Feedback Wanted
by Rick Overman · in General Discussion · 01/16/2001 (3:40 pm) · 12 replies
First, I just wanted to thank the people who have posted game resources to the GarageGames database. We are quickly building one of the best game research search engines on the web. Thanks to these people you can quit wasting your time scouring the net for information and search GarageGames for the best, most pertinent, peer reviewed information to help you make games. You guys are the best!
Question: How do we get more of you to post your favorite game links to our database? I would guess that everyone has at least one book or link that they think would be helpful to a friend making a game. Adding this information to GarageGames is easy (Click Here). Your feedback is very important to us, help us make this system better by posting your thoughts here. Here are a few questions to get you going...
Thanks,
--Rick
Did you know you could submit resources? (books, links, articles, etc)
Is the submission page easy to find?
Is it too hard to fill out the form?
Is the form confusing?
Are we missing something?
Have you used the Search engine?
What would make searching easier?
Question: How do we get more of you to post your favorite game links to our database? I would guess that everyone has at least one book or link that they think would be helpful to a friend making a game. Adding this information to GarageGames is easy (Click Here). Your feedback is very important to us, help us make this system better by posting your thoughts here. Here are a few questions to get you going...
Thanks,
--Rick
Did you know you could submit resources? (books, links, articles, etc)
Is the submission page easy to find?
Is it too hard to fill out the form?
Is the form confusing?
Are we missing something?
Have you used the Search engine?
What would make searching easier?
#2
I know I have seen it while looking for something else, but I forgot where it is.
>Are we missing something?
Your design looks ok, but I find less than intuitive. It is good for someone that has seen everything 100 times, but not for me. I find the things I am looking for, but I have to click a lot on random links to find it in the end. My brain does not automatically see the connection between the tabs, the button bar and the windows on the left. Only when I look at it and really think about it, it makes perfect sense. I would have made some changes to the way things are divided up with different colors.
There are some other small problems, like the window on the top left that says "Forums" it looks like it lists the forums "Home" and "Search". If it said "Forum" without the "s" it would make more sense to me.
>Have you used the Search engine?
I did not even know there was one, if I knew I would probably have used it.
-
01/19/2001 (8:48 pm)
> Is the submission page easy to find?I know I have seen it while looking for something else, but I forgot where it is.
>Are we missing something?
Your design looks ok, but I find less than intuitive. It is good for someone that has seen everything 100 times, but not for me. I find the things I am looking for, but I have to click a lot on random links to find it in the end. My brain does not automatically see the connection between the tabs, the button bar and the windows on the left. Only when I look at it and really think about it, it makes perfect sense. I would have made some changes to the way things are divided up with different colors.
There are some other small problems, like the window on the top left that says "Forums" it looks like it lists the forums "Home" and "Search". If it said "Forum" without the "s" it would make more sense to me.
>Have you used the Search engine?
I did not even know there was one, if I knew I would probably have used it.
-
#3
To make the page menu pop out, we could make it look different than the other menus/badges, possible change the color scheme so that only the page menu matches the blue tabs. The others could be green, or some other color.
We're open to suggestions...
01/24/2001 (12:34 pm)
Your right, the page menu now looks like any of the other side items when it really is a section menu, closely tied to the tabs.To make the page menu pop out, we could make it look different than the other menus/badges, possible change the color scheme so that only the page menu matches the blue tabs. The others could be green, or some other color.
We're open to suggestions...
#4
I can post some books i buyed in german and think over peoplescan do it too in their own
native ...
Add a second link for multiple languages don't let me miss the english books ,from the first .
You can receive the information from the browsers to add automatically a second selling Book link for every language.
02/17/2001 (1:45 am)
I noticed our Book selling link but i missed a link for books in my language.I can post some books i buyed in german and think over peoplescan do it too in their own
native ...
Add a second link for multiple languages don't let me miss the english books ,from the first .
You can receive the information from the browsers to add automatically a second selling Book link for every language.
#6
Test
Do the job and i can begin to post some resources , not only Book references ( Web tutorial and other references ,too)
, k ?
02/25/2001 (2:30 am)
Here is a little bit code from a German Documentation:Do the job and i can begin to post some resources , not only Book references ( Web tutorial and other references ,too)
, k ?
#7
--Rick
02/25/2001 (7:51 am)
Thanks! I am in the middle of a huge site update so it might be later next week. But it should not hold you up from posting resources, books, etc. The Amazon links are build exclusively from the ISBN number and not a URL. --Rick
#8
But the problem is that : Amazon.com isn't Amazon.de
For example i wanted to buy the Book "Developing 3D Games with Linux " via Amazon.de but the Book
isn't in the Database ......... hm ...............i was thinking about a little Button on this side called " English Bookstore"
and i tryed to get it there, no isn't in this Database too.
