As many of you are well aware, the new Yoyo games homepage is not to everyone's taste. While many have complained of the sites design, others seem to like it compared to the original. But does it fulfill the task the Yoyo team desire? Since everyone has already talked about this topic already I intend to instead express my concerns by pretending that I am a newcomer to GameMaker. If I were finding this site for the first time, would the available content hold my attention long enough to get me interested in Game maker and what it has to offer? Let's find out, in italics.
Oh boy! I am a HUGE fan of that game Karoshi! While there have been many pale imitations circling the net, EVERYBODY knows that the TRUE version is the Windows version. They say only ONE GUY worked on those games, that's really cool. Plus I heard that they were made using GameMaker. Since I always wanted to make my own games this seems like a perfect time to try out the product for myself. A quick google search leads me to yoyogames.com. This is soo exciting.Alright, I land on the home page and what I see leaves a bit to be desired. The site resembles a generic "internet software company". You know the ones. The kind that use rather basic graphics and text to sell software usually in the $20-$50 range (Examples include 3D flash animator, most shareware sites and anything made by Sean O'Connor). I have nothing against these types of pages, they just usually look bland and unappealing.So I click on the first link on the site and I am taken to the GameMaker for Windows page and the very first thing I see is a BUY FULL VERSION button. That's nice, but what can this thing do? The screenshots on the site are to small to make out any details. I can't enlarge them and there isn't a demo video. All I have to go by is the text. Scrolling down I see another BUY FULL VERSION button. This is getting annoying, ISN'T THERE A TRAIL VERSION? Oh wait, there is a trail version. I almost missed it completely since it was at the bottom of the page instead of right next to the BUY button where it usually is on most sites.While exploring the site there are a few things that rub me the wrong way. For one, there is some talk about there being a HTML5 version. What HTML5 version? Or HTML5 in general? Is there really a HTML5 version available? The banner on the homepage is made with Flash. If there were a COMING SOON picture on the page that would have cleared up the confusion. At least there is also a MAC version (who's link is placed under the nonexistent HTML5 versions, for some reason). Another thing that rubs me the wrong way is the apparent focus on publishing. This is a bit odd because the publishing site isn't very detailed. It lack proper information on what has been made, choosing to use seemingly random quotes from sources I have never heard of (without linking them). The developer profiles page is also empty for some reason. This is making me a bit confused, WHAT EXACTLY IS YOYOGAMES? Is it a software company? Or a Game publisher? Or a developer maybe?But of course I shouldn't focus on these little gripes. I should get down to the meat of the product. Since GameMaker claims to be such an easy product to use, there just has to be a ton of sample games I can try. Reputable sites like Gamedev.net have called GameMaker the best 2D Windows game engine for beginners. If I can just get the chance to sample a few good games it might just cement my purchase. There must be games on THIS site that show off the power of GM right? (er, right?). So I click on the Showcase section and find a few games, including one I recognize, Karoshi! This must be the home site, though it doesn't say what platform it is for (MAC or windows?). I click on the Karoshi site and.. AND..Like a powerful force of water held back by a dam suddenly released, my anger peaks and I rage. Rage at the utter disappointment of the page I am looking at. WHY? WHY ARE THERE NO SCREENSHOTS TO THIS GAME? WHY IS THAT OVERSIZED SHOWCASE BANNER STILL THERE? WHY DOES THE POSTER SAY MR KAROSHI? WHATS THAT? WHAT DO THE TWO ICONS NEXT TO THE APP STORE PICTURES MEAN? WHERE IS THE GAME I LOVED PLAYING? WHATS THIS TALK ABOUT MULTITOUCH? I THOUGHT THIS WAS A PC GAME? THE BULLET POINTS MAKE NO SENSE!!!This just makes me very angry. Even if GameMaker is the product people say it is, I wouldn't know that from the GM site. The page is confusing, navigation is a bit of a mess and the typed content offers very little depth. From what I have seen GameMaker has failed to impress me. Maybe I should try that UNITY 3D thing instead. At least their site has a really cool gallery page and Live Online Demos that show off the awesome tech. Beat that!!OK, done pretending, done ranting.
Ha, you should post that there :P
Also, hi.I've never really spent enough time on the site to notice those problems, but you've illustrated them quite well.
Maybe I should try that unity thing instead…
but unity costs over a grand
Bashing YYG is so 2008… until you've dealt with their customer service.
brb ima go overseas and smack them@Kamira:
Already have, and the topic is locked. :D @Moikle (Or is it Jak,lol)The windows version of unity is mostly free. You just can't do a lot with it (or you can depending on how you look at things).@Cyrus: Hi, BTW, teaserhttp://img233.imageshack.us/img233/6810/truecrab1.pngCoudn't find the topic with a quick google search, give us a link :D
http://gmc.yoyogames.com/index.php?showtopic=513241&st=0&p=3788162&#entry3788162
smilies are silly