I'm very much a newbie to board game design and self publishing. By day, I develop Internet business applications. Rather than the visual/graphical side of websites, I am a programmer implementing functional and data related features. One client developed and self published a game, contacting me approximately 3 years ago after reading an article about another client project in their local newspaper. I assisted by developing an online version of the game in exchange for 10% of the profits for 2 years. Although the game had an interesting concept, playability was nominal and sales were minimal. Negative feedback far exceeded the rarity of a compliment. Witnessing my client's mistakes prompted my interest in exploring methods that do work.
One closet is packed with games of various types. I host a game night about once a month, more frequently during the wintery months. Everyone votes on which game and majority wins. Board games and party games are my foremost interest. Just over a year ago, I began to analyze what people liked most about each game and questioned why. Starting with a list of specifications derived from informal research, I created a game that combined the most desirable traits. Some of you will likely think of this as a cold approach to design. Love of the game is important to me as well. I merely needed to gain a better understanding of the overall objectives to become inspired. Everything else happened rather quickly afterwards.
My game website: http://www.marblesthegame.com/
My business website: http://www.3doves.com/
I look forward to conversing with everyone and very interested in feedback, including critical and negative comments. You will find that I tend to be optimistic but also realistic.
Wayne
