“Never forget the reason you are making the game. The audience? Experimentation? Make something beautiful? Whatever; remember it.”
–Darrell Hardy (@HardyTales) quoting Brian Green (@Psychochild)
5--make that 6--tips for new game publishers from Panda Game Manufacturing
/@panda_gm:
I’ll be tweeting 5 tips for new game designers/publishers from the #GAMA overseas manufacturing session in case you weren’t there last week.
#1 Keep your game specs simple for your first release. If you want to do something different, limit it to one unique or special component.
Tip 2: Custom 2d wooden shapes are relatively easy to make & cheaper than plastics (low setup costs). Homesteaders Game is a great example.
Tip 3: Use interlocking cardboard for fancy 3d shapes at a fraction of the cost of plastic / wood. (ie Merchants & Marauders Treasure Chest)
Tip 4: Choose an order quantity that could fill exactly HALF a container. There’s a chance we could combine the shipment with another order.
A note on combining your shipment with another order - this currently only works if you ship to Game Salute or PSI.
Tip 5: Add some buffer time to your release schedule There are many ways a project could get sidetracked. Under promise & over deliver!
Tip 6: We promised 5 tips but we’ve got an extra one coming up!
We can make dice as small as 8mm. This could be used as an alternative to wooden cubes! Price difference depends on order quantity.
What board game designers can learn from Monopoly–really!
http://hyperbolegames.com/2012/03/25/in-defense-of-monopoly/
by Grant Rodiek (@HerrohGrant/@HyperboleGames)
Spiel des Jahre 17th annual game design scholarship competition
Prize: internships/travel $
Deadline: 5/11/12
http://www.spiel-des-jahres.com/cms/front_content.php?client=1&lang=1&idcat=12&idart=1096&m=&s= (in German)
HT @BoardgameNews
http://boardgamegeek.com/blogpost/9102/links-settlers-of-catunes-guess-the-spiel-des-jahr
RT @headspingames: Also applies to boardgames RT @newsyc100: How to explain your game to an asshole:
http://www.pentadact.com/2012-03-17-gdc-talk-how-to-explain-your-game-to-an-asshole/
Got a @kickstarter board game project? Here’s a free Excel budgeting and cost/benefit model from @VanRyderGames:
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/blogpost/9112/the-kickstarter-budgeting-and-costbenefit-excel-fi
RT @raphkoster: @ChristopherA found the audio & slides for my old presentation “Core of Fun” and put it on Slideshare:
http://www.slideshare.net/christophera/raph-koster-the-core-of-fun
What makes an RPG successful? @fredhicks interview on @doubleplusfun:
http://www.thoughtcrimegames.net/questions-for-game-designers-fred-hicks/
RT @TheGameAisle: the “Toy and Game Inventors Handbook” by Ron Weingartner & Richard Levy is being updated! Find out more:
http://toydreamers.blogspot.com/2012/03/was-i-missed-in-blogland.html
Card Design Commandments
http://hyperbolegames.com/2012/03/21/card-design-commandments/
by @HerrohGrant on @HyperboleGames
Lords of Waterdeep’s @wotc_rodney on rapid iteration: “save the fancy prototype design for after your game is done”
http://www.wizards.com/DnD/Article.aspx?x=dnd%2Fdrdd%2F20120321#79250
RT @SA_Liberty: This is a mistake I see amateurs make all the time. Your prototype will change every time you play it!
Digital game designer @raphkoster picks his best posts. Lots applicable to board game design.
http://www.raphkoster.com/2012/03/15/the-best-articles/
HT @BoardgameNews
