FlashJolt, Flash Game Walkthroughs, Tips » Developers

Interview with Nitrome’s Matt

admin — Tue, 18 May 2010 15:10:27 +0000

Hey matt, thanks for joining us today.

Alternative Video Interview with Matt

First off, tell us about how Nitrome started and what/who inspired you to develop flash games?

Matt: Nitrome was started by myself and Heather Stancliffe. We had worked together previously with her doing programming and me doing the art and we had known each other since University where we both did Graphic Design degrees. We both already had a background in working with flash for projects for large corporate clients and felt we wanted to do our own thing so started a company together. We had no set plan when we started so we did some work for hire for some larger companies and even mostly made a mobile game that never got released before trying to actually make money from free flash games. Incidentally it was very difficult to start with to make money from them but it got easier with time.

Most/All of nitrome’s games use pixel art. Any particular reasons?

Matt: That was almost accidental…..I had been dabbling with pixel art for our mobile game that we were trying to make and really enjoyed it. At the time all my work was in vectors and there was no way we would have got commissioned by one of the companies we were working for to do anything in it so when we made our first free game I jumped at the chance to do it in pixels….I wanted to give it the same feel as the games we used to play as kids The second game also used bitmap art but wasn’t strictly all pixel art and the third game was actually drawn in vectors which is slightly ironic as it was based on our unreleased mobile game witch had been in pixel art! The fourth game was kind of bitmap but not pixeled again and the idea was to not settle on anything as a style, When we got to our 5th game though I wanted to do some more very retro pixel art and on reflection felt the art for the two pixel based games was working better than the others and getting better received so we decided to follow with it for a while. It really got set in stone though when we started to take more artists on as we looked for people who could also do pixel art. I think it would be hard to change that now as we are so well known for it

What software(s) do you use for your games? And do you use AS2 or 3?

Matt: We use Photoshop for all the pixel art and some of the team use Promotion to animate where as others just animate directly in Photoshop. The games are coded in Flash so that’s really the only other package we use if you discount sound. The Music is actually the only part that is not created in house as we don’t really have the space for a sound studio. We do have two very talented freelancers who do the music though using their own studios and we try to keep them close members of the team…no idea what they use though to create what they do!

We used to do the games in AS2 so a lot of the earlier ones are but we a long time back moved to AS3.

What’s the main source of income for your games? Ads, Sponsorship etc.

Matt: The main source of income has really changed a lot over time. Originally it was definitely Sponsorship that produced most of it with Ads, Licensing and Royalties being a welcome but small amount on top. Now though most of our money comes from the advertising….it’s amazing to see just how much that part of our business has grown over time!

Have you tried other ad networks opposed to Mochiads? and which ones performed the best?

Matt: I don’t think you can always say there is one that performs the best so I wouldn’t like to take sides…..they can perform better for different things that they specialize in and it also depends on your circumstances. We have had networks that we have tried early on that didn’t perform well but later when we were larger turned out a lot better for us. I would say it is best to try as many as you can and monitor things over time…..check they have a good reputation first though!

Distributing your games, whats the process behind getting your games on as many sites as possible? Do you submit games to other sites, email webmasters etc?

Matt: Actually we don’t usually distribute the games at all. Our focus has always been on keeping as much value within the games and our site as possible so we tried to keep them on ours and our sponsors/licensors sites exclusively. We have in more recent years decided to distribute a few choice games freely to help promote our brand but we usually find that just adding them to Newgrounds, Kongregate and Mochis distribution service is enough to get them to spread.

Would you still make games, if you don’t make any money from it?

Well that’s a tough question! Obviously we need to make a living! I think I would personally always make games but if I had to do another job to pay my bills I wouldn’t be able to make very many! If money was no issue I would probably still do it too but I’d probably make slightly larger games over a longer timeframe.

Any insights for upcoming developers? What they shouldn’t and should be doing?

Matt: If you want to stand out you need to do something different so try to do your own thing but try to make it as polished and playable as possible. Also I think try to recognize when you are possibly not skilled enough to do a role and try to team up with someone who could do that role as well as you need.

What was your biggest success (game)
Our biggest game was probably Icebreaker or Skywire……not sure which actually did better.

How big is his team?
Matt: There are now 10 full time members of staff and two freelance musicians.

Anything else you would like to share with us?

Matt: Hmmm nope I think that’s about it

Thanks again!

www.flashjolt.com/blog/

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Tips for a successful game

admin — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 21:29:42 +0000

Making a successful game isn’t just about uploading your game to every portal, it begins from the day you start making the game. Here are a few simple but yet “never” used tips.

Tip #1: Use Bookmarking sites like Digg.

