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Overview

* Live as of September 01 2006.
* Purpose: Build a viable path to market for independently developed games
* Primarily by direct download
* Become the place for gamers to find "the best of the rest," the games they won't find at GameStop

Typical Deal Terms
60% of revenues to developer.
Developer retains all IP.
Non-exclusive--sell via other channels as you wish.

Types of Games We Carry

1. Existing niche audiences--wargames, adventures, 4X, etc.
2. Niche MMOs
3. Non-US games without US distribution
4. Quirky, innovative titles
5. "Serious games."
6. Not casual games.

Death to the Game Industry! Long Live Games

Today, the game industry insists on budgets so high and royalties so low that independent developers are trapped in a never-ending search for the next project, with little to no chance of ever recouping their advance or achieving economic stability.

Today, the narrowness of the retail channel is such that ever-spiraling budgets are mandatory, and the risks of development so high that virtually nothing but franchise titles, licenses, and "me too" imitations of last year's hit can possibly achieve funding.

Today, Myst, Civilization, and The Sims wouldn’t have been funded.

As the Scratchware Manifesto says, "An industry that was once the most innovative and exciting artistic field on the planet has become a morass of drudgery and imitation." We plan to change that.

It is Time for Revolution

Manifesto Games's mission is to create a world in which developers, and innovation, can prosper. Yes, we are dreamers, but we are also hard-headed business people, and we believe that today's technology and market realities make it possible.

A typical game store has 200 facings and a typical game has an on-sale window of 2 weeks. We sell online, and have neither inventory nor time limits.

A typical publisher actively avoids engaging with gamers. We provide a community-rich site, engage with them constantly, and enlist their enthusiasm to make them advocates for the games we offer.

A typical publisher passes on, after retail discounts and MDF, what amounts to ~10% of the consumer dollar. We pass on 60%.

A typical publisher wants a clone of some other game that already sells. We want innovation.

We all entered this industry because we love games. Join us, and help ensure that the future will provide games that remain worthy of our love.

What Sorts of Games Does Manifesto Want?

Games of existing styles that retain a following but now struggle at conventional retail: wargames, adventures, flight sims, 4X, turn-based fantasy, sim/tycoon, unusual sports games, as well as serious games

Games that are developed for other markets that are unlikely ever to see US distribution because of the economics of conventional publishers and the narrowness of the retail channel.

Games that are quirky, innovative, and offbeat.

Games for smart people.

Games that seek to inform as well as entertain.

We avoid only two things: casual games and back catalog from major publishers.

Why Partner with Manifesto?

Conventional publishers provide three things: development funding, marketing, and distribution. Broadband helps solve the distribution challenge; at lower budgets, funding is less of an issue; but marketing remains a challenge, and it's not a core competence of most developers. That's where Manifesto adds value: marketing is our focus, and where the bulk of our revenues will be spent. We will provide substantial incremental sales beyond what you can achieve on your own.

GAMERS OF THE WORLD UNITE!
YOU HAVE NOTHING TO LOSE BUT YOUR RETAIL CHAINS!

See if they want to sell your game.
http://www.manifestogames.com/dev_info

Of particular interest to FPSC users, check out this game, retailing for $20

http://www.manifestogames.com/node/1853

I downloaded the playable demo and was struck by the similarity in technical quality to what can be achieved in FPSC. In fact, I would suggest that the quality of some recent FPSC demos surpass this game.

Have a look and see what you think.

Cheers

- Graham

I'm going to have a look. I think your right aBout some of the games here, they could do really good there.
There are some kick butt games being made here.

was that game made with fps creator?

I've checked them out before, but they we're under development at that time. I really hope that what they claim is true, sounds good.

I've got a number of games under publishing contracts and I'm very unhappy with the publishers. They do everything to get you sign a contract, then they rush and pressure you to get everything done, otherwise you're missing this oppertunity and that window and this sale and so on.

Then once you've put lot's of effort into it to get everything as they want it to be and submitted it all, you don't hear back from them for ages, if you hear back from them at all.

Publishing a game can be very frustrating, but on the other hand it may make you some nice also, but often we indies are left standing out in the cold.

I've contacted them about publishing Commander Josh and DragonMania and I'm curious to see what will happen.

Good luck Benjamin, hope they can sell some of your games.

GPS, that game is made in dark basic, not fpsc.

Benjamin, the best way is really not to look for a publisher, the only worth publishers are those that release big hits, smaller publishers normally never work right.

Of course, big publishers aren't looking for small games, that won't give them any profit.

I suggest you call STEAM, i've seen there some strange games coming there now, and steam is really releasing them.

Blondie, do you have problems with english? (sry) But it was a bit hard for me to understand your post.

like for exemple: "Death to the Game Industry! Long Live Games" If you "stop" game industries how you're gona have games?

and "What Sorts of Games Does Manifesto Want? (...) Games for smart people." <- we'll only find games for smart people there? (a bit racist, unless it was a typo).


Anyway, when i get home i check out hte site.

I believe Blondie was showing you the text that is found on that particular website; not his own writing.

Besides the website, where and how else is Manifesto involved in marketing the "product" and how is the website marketed?

A simple web search (google) for "indie games" or "indy games" does not return the site. Even a search for "Manifesto" does not return the site. How long has the site been up and how is it being promoted.

The concept sounds great, well thought out and enticing. Is it just hype? Please let me know.

KeithC, thx i was really thinking that it wasn't really his writing (i've seen other posts from him and he has a nice writing).

No, according to the developer it was made using Visual Basic.



I know it wasn't made with FPSC, hence my remark about it's 'similarity in technical quality to what can be achieved in FPSC'. Also, see above.



Manifesto is a common English language word, when I entered it into Google I got 39 million results - and Manifesto Games was the 26th result. 26th out of 39,000,000. Not too shabby I would have thought

Try entering 'Manifesto Games', the actual name of the company.

Cheers

- Graham

Maybe you mean page 26. I did not find them in the first 40 or 50 returns. Anyway, Just for info:

I only entered "Manifesto" to see if they were doing any advertising. If you have to enter the name of the company, you don't need a search engine. Since the search for indy games does not show them without going through a large number of pages, I was wondering how else they were promoting these games.

Nope, not page 26 - I have Google set to return 50 results per page, and the Manifesto homepage turned up as the 26th result on page 1. In fairness, it's a lone result, with no others for several pages, so blink and you'll miss it, but it's there. Maybe this thread has caused a fluke jump in search hits for Manifesto Games and bumped them up temporarily

Fair point about their minuscule advertising budget and current low profile though, I learned about the site via Greg Costikyan's blog, which I got to via reading the Scratchware Manifesto on the abandonware site 'Home of the Underdogs'. Not exactly mainstream LOL

Still, it's early days for them.

Cheers

- Graham

I hope it works out, as it would indeed be a great tool for those who want to move their games. In time they should move up the list. We will just have to watch this one.

What I have read that he quit his job to get this working so I wish the best for him and the site.