The Gallery: Oculus Rift Adventure Game KICKSTARTER LIVE!

Post by **Bishop51** » Tue Mar 19, 2013 9:50 am

Thanks again for the support and kind words all!

mahler wrote:
2EyeGuy wrote:What about a digital camera?
That is an interesting game idea. There could be puzzles in one area of the game which have solutions elsewhere.
Where in previous adventure games you'd get an item in your inventory with symbols or text that you have to use later in the game.
The camera could now be a tool (besides the notepad) to keep track of suspicious symbols on walls or other markings needed to solve a puzzle later.
Perhaps a beautiful painting with a hidden meaning that you'd like to store for later reference, without having to walk all the way back.
Or statues holding or wearing certain objects or looking in a certain direction... all details which you can write down, but it's much easier to take a picture.

That's an excellent suggestion Mahler / 2EyeGuy!

IGameArt wrote:Man, watching the video on your site really get's me excited for the game. I wish there was some way I could contribute, but i've pretty much got 3 dollars to my name right now lol.

Sorry to hear about your troubles GameArt. It says it on the campaign page as well but word-of-mouth support is just as valuable to us so don't you worry about it. And I hope your situation turns around for the better.

Baristan6 wrote:If you haven't contacted RockPaparShotgun already you should. They have a weekly kickstarter article and have a lot of readers. Contact info for devs.

We did the press rounds yesterday. Those sites tend to be continually bombarded so the best we can hope for is someone picking up on the Oculus association.

Again, that's why word of mouth support is so vital. Things rarely go viral by force, it almost always comes down to one or two people with connections down the chain. You cast your net as wide as you can and hope to get a bite

Post by **Mystify** » Tue Mar 19, 2013 9:56 am

The camera idea made me realize something.
Traditional methods for taking a screenshot may have issues in the rift, assuming you don't want 2 side by side warped images. A digital camera in-game could render the scene in a more traditional manner to produce a sensible screenshot, and automatically store the image in a screenshot folder. Then, in addition to the puzzle solving convenience, it becomes a way to make shareable screenshots.

Post by **druidsbane** » Tue Mar 19, 2013 10:18 am

Backed as well at the Scout level

Good luck!

Post by **Drewbdoo** » Tue Mar 19, 2013 10:19 am

Update - Just backed at $30. Can't wait for episode 1

Post by **Evenios** » Tue Mar 19, 2013 10:28 am

looks nice i spent a bit too much money this month but in april before the thing ends i think ill def get the beta level (30 buck) one

hopefully it gets off to a good start looks like a nice game!

Post by **Mystify** » Tue Mar 19, 2013 10:42 am

Evenios wrote:looks nice i spent a bit too much money this month but in april before the thing ends i think ill def get the beta level (30 buck) one hopefully it gets off to a good start looks like a nice game!

You don't get charged until the campaign finishes. You can pledge as much as you want as long as you are sure you will have it at the end of the time.

Post by **2EyeGuy** » Tue Mar 19, 2013 10:42 am

It's possible a camera might make it too easy though. It depends how much you want people to use their notebooks, their memories, and backtracking. And on when you want the game to be set, or what feel you want.

I can't wait for episode 1 either. I hope their aren't too many spoilers while I'm waiting. I already feel a bit spoiled now that I know what places I'm going to visit, what the title means, and how I'm going to get to those places. I think the ideal way to play this game would be knowing nothing more than that I'm an underground urban explorer who's about to uncover a great mystery, and maybe one or two screenshots like the first two that didn't give away too much. But of course you can't do that since you need to advertise and Kickstart it. Also I'm too greedy for information.

Post by **Mystify** » Tue Mar 19, 2013 10:46 am

2EyeGuy wrote:It's possible a camera might make it too easy though.

If the challenge of the game is relying on making it difficult to remember what has been shown, something has gone horribly wrong in the game design.

Post by **Pingles** » Tue Mar 19, 2013 10:53 am

Mystify wrote:
2EyeGuy wrote:It's possible a camera might make it too easy though.
If the challenge of the game is relying on making it difficult to remember what has been shown, something has gone horribly wrong in the game design.

Isn't part of the fun of discovery games like this trying to figure out WHAT information you need? Red herrings. If you have an easy way to catalog everything you see I think it would ruin part of the puzzling.

