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F2P Kim Kardashian mobile game making $200M in a year

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by movra, Jul 17, 2014.

  1. Gigiwoo

    Gigiwoo

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    I'm getting hungry. Maybe I'll skip out early, and make a cake - yellow batter, baked till golden brown, and layered just-right with vanilla frosting! The smell is worth the wait as I cut it into small pieces, put an extra dabble of frosting on the side. NOM NOM NOM ... with left overs ;).

    I had the noble goal of sharing stories that improve lives and reduce divorce, and my customers wanted to be entertained. Whether Make it Rain or Kardashians, it's on me to learn how to blend what I want with what my customers want. Improve With Games. Try, improve, repeat. In four weeks, I'll try again. And ... I'm happy to share my cake, if you want a slice.

    Gigi
     
    Last edited: Jul 22, 2014
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  2. BrainMelter

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    I'm curious what effect KK is having on divorce rates right now ...
     
  3. AndrewGrayGames

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    Well, clubbing baby seals at least where I live is a serious criminal offense, and would likely result in prison time. You're right, I would be in the news for 15 minutes. Then, no more professional life, to put things mildly. Also bending over for soap would become somewhat more dangerous. But, I digress.

    I disagree with you, because you're drawing a false conclusion in your argument, "If you want to get the same kind of publicity as [Kim Kardashian/Insert Socialite Here], you have to do what they do." The first part of what's wrong with this statement, is that while some famous persons like Kim Kardashian have done some extremely questionable things (most of which you've already said), other extremely famous people such as Paris Hilton or George Clooney have not. There are people who succeed based on the strength of their work. Ethical bankruptcy does not equate to professional success, though, again, EA constantly flies in the face of this, I admit.

    Additionally, as alluded to, breaking the law does not equate to success either. Martha Stewart and her insider-trading sentence is great proof of that; she started with a sizable empire, was found guilty, did three years in the slammer, and while she's back on TV and succeeding again, she can't own a business of her own again by court order.

    TL;DR, the reason I think you're wrong is you're making a blanket assumption that success is tied to a lack of A) morals or B) willingness to abide the law. There are numerous living, breathing examples that this is simply not true. Instead of expressing dislike through poorly constructed arguments, a better alternative behavior would be to learn what they do that works, but reject what you cannot abide.
     
  4. Deleted User

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    I have no issue with the KK game, it might actually be quite fun although it's not for me. A lot of us find Pokemon great and where in our 30's :D.

    As for this rince and repeat, sure it's great whilst you're still learning. But at some point some people might y'know want to create a PC or Console game to be released like an Action game / RPG. If everyone in the world made 4 week rince and repeat shovelware then the games world would suck, badly!. it's like eating cabbage every day for the rest of your life, variety is the spice and all that.

    I'm not sure if this whole dev cycle mantra you have has made you a multi-millionaire, but it doesn't matter. Without the Fallouts / Arkhams / Bioshocks / Super Marios / Sonics / Command and Conquers/ Mass effects (Bar the ending) / Elder Scrolls etc. the interactive medium we know of today wouldn't be the same, neither would we have something to aspire to.
     
  5. sphericPrawn

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    I guess this is kind of like how an already well established artist can guarantee to sell a painting for hundreds of thousands of dollars so long as their name is attached to it. Or how an incumbent politician is far more likely to win an election than a newcomer (at least in the US). An already established name will do better than an unknown name almost every time.
    Marketing is one of the biggest keys to the mobile market and a name like that is already guaranteed to get downloads especially since their target demographic likely uses phones more than any other gaming device.

    Having said that, it's still kind of hard not to feel a little resentment when I think about the fact that Kim Kardashian, someone who's already insanely wealthy and successful in their career(?), has made more money from the mobile gaming market in the past month than most of the developers on this forum probably ever will in their lifetime.
     
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  6. S3dition

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    You realized you just pivoted your position right? You originally stated that you watch Kardashian and Hilton to see what they do to remain popular, and now you are saying you want to emulate people who don't live on poor morals, like George Clooney. Why not just emulate George Clooney and not even bother with Kardashian then?

