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[TaeZ]

Hey everyone, I am planning to make a commercial game, I have few ideas, one of them is platforming game and another is vector space shooter. But now I am wondering if there is a market for space shooters. Do people still play games like that these days?

[Kramlack]

I think at the end of the day it's about how well you execute the idea rather than the market for it. I love space shooters when they're done well, see Pyroblossom and Pixel Purge. I could play both of those for hours.

[Breadcultist]

Do you play them? Actually, which games do you mean?

Do you mean games like Space War and Asteroids (first thing I think of when I read 'vector space shooter')? Or shoot 'em ups? Or 'arena' shooters like Geometry Wars (vectors here too), Robotron, Everyday Shooter?

Shmups are a hardcore niche. But there is a more casual side too; they're common enough on Flash portals. Because they're simple to make. You'll have plenty of competition on both sides...

Arena shooters were common in the console downloadable area a while back.

Everyone learning programming right now is making an Asteroids clone.

Which type of commercialness are you aiming for? (Selling an executable to play offline, ad-supported browser game, or... well those two seem most suitable)

[Fallsburg]

Or do you mean 3d space shooter a la

?

There is definitely a market for all of these types of shooters, but as Breadcultist said, shmups are a pretty hardcore market.  If you want to break into it, you are going to have to be very careful and deliberate in your design, as the fans of the genre will eviscerate you if you don't.

[Amirai]

Sadly, I've heard from many developers that on PC they don't sell, tho XBL or something else with a standard game controller is a different story, as soldner x was apparently profitable enough to warrant making a sequel. I have heard that they're popular on PC in Japan though (hearsay, I don't know for sure), so there might be a market for them there.

[mirosurabu]

I can speak for flash market, which works a bit differently than downloadable market, and say that arena shooters are relatively popular there. Though, I haven't seen many flash shmups, if any.

[krasimir]

Pixel Purge is fun, unfortunately I'm too old for this game