First, we want to thank EVERYONE who has contacted us, provided invaluable feedback, and posed great questions to our comments, forums, Facebook as well as through direct email. We are so excited by your passion and enthusiasm for the Axis Game Factory, we wanted to provide you with a brief update letting you know what we are working up - and what additional information we plan to provide for you this week!
As you have probably noticed on our Pledge Tiers, we have added two (2) new options that came about through popular demand. Basically, we have bundled EVERYTHING into one package for fans that want to have access to everything, but don't necessarily have a group of friends to share the additional seats with.
The Product Inspection Manager bundles all of the expansion paks, provides Alpha and Beta access as well as an Axis Game Factory T-Shirt... and the Senior Product Inspection Manager includes everything in addition to ALL THREE Starter-Pak themes. We hope this gives fans the access they are looking for so they can really mix and match all of the great features we are providing.
GREAT QUESTIONS... MORE DETAILS ON "HOW" IT ALL WORKS!
We have been receiving a lot of fantastic questions regarding the Axis Game Factory and we want to use our first update to more clearly define what Axis Game Factory is and more importantly, what it is not. And please remember, what you are currently seeing is a prototype! Just think of how robust it will be in 9 months when we launch the product!
The Axis Game Factory is:
• A powerful yet simple tool for those who love to create, design, build, play and explore games
• A teaching tool for those who want to learn design basics
• A great way to collaborate and create a community through sharing levels and games
• A great way for Machinimators to create carefully crafted Machinima cinematics, movies, series and stories
• A community for gamers and Machinimators to collaborate their work and earn recognition, status and earn reward credit in the Axis Game Factory
The Axis Game Factory is not:
• It is not a full professional game engine like Unity or Unreal
• It is not a way to create games for sale
• While it is very powerful and will give players access to many types and styles of gameplay, at launch, it will not able to create every type of game (like MMO’s and turn-based)… that is a “stretch goal”
The Axis Game Factory will exist as a Free-To-Play product with basic design functions and building blocks. People are pledging for assets and extended features. Let’s break down what comes in the Free-to-Play version and what is unlocked in Deluxe by purchasing assets for Axis Game Factory.
Axis Game Factory: Free-To-Play
• Basic grey blocks to create environments with
• One generic character to control in “Play” mode
• Ability to save objects in “Build” mode
• Ability to save scenes in “Design” mode
• Two camera options for “Play” mode
• Generic lighting
• Ability to Undo and Redo actions on your saved Objects and Scenes
• Ability to “Scene-Link” up to three levels
Axis Game Factory: Deluxe
• Multiple cameras for “Play” mode
• Ability to save your own camera types
• Depth of field and atmospheric options
• More lighting options
• Unlimited “Scene linking” – creating transition points from one built scene to another (with your levels as well as with shared levels)
• Machinima input and playback features – great for Machinima or scripted events in game
• Edit your playable character
• Editing NPCs – textures, dialog, movement/animation, voice over options, etc.
• Editing Enemies – textures, stats, loot drop, movement/animation, voice over options, etc.
• Editing Quests/Objectives – Create quest or objective flows for your game
• HUD Overlays for different game types
• Deluxe Mode comes with a “Starter Pak” theme of your choice (at launch it will include Fantasy, Sci-Fi and Military) – these paks include expansive main characters, NPC’s, enemy, terrain, plants, vegetation, props, building material, vehicles, weapons, lights, cameras, sky boxes, atmospheric effects, sound, VO and ambient music – all in the theme of your choosing
Here are some new Frequently Asked Questions we would like to address in this update to help clarify the product.
Q: I have pledged X amount and will receive X Asset Pak(s) according to my donation level, will I have to pay for more assets later? What will they cost, if anything?
A: At launch, we will be releasing a substantial amount of assets for you to build the most diverse games possible from Day 1 in the paks that you have secured. Those who pledge get a large amount of assets for the donation price! After that, we plan to support the Axis Game Factory with more tools, themed paks, assets and features on a regular basis.
We plan to provide regular software updates to continue to improve upon the Axis Game Factory, and that will come automatically with the Deluxe feature mode. Additional assets and features will be made available for purchase OR acquired through in-game credit you have earned.
Q: How do I purchase/acquire more asset paks and features to expand my Axis Game Factory warehouse?
A: There are two ways in which people can bring in more features/assets to their warehouse – the first is to purchase them directly from the store. Items will be priced appropriately and will cost as little as $1.00 and could be as much as $25.00 – depending on what it all entails…
The second way to access new assets and features is through earned AGF credits… There are three ways you will earn credits in the Axis Game Factory: 1) Through time spent playing and creating in the Axis Game Factory – at the factory – you clock in on your time card and you earn AGF credits for doing so… the more time you spend, the more you earn. 2) When you post your creations to the Axis Game Factory, your peers get to help build your status… the more other players “like” what you’ve made, the more credit you earn. 3) By the amount of direct shares of your creations… this applies to games as well as any Machinimation created and shared on the Axis Game Factory You Tube site as well.
Q: Can I sell what I make with Axis Game Factory?
A: Currently, the “Deluxe” mode is not set-up for a retail model whereby players can monetize on their games except through the earned credit they receive to go toward the purchase of additional assets. The playable levels are made to work within the Axis Game Factory software only and cannot be distributed through other platforms. – We are looking at creating a “Pro” version – but that will not be made available until after we launch the Deluxe mode and have time to develop a proper model that will benefit our community accordingly.
Q: If I create a game or Machinima video, who owns it? Are there licensing issues with using the art and assets provided by Axis Game Factory?
A: Everything you create through Axis Game Factory is yours. We will not come after you with scary lawyers demanding a cut of your internet fame and fortune ;) We will provide you with the proper language stating that you have the legal rights to use the assets in the Axis Game Factory. We will reserve the right to use clips of your work for promotional use only.
Q: If I build a house - can I go inside that house?
A: The Axis Game Factory is an open toolset that allows you to build anything - homes, buildings, cars, military vehicles... you do this in "Build" mode. In "Design" mode, you bring your assets in - or assets that are already complete and you begin to build your game level. You can go inside your house, furnish it, or bust it up - it's up to you. The user interface is very easy to use - you don't have to be a game designer or programmer to figure it out. All of the assets and most of the characters are scaled to work in a realistic way so that you can enter and exit buildings easily. You could also use Scene Linking to have an exterior of a house or building and create a whole scene that is the interior!
Our next update will include a DEMO - so keep your eyes open for that in the next day or two...
We will also provide more videos/tutorials on building a game, creating objects in "build mode", the Machinima camera features, gameplay types using the various camera modes, how "Scene-Link" works, and a whole lot more!
Thanks again for all of the enthusiasm and fantastic support. We can't do this without you - so PLEASE, get on the ball, share this with your friends, family, schools, peers, neighbors, cousins, second-cousins... you get the picture, we need your help make this happen!