    Also, saying Paris Hilton has not run on bankrupt morals makes your argument very questionable. Not sure surrounding yourself with friends that throw parties for "anyone but fat and ugly people" makes you a sterling example of modern civilization. But maybe I'm just old fashioned that way.

    And for the record, Marth Steward is more wealthy now than she was before the insider trading. In fact, a scandal can elevate celebrities and bring them back into the spotlight better than anything else. There is no such thing as bad publicity - just too much bad publicity. Mel Gibson should have stopped after the first incident, as an example.

    But there are scores of stars that have blown up, gone to rehab, and return to even more successful careers than they had previously.
     
  7. Gigiwoo

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    Try; Fail; Improve? ;)
    Gigi
     
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  8. Gigiwoo

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    Interpretation of "week" and "story", is a take-home exercise.

    Gigi
     
    Last edited: Jul 23, 2014
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  9. Deleted User

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    @Gigiwoo

    In you're interpretation maybe, it reads to me rinse and repeat until you break the barrier and it'll be hard work. Well if you've worked in this industry for any amount of time, whilst the message is solid it's very obvious as well.

    Even if it doesn't become obvious for a long while. Fact of the matter is, with bigger games and more components you'll have a better underlying knowledge of what you're creating. I say everyone should at least try to make something in nothing but OpenGL, they will fail and fail horribly. But the knowledge they gain will be forever invaluable.! Small rinse and repeat is a limiting notion.

    Also a massive part of this whole process is will power, you have to love what you're doing when you hit the rough spots.

    P.S that's VERY selective reading you have going on there.
     
  10. Gigiwoo

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    I couldn't think of a word that means, "Opposite of well-read". Ironically, Google helped me find "Uninformed." As a geek who's excited by book recommendations, I look forward to your suggestions.

    Gigi
     
  11. Teremo

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    After reading a few comments about the Kardashians, Clooney, and Hilton, I've come to the conclusion we need more indie developers like Phil Fish and his relationship with the gaming media.


    Edit: I respect Fish and his work with Fez. Just throwing that out before any one tries to ban me 4 lyfe by speaking bad about Phil Fish.

    I'm just a dirty peasant.
     
    Last edited: Jul 24, 2014
  12. movra

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  13. movra

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    Last edited: Jul 24, 2014
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  14. Kryger

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    Girls can be little crazy sometimes.
     
  15. Deleted User

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    Well in light of that, I recon I'll sell my game to myself and buy a gift copy for my dog and call it a day.
     
  16. movra

    movra

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    "So why is the image of Kim Kardashian as a hollow, undeserving socialite so difficult for her to shake? It’s not that Kardashian doesn’t work; it’s that her work is not recognized as legitimate within a sexist world that sees feminine culture and lifestyle as frivolous pursuits undeserving of any serious attention."

    "It’s this same principle that allows male video game reviewers to take killing seriously but to dismiss feminine activities like shopping and socializing as vapid."


    http://www.dailydot.com/opinion/hating-kim-kardashian-makes-her-stronger/

    Ironically,

    http://www.dailydot.com/lol/drunk-kim-kardashian-hollywood-review/
     
  17. Dabeh

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    Please no more I can't take it anymoreeeee
     
  18. zDemonhunter99

    zDemonhunter99

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    Just kill me already and be done with it!
     
  19. Meltdown

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    The thing is, she didn't 'achieve' anything of worth from scratch. She was born around famous people with lots of money, and had capitalised on that by making a reality show about her family.

    So this has nothing to do with sexism, the bottom line is she is raking in huge amounts of money for a game that has capitalised on a brand that is a bit of an anomaly to be honest, I'd say this is akin in many ways to Flappy Bird. Although with all due respect to the Flappy Bird creator, he did have solid game design under his belt.
     
  20. BrainMelter

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    Flappy Bird and KK's game may not be as anomalous as you'd first think.

    What do both these games have in common?

