The Tome, The Java Game Tome is ONLINE!

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#101

I’m a bit late for the French translation, sorry.

Please kingaschi, don’t take it as an offense but I think that too much games on the current version of the Java Game Tome require a manual installation. In the previous version of the JGT, there were 105 games that were only applets or Java Webstart applications (then no need of complicated installation), some authors pretend their games work under Linux whereas it is wrong. Some games are given up by the developers (no more maintenance). Your aim is not to harm Java’s reputation. I know that you have wanted to do something different from what I had in my mind but it is possible to have less strict rules (compared to mine) and reliable Java games, isn’t it? Keep it up.

#102

[quote]as for translations: yes, that would be nice, but i guess having more high quality content (per game, not more games), would pay out faster, i think.
[/quote]
++1

JGT is a very good works and idea but as mentionned earlier and as other I would prefer a higher quality content : game more polished and easy to run

#103

Whoa…there is text everywhere and it is extremely crowded, when you open up the page your eyes go like this :persecutioncomplex:, It really is a great idea but the layout should be much more clear and simple, like most game sites are, this is kind of going with the myth of java games being too complex to run etc etc (imo), just because of how complex the site is.

#104

I agree with having higher quality games. Now, I don’t see many people here interested to promote their games? I know there are some definite high quality games demoed in the forums, but there doesn’t seem any interest to submit them to the Java Game Tome?

I figure the higher quality games will replace the lower quality games in the long run (due to higher rating). Also, the player feedback will help improve the quality of games. And then games that are not maintained will move to the end of the list anyway. I am just wondering if I should continue working on the Tome if interest from Java developers is that low? I sometimes feel I am wasting my time?

#105

More interest from developers will come with more interest from players, i.e. more visitors. Judging from the traffic that i’m getting from the Tome compared to that from other sites, it doesn’t really seem to have much visitors. May i ask how much? Maybe you should implement some simple SEO strategies like replacing the id=xyz URLs by something that includes the game’s or category’s full name. Also switch the words in the title and move the games’ name to the front. It’s more important than “java game tome”, so it should come first.

#106

It’s actually not too bad:

Average Page Loads / Day: ~600
Average Returning Users / Day: ~35
Avarage New Users / Day: ~200

#107

[quote]I am just wondering if I should continue working on the Tome if interest from Java developers is that low? I sometimes feel I am wasting my time?
[/quote]
damn !! of course you MUST continue, this is a very good project and believe me in about two years you will be very happy to have maintened it.

[quote]More interest from developers will come with more interest from players, i.e. more visitors. Judging from the traffic that i’m getting from the Tome compared to that from other sites, it doesn’t really seem to have much visitors. May i ask how much? Maybe you should implement some simple SEO strategies like replacing the id=xyz URLs by something that includes the game’s or category’s full name. Also switch the words in the title and move the games’ name to the front. It’s more important than “java game tome”, so it should come first.
[/quote]
+1

also one very good addition (in the futur) would be to embed game in a more user friendly way when possible (going to an outside website is sometime boring especially when the website is boring too), but you have all the time to do that.

#108

Even though I disagree with some choices you did, I encourage you to keep it up. Even in Japan, some people speak about the Tome, it is amazing! I had decided to suggest you to keep the domain name in order to help you to go on working on the Tome, not to give up. Some developers make games for … developers, it is strange but they are not interested in players feedback. I understand your position but please, don’t give up. I’m sorry, I have less and less time to promote the JGT but I assume you’re able to do it.

#109

are you tracking java versions too?
here some resources if you consider doing this:
http://forums.java.net/jive/thread.jspa?threadID=53140&tstart=0
http://www.java-gaming.org/index.php/topic,19394.0.html

#110

I would like to submit my game :smiley: but still spending alot of time refining. I think with the number of people on this forum, It would be hard to get constant submissions and quality games. But worth it in the end.

