GameMaker Blog

Game Maker 8 released?

Officially this is due to be released in 2009 however if the delays experienced when creating the Mac version are anything to go by we will probably be looking at 2011.  Work has clearly not begun on the ‘Maker’ part (see below).

“The first priority has been to get the runner into C++. The dev work for this is feature complete and we are in early testing. Separately we will start work on the Maker part later this year, though we haven’t as yet decided if this will be done in C++ or some other platform. (We could for example keep it in Delphi or maybe use C#).”

- Sandy Duncan’s response to my question published in Game Maker Tech’s 14th issue

  Read more…

I refuse to call this an ‘Audcast’ but thankfully this once-in-a-blue-moon GameMaker discussion has re-branded itself GMCast after taking the name from a rival to GameMaker TV which never materialised.

Listen as Robin Monks, Dan Eggers and myself make fools of ourselves while talking about topics such as the best GameMaker games of 2008, the security issues effecting GameMaker and YoYo Games’ instant play and a summary of the events last year.

Cringe at the cheesy opening and at my reluctance to speak as I find that recording a podcast with people I’ve never met is much harder than writing a blog or magazine article.  Disagree with our thought-up-in-10-minutes round-up of the best games of the year and complain that the entirety of my pre-record is taken from previous GameMaker Blog posts.

But above all tell us what we can do to improve.  What kind of features would you like to see on the show?

Construct is a free open-source DirectX game creator with a drag-and-drop interface.  

Read more…

Zerosoft have launched a retro-style game contest with $225 in cash prizes.

We are looking for old school graphics and game play. The prizes have been raised but with that our expectations have been raised as well. We will judge this competition strictly so follow our guide. We want to see pixellated graphics, action, and superb game play. The competition begins today and it will end on February 28th. This is approximately two months time. You will be judged on graphics, sound, originality, the story and implementation of it, and gameplay. If you feel you can’t follow the guidelines below, or you might be angered if you do not place in the top three places, or if you in the end can’t meet the deadline … do not enter this competition. Competition is exactly that … there are rules, there can only be a few winners, and there is a predetermined time.

- Zerosoft’s Jess Horton

This is the largest prize fund for a non-YoYoGames GameMaker-specific contest for a long time.

Voting in the four remaining categories of Game Maker Blog’s Community Awards has ended, with a total of over 250 votes being made.  The results have been checked and the final figures are posted below.

The voting in “Best source of Game Maker tutorials and/or examples“ surprised me as this was the award that had received the most votes, despite one major player being the Official GameMaker Community which was not campaigning.

In the end it was a pretty comfortable victory for the GMC, 12 votes clear of runner-up MarkUp which was well ahead of both other websites.

 Loading ...

It has come to our attention that all real blogs should make a new year post. So here it is, with a fancy photo of fireworks, too!

So we at GameMaker Blog wish you a happy new year. Or something.

(This post was scheduled to be published at New Year server time, like last year.)

A new GameMaker magazine website has been launched.  GM Station takes the form of a single webpage.

Included:

• Copy of Sandy Duncan’s introduction to the Save our Planet competition (which ends in four days).
• Screenshot of the Mubbly Tower page on the YoYo Games website.
• Reviews:  ”This here is a really good pinball game. The sounds are great, the music is great, the graphics are average, and the game play quite enjoyable” [sic]
• 3 interviews with identical questions.
• Apparently a pro copy of Game Maker and $10 are up for grabs as prizes for sending a static ‘Lucky code’ to the magazines owner.

• Voting has closed in GameMaker Blog’s very own community awards for the year 2008.  The votes will be verified and the final results published tomorrow (January 1st).
• WillHostForFood is currently blacklisted by Google, resulting in nice warning messages everytime I try to view a page on the GMC which contains something hosted at WHFF in a contributors signature…
• There are less than five days until entries close in YoYo Games’ Save the World competition.