Digg, Stumbleupon are not only useful for website owners. Developers can also take advantage of their services. Upload your game on to a website (like flashjolt.com) and digg/bookmark the page on the bookmarking site. Get a few of your friends or other fellow developers to “Digg” it or vote for it on the bookmarking site and if your lucky enough your game should start recieving some extra plays. Not only that getting your game on sites like these can also help in the distribution of your games (as alot of portal owners do check these sites and may find your game interesting).

Tip #2: Log and improve.

Using analytic softwares like swfStats and mochibot may come in handy. Especially with SwfStats, track how your game is being played. Why the player quit the game, where its being played. This is a must do for any game but still some developers think it isn’t really useful. These stats are also great to show-off your successful games.

Tip #3: Player Experience, not Earnings.

Like most of us here, we do business to make money but putting money aside and working on improving your player experience could not only increase the money you make but also make you reputable in this business. It is also great to have some fans of your game. This also brings up another point: MicroTx, MicroTransactions are great. Good way for developers to make money but before adding it to your game ask yourself: Is this really needed? Would it wreck the user experience in any way or form?

I am sure, you guys have more great tips. Feel free to share them!

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Developers! Use SWFstats for Advanced Statistics!

admin — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 16:01:18 +0000

Hey guys!
Many developers probably know about SWFstats, a new Analytics for Flash games. Its both feature rich and also way better than most of the current Analytics for Flash games.

SWFstats – Flash Analytics

Its free right now, but only during the beta. There will be a price though when it comes out of beta but i am sure the price will pay off.

Here’s a list of features it offers (compared)

That actually looks pretty good but what are your opinions on SwfStats?

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ShandaGames buys MochiMedia

admin — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 22:14:59 +0000

Mochiads is one of the best ways for developers to monetize their games. This wasn’t the case until mochiads came about… Mochiads is the company That brought money and ads into Game Development, Many developers made lot more money than they would have. And the same company was sold to a leading Chinese Gaming Company ShandaGames.

This deal made the founders of mochimedia a wooping 80 Million Dollars, $60 Million in cash and $20 Million in equity.

About ShandaGames, It isbiggest online games operator in china and host different MMORPG games (Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games).

Anyways, Why is this sounding good for developers?

Mostly because today (already) Mochi releases a new interface for their Game Developer Overview page (or something like that) which is really a great improvement and also much easier compared to the old interface.

Not just that mochi now seems interested in your thoughts as they have been asking questions on improving their services (Leaderboards etc).

Now i guess you developers want to see some good updates coming by. Hopefully Shanda Does a good job with mochi

What do you think about it? Comment below!

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Top 10 Resources for Flash Game Developers

admin — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 21:28:28 +0000

Here are 10 great resources for flash game developers and wannable developers!

Emanuele Feronato

A great blog with great tips and tutorials to help you get started. It also has great blog posts ways to optimize your games and get a better outcome.

MJW: Avoider Game Tutorial

New to Game Development? Or new to AS3? Micheal James Williams has a great tutorial on how to build a Avoider game from scratch. Sounds lame? Trust me this game covers alot of as3 and will surely help you.

FlashKit: Games Tutorials

Huge collection of flash game Tutorials. Probably got around 200 Tutorials. These tutorials cover many different methods used in flash programming.

Flash-Game-Design

Covers many different aspects of flash games. Also has alot of quality flash game tutorials and tips.

Box2D : Flash

Box2D is a great physics engine for flash. Its widely used and there are alot of tutorials out there on how to use it and how to build games with it…

GoToAndPlay

Gotoandplay provides tutorials and game development tips. It also features some flash games. They also have tutorials for multiplayer flash games

MochiAds

Make money off your games. A great ad network for flash games. It lets developers make money by showing ads on their game. Currently it is one of the most used in-game ad network and there are also other benefits of using MochiAds including Leaderboards & Version Control

CpmStar

Another way for developers to monetize their game! Although the developer need to share revenue with the sponsor of the game. (10% Will do). But the eCPM is normally high and the ads are very related!

Mr. Sun Studios

Just another Flash Game tutorial site but provides very valuable information on games. And provide sample FLA files along with the tutorials but it is highly suggested you dont just download the FLA and claim it as your game.

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What makes a good flash games?

admin — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 16:50:10 +0000

Whether you like a game or not is your taste. Some games gain alot of fans while the others lay buried with not alot of people noticing. But What really makes a good game that attracts gamers? In a old post i said Flash Games dont really need Cute Graphics to be good.

Originality

This is one big factor of a successful game. No matter what game it is, a flash game or a download able exe game. One simple step to success is making the game original. No one wants to play dress up games everyday or the same old kind of mouse avoider game. What they want is real games with some awesome game play!

Complexity

A game must be challenging but not soo challenging. Don’t make your first level next to impossible. Gradually increase the difficulty and try to keep the user playing for as long as they can. Generally the first few levels should be easy enough so the player can understand the controls and game play.

