That screenshot was put as a download link. Links aren’t checked yet. So you can in fact put an image as the download link.
I’m not really sure yet how I’m going to tackle this. Considering a lot of Blender users upload to file sharing websites.
Best solution would be to host the files by myself but I can’t afford that right now.
As for possible merges with other websites or collaborating with another developer.
If I can get in touch with Andrew from http://blender-games.com then maybe we can arrange something.
I’m not sure if it’s a good idea though.
From what I’ve seen most of the sites are pretty different from each other.
Perhaps team up with one of the existing projects?
There are several promotional and BGE supporting sites already in existence and under development.
By joining those projects, sharing solutions and resources, both projects are more likely to be able to keep their head above the water and more successful in realizing the intended targets?
@AniCator:
Is a function to change the profile planed in?
[I got this idea, because i entered a wrong “Name” :D]
=> Offcourse the link: I think it’s better to let it free for the users to enter their own links, maybe to a downloadsection on their own website.
But what is if there is a illegal site behind the button? or a virus-download? I think this could be problematic.
Is it possible to make a litte preview for the website behind the link? (i don’t know if php can handle this)
Changing password and profile details is on my list. It’d be rather silly not to have those.
As for the downloads. There will at least be a reporting/flagging feature so people can flag games that either contain really offensive content or for example have bad or broken download links.
Reporting them won’t result in the game being removed directly but the moderators will be notified.
I don’t think hosting it Yourself solve anything. People can still upload illegal stuff. Both ‘pure’ piracy and unknowingly misuse of textures found on the web etc. You just deeper in the mess if You host it Your self.
File sharing sites should be OK if the link is to legal content. If I was distributing to the masses I would use bittorrent and the link would go to Pirate Bay (and an alternative magnet link).
You need some form of moderation ether way - and moderating links is probably easier.
There is a chance I’ll add an option to show work-in-progress projects but when someone initially visits the website it defaults to finished games.
Work-in-progress games can easily be found on these forums. It’s difficult to find the good finished games though.
EDIT: WIP games are no problem for now. Feel free to add them. It will only help me test the site’s features.
Do both, the site will direct you to finished games, but if the user wants, he can click into a button labelled ‘WIP’. The user then can interact with the developers of WIP games among other things. But the site should have a minimum quality standard, even for WIP games I think, or at least it should put the more developed games in one section and the other uh…at the other section, or(3 or hehe) you can simply put the best WIP games at the top(I do not like much this last option).
There are some games which use visitors feedback to deliver a better product at the game ‘Gold’ stage, other games actually let the game players to direct its development. But the WIP section would only be secondary, the site focus would be finished games. Also showing the game in progress only into a subsection of a forum, as you said regarding Finished games, isn’t the better way if you want to show your game and get feedback from more people.
But…this is a subject which need discussion I think.
I can always add in support for it later on. And maybe like add a progression bar. People then enter a percentage and it will show up on the game’s profile.
Of course I will still add a comment feature that allows feedback in the comment section of the profile.
What about selling? Lets say someone made a game and wanted to sell it for $20, how would that work out and how much would be cut out as a fee for using your website?
Financial administration is a B!t*][ especially international finance…
But it will help to survive,… almost everything needs some form of finance to survive the sands of time.
You would be definitely within your rights to at least consider earning some money.
At first do not charge anything, when the site is more consolidated then you can charge if the game sell anything; the profits will go part to maintain the site, part to blender.org and part to yourself.
Haha but na, that theme is better than the other. Always a fan of the darker themed sites.
Look forward to seeing bGame grow!
Would be a great place to host entries for this 2012 BGE challange coming up too notices the place-holder contest page
writes down suggestions
I haven’t updated bGame for about a week or two because I had to finish up some school work and I took a short break.
I’ll see if I can get some features implemented this and next week.
