Game Development Community

Ineractive DVD games?

by Jason Correia · in General Discussion · 04/06/2006 (8:23 am) · 4 replies

Hey guys,


from those of you who glanced or posted in my previous forum thread (indie going Mobile?) this is another question that has beentroubling me as well what about interactive DVD games. As an aspiring entrepreneur I always look into different ventures that one can start especially in the Video game industry. So is this also possible for indies to do , is it to expensive (development, and software wise or is it nonsense just talking about it. I'm just very curious about the different business/revenue models that exist in the video game, and media industry which in my OPINION go together.


Thanks for reading
-Jason
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Associate David Montgomery-Blake
David MontgomeryBlake
#1
04/06/2006 (9:06 am)
There are extreme limits in DVD technology which will limit your market. You could target the extremely small (and mostly defunct) NUON market or you could move to the next movers and shakers who may end up on the vast minority of DVD hardware. Now that standards are in place, manufacturers are a bit hesitant to move into the new. Especially with the $30 Walmart DVD player market. With the tech price-drop for the common consumer, sometimes you have the choice of buying the newest DVD player...or the newest DVD.

There are a huge number of limitations in creating interactive content for DVD's. One of the major ones is that the common technology is extremely limited in terms of trace memory. Pick up something like Finding Nemo and play the DVD game. This is a good example of the limits of trace memory as it is based on simple menu variables. Things like inventories and events (if even in terms of a simple variable) can be sketchy or wiped completely depending on how the implementation treats menu memory and video streams. Some DVD players would be happy to know that you have "the key" to open the door, but most only care that you have now clicked a new entity on the screen.

Linear and simple branching narratives are, however possible. But the interactivity of Night Trap (Sega CD) is an exception to the standardized rule of DVD technology.

Torque 3D Owner Hokuto
#2
04/06/2006 (1:18 pm)
DVD games had a growth, some call it a boom in the past year or so.
One company in particular has a huge share of the market and some new business has been entering the scene in the past 6 months and grabbing some more license.

Overall feeling is that no one is really sure about the immediate future of DVD games. Some think it may pick up and some think it may pick up then flop, analysts are not sure if DVD will survive as a media for games.
Right now a few companies are generating good revenues, no idea how well an indie developer could do.

Torque Owner Joe Rossi
Indri Games
#3
04/06/2006 (1:19 pm)
Being a big Dragon's Lair fan :) I looked into this once... Very difficult, and probably not going to sell great.

Jason Correia
#4
04/06/2006 (4:17 pm)
Thanks for the response guys I appreciate it:)