So, this is a really loaded question. I’m not sure what is meant by a “reasonable” amount. An amount to make, an amount to buy, an amount to play… I mean asa programmer for the 2600 John Champeau makes about two a year on average, but they are great quality games. So that’s enough, because he has a great reputation because of his games. Now, to buy, that’s a totally different story. There are never enough for me, other than what my budget will allow me to buy. I do know that I pick and choose better quality homebrews to buy as a priority. But I also believe in supporting the homebrew community. I’m more inclined to buy ROMs if some games that I may not necessarily need a physical copy of. But that’s my two cents, lol…
I love supporting the homebrew scene and getting “new” games at the same time. But Brian made a good point about quality. I bought a handful of homebrew games that ended up being quantity instead of quality. These were for the 2600 which I understand has its limits. That being said I like to buy several games a month.
I've generally put out about 1 game per quarter for the TI99 over the last couple of years. If I was working full time on the games and charging for them, I would probably make it closer to 2-3 games per year to get a little more polish on a product people pay for.
Hi Brian. Could it also be that some homebrew programmers release 2-3 titles at a time instead over a period of time? I have seen this happen in a few instances.
Gameplay always comes first for "quality". If it doesn't have gameplay all the graphics and sound effects won't make it better. They enhance the game but it has to be fun. Some of my stuff didn't turn out as "fun" as I hoped for but I tried for a very original idea on some. The Binary Game I made for the 2600 almost nobody would figure it out looking back. It is playable and there are methods to winning but it's way to complicated for most. Digits for 2600 and NES turned out better for an original idea but most people would take one look at it and be like "I don't get it" unless they play it for a minute or two. Simple games people will usually jump on faster for concepts. (Platform game, shooter, driving...) I try some original ideas here and there but others that I try to port I try to make as close and authentic as possible.
