Should I really go commercial?

[Oddball]

I was wanting to go commercial for my game so i could break even on the cost of the program and hopefully (If i'm lucky that is) Actually make a profit

However, because of one charecter, I'm not so sure. I'm not going to change this quality about this charecter in my game, but I think my mage being a lesbian might turn people off to the idea of my game

It's mereley implied through words, and how she acts towards another charecter, so it's not in your face or anything. But I understand alot of people are bigits and many people think that it's an unnatural relationship. I'm merley putting it in as part of an overall sub-theme about how we treat people, and how our actions  affect other people.

I'm making this game either way how I would have, but I just want to know If that's a big enough reason not to go commecrial

 

[Andar]

why should that be any reason against going commercial, especially if you're making the game anyway?


Perhaps some people decide against buying it depending on that part (which would be stupid in my opinion, it's the general quality of a game that should decide people and not minor parts of the story), but that's their decision and has nothing to do with the rest of your customers.


It would be different if you have to pay to publish the game (then you'll have to calculate possible sales against that payment) or if you need to use a distributor that does not allow such stories - but if you self-publish on your own website that shouldn't come into discussion...

 

[Makio-Kuta]

For every bigot who is annoyed by that though, you earn a person who is happy to see such representation. Who do you want to appeal to? Look at it that way.

If your lesbian character is being treated like a character and not as a stock joke - then you should be proud to have her included. There's not enough games out there that do that.

And if there are honestly people who say "I won't buy your game because it has a lesbian character" then they weren't worth it anyway.

 

[Kyuukon]

Dragon Age went commercial and there were lots of gay characters LOL!

 

[Goodfella]

I think it won't make much difference including a lesbian character. In fact, I think if it was more clear that she was a lesbian, like in the game's presentation or something you might actually get more players that way.

 

[Hudell]

 

However, because of one charecter, I'm not so sure. I'm not going to change this quality about this charecter in my game, but I think my mage being a lesbian might turn people off to the idea of my game

Don't worry man.

On my game, all main characters are bissexual and I like it to be that way. 

Let your mage be a free lesbian and don't try to hide that fact about her. That is not a valid reason to complain about a game

 

[sabao]

If how the internet reacts to these things these days is something to go by, I'd think how you handle the character would work. It's an awful way to market the game, mind you (HEY LOOK AT MY GAME LGBTQ CHARACTERS NOTICE ME), but it works.


There may be other factors you want to consider before going commercial, however:

• Are you in the level skill wise where you're confident you can churn out a working game?
  This is of course, the bare minimum. Nevermind the quality for now. You'll want to consider how confident/capable you are that you'll be able to finish making the game. Decide on what features you want done. Will you be adding custom graphics or game mechanics? How feasible is the idea?
  
• How much are you willing to invest?
  You're considering going commercial to recoup your investment on purchasing a license. If that were the only expense you had to cover, then great. Chances are, however, it isn't.
  
  
  Are you sticking to the RTP? If not, are you able to produce custom assets like graphics and music on your own, or would you have to get someone else to help out? Same goes for custom scripts: there's plenty on offer for free, but most will ask for royalties or something like it if used for commercial projects. Help for these things very rarely come free. If you're working on a very limited budget, you may want to consider scaling back on some ideas.
  

That said, going commercial or not depends highly on your budget and the scope of your project. If you're going hog wild on custom material and whatnot and won't/can't afford to invest in them in a commercial capacity (whether in cash or otherwise), you may find that going commercial to be more restricting than just doing the thing for kicks.

 

[Tsukihime]

There will be people that hate homosexuality who will spend all their time scouring the internet for homosexual material, just to tell everyone that there's homosexuality in it and that everyone else should hate it as well.


However, there is also the possibility that you will be the target of hate crime. The creator of Flappy Bird supposedly received death threats everyday from strangers.

 

[Dimitris]

Sabao is correct. I think people will react badly if your game is low quality, not because it has a homosexual character in it. If you respect the whole process of creating a commercial game (putting time, funds, raising the quality, creating a compelling story etc. ) you won't have a problem.