Re-playability

Is your game bringing back loyal gamers? Make the game play different each time you the user plays the game. Or add Level Editors and Save Games options to your game to bring back players. Features like this not only brings back players, it also builds a community. And one of the most powerful thing a game can achieve is a supportive and loyal community.

Test your game before release.

Testing is a long process but is very useful and could gain you loyal players. Players don’t like spending 30 mins on a game and realising they got stuck and have to restart the whole game!

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MochiMedia Updates Again :D

admin — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 18:44:02 +0000

Some good news for developers!

MochiMedia have updated their system again to include some new and maybe some interesting features:

Consumables and In-Game Currency Support in Mochi Coins (AS3 Only)
Universal Login

Let your users use the mochi login features in your game even if you dont have mochi coins enabled. It will also allow you use alot of data from the user profile @ Mochi. Maybe a nice feature but i dont see the point.

Universal Data Storage (AS3 Only)

This is surely the best feature they have released in this update. This should let developers build a better game play.

Check out the mochiland post: http://mochiland.com/articles/new-mochi-features-consumables-universal-login-and-data-storage

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Developer Tip: Increase Game Views

admin — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 21:28:38 +0000

It is sometimes hard for some games to get plays. Its probably because either the game play is bad or the game doesnt look attractive. You may also want to check out: What makes a good game?

1) Choose your name carefully.

Although this may seem like it doesnt have alot to do with game views. The reality is it does. People sometimes don’t play games because the name is odd. Through personal experience i know some games where people didn’t play because of its name. And i have seen some people play games that had funny attractive names.

2) Game Icon Plays a huge role

The game icon means alot. A image can say 1000 words. So can your game icon. If your game icon is of poor qaulity, blurred or shows a odd spot in your game it could drop your game views alot. Many sites link to your game using just the icon. So you will have to make sure the icon you provide is of top quality. Normally: Shows a Important part of your game (the hero etc) and/or a cool thing about your game. On alot of games i have seen 10-50% increase in game play just because of the icon.

Good Icons:

This image is great and makes the user “Want to play” this game. It features the main character and also the emotion on the face (of the character) looks appealing.

Try it out and you can see a difference!

What do you think? Comment below!

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[Developer] Do you really need fancy cute graphics?

admin — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 23:54:42 +0000

Do you really need those fancy cute graphics for your game? Well to short answer to this is “No.”

Why? Because people who play games are normally school kids aged 13-17, and most of them dont play flash games at home (Its a true fact, They prefer console games), They play these game at work or school when they have limited time (breaks etc) They wont come to play a game thats so complex with a Play time of 1 hour and Amazing graphics that takes 10 mins to load up. They want to play something quick and instantly! And thats one reason why game(s) like “The Copter Game” are/is still popular. The graphics on those(that) game(s) isn’t amazingly hot! nor is it so bad. If you spend more time on the gameplay rather than the graphics itself, The chances are your game will attract more people. If you pay a artist to develop the graphics, You could probably create simple graphics yourself and save alot of cash. This doesn’t mean the graphics of a game mean absolutely nothing and it doesn’t mean all games with not so good graphics succeed. There are some games where good graphics may be vital. But having a good gameplay is always better.

Simple Examples: Copter Game (one of the oldest games, Yet addictive), Adrenaline Challenge (A popular game, Reaching over 215 Million Plays and still counting… The Stats )

This is just a opinion, I would love to see your thoughts/opinions. please comment below!

Thoughts from MochiMedia Forums: (Thread)

I think i’d have to go with gameplay. It doesn’t matter how good your graphics are if your gameplay sucks. However, you can have excellent gameplay and shitty graphics (ie: worlds hardest game) and have a wonderful game on your hands that will get lots of views. – erichamc

Graphics get the initial hook and in most cases gives a good first impression so they’re more likely to give the gameplay more of a chance, gameplay keeps them in for the long haul (gets the replays and people competing). Both can help people pass it on, if they were impressed by the graphics they may tell others about the cool artwork, if they were impressed by the gameplay they may tell others about the fun experience. – hybird

I think gameplay is important. Do you imply it is not needed to create a very deep game (gameplay-wise) to be succesfull? Or are you hinting at framerate issues that could make a game unplayable for some users, but shines like gold in the graphics department? It’s about what you define as ‘good gameplay’. To me, good gameplay can be simple. People will enjoy a simple one-off game more, instead of some deep game they actually must learn to master. Then again, I’m no scientist… – Inxentas

gameplay is the biggest worry and the hardest thing to do, even if you have good graphics they can look clumsy or out of place sometimes which can be really frustrating trying to guess the right course of action for your graphics set. -Iliescu

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Got a post? Get it up here!

admin — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 21:13:50 +0000

Got a post about anything online game related? A review of your favourite games? Or a walkthrough of your own game?

Then email it to us and we will post it up here!

Check out, http://www.flashjolt.com/contact/

In Other news,

The 100th Game was uploaded today (around 3 mins ago).

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