Feedback from Demo

[Icthulu]

After playing the demo I found the UI decent and responsive, the tool tips clear and useful. Technically, it works quite well compared to most in this genre. Great job at the first iteration. The color choices works really well to take a mess of data and put it in a way that is easy to read and understand. The breadth of genres and the customization feels right, as if I can create any movie type I want without feeling railroaded into basics. The bar system as well feels correct and is not only informative, but applies when making the movie which is great.

Mainly I’m going to focus on the negatives because I want to share my prospective from decades of playing.

The studio upgrades should be cash based, not research based. You have nothing to do with the money you make and loans are useless unless you want to destroy your company. Additionally you can’t upgrade fast enough if research is the only source of upgrade points.

I would make improvements researched using the existing feature unchanged that focus on industry tools, CGI, and practical innovations. You should also use these points to build access to better distributors and company partnerships.

The game moves too fast and is limited to 1 movie at a time. You can squeeze in an additional movie before release, but basically you can only make about 6 movies in a decade. It feels like you are not an executive, but a movie director. Ideally I should be able to release 2-4 movies a year if I am actually portraying a movie executive.

Distribution development takes too long to reach. You should have access to international distribution and other partnerships much faster in real life. After 10 years playing, I was not even close to an international release, even though film companies can explode in popularity and go bankrupt in that same time period.

Forecasting genres is not far enough into the future. After 10 years I couldn’t promote my analyst to see what mid level was and they constantly only have about half the 3rd half bucket revealed which is the period that my movie would release.

Genres had way too many negative buckets. It’s like no one wants to go see a movie.

Overall, the game is structurally sound, but needs some polish. More movies per year releasable, move half the techs off research and make they purchasable, and expand the genre forecasting at least 1-2 brackets.

I do have 1 final recommendation, You should be able to start off as an existing company with all the upgrades in Ultimate Difficulty. Start them in severe debt, like a normal movie company. Not only would having the freedom to try out different genre matches, but also you will have to make a significant profit or lose the game in very short order. This will develop player interest in the finer factors of movie profitability. Since players will not be able to relate to movie making in 2040, shortening the game in a challenge mode will defer player boredom after making their 1st successful company.

Thanks for reading and look forward to more from this game.

[angelosimba]

I agree. Lots of good suggestions.