Once upon a time...

OK, you've just bought this really cool game. It has stunning graphics, amazing sound and frantic gameplay. It's really fun to play, and you feel like you could go on for hours.

Then you finish it.

Erm... now what? Is that it? You're now feeling slightly miffed. Is there any other options? None. A level editor or different difficulty settings? Nope. Any new characters to unlock, secret levels, hidden items you missed? Not one. You put the game back in its box and never touch it again.

Well, that situation might've been a little extreme, but I'm trying to prove a point. If you want people to like your game and possibly buy it, lastability is the key - stunning graphics, amazing sound and frantic gameplay are all optional extras.

Examples

Take the game Zone Runner by Circy, which was recently uploaded. This was meant to be an arcadey game, and it turned out well. It has 25 tricky levels, and addictive gameplay. After you've finished it, there's, um, nothing. From the descriptions there's no incentive to carry on playing. Sure, 25 levels will take some time to complete, but after you've done that you wouldn't really play it again.

But what if the game had a level editor? You could spend some time making your own levels and sending them to your friends. A tile editor would provide yet more lastability, as you don't have to endure the same sort of levels over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over again. Some sort of multiplayer with different modes of play would provide hours of entertainment, and the ability to play online from people from the other side of the world will keep you going for days.

Look at Zone Runner now. Look at the description of the game I just wrote. Do you think that the latter is worth selling? People will pay money for games like that.

What's wrong with arcade games?

There's nothing wrong with arcade games. Check out the V-Cade at www.vitalizeme.com - this has about 100 or so good arcade games, often addictive, with online high scores and competitions. But will people buy these games? (Yeah, I know the V-cade games are meant to be arcadey but I'm trying to make a point still) There's no point in making a racing game with amazing graphics and sound and putting it for sale if there's only one car and track and a basic high score table. It's fun for the family for - oooh, 5 or so minutes.

Morals of the story

This is an article, so I'm not sure why I wrote story. Um.

Yeah. If you're trying to make an arcade game like Zone Runner, then do that. But if you're trying to make a full-blown game, try to have enough options, levels, characters, cars, editors, hidden stuff, high score tables, multiplayer options, etc. to keep the player occupied for a couple of months at least. Tigerworks's forthcoming game Terminal Orbit promises multiplayer options, level editors, lots of campaigns and upgrade packs. It is being sold, but it's a worthy game to be sold, as the player can go on for ages.

And I'm not saying these are essential either - just with these your game will have a fair chance of becoming one of the all-time greats.