 

[Oddball]

@Sabao: I'm trying to put out a good game while being conservative on custom materials that you pay for. Using only what I need. other than that, I'm using mostly free materials. I am using the RTP, and I'm working on getting good at making custom music

@Dimitris: I'm definitly pouring my heart into 1,3 and 4

 

[Makio-Kuta]

 

If how the internet reacts to these things these days is something to go by, I'd think how you handle the character would work. It's an awful way to market the game (HEY LOOK AT MY GAME LGBTQ CHARACTERS NOTICE ME), mind you, but it works.

Ugh, yeah. When I see people doing that it really irks me, but there's certainly no denying that it works.

Personally I think making a spectacle out of your character is a bit rude to both the character and anyone with similar feelings as your character - whether you be slapping some unnecessary warning on the game for having this or that, or shouting loudly about your game having this or that.

But, one quick look at advertising over social networking and you can't deny that that has become a working strategy.

However, there is also the possibility that you will be the target of hate crime. The creator of Flappy Bird supposedly received death threats everyday from strangers.

Well the possibility is there, I don't think that's too much to worry about at this point in time. Especially when focusing on a niche market like RMgames.

Certainly focus on the other things Sabao said. I wasn't going to say them myself, since this thread wasn't about assessing your own skill level, but there are far more pressing things to consider when it comes to going commercial or not.

 

[sabao]

Sabao is correct. I think people will react badly if your game is low quality, not because it has a homosexual character in it. If you respect the whole process of creating a commercial game (putting time, funds, raising the quality, creating a compelling story etc. ) you won't have a problem.

 
I wasn't really talking about the quality so much as I was trying to be practical. I strongly believe it's possible to provide an engrossing and rewarding experience with nothing more than whatever RPG Maker is packaged with. It might be a little more difficult to do so, however.

@Sabao: I'm trying to put out a good game while being conservative on custom materials that you pay for. Using only what I need. other than that, I'm using mostly free materials. I am using the RTP, and I'm working on getting good at making custom music

Yeah, when attempting to go commercial on a limited budget, it's best you try to spend as little as possible to minimize risk. There's nothing wrong with wanting to go commercial if you feel it doesn't restrict your project from becoming what you want it to be and there is absolutely nothing wrong in wanting to pursue a subject matter you feel you have meaningful insight on that you wish to share with the world.

 

[whitesphere]

Your MC being a lesbian isn't an obstacle to going commercial.  Some people will be opposed to that on principle, but I wouldn't change something that important to a character to silence critics.

The real core issue is the quality of your game.  Purchase a few well reviewed commercial RPG Maker games like "To The Moon" and play them a bit.  See how they compare with your offering. 

Is your game fun to play?  Do the maps, music and characters all blend together well to tell a great story?  Is the look and feel of the various elements consistent?  For example, some tilesets (like the Old School Modern, think Pokemon games) REALLY won't blend with, say, the classic RTP battlebacks.   When your game doesn't have a consistent look and feel, it will reek of amateur effort and you WILL be criticized for this.

If you're using a lot of the RTP, make sure all the in game elements match the look and feel of the RTP.  If you are using bright and cheery colors for the game, don't use dark horror-esque iconsets that are better suited to a Lovecraftian style game.

Is your game well-balanced?  Ideally, you want the player to be challenged through the game --- too easy and it's boring, too difficult and you frustrate a lot of players.

Is your game polished?  Do all the maps look the best you can make them?  Do they all look complete? 

Most importantly, did you fix ALL of the bugs?  What if the player tries to do events out of order?  Does it break things?

Is your game priced fairly, when compared to the other RPG Maker games you've seen?

Do you have a thick skin?  Can you take a LOT of criticism?  That probably WILL be par for the course, from what I've heard.  A lot of people who post even well made RPG Maker games get a lot of nasty comments, some quite personal, because, well, the Internet seems to encourage nasty behavior.

Unless you have a lot of custom tiles/music/etc, you WILL get some measure of criticism as "Just Another RPG Maker game"  And these people may well just write your game off entirely.

Basically there are a TON of other concerns about your going commercial.  Your MC being a lesbian isn't even on the radar, because any of those concerns could make a game flop.

 

[Oddball]

@whitesphere: My main charecter isn't a lesbian, (I wouldn't even call her a main charecter because I'm trying to give all my charecters equal spotlight), A charecter introduced about an hour into the game is

and I'm working on all of those

Also, I have a very thick skin when it comes to critisicm

 

[CzarSquid]

I don't like the idea of lesbian/gay characters in games but that's not the real issue here.

