sun Nov 25, 2007 10:43 am 0

Yak and Giles, if the worst comes to the worst, you shouldn't have to lose your home.

I believe that housing benefit will pay, not the interest itself, but the interest on the interest on a mortgage. Which should mean your mortgage will stay static, rather than rising out of control, which means that your lender should be okay with things, if not exactly happy. Housing benefit can take months to come through, but once it does, it will cover the time it's been late for.

I haven't been in a position to use housing benefit to pay a mortgage, so this is what I've heard, not something I have experience of.

Hopefully it won't come anywhere near that.

Axeman · Post by **Axeman** » Sun Nov 25, 2007 11:11 am 0

zip accident wrote: I believe that housing benefit will pay, not the interest itself, but the interest on the interest on a mortgage. Which should mean your mortgage will stay static, rather than rising out of control, which means that your lender should be okay with things, if not exactly happy.

As far as I know, if you own a house you can't actually get anything to pay your mortgage from the housing benefit, the only way you can get around it is to sign your house and payments over to someone else and then claim housing benefit to live in the house or move someone in. (but the payments rarely cover the monthly mortgage)

I haven't had to go down the housing for about two years, so if the system has changed then I apologise.

What about a donations button on the site? Might pay for egg+bacon sandwitches.

kalmar · Post by **kalmar** » Sun Nov 25, 2007 11:38 am 0

It's hardly going to come to losing your home, so please put that thought out of your minds.
Even if Llamasoft income struggles for a while, you're got two intelligent and experienced programmers, you're hardly going to find yourselves out on the street.
Personally I have a day-job to pay the rent, but I do what I enjoy doing - what I think is worthwhile - in spare time. I know I couldn't cope with the stress of trying to make it pay full time to still enjoy it.
I know you guys have gone past that point a long time ago and have been successfully standing on your own hooves, so it might seem like a defeat to change that, but really it would be nothing to be ashamed of.

Sir_LANs-a-lot · Post by **Sir_LANs-a-lot** » Sun Nov 25, 2007 12:04 pm 0

It's just a thought (don't shoot me down in flames!

) and I understand that Llamasoft games are very dear to yourself as a developer but there is a wealth of programming talent to be found on here that I'm sure would love to have the opportunity of updating some of the old Llamasoft IP.

Is licensing some of it out to 3rd parties to get it onto XBLA (or perhaps other consoles) something you might consider for a percentage?

Sure It wouldn't be as much as developing it yourself, but it spreads the risk and some income is a lot better than no income?

Needs must and all that?

I mean..., Shigsy doesn't programme all his own stuff any more does he? but he steers what comes up to his standards into the games..

sack · Post by **sack** » Sun Nov 25, 2007 12:22 pm 0

Sir_LANs-a-lot wrote:It's just a thought (don't shoot me down in flames! ) and I understand that Llamasoft games are very dear to yourself as a developer but there is a wealth of programming talent to be found on here that I'm sure would love to have the opportunity of updating some of the old Llamasoft IP.

Is licensing some of it out to 3rd parties to get it onto XBLA (or perhaps other consoles) something you might consider for a percentage?

Sure It wouldn't be as much as developing it yourself, but it spreads the risk and some income is a lot better than no income?

Needs must and all that?

I mean..., Shigsy doesn't programme all his own stuff any more does he? but he steers what comes up to his standards into the games..

I was thinking that maybe getting the back catalogue running under emulation might be an idea.

1 - The games are there
2 - we know they're good. We've played the living smeg out of them
3 - Whoever did it couldn't screw up the design if they wrote half-competent code because you'd quite literally be following the instructions laid down
4 - it ought to be quick to implement
5 - I've not tried disassembling any code but Llamasoft games didn't really seem to be hardware punishing (they saved that for the player) so possibly shouldn't be too bad for that to get going.

I was concerned about offering up the idea though because it could be taken as 'sinking to their level' - but screw it! they're good games and getting them in front of people again can't be a bad thing. At least this way would preserve Yaks designs rather than handing them over to someone else who could potentially arse them up

zip accident · Post by **zip accident** » Sun Nov 25, 2007 12:32 pm 0

Axeman wrote:

As far as I know, if you own a house you can't actually get anything to pay your mortgage from the housing benefit, the only way you can get around it is to sign your house and payments over to someone else and then claim housing benefit to live in the house or move someone in. (but the payments rarely cover the monthly mortgage)

It used to be what I said I believe. It seems that's no longer the case.

This seems to be about benefit towards mortgage payments being continued after you find work, so presumably there is something while you are unemployed, but they don't give any guidance as to what that might be, and the relevant bit of the address isn't a link:

http://www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk/JCP/Cus ... 6.xml.html

The usual "there is a benefit, but if we don't tell people about it they won't be able to claim it, which will save the government money" sort of deal I expect. You could go and ask them, but they may say they can only tell you if you're actually in the position of needing to make a claim at the time you ask them.

fuwafuwa · Post by **fuwafuwa** » Sun Nov 25, 2007 1:02 pm 0

sack wrote:I was thinking that maybe getting the back catalogue running under emulation might be an idea.

I was thinking that getting the back catalogue running under some kind of web-based emulation solution(java/flash) would be nice.

Then more people...including newcomers can play old llamasoft games and would get better understanding of LS style and gameplay. I guess many people here that played these games through and through can write great introductions for each title

I'm not sure putting some price tag to these emulation would be good, but I think "donation for biscuit/beer/curry" button plus a bit of SG/GR++/LS Cafepress PR text won't hurt anyone.

Firefox · Post by **Firefox** » Sun Nov 25, 2007 1:12 pm 0

kalmar wrote:It's hardly going to come to losing your home, so please put that thought out of your minds.
Even if Llamasoft income struggles for a while, you're got two intelligent and experienced programmers, you're hardly going to find yourselves out on the street.
Personally I have a day-job to pay the rent, but I do what I enjoy doing - what I think is worthwhile - in spare time. I know I couldn't cope with the stress of trying to make it pay full time to still enjoy it.
I know you guys have gone past that point a long time ago and have been successfully standing on your own hooves, so it might seem like a defeat to change that, but really it would be nothing to be ashamed of.

Yeah, go contracting for a bit! You've already got your own company to put the invoices through. Six months of "+++ fuel scoops operating +++", times two, then go back to creating games in the summer with a Smaug-sized pile of treasure to pay the mortgage with.

Mir Nyet · Post by **Mir Nyet** » Sun Nov 25, 2007 1:56 pm 0

I was thinking about this yesterday, there are two hugely powerful assets in the old cupboard, this forum and all of the good will on it, and an amazing back catalog. Couple of things spring to mind:

1. Putting a few Adverts on the front page which would generate revenue when clicked on.

2. Creating updated versions of the back catalog in flash and getting them on some good flash site either for sale, or pay to play type deal.

Not sure if these are good ideas of not, but considering the number of people on this forum I am fairly sure we could all spend a couple of minutes each day clicking on a few ads on the front page before spending hours browsing the forum

On the flash side of things, it appears popular, the games are mostly clones of old 8 bit ideas, and playability is king - and lets face it, if Jeff was involved, I'd buy them

I am sure there are people on this forum with the skill sets to make either or both of these things happen.

Thoughts?

YakYak

HELP (serious), positive vibes needed ..