    Hint: you have to think about this one a bit ;)
     
  21. tswalk

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    those tweets... :rolleyes:

    regardless, they have a brand around a personal image and life style... I may or may not like it and either view has no relevance. I'm surprised it took this long for them to make a game around it for that target demographic.

    I guess we will see how long the growth is sustainable for.. "that" IMO is the real question.


    and if it does become sustainable, or clears a huge profit in 12 months... ^this^ would be a quick and easy way to make a buck.
     
  22. zombiegorilla

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    Typical male-centric assessment. You are blatantly disregarding her most important work, and thereby dismissing the effort and value and skill involved. Tell me... just how many dudes have you banged on video and released it to the public in an effort to further your career? Probably none. Sure, she may be an attention whore, but at least she is fully committed to it.



    ;)
     
  23. zombiegorilla

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    Actually, these games have been around for quite a while. In fact our company gained our financial success from one of these, and it was a solid earner for nearly 6 years. The market is there. Pairing it with a
    celebrity like her is a money printing machine.
     
  24. tswalk

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    I understand.. I meant that I was surprised that "they" (e.g.: Kardashians) took so long ;)
     
  25. RJ-MacReady

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    Every day I claim that the world as we know it is changing, everything is becoming more socially oriented, more casual and that new groups are being targeted by games like women and old folks. I say that core gaming is a niche, mass appeal occurs not by accident but by design, and the legacy of what we know as "gaming" has already been relegated to a position of irrelevancy.

    The Age of the Samurai has ended. Punk is dead. Rock is a relic. Metallica and Iron Maiden aren't cool, anymore.

    Time to evolve, or time to die.
     
  26. zombiegorilla

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    Fair point. Given the sheer numbers of players on games like Candy Crush, you are right, it is a little surprising it took this long.

    What will be interesting is to see what kind of lasting impact this has. Will it become the norm that for a game to have any level of success that it will have to be tied to a brand or celebrity? If that happens it could really make things rough on small studios and indies.
     
  27. tswalk

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    No doubt, I totally agree.

    I unfortunately think this will be the case.. at least in the short term. (no real time frame though in my mind). Think about products and marketing now, and it makes a logical parallel.

    However, it could change and broaden though and I hope the emergence of the "gaming" professional could make for some interesting changes in our landscape. I'm a bit old for this industry it seems @46, I guess... , but the generation of my sons and the one proceeding it could be huge.
     
  28. Demigiant

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    Who knows, it could also make things easier. There's a lot of players that are kind of disgusted by games tied to celebrities, and having celebrity-marked games will help them see through the bullshit immediately and go for something else.
     
  29. Murgilod

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    Remember that time Kim Kadashian released a sex tape?

    Wait, you mean she didn't?

    You mean the tape was released without her consent at all and there was actually a multimillion dollar lawsuit involving the parties who distributed the tape?

    You mean that she wasn't actually famous at all before this happened aside from a few appearances in gossip magazines?

    You mean that after this, she actually had to deal with the fact she was famous for reasons completely out of her control?

    You mean that she used this fame to start fashion and lifestyle product lines?

    You mean a bunch of whiny little boys on a gamedev forum don't know anything about any of the women they criticise?
     
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  30. S3dition

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    Hey, we found one her fans! Defend her to the death my friend. Sucks so much for her, the tape came out right when she was going to be irrelevant and boosted her flagging "record me doing anything" career that's oh, so difficult.
     
  31. Murgilod

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    There is nothing more terrifying to y'all then a woman who's famous and successful, huh.
     
  32. S3dition

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    You know what's missing from this thread? All the other successful women in this world that actually worked hard to get where they're going. Oddly enough, I actually volunteer at a tribal college to give free IT certification courses to the community - including women. Many of which are now A+ and Net+ certified and quite successful now.

    You might want to check yourself and your assumptions about people you don't know. It does speak volumes about your character that you support marrying someone for a month to boost your publicity then divorce them when they're out of town. Successful woman indeed.

    On the other end are women like Lindsay Stirling, who are rather inspirational. Despite being told she couldn't, she built her own music brand and is doing extremely well for herself. I encourage you to contrast the two before trying to lecture me on fearing successful women. I think it's you who have a fear of accepting that hard work leads to success.

