2013-06-25, 07:45 AM
"I've read on RPG maker forums that the "bottom fell out" of the game making market years back."
I don't know what is truth vs made up stuff, but I can tell you this, unless you think you have a loyal fanbase to draw on (such as King's Field is to SOM) why would you ever try to create a game making tool these days?
First of all, if you do, you are limiting the end user in selling that product, which most indie game developers would like to do so they don't have to get a day job ;)
Secondly, there are a variety of professional grade tools already available for that industry (Unreal, Unity etc etc), ones that have been worked on for years and more or less perfected to the point that trying to create something new would just waste your time.
Thirdly, the scope of game making has just exponentially climbed in the last few generations of systems. Triple A titles that once took a small team to produce now require hundreds of employees, each specialized to pull off graphics, sound and playability that appeals to the modern market. RPG Maker and SOM have a wonderful niche following, but to be fair they are miles away from anything that would sell on modern consoles or PC...at least enough to make money on.
Lastly, just like every other consumer product sold to you, a very small number of companies runs the rest of the game studios we like. Just as a consumer goods company like Kraft, or Proctor and Gamble own 1/3 of all the companies that produce food or home necessities, video game super powers like electronic arts have bought up hundreds of smaller studio names to produce their games. Why would they want to take power away from their devs and hand it to the common man? They don't...what they do instead is partner with companies like Sony and Microsoft to push out indie development into the far corners of their marketplace where no one can find them :P
The VG industry is no different than any other, its been chopped up and bought out by a select few, and you will play their games or be bored searching for something else :P
I don't know what is truth vs made up stuff, but I can tell you this, unless you think you have a loyal fanbase to draw on (such as King's Field is to SOM) why would you ever try to create a game making tool these days?
First of all, if you do, you are limiting the end user in selling that product, which most indie game developers would like to do so they don't have to get a day job ;)
Secondly, there are a variety of professional grade tools already available for that industry (Unreal, Unity etc etc), ones that have been worked on for years and more or less perfected to the point that trying to create something new would just waste your time.
Thirdly, the scope of game making has just exponentially climbed in the last few generations of systems. Triple A titles that once took a small team to produce now require hundreds of employees, each specialized to pull off graphics, sound and playability that appeals to the modern market. RPG Maker and SOM have a wonderful niche following, but to be fair they are miles away from anything that would sell on modern consoles or PC...at least enough to make money on.
Lastly, just like every other consumer product sold to you, a very small number of companies runs the rest of the game studios we like. Just as a consumer goods company like Kraft, or Proctor and Gamble own 1/3 of all the companies that produce food or home necessities, video game super powers like electronic arts have bought up hundreds of smaller studio names to produce their games. Why would they want to take power away from their devs and hand it to the common man? They don't...what they do instead is partner with companies like Sony and Microsoft to push out indie development into the far corners of their marketplace where no one can find them :P
The VG industry is no different than any other, its been chopped up and bought out by a select few, and you will play their games or be bored searching for something else :P
- Todd DuFore (DMPDesign)
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