If you had $$$ and wanted to make money in the industry...

[ClassicGameTrader]

Just hypothetical,

If you had $1,000,000 to spend and wanted to break into the game industry, what would you do?

I would choose localization of obscure titles (Kind of like WD before they went bust)

Its a gamble, but I think it is possible.

I wonder what the cost would be for something like that?

[ahamilton0953]

I'd probably go and buy tons of games, and set up an arcade of systems and PC's so that people could rent time like you do at cyber cafe's. I'd offer free time to people that contributed games I didn't have available there, and offer a rental service too. I'd probably avoid actual arcade machines to start, but, consoles and a few pc's would be good. there is actually some good office space opening up near my apartment so that would be an ideal place if I had the money =)

[Cryomancer]

bring over the Simple 2000 series for ps2, sell them at 20 bucks. Commercials would be short bursts of video highlights, heavy on the earth defense force 2 and things like "pink pong" where there's scantily-clad chicks.

[ahamilton0953]

What is the Simple 2000 series?

[Cryomancer]

Japanese budget ps2 games. PAL regions have gotten a few but nothing for the US yet.

[youruglyclone]

and some of those games are pretty fun too.

[ahamilton0953]

Sweeet. I don't know much about the overseas games if anything, so I was rather confused =)

[Cryomancer]

and some of those games are pretty fun too.

exactly.

[SegaAges]

That would be awesome if I had 1M.

I personally plan on going to digipen after I am done here at UNO (after this semester, I have 3 more classes to go).

I could use that million to pay for my school here at UNO as well as using it to pay for all of my schooling at digipen.

I would then use the rest after I was done in school to promote an idea I have that I think with help revolutionize video game graphics. This idea will be done as soon as I can get the proper paperwork saying that I do, in fact, own the idea. I will then get the idea off of the ground and get it working.

Trust me fellas, in a few years, you will know for a fact what my idea is. Through all of the "Next Gen" things that have come out, I have yet to see this idea ever come to the surface, and I believe that with my idea, we will be able to push much better graphics in video games. All the new systems do is up the hardware so that they can do better things with the software.

Enough of that, I don't want to spoil the surprise for you guys when I get it done.

But with a million, I would have enough money to get it off the ground and working.

[kirin jensen]

Three words:

SUPER COLOR VECTREX(tm)

I'd buy the rights for every single vector graphics game ever and put out a color Vectrex unit, with no lockout so anyone could build a homebrew for it. We'd also manufacture an arcade style unit and a "cockpit" arcade style unit.

Then we'd manufacture the RetrO2(tm). 8-)

[boatofcar]

Three words:

SUPER COLOR VECTREX(tm)

I'd buy the rights for every single vector graphics game ever and put out a color Vectrex unit, with no lockout so anyone could build a homebrew for it. We'd also manufacture an arcade style unit and a "cockpit" arcade style unit.

Then we'd manufacture the RetrO2(tm). 8-)

Sweet.

I would probably do just what Joe did, except open the store in WV.

[cyberfluxor]

There are a few things I would do and they are all linked together, but I can't say them because they are ideas that I plan on doing after college and can't give it away or someone might get into it first. All I will say is it deals with an edge of making your PC into the ulimate gaming machine.

[kevincure]

I would be selling $20 discs with "best Flash games" and independent games on each. You could also go through Xbox Live. I would take a minigame compilation, if the games were all ace, over a full release any day.

[kedawa]

I'd hire some engineers and design my own devices, like an xbox360 pad with a trackball in place of the right analog, or a pocketsize speech recognition/synthesis system that could be used by the blind to play text adventures. I've hundreds of ideas like that.

[Daria]

Kinda amazed I'm the first person to say this, but with that kind of money I'd hire a team and create my own game. Would definately flesh out the psychological horror RPG I've been toying with for awhile.

[njiska]

If it's fiscally possible, aqquire the Double Dragon lisence (most likely you'd have to lisence it) and develope a Warriors style Double Dragon Game.

Bring back DD.

[ahamilton0953]

Man I haven't thought about DD in ages. I still remember my DD for the SMS where you got some extra lives or something if you did a certain jump 30x I think in a row. Still have my original SMS ( and it still works! ) and that would be a fun game to have again ( I think my brother sold/lost the game along with a few others we had )

[ty896]

I have long wanted to see an inexpensive ($15 or so)USB spinner controller for games like Breakout and Arkanoid.

Something along the lines of the old 2600 paddle controlers would be fine, but you would want an extra button or 2.

Thats what I would do. If anyone wants to steal this idea, feel free. :)

[scooterb23]

You would see the greatest bowling game ever if I had that kind of money. :) It'll be so good, noone in the country would want to be without a couple.

[stressboy]

Probably spend a few years learning how to code, do graphics, sound, etc.