Post by **Bishop51** » Tue Mar 19, 2013 10:55 am

2EyeGuy wrote:It's possible a camera might make it too easy though. It depends how much you want people to use their notebooks, their memories, and backtracking. And on when you want the game to be set, or what feel you want.

I can't wait for episode 1 either. I hope their aren't too many spoilers while I'm waiting. I already feel a bit spoiled now that I know what places I'm going to visit, what the title means, and how I'm going to get to those places. I think the ideal way to play this game would be knowing nothing more than that I'm an underground urban explorer who's about to uncover a great mystery, and maybe one or two screenshots like the first two that didn't give away too much. But of course you can't do that since you need to advertise and Kickstart it. Also I'm too greedy for information.

I wouldn't worry about that too much, the other 5 worlds have some amazing experiences to offer

We've only just started digging into the initial environments. This is a very tiny slice of what we have planned.

Post by **Mystify** » Tue Mar 19, 2013 12:24 pm

Pingles wrote:
Mystify wrote:
2EyeGuy wrote:It's possible a camera might make it too easy though.
If the challenge of the game is relying on making it difficult to remember what has been shown, something has gone horribly wrong in the game design.
Isn't part of the fun of discovery games like this trying to figure out WHAT information you need? Red herrings. If you have an easy way to catalog everything you see I think it would ruin part of the puzzling.

If you catalog everything then you still have to sift through it and figure out what is relevant. I've played adventure games where you can take pictures of everything, it works out really well. Myst V, if I'm not mistaken. You still need to figure out what is relevant, what to take pictures of, you still need to find the information. I will typically write things in a notebook anyways when playing games like that, and the camera just streamlines it. Also, while wearing a rift, actually writing in a real notebook would be a problem- at the very least it would be extremely immersion breaking to take off the rift to use the notebook. I would be highly impressed if their in-game notebook had enough precision of drawing to do it in-game. A camera doesn't suffer those issues.
And really, what does it save you? You recognize that the tapestry 5 rooms back contains the clue you need. Your options are:
A. pull out the picture you took of it because you recognized it as a clue at the time
B. Look at the notebook you keep in the real world, where you painstakingly wrote it down while taking the rift on and off
C. run all the way back there just to look at it

A is more convenient, but it doesn't lessen anything. You still need to recognize it as relevant. If you didn't, you still need to go and explore until you spot it, at which point it would be much more convenient to take a picture of it to refer to instead of running back and forth.
A camera does nothing to lessen the proper challenges in an adventure game, and can serve to cut through the tedious parts. It is a good mechanic.

Post by **Kirito** » Tue Mar 19, 2013 2:46 pm

I really hope it will get funded, i hope some big investors will show pls

plsssss it looks so coool

Post by **virror** » Tue Mar 19, 2013 2:46 pm

10k, this will be easy : p

Post by **rmcclelland** » Tue Mar 19, 2013 3:38 pm

Hopefully Oculus will give you a twitter plug when things slow down for them after GDC. That would help. I've commented with a plug for the kickstarter on various article comments.

Post by **brantlew** » Tue Mar 19, 2013 3:44 pm

virror wrote:10k, this will be easy : p

I hope so, but most of that was from the pre-existing audience. The arduous road of advertising and promoting lies ahead.

Post by **sth** » Tue Mar 19, 2013 4:09 pm

Backed.

Good luck with the Kickstarter!

Post by **Pingles** » Tue Mar 19, 2013 4:49 pm

Hopefully they can get mentioned in a few GDC articles.

Post by **Tacklebait** » Tue Mar 19, 2013 7:42 pm

Backed!

I hope you guys meet your goal.

Looking forward to a early taste of the game.

Good Luck!

Post by **oculusfan** » Tue Mar 19, 2013 7:47 pm

I'm a little worried about this. I was hoping that after the initial wave of MTBS backers we would be further along than 12,000 (17%). It seems the majority are doing the $30/$25 options which is less than what you pay for a standard video game. That is basically preordering a cheap game more than it is backing a project.

