New Games

Nothing much.. just wanted to show you guys 2 games currently on the development shelf.

THE 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS

Development for this game started 4 days ago, right after a client requested for a Christmas game. So far everything's on track for the scheduled December 1st delivery.

You play the game as Santa Claus. After travelling the globe delivering gifts to every boy and girl, you are left with your own neighborhood. You have decided to let Rudolph and the other reindeers take their much deserved rest and deliver the gifts by foot. Unfortunately, weather conditions in the North Pole won't make it easy; bringing in snow storms every night, and making paths almost unpassable. But of course, that won't stop you! Make your way to the different houses through the maze-like structures left behind by the storm. Can you deliver all the gifts in time for Christmas?

12 Days of Christmas offers 12 levels of play... with mazes varying in size and difficulty. 4 Bonus levels have been added to add spice to your path finding routine. The game also features a number of Christmas carols playing in the background which will surely contribute to the spirit of Christmas! If you want to play the game, you'll have to wait til it's been published online.


THE POOL SALOON

With a number of pool/billiard games out there, what makes this game different? You have your standard game objects, like the table, the colored balls, the cue stick... and what else?

The Pool Saloon offers a single player 9-Ball game. You start the game with $100, makng "bets" on every shot you make. The game also allows you to call your shots, giving you more winnings if the shot goes in. The more accurate you are, the richer you become. Who said you can't be a millionaire playing pool? Just be sure not to risk your fortunes over one shot, or you may find yourself losing more than you own!

Future versions of the game will include varying game modes like 8-Ball and Straights. Multiplayer mode (like Yahoo! pool) is also a possible add-on.

A Company in the Making....

Just got home from Tiendesitas, that high-class "tiangge" place along C5. Was with Carol and a couple of good friends like Richard, Gigi, Dodge(?), Dulce, Ariel, Eva, Bingle, and a couple of Eva's friends.

Anyway, that beside the point, i thought i was past the "flash-game sermons" from my bro Carl, and sis Yang... only to be bombarded by more sermons from Dodge and Richard. No matter how good the deal i think i have been getting from selling Flash games, it always seems like i'm at the losing end. In short, a new company in the making.

That makes three companies with my name in the frontlines. The first is focused on backend-web programming, the second is a game development company that primarily targets local soil, and this new one, also a game development company that will focus more on the international market

A lot of doors have been opening up since i decided to quit my regular job as a IT Lecturer two years ago. It quite a big leap from an annual salary of around 150k to a possible 1M. I'm still thinking about the possibilities of where my passion will take me... but i know that it should be for another day.

I was never good at dreams... or ambitions; i gave that up years ago. I live for today, and if today is okay, then tomorrow will be to.

IKAW NA KAYA SI ZSAZSA?

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TANGHALANG PILIPINO ZSAZSA ZATURNNAH (ZE MUZIKAL)AUDITIONS - EVER!
When : November 29, 2005 2PM-8PM and December 6, 2005 2PM-8PM

Where : Bulwagang Amado Hernandez (Conference Room) Ground Floor, CCP MAIN BLDG.

REQUIREMENTS:
1. MUST BE AT LEAST 18 YRS. OLD

2. PREFERABLY WITH THEATER EXPERIENCE

3. CAN SING VERY WELL (We mean it!)

4. RESUME WITH 2X2 HEADSHOT (or bigger)

Auditionees must BELT OUT A COMIC RENDITION OF A SERIOUS SONG (a capella or accompanied by minus-one/music piece), complete with DANCE STEPS OR MOVEMENT (Yes, solo production number ito.)
NOTE: Wearing of costume is strongly encouraged.

Please register by phone beginning November 22, 2005. For more details, call the TP office at 832-3661 or832-1125 locals 1620/1621. (pero utang na loob, walang mga nakapagngingitngit na tanong para hindi ma-IM angmga dakilang taga-TP at mabagsakan kayo ng phone, ok?) =)

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Yeay, so happy that my bro's creation is going to the stage, a very rare opportunity for comic book heroes. High Five bro! Wla ba libre ticket?? hehe

Sounds like....

How does a guaranteed 4 games per month at US$500 per game sound to you guys? Chiching!!! Chiching!!!

Tug-of-War

Ever had that feeling of being involved in a tug-of-war game? I'm not talking about being part of one of the tugging teams... i'm talking about the rope. Have you ever had that feeling? Having people pull you from both sides leaving you dumbfounded as to where you outta go?

Like being fought over by two girls? (i wish.. hehe) or two companies? The problem being.. where would you go? Whom would you chose? Assuming that both are more or less equal?

The Scenario:
I made this game for a client, let's call him Client A. Eveything was okay until before the delivery; communications were lost. No matter how many times i emailed, no matter how many days i waited, Client A remained silent. I had no choice but to offer the game to Client B. And, as expected, I had a sale. hehe While working out the details, here comes Client A. Apologizing for the delay and everything... and wants to continue with the sale.

Here's when my problem comes in. I feel that i have a responsibility to Client A since I made the game for him, adding to the fact that his reason for the delay was valid. On the other hand, i know that Client B will be able to benefit me more in the long run. Conscience is my dillema. Now i could either make excuses to any of them regarding the availability of the game, or i can make them bid for it. The real solution however still escapes me...

Employed again??

I could maybe try to hire you to develop games for me. Maybe we can set a rate or an agreement.