    Of course, I have nothing to prove to you, and couldn't care less what you believe.
     
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  33. Murgilod

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    So your definition of success seems to begin and end at STEM fields?

    WARNING: IRONY LEVELS RISING

    WARNING: IRONY LEVELS CRITICAL

    Thanks, S3Edition! I'll be sure to use your ideas of what counts as successful from now on and make sure to point at anyone who falls outside of that and claim that they're doing it for attention rather than any legitimate means! After all, people only get divorced after a short period of time for attention, right? And only rich people do this sort of thing, right?



    Considering you immediately latched on to my post so fast, I really doubt that.
     
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  34. S3dition

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    Troll thread is trollish and failing at the same time. Because I counter your ridiculous claim that I'm afraid of successful women, it somehow means I only accept STEM degrees? Despite using Lindsay Sterling, a musician, as an example? Read my thread again for comprehension. Then again just to be sure you got it all. Obviously I was referring to my direct experience helping women, specifically minority women, achieve success. Something that obviously terrifies you. We can't have that, can we? Tell me, what do you do, other than pick fights on forums, to actually help? Or do you just jump into random threads and say all the men are terrified of women?

    Who is S3edition? Again, comprehension problems?

    I guess I can try to speak your language - "All people who do drive through weddings are successful! Like Kim Kardashian!"

    You know, I never thought I would actually meet someone who worships a person who sells their body for success, then claims anyone who doesn't like it is "afraid of successful women". Then lashes out like a child when someone points out successful women who don't do that. It's sad, really.

    It's true, I'm just stringing you along :D. This means nothing to me, but it's fun to watch you rage over nothing.

    PS - look up the definition of irony. I do not think it means what you think it means. Namely, I didn't make accusations like you did about character (no irony there) and people don't get married and divorced in vegas to make millions of dollars in publicity. So, again, you fail the irony check there as well. Though people do indeed marry the wrong person and get a divorce shortly after, it's not televised and they don't make millions from it. It certainly isn't on the cover of People magazine.
     
    Last edited: Jul 28, 2014
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  35. Dabeh

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    This is a professionals forum, take your gender ranting elsewhere.


    No one really cares about her gender here, just that the person got famous from doing a sex tape; could have been a guy for all we care. You're literally the only person in this thread that cares about her gender, that makes you the sexist one.
     
  36. Murgilod

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    But yeah, nobody here but me cares about gender, right?
     
  37. Dabeh

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    Let's see...Kryger is making a joke...because everyone in that picture is a female complaining wildly about the game being down. Same is pretty much with LaneFox, that's pretty justified considering the majority of people playing this are teen girls.

    ZombieGorilla would have said the same thing if it was a hot guy having sex with females who got famous from it(..that gives me an idea;)).


    I get it, you don't like sexism, but you have to stop categorizing anything that mentions a female as sexism if you view the comment as negative.
     
    Last edited: Jul 28, 2014
  38. S3dition

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    Are you saying that all women are perfectly sane all the time? His statement was valid. Unless you are going to prove to me here and now that girls can't be a little crazy sometimes. Interestingly enough, in a psychoanalytical statement, the only thing you see is the gender. Point in fact, substitute girls with boys, and you'd be agreeing with him. Thus, your entire fixation is purely on gender, and not the actual content of the post.

    Yes, they made abstract references to the reasons why people were reacting to the game the way they did. Not one of them says she shouldn't have the money, is not entitled to it, that she is not successful, or that we are afraid of her being so.

    What people voiced concern over is how she gained the money and fame. I find it difficult to believe, in this age of extreme sensitivity to corporate responsibility and political correctness, that you would champion a woman who's only claim to fame is objectifying women and manipulating men. If anything, you should abhor the message she is sending to young women - that pursuit of knowledge and hard work is a waste of time and you just need to use your body to get what you want. Isn't that the anti-thesis of the "Tropes vs Women" movement? How do you respect her when she doesn't respect anyone else?

