So I was considering entering some of the contests that TGC has. But when I looked at the rules I wasn't sure about this one thing.
Do you have to make a complete game using TGC (what I'm getting at is do you have to pay money to get into the contest).
If you need to pay for a Graphic Designer or an Illustrator (Artist) ... well those will inevitably COST you something.
But as for "The Game Crafter" (TGC) Contests... there is no "entrance fee". TGC does it to promote the TGC brand. It's good for TGC (more games being produced on their platform) and it's good for designers (more visibility in the community with finished games that could be sell-able).
So really the only restriction is, can you pump out a game following the rules of that contest... and if so, can you also do the illustration and rendering of the game too???
And also because I think you fail to understand TGC's policy on GAMES... You can DESIGN as many games as you desired on TGC's platform... It's FREE. You can even publish your game for SALE too... That too is FREE. TGC is FREE to use and SELL with... How they make money is by A> Manufacturing the game B> One-off sales have a 30% royalty that goes to TGC.
So say it cost $10 to make, TGC makes $10. And you retail the game at $16, TGC makes 30% so an additional $1.80. You would make $16 - $10 - $1.80 = $4.20...
TGC is pretty fair with their pricing... They're going out of their way to be more competitive as a One-Off Manufacturer and offer a really user-friendly platform which is FREE to us and do pricing with, etc.
The answer to your question is: No TGC doesn't charge for the use of their platform... They only make money when you do too...
I know that IF you want to SELL a game on TGC, you must order AT MINIMUM 1 copy of your game. And then you need to wait a little while before the game gets published (to be visible with all the other games).
The best thing is to go to TGC and ask in the Chat. There are very knowledgeable people on the Chat ... some are moderators too.
I would address the specifics of the contests.
And if you do, please come back and respond to tell us what the answer is... I personally have never entered TGC contests... That's not usually the way I like to design. So it doesn't work for me.
But I can definitely see the appeal and interest it draws in for TGC!
And I quote: "Yes, You just have to have all the fields filled out in the game edit page and have the shop images and such uploaded. Basically in the state you would have it before you hit the publish button."
But you do NOT have to actually purchase a copy of the game as required by the PUBLISHING of a game.
So everything needs to be there to make the game READY for publishing but not the actual publishing which requires you to buy ONE (1) PROOF copy of the game...
The idea behind the publishing proof is to make sure you have verified that your game is correct with all of the parts as it would be for any other person who wants to buy your game.
Cheers!
Just visited The Game Crafter because of your post and now I am honestly sort of hooked! :)
I just created a profile and I'm chatting right now, what a cool site! I want to buy so many blank tokens to help with my game designing now!
They have come a long way in refining what they have to offer. Their focus is on QUALITY over too much customization. You may find services out there that do MORE "customization" like game mats and player boards according to your own specifications, but TGC's quality is very impressive.
There is so much that they offer ... And you can really get involved with making a game through their platform. "TradeWorlds" (formerly "Tradewars") was initially made as prototypes on TGC and then we went ahead and invested into Art and made a buy-able product directly on TGC...
Of course we had to move on and see if we could get Published to get the game into more gamers hands. So we no longer offer the "Early Access" version that used to be on SALE on TGC.
We had a TGC Crowd Sale and made about $800, we sold 32 copies of the game. A modest amount, but we've been growing our own fan base too.
So yeah TGC is AWESOME! Hope you find everything you need to make a super game with them (or at least make a few prototypes that are more than just paper and card sleeves!) ;)
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I guess I came off on the wrong foot with my question. I don't mean to slander or accuse TGC of anything because they are amazing with what they do and how they do it. What I meant was, do you have to have made a game AND paid for it, to enter the contest?