After that, start developing simple games like shoot em ups and platformers, and sell them for $5 a piece over something like Xbox Live or whatever Sony comes up with.

With the funds I would get from selling the games, I would start up a full blown studio and begin developing this RPG I have had in my head for a few years now.

Yeah.....

Or just find a nice quiet place to live and open my own game store.. sell games from the 2600 all the way to the 360 and beyond.

[goatdan]

If it's fiscally possible, aqquire the Double Dragon lisence (most likely you'd have to lisence it) and develope a Warriors style Double Dragon Game.

Bring back DD.

Atlus has it now (I stupidly did not pick up the GBA version recently), but I completely agree with this assessment. Double Dragon was a great series and I don't understand why it died so suddenly :(

Battletoads is another game in the same boat for me.

[njiska]

If it's fiscally possible, aqquire the Double Dragon lisence (most likely you'd have to lisence it) and develope a Warriors style Double Dragon Game.

Bring back DD.

Atlus has it now (I stupidly did not pick up the GBA version recently), but I completely agree with this assessment. Double Dragon was a great series and I don't understand why it died so suddenly :(

Battletoads is another game in the same boat for me.

Wow, praise from Caesar.

[Berserker]

If I had 1 million dollars, I'd put it towards schooling myself in a completely unrelated but financially gainful field, become successful at that, rack up a few billion dollars, cash my chips, and start a game development company gathering together small, focused groups of talented and enthusiastic people who want to see games they'd want to play out there, but are tired of getting rung out from the various antiquated rigors of most upper management and the current industry as a whole.

[Push Upstairs]

bring over the Simple 2000 series for ps2, sell them at 20 bucks. Commercials would be short bursts of video highlights, heavy on the earth defense force 2 and things like "pink pong" where there's scantily-clad chicks.

I'd like to play that "Love Ping Pong" game. Its like DOAXVB but with Ping Pong.

And that simple 2000 game where you pilot those jets/tanks/whatever and fight that giant girl in a bikini. LOL

Thats the kind of stuff only the Japanese can come up with. LOL


As for the MEEEEEELLLLLLLION DOLLARS...i dunno really. I've been in the retail/used side of the business and that store lost out so hmm...i dunno what i would do really.

[Leo_A]

I'd invest in Ubisoft.

[norkusa]

I'd take the raunchiest adult titles from Japan and localize them for North America. Obviously retail stores like Best Buy and Gamestop wouldn't carry them, so I'd advertise in respectable trade publications like Barely Legal and Hustler to hype them up. After a big buzz of controversy around the games takes off, I'd release them and make a fortune.

[BrokenFlight]

I would hoard copies of Sonic 1 and Super Mario Bros.

Then when they become rare I would sell them at ridiculous prices.

Actually, I don't think $1m would nearly cover it.

[Richter]

make an "Omnibus" type compliation

ex - a Streets of Rage Omnibus - all the games with the different regions, all associated art, scripts, commercials, developer notes, commentary, videos, movies, ads, whatever

[Rejinx]

I create the first video game superstore. I would open in Houston. It would be like a Gamestop, VGX, Arcade and cybercafe. For the arcade a would make a card system to keep your high score and you could collect points to win stuff like at a cosino. And i would carry way more games then the rinky dink game places. I am getting a like too excited. :P :P :P

[calthaer]

See, your subject and question could be two different things.

If I wanted to make money in the game industry, I'd churn out crappy licensed games that I spend < $100k apiece on, just like everyone else does.

If I wanted to make good games, I would invest the money into making class-A products for the GP32x, and in making the GP32x a very easy-to-use product (as opposed to being a geekdevice).

Would also simultaneously release the game for Mac, Linux, and PC. I would use SNES-generation graphics to keep costs down and make games with real content (like Ultima). That way, the $1 mil might make 2-3 games, maybe even 4.

[ubikuberalles]

I would use that money to develop an affordable volumetric 3-D display that could be used for gaming. (A volumetric display shows a real 3-D images as opposed to other displays that produce virtual 3-D images and requires stereo headsets or other equipment to work).

All of the volumetric displays I've read about are extremely expensive (at least $10,000) and are only used today for military or research applications. I think a volumetric display for $1000 or under is possible and I would love to play a part in developing such a system.

Unfortunately $1 million isn't enough to develop such a system for mass production. However, I could use it to get a masters or PhD degree in the industry. The money left over would be used to build a prototype (during my postdoc work) and also help attract venture capitalists.

[Sanriostar]

If the stipulation is that I have to spend the money on video games, I'd spend it on a video game museum, or pledge it to someone who already has one going. Like buy the land, or work on a setup so attendees could play all the games.

The other idea is make a run of vector monitors for old cabinets.

[njiska]

Another idea. Buy the One Must Fall Lisence from Dimensions and make a proper sequel to OMF 2097.