Super TOP SECRET Update - PART 5
Welcome to Super TOP SECRET Update Part 5. This would have come a bit sooner, but I've been kinda sick. Too much junk food and football over the weekend I'm guessing.
I'm not going to talk about the game specifics so much today as I'm going to talk about how we're going to handle the launch of the game (so you can say you heard it here first). For starters, I'll offer up that the 1.0 version of the game is nearly complete (i.e., we're approaching release candidate stage). We actually had hoped to launch things here this week, but we decided to delay it just a bit so we could put some spit and polish into the UI and experience. We want to make sure its slick from the moment you start playing.
Due to the nature of the game as well as the nature of our architecture, we're going to have a rolling launch. Right now, it's just us and a few friends playing. We'll add a few more friends over the next several days, then ultimately we'll throw the game into an invitation-only launch later this month.
So you may ask... who's invited? Well, for starters we're going to invite all of our IconBuffet VIPs to play. We figure you've invested a lot into the success of IconBuffet, and we'd like to give you the first glimpse at the game. We also figure you'll be a helpful lot as we refine the game mechanics.
Then, if all goes well, a few weeks after the invite only launch we'll open the game to the general public. Hopefully at that point we'll have worked the kinks and bugs out and we'll have something fairly stable to work with.
Stay tuned here as I imagine Part 6 or 7 will contain the details of how to obtain your game invitation (if you're an IB VIP). There are still a few major details we've yet to divulge as well, but those are for a later time. Can't wait to show you more.
Posted by josh 
on Oct 16, 2007 in News | 69 comments
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louiemctool on Oct 16, 2007
lol. so get to pay to be a beta tester? awesome...
:P
dustybunny on Oct 16, 2007
very cool. Can't wait.
elnitido52 on Oct 16, 2007
Now you arrr... talking.
redpoint on Oct 16, 2007
Same here, I'll be glad to be one of the beta testers.
a2 on Oct 16, 2007
The perks of VIP, awesome!
tamashii on Oct 16, 2007
fan-freakin'-tastic
jameshilton on Oct 16, 2007
Sounding great, my imagination of what the game must be like is going crazy.
@josh might there have been a few beers after the football? :)
JBVisions on Oct 16, 2007
Not necessarily the food Josh. Both HRP and I have had the Winter Sickness Bug that's going round the UK. Sounds like similar symptoms. Ralph & Huey!
We must have sent it via the Internet. ;o)
Psy2k on Oct 16, 2007
Thats amazing! I cant wait for my invitation :)
davethegr8 on Oct 16, 2007
Woopie. I get to hang with the "general public". Why not send some love to the general IB community? Or members of the IB community that have had their IB birthday?
It seems a little like FireWheel only give out love if you send them money. Which makes me want to spend money on them and participate LESS.
Psy2k on Oct 16, 2007
@Josh: Would you like to give us a screenshot of the new game? :-)
Q1475
on Oct 16, 2007
So is this going to cost more money to play this new game? You may have answered this but is it a spin off of this site? I can't wait either for my invitation. It sounds like a lot of fun.
josh
on Oct 16, 2007
No, it will not cost moolah to play the game — and while it's totally independent of IB, I guess you could kinda call it a spinoff.
Ultimately I'm sure we'll look for ways to make money off the game (we'll have to), but the core game will be completely free for anyone to play.
rossanyl on Oct 16, 2007
i can not wait to see what it looks like!
danielsemper on Oct 16, 2007
Cool, consider me in ...
rajr19 on Oct 16, 2007
nice.
heinzelman on Oct 16, 2007
whoohoooo let's light this candle
bcarneiro on Oct 16, 2007
Nice!! So good to be a VIP!
JSun on Oct 16, 2007
I look forward to the invite :)
grrmoose
on Oct 16, 2007
yay! :)
VINZ on Oct 17, 2007
ok! now you got me! can't wait to be invited!!
(nice trick to get new VIP account, btw ;D )
austingirl on Oct 17, 2007
Looking forward to my invitation! :D
Steax on Oct 17, 2007
*crying*
I can't pay online via credit card... Makes me kinda lose interest with the new thing...
soprano on Oct 17, 2007
Weehee! A beta tester opportunity!
paulcoooknz on Oct 17, 2007
Sounds Excellent.
louiemctool on Oct 17, 2007
@steax: there is an option for paying via PayPal. ask josh. he'll give you da hook-up.
:)
MobiTec on Oct 17, 2007
Sounds Funky.. Monkey!! :o)
rossanyl on Oct 17, 2007
@Steax: everybody will be able to play, no need to go VIP, you'll just have to wait a little longer... look at it this way, at least the bugs will be fixed by then, no?
Hoshichan on Oct 17, 2007
[cry] I wish I were still a VIP. :(
cheiie on Oct 17, 2007
Sounds fun :)
Steax on Oct 17, 2007
Yeah, I guess... I guess thats right. Just makes me feel being put in the back seat, despite being an IB member and everything. But its fine, I suppose. =]
(Btw, since when did IB have any serious bugs?)
...
*being stampeded by everyone waiting in line for their stamps to come home*
minienvelope on Oct 17, 2007
I can't wait, it sounds like fun.
Denise on Oct 17, 2007
Anticipaaaaaation....
mik on Oct 17, 2007
Um, is this going to cut into my Desktop Tower Defense time?
(not-so-secretly keen on being in on RC)
beneton on Oct 18, 2007
Aww.. I'll have to wait until it's public.
*wants to be VIP but can't*
justG on Oct 18, 2007
It seems a little like FireWheel only give out love if you send them money.
I apologise in advance for my sarkiness, but...
Are you serious?