Remember this one client who wanted me to drop all my other clients? Well, just got this email from him today, and what you see above is part of what he said.

Hmmm... what do you think? Should I perhaps entertain the idea, or forget it? What's the difference in being hired and that of being a freelancer in this particular scenario? Is it possible to be "hired" even if the employer and employee live countries apart? Is it possible to be "hired" even if you have never seen your boss face to face? Isn't that just like being a freelancer?

Being a freelancer, i make games, showcase them online, then wait for the offers to come in. Or at times I would offer it directly to my clients. The thing being.. i have no idea if the game is gonna sell or not, or when the next payment would be due. I work at my own time and at my own pace.

Being hired on the other hand means what? A commitment? Does that mean that i have to make games while hounded by deadlines and responsibilities? I'd like to think that it's good if it's gonna bring in the dough regulary. But other than that... well... what do you think?

Anway, i asked him what he had to offer and now i'm just waiting for his reply. Will let you guys know.

My Game Portfolio

I wanted to include a post, or more ideally a sidebar link, of all the games i've made so far for you to play and comment on. Unfortunately... i don't have any games. wahhhhhh!

Most of the games i made have been sold... the whole thing, including game rights. So technically, i don't own anymore games. So i guess that's it. hehe

Three games just rolled-off the production shelf 3 days ago, which does make me gameless... again, but richer by other means. =D

Xoom.com is a great way to receive payment from clients overseas. Before, i had to give my clients my bank info.. which i know is not secure, so that i could receive payments through wire transfer. The process usually takes around 15 hours from the time they make the transfer to the time my bank gets it. Now, thanks to Xoom, all i need for them to do is follow a link, or click on my Paypal button. No need to give out confidential information. It's great coz i can even track the status of the payment.

Anyways, i'm still working on this one monstrous game (it's a secret actually) that's hopefully gonna hit the online gaming community by storm, along with my PizzaGuy project which is already in the development stage. And i also have 2 more games on the design shelf.

So for a portfolio.... maybe next time. I'm trying to modify my Bill of Contract so that it will state that i can still use the games in my profile. So until my first (hehe) unsellable game... check out the past posts if you wanna play some of my earlier games.

Spooky

Ei! You guys ever seen a real ghost caught on video? You may wanna take a look at this... i found it while surfing a while ago.

Strange but interesting. This is a car advertisement from Great Britain. When they finished filming the ad, the film editor noticed something moving along the side of the car, like a ghostly white mist. They found out that a person had been killed a year earlier in that exact same spot. The ad was never put on TV because of the unexplained ghostly phenomenon.

Watch closely the front end of the car as it clears the trees in the middle of the screen and you’ll see the white mist crossing in front of the car then following it along the road….parang out of the TV show "Nginig!!!"

Some people say it's a camera glare lang daw, but If you listen to the ad, you’ll even hear the cameraman whispering in the background about it near the end of the commercial. Lakasan nyu nlang yung volume ng speaker nyu para marinig. Spooky Talaga...

Click here to watch the video

Raking in the dough!! - Part 2

Well, after a sermon from my brother, Zsazsa Zaturnnah illustrator and creator, Carl, I upped(?) my going rate for customized Flash Games from a measly US$200.00 to an even US$1,000.00

So far, no violent reactions from my clients. I even have this one client who's "persuading" me to drop my other clients and just sell all the games i make to him. hehe

And there you have it... roughly Php56,000.00 per game. If i work on my "snail-paced" mode... i could make one game per week, giving me four games in a month... that's US$4,000.00

If i decide to go "hyper" mode... i could actually make a good game in 2 days. Three games a week... Twelve games in a month. If i'm lucky enough to sell them all in one month... that's gonna earn me roughly Php672,000.00 for a month's work.

Hmmm... but i guess i won't be going to hyper mode... mawawalan me oras sa GunBound!!! And Besides, i'm not that greedy naman e. Charing!!!

Raking in the dough!!

"I want to buy your games.." == MOOOOLLLAAAHHH!!!

Well, that's what the email i got yesterday said... apparently there's this lady setting up a website for her company and wants to add a Games section to it. And wouldn't you know it... with all the Flash Game Developers out there she ends up with a runt like me... it really sucks to be me. hehe

Three games are to in the line-up; yet to be made, and due for delivery in 6 days. Nice. That's about $650 more to the Christmas fund... VERRRRY NICE! ahehe I'm a USDollar earner who never gets to hold a single Dollar!!! WTF?!? hehe Sorry nalang me coz i don't have a dollar account. =p But that's okay... pupunta pa ko sa money changer, pagod pa ko. =p hehe Tamadz me e...

Anyways, the deal is after the initial 3 games... she may want to buy more, which is of course good. More Dollars equals even more Pesos! So what am i getting at? Flash Game development is a booming business to us Filipinoes! Why? WE'RE CHEAP THAT'S WHY!!!! I've been selling games for US$200 - US$400, all in; inclusive of code and game rights... only to find out recently that a customized Flash Game (meaning having your company/personal logo on it) can get you as mush as US$2500!!!!! WHATDAFA----!?!?!?! US$2500?!?!? And to think i've been selling games for only US$200?!?!?!

PUTONG-INAMOY!!!! I think i wanna cry now.... it really sucks to be me. wahhhh!!