    There are thousands of famous and successful women, many with games, that are not being attacked in this thread. Why? Simple, we respect them and their work. Despite what the kool-aid is telling you, men do not hate or fear successful women out of hand. What we do, as a society, is discourage behavior that undermines success and prosperity. Every society does that, from the smallest tribe in Africa to the largest city in China. A cornerstone of civilization is the ability to remain constructive.

    Now tell me, how does Kim Kardashian, outside a pittance of donations, help anyone else? Can you even begin to compare her to Grace Hopper (the inventor of COBOL and grandmother of computer languages)? Lise Meitner, who helped discover nuclear fission? Do you know who Madison Root is? Her family couldn't afford her braces, so she took to selling Mistletoe in Oregon - where she was told unless she was begging should would have to leave. You should look up her story - but she now has several employees working under her. THAT earns my respect. And it underlines why you are actively supporting the decay of civilization. You are here defending a woman that is, for all intents and purposes, a highly talented beggar who is now supported by a misguided society that thinks it's okay to allow begging but not commerce. Why don't you try championing women who measure their success with how hard they work and how much the better the world? It doesn't matter if it's nuclear fission or selling Mistletoe, it's actively promoting a positive society.
     
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  39. zombiegorilla

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    Pro Tip of the Day: Using the Ignore feature makes these forums 20% more pleasant with zero loss of valuable content.

    Heh, I have no idea what is going on, I just see you and Dabeh going at it with presumably one of the trolls/ignorant kids/whiners that I must have ignored for being a waste of space. It does appear from Debeh's post that it was related to my comment, which was clearly a joke. Sex has nothing to do with anything. I simply have no respect or place any value on celebrity for the sake of celebrity. Making a career out of nothing more than finding more creative ways of saying "Look at me!!!!!", is more of sign of mental health issue than anything else. Credit to their bushiness skills and ability to capitalize on it, but usually cults of personality end badly and provide little real value to society.
     
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  40. BrainMelter

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    And yet it has something to do with everything. If it weren't for this dumb little activity, none of us would be here.

    Go down to the grocery store and look at the women's magazines at the checkout counter. What do you see on the cover of almost every one? You see an attractive lady, and an article showing "15 different ways to do it".

    And they repeat this over and over again. And IT WORKS. Why? Hard to say. Maybe it's Parkinson's law of triviality combined with hormones.
     
  41. TylerPerry

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    Very harsh.
     
  42. Dabeh

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    Sorry Tyler, I don't think he's going to see what you just said:p

    Question though..how's it harsh? I'm going to take his pro tip of the day and ignore a particular person right now in fact.
     
  43. AndrewGrayGames

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    I didn't know the new forums had an ignore function, thanks for pointing it out. Also worth noting: it works well, I ignored a big troll.
     
  44. BrainMelter

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    Looking at the likes, I'd guess you are ignoring different people. Conclusion: the notion of trolling is subjective.
     
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  45. zombiegorilla

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    Of course you are correct. Poor wording on part, I meant to say that sex (or more specifically gender) had nothing to do with my comment.
     
  46. zombiegorilla

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    Indeed. Personally, I don't consider having a differing opinion or even when someone may get heated on occasion to be trolling. For it is mostly the one trick ponies, the ones who have nothing to contribute of value and/or do nothing but complain.
     
  47. Dabeh

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    Not sure who he thinks is trolling, I'm not seeing anyone trolling here...people that may be a little extreme, yeah..but that's not trolling.

    Calling troll is just a great way to dismiss peoples arguments, dontchathink :rolleyes:?


    edit: I think this will be my last post in this thread...just like the old thread, I don't like where it's heading/headed.
     
  48. BrainMelter

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    Yeah, I'd agree. The word gets used too much, and there really isn't a good definition for it.
     
  49. zombiegorilla

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    Dunno if this was meant for me, but I don't see anyone trolling here either.
     
  50. Jase-NZ

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    Agreed, this game is a simple click game with 2D RPG elements. The user interface is well done, simple yet effective. To top it off with marketing genius, they're basically advertising their own products in the game.
    A lot of thought has gone into this game whether topic or not.
     
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