#111

I don’t want to make you feel bad, but I think this needs to be put into perspective:

IIRC Javagamesfactory.org - while it existed - had around 250 returning visitors per day, around 3,000 uniques per month.

Now, JGF had a lot more functionality, but I had no idea what I was doing on the site design (I was making up the feature-list as I went along, just adding whatever stuff I felt like), so it had a pretty random assortment of “good” bits and “bad” bits.

Furthermore … to put that into perspective … I currently get around 300 repeats per day and about 5,000 uniques per month to my personal blog (which is a truly niche site!). Which makes the JGF figure look sad and pathetic :).

#112

Also, I just had a quick look at the level of interest in the world for java games programming:

Practically zero (have a look at the search volume on google)

Looking at this forum, there are perhaps 20% of the number of interesting games being showcased here as there were about 4 years ago. I would love for someone to persuade me otherwise, but I think you’ll find that nearly everyone who was capable and interested and skilled at games development who WAS using Java is now using Flash.

Or has started iPhone development…

No?

#113

What is your aim? Would you like to scare away the people still interested in Java? Your behavior is pathetic, we don’t need more defeatists here, enough is enough. If you’re no more interested in Java, if you prefer Flash, why are you here?

#114

Sorry, I am not tracking Java versions. I put it onto the to do list…

[quote]Which makes the JGF figure look sad and pathetic
[/quote]
Sounds like you are starting to troll the thread? Anyhow, I guess congratulations! I will definitely go check your blog.

#115

kingaschi, lots of people watch your site. In France, some technological watch units know the JGT. Google shows a lot of results when I enter “java game tome” ;D

#116

I’m sorry - the two posts were supposed to be taken together, I wasn’t paying attention and didnt think about how the second one would look on its own. I didn’t intend it to sound like it does.

My point: I’d like to know whether the level of java game development has actually dropped, or if there’s some other explanation. I’d also like to know if the lack of people searching for java games dev indicates no interest in it - or if it just indicates that people dont care what language they use, and do searches for just “game development” instead?

#117

I didn’t give the link, it’s not in my SIG, I don’t generally push people to it. It’s a very niche interest, and people who are interested in that stuff will find it pretty easily.

My point in mentioning it was merely to provide a reference point for a low-traffic site. I would expect even a tiny casual games site should be doing 10 times as much traffic as the personal blog of some random muppet like me :). So … why isn’t it? What’s missing?

I’m mentioning it here because I’d like to know what YOU think, as the person running the site?

#118

Well its because people love to study things such as different species, especially one such as yourself. But its probably because of advertising and things like that. You cant expect everything to blow up right away.

But does anyone else think the layout should change for the JGT?

#119

I have no idea whatsoever whether game development interest in java dropped or not. What I do know though, is that java has had some years to develop now. With time, sources of information stabilize, they become known and “defacto”. So I am not surprised if google would show lower number of searches for “java game development”. I’d guess the newer platforms and languages ( xna, iphone, etc. ) get more searches; they’re newer and less stabile after all.

Since c/c++ is still the main language for for writing huge blockbuster games, I guess lots of people still want to learn it, and the searches will be high. For Flash, it’s the other way around. It’s the main language for writing simple web games. “The programming language for the non-programmer” so to speak.

In this case, when it comes to the search results, I just think Java’s falling between two chairs. It’s not really the typical first choice for a game programming language if it’s your first programming language (And it’s these people who still need to use google to find their resources).

However, loads of colleges and universities base their programming classes on java, so the interest is definitely there.

#120

For the sake of the end user, I dont think it matters advertising that the games are made in Java (bodly in the title). Just that all games need an “extra” installation to run. I dont think its even a good idea to highlight the fact that its the “Java” game tome.

“Powered by Java” is enough (IMO) similar to the way java is presented on mobile phones.

I think it seems alot less intimidating and rather cool. Im powered by “Red Bull & Sour Straps”!