So... let's start our own game development group.

[RCBH928]

Will it be something like "Racketboy Studios" ?
I have 0 skill, but interested to see behind the scenes work

[Luke]

My area of expertise is with company acquisitions and helping small business develop. Not sure what I could bring to the table unless you plan on selling your final product.

[noiseredux]

Okay, I haven't read this whole thread yet, but I LOVE Repo's Elizabeth Bathory idea! Brilliant. Awesome.

Also, I think GBA is a perfet platform to design on. Benefits:

1. flashcards are easy to get and relatively inexpensive.
2. 16bit limitation makes perfect sense for retro-enthusiasts such as we.
3. compatability with handhelds (GBA) and console (GBPlayer) when distributed on cart.

[AmishSamurai]

I personally say go for a computer game. If it works out and becomes awesome, try getting something with Steam, however that works.

I have no real skills, and don't want to be the "idea guy", because the idea guy is just somebody's excuse to boss around without contributing anything. But if I were to make something, it would be a top-down action game a la Link to the Past/Link's Awakening.

What if you made a platformer that alternated between the more linear Mario-type levels and the crazystraw open-ended Sonic-type levels?

[Veno]

Just had a quick thought last night. I think it'd be pretty fun if you got stumped for one of your character designs, and held some small contest on Racketboy to see who turns in the best sketch or concept art for that character, or who turns in the drawing closest to your visioning of that character.

[Luke]

Sounds like every other person wants to be the idea guy. The person who does all the hard work gets to be the idea guy.

I love tinkering around with gamemaker. Why not start simple and start working from the ground floor up?

[noiseredux]

I've been planning to learn GBA homebrew coding in my spare time. Of course, I've been planning that for nearly 3 years now. So...

[Veno]

I'm also thinking you guys should start with a short 2D game, and make it a free download for the PC. Then, when you move on the bigger things, you go to Luke to help you manage the final product.

[noiseredux]

Nobody else thinks GBA would be way cooler than PC? I mean... it'd be on a cart! We'd be keeping the system alive (like indie developers do with DC). Plus, if you want to d/l and play it on PC for free the you'd just use a GBA emulator. So there'd be free download, and limited edition carts in package (DS case like the ones on thecoverproject).

[Curlypaul]

Producing carts on old systems is very cool, but think of the cost of doing that.

Pick an idea to go for, design 1 level on paper and then start thinking about how to techinically acheive that level and go on from there.