Post by **norgoth** » Tue Mar 19, 2013 7:55 pm

oculusfan wrote:I'm a little worried about this. I was hoping that after the initial wave of MTBS backers we would be further along than 12,000 (17%). It seems the majority are doing the $30/$25 options which is less than what you pay for a standard video game. That is basically preordering a cheap game more than it is backing a project.

agree with you .
in my mind the first wave ( this forum ) would doing 100 dollars but they doing the 30.
this is sad for people who said that they are VR enthousiast
but it is possible to manage the pledge and up to 100 or more

Post by **defactoman** » Tue Mar 19, 2013 8:03 pm

I also agree. I'd also figure there's a bit more potential to grab some more of the kickstarter's who don't frequent this board. If even 15% of those people kick in that should go a long way. Id advertise more, but I didn't become a kickstarter so I can't post

Post by **ChrisJD** » Tue Mar 19, 2013 8:24 pm

oculusfan wrote:I'm a little worried about this. I was hoping that after the initial wave of MTBS backers we would be further along than 12,000 (17%). It seems the majority are doing the $30/$25 options which is less than what you pay for a standard video game. That is basically preordering a cheap game more than it is backing a project.

It's more than you typically pay for an indie game. They tend to be in the $10-$20 USD range on Steam with occasional titles at the $25-$30 price.

"Pre-ordering" super early is very much "backing a project" on Kickstarter and it is a big show of support. Pre-ordering is a risky business with well known companies let alone young companies. You could be throwing money down the toilet. Recent titles demonstrating this include SimCity and Aliens Colonial Marines.

If I'm going to put serious money into something I'll invest in it and expect a return. If I'm going to donate money it'll go to charity. If the higher levels of pledges of a Kickstarter don't offer anything I want (at a cost I deem reasonable) I'll just back to the level I do want. If I'm super enthusiastic about something then rewards at higher levels can sway me more easily.

While I'm definitely interested in The Gallery it doesn't push my buttons like Star Citizen did so I'm not going to spend money on extras.

Like most people I don't have money to throw around being altruistic towards businesses. Even if I did I doubt I would.

Post by **Neil** » Tue Mar 19, 2013 8:56 pm

Just a heads-up that I got it on the front page. I'll get the message pushed out through some other channels as well. I had been traveling (mother's 70th birthday!) and had limited Internet access.

When I saw the Kickstarter video, I liked what I saw.

Regards,
Neil

Post by **zeroxygen** » Tue Mar 19, 2013 9:00 pm

@Bishop51, Just backed. If need be Ill back with more down the line. Good luck CloudHead!

Post by **bobv5** » Tue Mar 19, 2013 9:02 pm

norgoth wrote: agree with you .
in my mind the first wave ( this forum ) would doing 100 dollars but they doing the 30.
this is sad for people who said that they are VR enthousiast
but it is possible to manage the pledge and up to 100 or more

Being a VR enthusiast does not mean you have money. If I had $100 spare I would buy a Hydra and back Gallery for $30. But I don't. So I'm going to go without lunch for the next few weeks so I can afford the import tax on my dev kit.

Post by **norgoth** » Tue Mar 19, 2013 9:14 pm

bobv5 wrote:
norgoth wrote: agree with you .
in my mind the first wave ( this forum ) would doing 100 dollars but they doing the 30.
this is sad for people who said that they are VR enthousiast
but it is possible to manage the pledge and up to 100 or more
Being a VR enthusiast does not mean you have money. If I had $100 spare I would buy a Hydra and back Gallery for $30. But I don't. So I'm going to go without lunch for the next few weeks so I can afford the import tax on my dev kit.

No problem if you haven t many money at the moment.
I said that because I do the comparison when I was a kid, I buy super nes game for 100$
And to pledge the price of a snes game for helping the first rift ready game seems to me a good deal.
But your right if I have no money I don t back for 100

Post by **2EyeGuy** » Tue Mar 19, 2013 9:55 pm

norgoth wrote:agree with you .
in my mind the first wave ( this forum ) would doing 100 dollars but they doing the 30.
this is sad for people who said that they are VR enthousiast
but it is possible to manage the pledge and up to 100 or more

That's because we're poor and unemployed. But we may be able to increase our pledge slightly later if it's really needed.

Post by **Drewbdoo** » Tue Mar 19, 2013 10:12 pm

2EyeGuy wrote:
norgoth wrote:agree with you .
in my mind the first wave ( this forum ) would doing 100 dollars but they doing the 30.
this is sad for people who said that they are VR enthousiast
but it is possible to manage the pledge and up to 100 or more
That's because we're poor and unemployed. But we may be able to increase our pledge slightly later if it's really needed.

