steve@sunpix.UUCP ( Sun Visualization Products) (08/23/89)
Sorry it was so long before I got the results out. The delay was due to the
birth of my first child, Kaitlin Nicole Matson :^) :^) :^)
Ok,
The response has been much greater then expected. We stopped the survey after 100 responses. the 100th came in last night. (Thur the 18th)
A few people have asked what we expect to get out of this. and what exactly
we are doing (or attempting to do)
First of all..
We have an idea for a game system which I have been designing off and on for
about two years. Basically our motto is ....
"infinite variety in infinite combinations"(well sort of)
The idea is to have a central game "processor" and "data base" linking several different games together in the same "universe". Each game will utilize
necessary data from the data base, pass this data on to a "module processor"
and use the resulting "crunched" data as a basis for its current play of the
game. There will also be "game maker" modules which will allow players to
customize each game to their own liking, i.e. programming the game.
This is the _FUNDAMENTAL_ concept of what we intend to do.
Second ...
We seem to have gotten much more out of the comments people wrote then
the "raw" data the survey provided. Thats not to say the data has not helped
in our evaluation of what type of game modules to produce (i.e. role playing,
simulators, ect...), what type of systems are most popular (IBM's being the
most common, are of course the most popular), does shareware work, ect, ect.
each question has a specific reason toward our goal of designing a highly
enjoyable gaming system, an operating system for games if you will. Due
to space I will not give a breakdown of why we asked each question or what
we got out of it. The design of the central processor and the various
interactions have been pretty much worked out (on paper at least) and the
survey just helped us to get a feel for what attitudes, ect.. are out there.
Thank you each and every one who contributed to this survey.
BTW if you have any comments (or flames) E-MAIL! DON'T POST!
I do not want to chew up anymore net-time then I already have, thank you
ALSO...This has NOTHING to do with Sun-Microsystems in anyway, Just a personal
project for fun and .... ?
********************************************************************************
********************************************************************************
**** not everyone answered each question and some questions could have more ****
**** then one answer, so the results don't always add up to 100%. ****
********************************************************************************
1. Do you play computer games (obvious question)
99% yes
2. Do you play board games?
73% yes
3. Do you play non-computer role playing games?
20% do now 56% have played in past
4. Of the computer games you play do you play...
a. Role playing games (fantasy)
83 % (wow)
b. Role playing games (sci-fi)
21 %
c. Arcade type games
43 %
d. Strategic/tactical combat
30 %
e. Strategic/tactical sci-fi
27 %
f. Mystery/detective
9 %
g. Flight simulator/combat
43 %
h. Other type
13 % simcity (13 % for ONE game title? I'll have to check this one out)
10 % sports simulation
16 % cards,poker ect
23 % chess,3dchess,checkers
17 % other types (corewars,puzzles ect)
5. Of the above types of games what type do you play most.
a) 27 %
b) 13 %
c) 16 %
d) 8 %
e) 12 %
f) 1 %
g) 15 %
h) 4 %
6. On average how long do you play a game before shelving it
(how much playability is there in your games)
