GUI Announcement (market research)

[trileletri]

Hello everyone,

I'm writing this to get information from you. It's about GUI system I'm planning to make.
I will have complete windows controls (windows, text boxes, drop downs etc), everything you need to put into a solid 2d/3d game.

I'm willing to sell it as a DLL/Class and i will be easily incorporated into TV3D project by simply referencing it. It will rely on TV3D engine so it will not work without it.

Are you interested in this kind of add-on? Will you consider buying it for 10$?

I need feedback. Thank you.

[Hypnotron]

No.  I'm not interested in this kind of add-on.  No I will not consider buying it for 10$.

You say that it will rely on TV3D engine and will not work without it.  Have you not searched this forum and seen all the GUI libraries created by TV3D users already?  Some free, some not... none of them making a profit if you expense the time spent coding.

If you don't like the existing GUI libraries and need to write your own because your own game/sim/project requires certain features not found in others, fine... but try not to get sucked into adding features you don't need in the hopes of selling it on the side as a stand alone library as well.  It's a huge waste of time and effort.

[Lenn]

Yea. GUI-s don't sell. People like making their own. At least until they realise how complex it gets once beyond the basic features. Then they quit. Trust me.

[micmanos]

Trust Lenn ....

[Raul]

well but how about this: https://www.scaleform.com/

??

[Lenn]

Talking about TV3D-only GUIs, and $10. Scaleform is $300 as far as I know. I'm just saying that the TV3D community isn't large enough to make niche-products like that profitable. Scaleform on the other hand can be used with a DirectX SDK, and has a much larger audience. I would even recommend it to anyone needing a GUI. It's probably not too hard to integrate into a TV project.

[micmanos]

Providing middleware / tools for specific communities is a waste for both sides. You will not want to dedicate too much time because the price is low and the community doesn't need anything that takes more time to learn than it takes a project specific GUI to be made.

Also consider that people are a bit reluctant to use feature bloated stuff, made by other people, that do things who knows how. Most people wouldn't have the time and mental strength to deal with such a tool, even if it was given to them for free.

If you seek to make a profit out of making tools you can use TV but you'll have better chances nailing a client outside the community.

PS: If you're doing it out of obligation for a great product or just for the community. Don't bother. It helps better to have a game rather a tool to show. Plus the satisfaction is greater ...

[trileletri]

Ok thank you all for such answers.
Is there any particullar problem about programming in community?

I refer to TV 3D game programming, not direct x.

[micmanos]

Of course not. No problem at all but it's not encouraged either. The strength of the community comes not from the tools that TV has not to offer but from the stuff that its members do when they're either experimenting with some cool features and tricks or when they put their skill into making interactive applications like games and other cool 3D or 2D stuff.

PS: Although many of us are acting kinda freezing cold to announcements of new game projects, the comments when someone does something nice are more than heartening 

[Raul]

Talking about TV3D-only GUIs, and $10. Scaleform is $300 as far as I know. I'm just saying that the TV3D community isn't large enough to make niche-products like that profitable. Scaleform on the other hand can be used with a DirectX SDK, and has a much larger audience. I would even recommend it to anyone needing a GUI. It's probably not too hard to integrate into a TV project.

Yeah when I read: "GUI-s don't sell. People like making their own. " I thought you talk in general not in our case. ScaleForm I think is one of the best GUI sdk.. so if you can make it similar yes I think we will pay 10$ for it )

[aeon]

Scaleform is popular only because large development houses don't have to write their own GUI, but can utilize Adobe Flash instead.  There are countless designers capable in Flash at a development studio's disposal as opposed to DirectX GUI programmers (who not only cost more per hour, but take longer to get a finished product).  So Scaleform GFX is a win for medium-large budgets.