Re: Marketing, was Re: Can I make money by writing IF


Wed, 06 Dec 1995 12:41:43 -0500

Richard Thieme wrote:

> The real problem here as in so many "good ideas" will be content. The
> content is what will matter over all. "Content providers" are not all
> that easy to come by. I.e. creation of profound imaginative games that
> do justice to the complexity of the worlds we're living in.

> I am not a programmer. I don't know what shells or game builders
> really are easiest for someone like myself who is bright enough but has
> never been trained in programming. That's a real barrier through which I
> simply have to push. It's like someone who wants to write stories but
> doesn't know how to use a pen or a keyboard. I read about the various
> tools here but have no first hand experience.
>
> Is there an obviously best and most accessible game creator now
> available?

Richard,

Your remark about content is dead on, and it applies to the entire
computing industry. That's why so many software publishers are
relocating to New York, which is the seat of traditional publishing,
and therefore the best place to find existing content.

However, another important aspect of the software industry to
consider is the need for diversified talents. Not everyone need be
both a creator and a programmer, and in professional circles,
usually a game designer works with a programmer to help create the
designer's vision.

In your particular circumstances, with your strength as a writer, it
shouldn't be necessary for you to learn a programming language.
Perhaps you could find someone with whom to work, who is already
proficient with programming IF, but hasn't got your experience or
ability with writing?

I think a large part of why the IF community has become so
cloistered is because so many people involved in it are working on
their own. Notable exceptions are the guys at Adventions, who work
as a team, and turn out reliably consistent games. And of course
the same was true for Infocom.

-- Ivan