Hey,
I was just wondering (let me explain first)...
So if I create a good game using coldstone and I want to publish and 'Sell' the game can I do it? Or do I need to go talk with Ambrosia and have them take over it? I mean, does Ambrosia have copyright over the games I make or something? Please help! So confused!!!
-tRiP 
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I recall forgetting everything, shortly after I remembered it all-just before I forgot to forget.
Quote
Originally posted by -tRiP-:
**Hey,
I was just wondering (let me explain first)...
So if I create a good game using coldstone and I want to publish and 'Sell' the game can I do it? Or do I need to go talk with Ambrosia and have them take over it? I mean, does Ambrosia have copyright over the games I make or something? Please help! So confused!!!
**
Yes, you will be able to license the engine and sell it on your own with no obligation to us whatsoever.
You will also be able to sell the game through us, if we deem it is up to snuff in terms of quality, depth, and interest to the gaming public. If that happens, we handle all of the order taking, tech support, marketing, etc. for you, and give you a percentage of sales.
The second option is most likely to be the more lucrative one for budding game developers; it's very hard to get your product noticed without some decent backing, and it's not easy to support a product without a dedicated staff.
However, the options will be there whatever way you decide to go. No, prices have no been set yet.
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Andrew Welch / el Presidente / Ambrosia Software, Inc.
(url="http://"http://www.AmbrosiaSW.com/~andrew/")http://www.AmbrosiaSW.com/~andrew/(/url)
Quote
Originally posted by andrew:
**Yes, you will be able to license the engine and sell it on your own with no obligation to us whatsoever.
You will also be able to sell the game through us, if we deem it is up to snuff in terms of quality, depth, and interest to the gaming public. If that happens, we handle all of the order taking, tech support, marketing, etc. for you, and give you a percentage of sales.
The second option is most likely to be the more lucrative one for budding game developers; it's very hard to get your product noticed without some decent backing, and it's not easy to support a product without a dedicated staff.
However, the options will be there whatever way you decide to go. No, prices have no been set yet.
**
How big a percentage, and do the developers still maintain the games license, or is that in your gruby paws as well? 
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(This message has been edited by the Necromicon (edited 10-24-2000).)
What about coverage? If an Ambrosia game is successful enough it gets a webboard, chronicles, newswire, et cetera, will Coldstone games get that much stuff if they're good enough for Ambrosia to publish it?
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Quote
Originally posted by andrew:
**and give you a percentage of sales.
**
Heh heh... yeah if we set up our game with Ambrosia we are going to get like 10% right?
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I am the Walrus, Goo Goo G' joob
Quote
Originally posted by The Walrus:
**
Heh heh... yeah if we set up our game with Ambrosia we are going to get like 10% right?
**
It has not been decided yet; however I would suggest you look into the realities of publishing software.
Developers who write games from scratch generally get between 10-20% of net sales from the product (I'm talking commercially published games, in a box, on a shelf -- net means the cost of that box, the cost of ads, etc. is taken out before the developer's monies are totaled)
Just adding some perspective that you may not be aware of.
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Andrew Welch / el Presidente / Ambrosia Software, Inc.
(url="http://"http://www.AmbrosiaSW.com/~andrew/")http://www.AmbrosiaSW.com/~andrew/(/url)
Quote
Originally posted by skyblade:
**What about coverage? If an Ambrosia game is successful enough it gets a webboard, chronicles, newswire, et cetera, will Coldstone games get that much stuff if they're good enough for Ambrosia to publish it?
**
yep, it'll get the works!
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Andrew Welch / el Presidente / Ambrosia Software, Inc.
(url="http://"http://www.AmbrosiaSW.com/~andrew/")http://www.AmbrosiaSW.com/~andrew/(/url)
So let me get this straight...if I create a game using Coldstone and it turns out really, really good, but I don't want Ambrosia to sell it with their name or anything, I can give it out. Or will Ambrosia take it from me if it's really, really good?
-tRiP
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I recall forgetting everything, shortly after I remembered it all-just before I forgot to forget.
No - if you create a game with Coldstone, and it has all the yummy goodness of Final Fantasy, Chronotrigger, Exiles I, II, and III all rolled into one, it is still yours to do whatever you wish with it.
However, you will likely make considerably more money if you allow Ambrosia to do the grunt work involved with releasing a computer program (which, by the way, is not the actual coding) since they have experience, and are likely better at it than you.
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"Apple does not recommend allowing an elephant to operate a Mac in any environment."
Chrestomanci -
Thanks, that cleared me up a bit. And when you said "...since they have experience, and are likely better at it than you." I have to just say that I may have the same experience as them because I own my own small software company that just opened and we already have eight products currently being beta-tested. Im sorry if I mis-understood you but thanks anyhow. 
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I recall forgetting everything, shortly after I remembered it all-just before I forgot to forget.
Quote
Originally posted by andrew:
**It has not been decided yet; however I would suggest you look into the realities of publishing software.
Developers who write games from scratch generally get between 10-20% of net sales from the product (I'm talking commercially published games, in a box, on a shelf -- net means the cost of that box, the cost of ads, etc. is taken out before the developer's monies are totaled)
Just adding some perspective that you may not be aware of.
