EveryGame: the Netflix of classic and retro games

[Everygame]

Hi everyone - we're prototyping EveryGame (URL DELETED), the Netflix of classic and retro games. Our ambition is to host every classic and retro game - from Pac Man to Super Mario to Street Fighter - in one place, on one platform, for you to enjoy. Features we expect to include:

- Every game you can think of, licensed from the proper developer/publisher.
- Cloud-based, so you can pick up and play from any device (or display it on your tv).
- We deal with emulation and those headaches: you just need to click on the game you want to play!
- Your choice of controller input.
- Pricing: USD 9.99 / GBP 9.99 / EURO 9.99 per month with no commitments (cancel anytime).

WE KNOW this is going to be difficult, but fundamentally this is a question of getting the licensing right (and we've had serious legal advice already) and making sure that people like the IDEA of what we're trying to do. That's what will give us the energy to make it happen. If you have comments/suggestions (good or bad), please PLEASE let us know.

So if you'd like to support us, check out Everygame and register your interest at: URL DELETED or send us your thoughts in the thread below or at everygame2013@gmail.com

[BeaglePuss]

Holy stupid idea.

[SparTonberry]

Sounds like a great idea but

from Pac Man to Super Mario to Street Fighter - in one place, on one platform, for you to enjoy.

Getting Mario games on there legally is going to be a real challenge. :P

[Bojay1997]

Assuming this is not just some hoax or scam, this will require a multi-million dollar investment that may never result in a viable business model. Many publishers won't license their crown jewels and frankly, many potential users already have access to these games through emulation and are unlikely to spend $10 a month for something they can get for free, legal or not. Based on the minimal information in your first post, I'm assuming you're going to try some ridiculous novel legal argument about these games being outside of copyright or that by streaming them through emulation that no further licensing is required. All I can say to you is that I hope you have deep pockets and a good legal team because you are going to be facing legal armageddon within days of going live.

[Greg2600]

I seem to recall a flash-based service/website that basically did this. They emulated a large number of classics systems via flash. It was 100% infringing on copyrights of course, but it did exist for awhile. I can't even begin to understand how "every game" could include say a 360 or PS3 title that is cloud-based?

[Rickstilwell1]

They wouldn't be able to make it any further than GameTap.

[BetaWolf47]

They wouldn't be able to make it any further than GameTap.
And GameTap is mostly on its last legs. They haven't added retro games for years, and have been slowly losing the ones they have. Also...


- Cloud-based, so you can pick up and play from any device (or display it on your tv).
You mean like OnLive? Sorry, but I think even if this does go through, people will cancel once they start experiencing input lag.

[bigbacon]

virtualnes? virtualatari?

yea good luck getting the deals to make this happen. dreaming

[Bazoo]

I strongly suspect this is a scam, but if not, man, you're in for a rude awakening. Here are the reasons:

--A majority of gamers would not sign up for this. You are dealing with a way different demographic than the Netflix userbase. Retro games are very, very easy to emulate and play for free. Moreover, almost your entire demographic knows how to do this. Good luck getting them to pay. You might say, "Well, everyone can torrent the movies on Netflix for free!!" --but that is more difficult, time-consuming, AND Netflix has the benefit of being on multiple platforms at once (computer, ps3, blu-ray players, etc.)
--Good luck with the licenses. Even Netflix has trouble securing many popular films. Nintendo is locked hard on their IPs--you think they're going to let Mario on a sleazy internet startup?
--What are you using for emulators? You'll need a lot of them. If you plan to utilize existing emulators, I'm guessing that the writers of those emus are going to be quite upset that you used their work to gain profit.

[treismac]

The only way I could see this working is if you provide something enticing beyond what emulation offers. Your target audience is going to wonder "why should I bother?" which has to be answered to make your service a success. I think there are a few things that you could do to rise above merely providing emulation on multiple platform:

* Unique user-interface. I've always enjoyed the different ui on different video game collections and anthologies, and I think a compelling virtual arcade/user-interface could give your service a fighting chance against the readily accessible world of pirated retro games.

