The Electric Shocktopus shall rise from the ashes of an ever-receding release date...>!
So, selling the game to flash sponsors hasn't been working. The bids are too low, the game is a bit niche, and the flash industry is on its way out. (Most of the money seems to have gone off to other places, like mobile). It's time for a new plan.
My thought? Release it kinda like the Gravity Simulator -- in two parts. One that's free online (as a flash game), and one that's downloadable (for 4.99, say). The free flash game would be basically Act I as the game stands now (which hits on both Electricity and Magnetism, so it's a nice introduction to the game). People could use the level editor to make and share levels just as we planned -- just using the tiles from Act I.
The full, downloadable version would have all three Acts right from the get-go. Players would get conductors (grounded, positive, negative), heat seeking missiles, those pink magnetic fields, flowing currents... a whole bunch more science. And the graphics would be bigger (full screen ftw!) and sounds would be better (larger file sizes ftw!). And down the road, if the game is popular enough, I could add in more levels. (That was always my plan... offer a longer version of the game, which would include the extra mechanics I left out of the original for lack of space.)
This plan matches with my mission here at TestTubeGames, too. I love the idea of having free content that people can play and use to learn -- and by being free, it can get in front of a ton of eyeballs. Act 1 makes for a complete, fun, and educational game, covering some essential topics of E&M. But, then, I also need to eat -- so by offering up tons more levels and educational content to people who enjoyed the first act... I can give them the extras that they'd want. (How many would opt to buy the full version? Who could say. But certainly more than are doing it now!)
This plan will also let me get the Shocktopus schedule back in *my* hands! No more waiting for other people to place bids! Just me, the calendar, and highly caffeinated evenings porting the game.
So, this is my gut-check before I get started on it. You people here in the forums have been indescribably helpful as I made this game -- so go, have your say! Sound reasonable?