Less then 2 weeks) 29 %
2 wks to a month) 34 %
1 mo to 3 mo. ) 20 %
3 mo to 6 mo. ) 12 %
6 mo to years) 3 %
7. Do you have any games you purchased?
82 % YES
8. Do you have any pirated games?
43 % YES
9. Do you write your own?
27 % have tried but never finished
13 % do on a semi-regular basis
10. Do you have mostly (a) purchased (b)pirated or (c) self made games
***We forgot Public Domain on this one, sorry***
a)62 %
b) 6 %
c) 2 %
Public Domain) 26 %
11. What is the most you spent on a game?
less then $20 ) 13 %
$20 - $30 ) 23 %
$30 - $40 ) 33 %
$40 - $50 ) 18 %
above $50 ) 7 %
*** $105 (u.s.) was the most spent (wow, what game was that?)***
12. Was it worth it (in comparison to the price other games)?
yes) 86 %
no ) 12 %
13. What do you think is a fair price for most games?
(considering packaging, marketing, royalties ect)
less then $20 ) 12 %
$20 - $30 ) 55 %
$30 - $40 ) 13 %
above $40) 6 %
14. How often on average do you purchase games?
once or more per mo.) 13 %
once every 2 mo ) 20 %
once every 6 mo ) 26 %
once a year ) 26 %
never ) 14 %
15. Do you have any PD games?
46 % YES
16. Have you ever sent any money on a share-ware game?
yes ) 23 %
no ) 58 %
no, but would if there was one worth it ) 19 %
17. Do you play games mostly with other people or alone?
alone ) 78 %
others ) 20 %
18. What attracted you to the last game you obtained....
a. Word of mouth
22 %
b. Reviews
28 %
c. Box art/game description on box
4 %
d. It was free
6 %
e. Other
21 % (played or owned previous version/arcade version)
16 % (demos)
3 % (other factors)
19. What do you think is more important in a game..
**** we wanted people to mark only one of these as most important ****
**** but we forgot to mention that fact. So we logged all responses****
**** multiple or not, sorry ****
a. Excitement
56 %
b. Realism
16 %
c. Playability
80 %
d. Complexity
34 %
e. Graphics
28 %
f. Other
*** mostly were all of the above, so we marked them as such above***
3 % (sound)
4 % (other such as title,interface ect)
20. What do you think is least important in a game?
a. Excitement
6 %
b. Realism
26 %
c. Playability
1 %
d. Complexity
17 %
e. Graphics
45 %
f. Other
3 %
21. What system do you play games on most?
IBM and compats) 35 %
Amiga) 26 %
Atari ST) 21 %
C-64/128) 7 %
Atari 8bits) 3 %
unix systems) 3 %
Mac) 2 %
22. Comments (or Flames)
"If adventure (INFOCOM) type games were any good I'd spend all my time on
them"
"Good luck and patience."
"That was QUITE the mighty crosspost."
"I think the best games are the ones where an intelligent person can
think about it, make an intelligent choice among the (dozens to hundreds)
of choices available at any given moment, and thereby enhance his chance
of winning."
"It would have to be a hell of a game to get more than $20 now"
"Still haven't found a computer game that is as interesting as a duplicate
bridge session with a promising partner."
"Commercial games seldom last more than 1 play session. My own
design has lasted 10 years (with updates and mods, of course)."
"Your survey was stupid ! and consequently you are stupid!"
***ouch!***
"I think modem games are the wave of the future. Design a good one of those
and I'll buy one"
"I pirate all my games (I do buy things like C-compilers) release
yours and I'll pirate it also!"
"I rarely, if ever, play games anymore...ther're not really my primary
interest with computers anymore"
"I like the shareware concept, but find it doesn't work...."
"Many games seem poorly designed for various reasons:......
<stuff deleted>
2. Strategy doesn't make any difference in the outcome of
conflict (e.g. Empire)
3. They frequently become deterministic at an early point, &
there is no point in continuing. (again, Empire)"
" Game writers should occupy their time in more socially useful
ways if they expect society to compensate them for it."
***huh?***
**** there were MANY many comments that were interesting, if this was not****
**** so big already I'd put more of them down. ****
--
uucp: mcnc!rti!sunpix!steve or mcnc!rti!sunpix!allegro
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------sfellows@csm9a.UUCP (5 CR) (08/29/89)
Please post the rest of the comments. I would like to seem them and I am sure so would many others out there. Steven B. Fellows sfellows@csm9a.colorado.edu
mdfreed@ziebmef.mef.org (Mark Freedman) (08/29/89)
(the birth of my first child (stuff deleted) our motto is "infinite variety in
infinite combinations")
sounds like you've just discovered the game which satisfies that motto :-)