**
Well yeah, but not many people are going to use ColdStone to make an "on the shelf" game. Most people here are going to go shareware with these games, and shareware developers do NOT get 10%-20%. I know that if we do use Ambrosia we will make a profit no matter how much you give us of our sales, but you can't compare us with commercial shelf-bound games unless these are going to BE commercial shelf-bound games. Usually when you make a good shareware game, you pay for ads, and that's about it (with the exception of a web site if you don't have one).
But, I know for all of us who can't advertise, being given a small percentage would be a lot more money then we could have gotten.
Now I have 1 questions:
1 - Can the games we submit be CD-only, or do we have to keep it downloadable?
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I am the Walrus, Goo Goo G' joob
Quote
Originally posted by -tRiP-:
**Chrestomanci -
Thanks, that cleared me up a bit. And when you said "...since they have experience, and are likely better at it than you." I have to just say that I may have the same experience as them because I own my own small software company that just opened and we already have eight products currently being beta-tested. Im sorry if I mis-understood you but thanks anyhow.
**
You've been shipping software for over a decade, and have a highly recognizable company name? Cool...
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Andrew Welch / el Presidente / Ambrosia Software, Inc.
(url="http://"http://www.AmbrosiaSW.com/~andrew/")http://www.AmbrosiaSW.com/~andrew/(/url)
Quote
Originally posted by The Walrus:
**
Well yeah, but not many people are going to use ColdStone to make an "on the shelf" game. Most people here are going to go shareware with these games, and shareware developers do NOT get 10%-20%. I know that if we do use Ambrosia we will make a profit no matter how much you give us of our sales, but you can't compare us with commercial shelf-bound games unless these are going to BE commercial shelf-bound games. Usually when you make a good shareware game, you pay for ads, and that's about it (with the exception of a web site if you don't have one).
**
Actually, the comparison is quite fair. The point was to demonstrate that it is typical in the industry to pay for the higher profile you get when working with an established company, not to mention the services they provide.
Because most commercial contracts are based on net sales, the issue of a box on a shelf, and usually advertising, too, is moot, since you'd normally have that deducted before your percentage anyway.
I can fully sympathize with the desire to be "on your own", but in all honesty, it isn't the wisest thing to do if you expect your product to get noticed and sell. It also isn't the best thing to do if you want to spend your time making a quality product rather than promoting/supporting it.
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Andrew Welch / el Presidente / Ambrosia Software, Inc.
(url="http://"http://www.AmbrosiaSW.com/~andrew/")http://www.AmbrosiaSW.com/~andrew/(/url)
I assume the contract for each game Ambrosia publishes would be different.
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Quote
Originally posted by andrew:
**Yes, you will be able to license the engine and sell it on your own with no obligation to us whatsoever.
You will also be able to sell the game through us, if we deem it is up to snuff in terms of quality, depth, and interest to the gaming public. If that happens, we handle all of the order taking, tech support, marketing, etc. for you, and give you a percentage of sales.
The second option is most likely to be the more lucrative one for budding game developers; it's very hard to get your product noticed without some decent backing, and it's not easy to support a product without a dedicated staff.
However, the options will be there whatever way you decide to go. No, prices have no been set yet.
**
Ambrosia, decent ha! (major joke, really really major joke)
Hehehe, this was just a joke. So I guess after you go through the headache of making the game, you can rest knowing that if it is good enough, Ambrosia will take it the rest of the way, right?
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(This message has been edited by Desert Fox (edited 10-27-2000).)
(quote)Originally posted by andrew:
**yep, it'll get the works!:)
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(url="http://"mailto:skyblade500@yahoo.com")mailto:skyblade500@yahoo.com(/url)skyblade500@yahoo.com**
Unless I make a very good game, mine will be freeware. Promise. :)(I hope I won't regret this promise later on...:rolleyes
~Gav
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Sigh. Why do crap jokes exist?
Quote
Originally posted by andrew:
**You've been shipping software for over a decade, and have a highly recognizable company name? Cool...
**
hehe. Cheeky.
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(quote)Originally posted by Gaviiin:
**Unless I make a very good game, mine will be freeware. Promise.;)
I just thought of another question about publishing my game through Ambrosia; If I make a Coldstone RPG, and, if Ambrosia likes it, I still hold the copyright on my Coldstone scenario, names, places, et cetera, right?
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(url="http://"mailto:skyblade500@yahoo.com")mailto:skyblade500@yahoo.com(/url)skyblade500@yahoo.com**
Quote
Originally posted by andrew:
**I can fully sympathize with the desire to be "on your own", but in all honesty, it isn't the wisest thing to do if you expect your product to get noticed and sell. It also isn't the best thing to do if you want to spend your time making a quality product rather than promoting/supporting it.
**
Well yeah, but products can still sell without the use of Ambroisa, we would just need to give it to the right places. If a game is good enough for Ambroisa, it is DEFIANTLY good enough for a Mac Addict CD, and then you get all the marketing you want, plus they don't even need to download the demo/shareware version of your game. All I am saying is any game good enough to be published by you guys is good enough for a lot of thing.
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I am the Walrus, Goo Goo G' joob