1. Have you noticed? Firewheel Design is a business. They're not a bunch of kiddies living at home with Mum 'n' Dad, with nary a care in the world. They've got families and responsibilities and other grown-up type things. They need to make money to survive.
2. Have you paid any money for the 130-ish icon sets that are in the collection of IconBuffet free deliveries? In fact, this entire endeavour, all of IconBuffet since its inception, has been Firewheel "giving out love" to the community without asking anything in return.
3. Some of us have been supporting the Chefs since the VIP program became available. For the most part, besides some awesome stickers and not counting the additional monthly tokens, there hasn't exactly been a whole lot that's just for us. Now that we're offered the opportunity to find bugs in a new product, to see it a few measly *weeks* earlier than everyone else, you're kvetching?
Puh-leez.
K, done ranting now. Off to wait for my invitation. =]
terremom
on Oct 18, 2007
I'm sooooooooooooo excited. Can't wait. Thanks to you Josh and all the chefs!
davethegr8 on Oct 18, 2007
justG - My complaint stems from this comment: We figure you've invested a lot into the success of IconBuffet...
So what exactly have the VIPs invested that I haven't? $6 a month. I'm not asking to be treated on the same level as those that have paid for slightly better service on IB; I understand that you are allowed some things that I am not privy to.
My point, which seems to have been ignored, is that there are many people in the IB community that have been here for a long time. We've invested in IB as well, by continuing to support it, and by telling our friends and growing the community.
Secondly, grouping potential members of the new app into two groups, ie "those that have sent us money", and "those that haven't" is overly simple. Why not have another set of invites, before the general public that includes IB members?
I'm not interested in getting into a flame war here; I'm voicing concerns. Instead, let's have a conversation about it, and I'd be especially interested in hearing what the Chefs have to saw.
davethegr8 on Oct 18, 2007
...have to say. Not saw.
That would be silly.
josh
on Oct 18, 2007
Quick response to the question of why we're letting the VIPs in on this first. It's simple:
When someone subscribes to VIP we told them that we're going to give them some other special things from time to time along the way in addition to extra tokens. An early invite to the new game is simply that — and nothing more.
We're certainly grateful for all the folks who invest their time in this community, VIP or not. You all mean a lot to us. And everyone is going to get in on the game soon enough. Thanks for all the excitement.
VINZ on Oct 18, 2007
exactly! i signed for my VIP as stickers were no more and the 10 tokens diamond set was distributed... no extra things until this time!
thanks for giving us the opportunity to taste this new-damn-cool game you've made for us (by us i mean ALL the IB community)!
Jen on Oct 18, 2007
We also figure you'll be a helpful lot as we refine the game mechanics.
The way I see it, VIPS are being the guinea pigs, I'd rather wait. :)
louiemctool on Oct 18, 2007
marco!
:)
Steax on Oct 18, 2007
Hmm, interesting point of view. Well worth considering. ;)
elnitido52 on Oct 19, 2007
Polo!
;0)
JBVisions on Oct 19, 2007
Mint! ;op
dyar on Oct 19, 2007
Maybe you use Tokens to play and can win Stamps.
opello on Oct 19, 2007
Mmmm, exciting!
louiemctool on Oct 19, 2007
ice cream!
:)
elnitido52 on Oct 19, 2007
Starfish...
;)
louiemctool on Oct 19, 2007
kinky, i say...
:p
FallenAngel on Oct 20, 2007
I'm trying to figure out what the Pirates' pet starfish have got to do with anything...
SmockLady on Oct 20, 2007
can't wait
scoreunder on Oct 20, 2007
damn online payment systems
katylava on Oct 20, 2007
I can't rationalize to myself why I just went VIP. Oh well, I can live with that.
elnitido52 on Oct 20, 2007
Wow! yar back...love ya!
tommk on Oct 21, 2007
oh man, i hope i can join in too
even though i'm not a Vip
stamba on Oct 21, 2007
I liked more the first IB. It was so much fun. You had to be online allmost every single day so you could get new sets. Now, I can tune in once a month and get everything i want/need for 10 tokens and thats it.
IB lost its charm with new version.
I remember when we had to come up with free email accounts where everyone had UN and Pass to login to that account and takes what he needs but leave the same sets in that mailbox, and there ware also free giveaways by sending an email to your self and leaving the code on the forum.
That was fun. I think nostalgy hit me!
I just hope it won't be repeated with this new game (version...)! Don't lose that charm again. Please!
Granf on Oct 21, 2007
*writes countdown script widget to a few weeks from now*
Wish i was a VIP but am broke. Someday....
VINZ on Oct 22, 2007
Probable credit card issues made me lost my VIP! i hope i won't be eliminated from the beta!!!
Psy2k on Oct 22, 2007
Waiting for update 6! Or the next update will be the new game release announcement?
deaf258
on Oct 22, 2007
Ohh, I'd like to try this game, too!
aaroncampbell on Oct 23, 2007
Dyar said:
Maybe you use Tokens to play and can win Stamps.
But I thought I'd point out
Josh said:
and while it's totally independent of IB, I guess you could kinda call it a spinoff
So unfortunately, it doesn't sound like an improvement to IB (as I've been waiting for), but rather something else entirely. I'm sorely disappointed.
rossanyl on Oct 25, 2007
Update 6 please :)
dyar on Oct 26, 2007
then ultimately we'll throw the game into an invitation-only launch later this month.
Tic Toc
kymom
on Oct 26, 2007
guess i'll have to learn to play games now?
sheesh!
;Þ
mrspoomp on Oct 30, 2007
any updates on this? i'm with dyar on this... tic toc tic toc tic toc...
aaroncampbell on Oct 30, 2007
I don't know what timezone they are in, but by my timezone, they have 38 hrs, 25 mins.
soprano on Oct 30, 2007
They're in Southlake, Texas. (CST -5)