You are trying to sell a game. Story and characters will always and forever will be second to the gameplay you offer. You can have an incredible story, have deep and meaningful relationships with the characters and be completely original. But it will all be for naught if the gameplay sucks. You got to make the people who are spending on your game worth their dollars. Most people want content equal to their purchases.

Then you got the actual challenge of actually selling the game. The reason some game companies, like Nintendo, aim for an E rating is they are trying to please everyone without offending anyone. By removing certain aspects you open yourself up to more people willing purchasing the game. Regardless if you might think gays and lesbians are good or bad it is still a controversial topic. If I was trying to sell a game to make a profit I wouldn't even bother trying to be radical, have extreme violence, or using drug references. You can still try, and many companies do, to market your game the way you want it but be prepared for those who will not purchase your game because of those elements. Knowing your audience is key to selling games.

Since this is RPGmaker games we are talking we are already at a disadvantage of selling games in general. Rpgs is just not a popular style of gaming.

But don't let that discourage you. In the end, making games should be an enjoyable processes. Making money from the games you make is just a nice bonus in the end.

 

[Clord]

I don't see a problem selling a game that lesbians can relate to. Heck, FFVII has a secret areas that has gay men and/or bee suit girls.

 

[Oddball]

I don't see a problem selling a game that lesbians can relate to. Heck, FFVII has a secret areas that has gay men and/or bee suit girls.

I'm not just appealing to that one group. It's only one charecter that's a lesbian, because I'm also going to be dealing with other issues of people not being treated well by other people

 

[CzarSquid]

I'm not just appealing to that one group. It's only one charecter that's a lesbian, because I'm also going to be dealing with other issues of people not being treated well by other people

Well this is an interesting problem. The people you want to hear your message are also the ones who will not play your game because of that character. Perhaps another way of presenting your message is not to use a lesbian character to project your message but focus on a similar issue that people are more willing to play and tie it to your original idea.

 

[AriesFireTiger]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Theft_Auto:_The_Ballad_of_Gay_Tony#Reception

description for Gay Tony:

Spoiler

Tony PrinceIntroduced in: "I Luv LC"

Anthony "Gay Tony" Prince is the owner of Hercules and Maisonette 9, the hottest gay and straight nightclubs in Liberty City. He also holds a minority stake in the nightclubBahama Mamas.

Before Maisonette 9 and Hercules, Tony ran several other high-profile clubs, which have all been shut down for various reasons, either by burning down or Tony's violation of city ordinances. According to Luis, Tony first earned his nickname in 1987, when he became openly gay. In 2005, "Gay Tony" hired Luis as a bouncer for Hercules, developing a father-son-like relationship, eventually giving Luis minority ownership in his clubs, although Tony later admits that he only hired Luis for "dumb muscle".

Tony's days on top have passed, as he is in debt to several individuals throughout the city, particularly to the Ancelotti Crime Family. He relies mostly on Luis to settle these debts by doing favors for his creditors. He is also a drug addict, regularly abusing cocaine and prescription medication, supplied by Evan Moss, his boyfriend, and Gracie Ancelotti, daughter of Don Giovanni Ancelotti. In an attempt to settle his debts once and for all, Tony buys $2 million worth of diamonds from a ship cook; however, this leads to unwanted attention from several criminal groups around the city, including the Lost MC, the McReary Mob, and Ray Bulgarin, the diamonds' true owner.

Towards the end of the game, Maisonette 9 and Hercules are shut down by the city after Tony had neglected to pay taxes on the clubs, preoccupied with "half the city" threatening to kill him.

Inspirations for "Gay Tony's" character may include Steve Rubell, owner of Studio 54, or Peter Gatien, owner of The Limelight. Maisonette 9 bears an uncanny resemblance to New York City club Bungalow 8. Amy Sacco, the owner of Bungalow 8, makes a voice-only cameo as Larissa Slalom, a rival nightclub owner, for an interview in the in-game radio programme "Fizz", calling "Gay Tony" a loser at the end of the interview.

 

[Helladen]

I personally hate seeing sexual demonstrations in a game, no matter if it is advocating pro gay or pro straight, I think both should be left out. They are both agendas in most circumstances. Now if your game is just having a relationship without pushing the sexual notion into your player's head that is fine. People are smart enough without people spreading agendas.