* Social network. Once again, this could make your service stand out and result in current users proselytizing new users, especially if integrated with my other suggestion below.

* Net play. Duh. If I couldn't play R.B.I. Baseball with my buddy across the country, this would be a major setback.

* Challenges, contests, and awards. This will breathe new life into old games and compel people to check out your service and to keep coming back.

* Exclusive hacks or fan made spinoffs. Playing the original Super Mario Bros. with Wario or Waluigi, Dig Dug reimagined as an absurdest, art game rpg, Street Fighter II reskinned with anime-style graphics, etc. There has to be compelling, original content beyond what can readily be downloaded for free to make people bite. Appropriating already made hacks is a good idea as well.

* Research your competition. What does Gametap do right? What do they do wrong? Improve upon their formula. Check out different emulators. Same thing.

So, yeah. The idea could have potential if it is developed creatively and has the right minds and capital working on the project.

[Jorpho]

It's been done.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Console_Classix

I will admit that "the Netflix of classic and retro games" is one heck of a hook. That much hasn't been done.

[wiggyx]

^^^ very different. They use a rental system which, by way of some crafty infrastructure, requires no licensing agreement as it is truly a rental.

Retro gamers like cartridges and other crap that take up lots of space. The whole cloud thing is likely to be off-putting, not to mention that emulating almost every classic console on any number of home or portable consoles is already possible and free.

[PapaStu]

Hello all,

While we all know that this is more than just a pipe dream of licensing, it looks like McAffee is tossing up spam warnings for the link to their HAWT product. I've removed the links.

I'll be glad to leave this thread alive for the time being, as maybe the OP can shed some light onto what they think they're going to do to win over Capcom, Nintendo, Konami, Microsoft, Sony, Atari, EA, Ubisoft, Activision, Namco, Bandai and the hundreds of other publishers i'm forgetting.

[Greg2600]

It's been done.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Console_Classix

I will admit that "the Netflix of classic and retro games" is one heck of a hook. That much hasn't been done.

Yes, that's the one I was thinking of! He he.

[CastlevaniaDude]

Just delete this garbage.

[Gameguy]

While we all know that this is more than just a pipe dream of licensing, it looks like McAffee is tossing up spam warnings for the link to their HAWT product. I've removed the links.
Not that I'm in favour of this business or idea, but I didn't get any virus or spam warnings when visiting the link that was posted. I'm pretty sure there was no actual threat and McAfee was just giving a false positive. Since the 90's I consider McAfee to be unreliable garbage at best. Their utilities software crippled a computer it was on with constant crashes until I uninstalled it, which I had to do manually because the uninstaller wouldn't work properly. It was their Crash Guard which caused all the crashes, and what caused a crash every time was trying to play Solitaire which came with Windows. Complete garbage.

[RP2A03]

Not that I'm in favour of this business or idea, but I didn't get any virus or spam warnings when visiting the link that was posted. I'm pretty sure there was no actual threat and McAfee was just giving a false positive. Since the 90's I consider McAfee to be unreliable garbage at best. Their utilities software crippled a computer it was on with constant crashes until I uninstalled it, which I had to do manually because the uninstaller wouldn't work properly. It was their Crash Guard which caused all the crashes, and what caused a crash every time was trying to play Solitaire which came with Windows. Complete garbage.


Clearly, Solitaire posed such a grave threat to your system that McAfee had no other choice than to crash your computer as a defensive mechanism.

[Jorpho]

Since the 90's I consider McAfee to be unreliable garbage at best. Their utilities software crippled a computer it was on with constant crashes until I uninstalled it, which I had to do manually because the uninstaller wouldn't work properly. It was their Crash Guard which caused all the crashes, and what caused a crash every time was trying to play Solitaire which came with Windows. Complete garbage.To be fair, the Windows of 2013 is not the Windows of the 90's, which rather liked crashing. Norton Antivirus used to be pretty horrible as well. (And no doubt there are still many people who claim it still is.)

I would be worried about going off-topic but I don't think the OP is coming back.