Right, same here. I went for the $30 because it allowed me to get the game and the episode 1 beta. I might be poor, but that doesn't mean I can't help make it a better game through feedback during a beta test and forums, etc. I also have been sharing the link to my friends and getting the word out about the game, even though I'm the only person I know getting a devkit. Just because we don't have gobs of cash to throw around doesn't mean we aren't "VR enthousiast[s]".

Post by **Bishop51** » Tue Mar 19, 2013 10:51 pm

I just want you guys to know that we are ecstatic with the level of support we've received so far! We're only at day 2 and we've done over 18% of our funding, that isn't generally the trend for an indie/start-up on Kickstarter.

None of us are rich and we're just happy to have the support from a community that we know is just as passionate about this as we are. We also feel strongly that word-of-mouth has almost as much value so please don't feel bad if that's all you can offer!

Onward and upward. We'll get it there

Post by **glen** » Wed Mar 20, 2013 12:45 am

How will this game be distributed?

Personally I am really hoping it will be via Steam. if it is not planned can you please consider using Steam.

I opted for the $30 level, can wait to get access to the beta.

Post by **Mystify** » Wed Mar 20, 2013 12:59 am

glen wrote:How will this game be distributed?

Personally I am really hoping it will be via Steam. if it is not planned can you please consider using Steam.

I opted for the $30 level, can wait to get access to the beta.

Its on Steam Greenlight
Since you want it on steam, go vote for it.

Post by **glen** » Wed Mar 20, 2013 2:38 am

Mystify wrote: Its on Steam Greenlight
Since you want it on steam, go vote for it.

Thanks for letting me know about that. I have now voted for it. Hope it gets up in Steam.

Post by **3dcoffee** » Wed Mar 20, 2013 6:58 am

Just thought it was mildly relevant

http://www.theverge.com/2013/3/20/41264 ... xploration

Post by **Parallaxis** » Wed Mar 20, 2013 7:07 am

3dcoffee wrote:Just thought it was mildly relevant http://www.theverge.com/2013/3/20/41264 ... xploration

The Rift is aiding terrorists even more. When we all get our dev kits, we won't notice any terrorists or anything else.

The expression "To get Rifted" is to be robbed in the real world while being in a virtual world.

Post by **jaybug** » Wed Mar 20, 2013 7:11 am

Am I the only one who keeps mistaking Bishop's avatar for Kiefer Sutherland?

Post by **lossofmercy** » Wed Mar 20, 2013 7:33 am

Remember, the funding really goes down after the first three days, so I hope you get some publicity quick. I will post about it when I can.

Post by **2EyeGuy** » Wed Mar 20, 2013 7:38 am

One day people will go up to Kiefer Sutherland and ask for his autograph, and then when he signs his name say "Oh! Sorry! I thought you were Denny Unger, the famous pioneer of Virtual Reality gaming!"

BTW, I got The Gallery added to the collection of Oculus Rift games on Greenlight: http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/f ... d=92979040
Don't forget to vote for it, or any other Rift games on Kickstarter that you like the sound of.

Post by **Tirregius** » Wed Mar 20, 2013 7:41 am

jaybug wrote:Am I the only one who keeps mistaking Bishop's avatar for Kiefer Sutherland?

I saw his avatar and I kid you not, I heard a voice in my head say "they're worms, Michael."

I really hope you reach your goal. I will try to spread the word. We need more games in this genre!

Post by **diwata** » Wed Mar 20, 2013 8:04 am

I see one article

http://www.adventuregamers.com/news/view/24239

Post by **neverman** » Wed Mar 20, 2013 8:31 am

Bishop51 wrote:*EDIT* Added Kickstarter Link 3/18/2013

The Gallery: Six Elements Kickstarter campaign is now live!!!

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/494 ... f=category

Hey MTBS mods! Please let me know if anything below doesn't jive with the house rules. I'm a regular contributor to the forums and I thought this was especially relevant to this particular part of the forum ecosystem.

Hi bishop,I reply your letter twice and haven't heard from you since. Do you still need Composser for your game? Replay here or write me back @nevermanforever@gmail.com please.