I went to Amazon.com and tryed it and Bingo being here but the next problem is .com isn't .de and so i have to pay as an
Over-Sea Customer ( Adding Shipping costs and waiting between 2 and 12 weeks).
That was to much for me and so i buyed the book in a local Bookstore (no extra shipping costs and waiting
only 1 and a half week)
02/25/2001 (12:43 pm)
That is right Amazon is using the ISBN Numbers .................But the problem is that : Amazon.com isn't Amazon.de
For example i wanted to buy the Book "Developing 3D Games with Linux " via Amazon.de but the Book
isn't in the Database ......... hm ...............i was thinking about a little Button on this side called " English Bookstore"
and i tryed to get it there, no isn't in this Database too.
I went to Amazon.com and tryed it and Bingo being here but the next problem is .com isn't .de and so i have to pay as an
Over-Sea Customer ( Adding Shipping costs and waiting between 2 and 12 weeks).
That was to much for me and so i buyed the book in a local Bookstore (no extra shipping costs and waiting
only 1 and a half week)
#9
I would like to be able to edit my help wanted ads. Unless there is some kind of weird legal reason not to...
03/03/2001 (9:13 am)
Rick - I would like to be able to edit my help wanted ads. Unless there is some kind of weird legal reason not to...
#10
edit icon next to the title. If not net me know.
03/03/2001 (4:25 pm)
If you view the ad there should be an edit icon next to the title. If not net me know.
#11
03/03/2001 (6:34 pm)
aaaaaaahhhh. ok. Please disregard the saying that the user is always right, that button is good.
#12
"Did you know you could submit resources? (books, links, articles, etc) "
Yes, although I wasn't immediately aware that I could when accessing the page for the first time, I did find, after a short bit of exploring, that resource submission was one of the core principles upon which the site is built. (i.e., teamwork.) So, to answer the question succinctly yes, but to newcomers, it's not something you'll see right away.
"Is the submission page easy to find?"
Fairly, although I would recommend having a 'tab' at the top that says 'submit resources' as again, resource submission is such an integral part of GG's premise. There is a tab that says resources yes, but having one that says 'submit resources' (even off to the side and colored a bit differently), would serve not only for simpler navigation, but also alert newcomers upon first entry that they can submit resources.
"Is it too hard to fill out the form?"
Not at all. At least, I don't think so. Very easy process to submit resources.
"Is the form confusing?"
Not at all. Very self-explanatory actually.
"Are we missing something?"
If memory serves, the average time a new visitor stays at a website (unless attracted to the site) while surfing is eight seconds, or something ridiculously small like that. If they aren't 'turned on' by what they see, intrigued, or otherwise enthralled, they move on.
Now, GG is not like the average website in that it caters to a very specific target audience and market (the independent game and multimedia developer.) Thus, if someone comes here, most likely they 'want' to be here and didn't just stumble across it by accident.
And while GG is one of the few (if not the only) developer resource site on the web for games, that won't always be true, so it's imperative GG hold onto every newcomer to the site possible.
You already have the tabs in place like "MAKE GAMES", "PUBLISH GAMES" etc.. which will entice the new developer (or aspiring developer) to read onward, so you've got this part licked. I think making those tabs / links a bit more prominent to the visitors may be beneficial, as ALL aspiring developers love the word "Publish". Personally I think you hit the tab right on the head, you just need to emphasize your key features a bit more on at least the main page. The rest of the site is easy to use, navigate, and find your way around, so you're not missing anything there either.
Are you missing anything in relation to the form (which is probably what your question was so I apologize for my painfully dry discertation), all I can see is what I mentioned earlier. Having the 'submit resources' links more prominently displayed on the pages is all I can see as suggesting improvement in this area.
"Have you used the Search engine? "
I fear I have not :(
"What would make searching easier?"
The search engine makes it about as easy as it can get. If there's an easier way I'd like to see one :)
03/06/2001 (3:13 am)
Rick, for what it's worth, here's some more input for the GG team from a newer member of your site. (Less than a week.)"Did you know you could submit resources? (books, links, articles, etc) "
Yes, although I wasn't immediately aware that I could when accessing the page for the first time, I did find, after a short bit of exploring, that resource submission was one of the core principles upon which the site is built. (i.e., teamwork.) So, to answer the question succinctly yes, but to newcomers, it's not something you'll see right away.
"Is the submission page easy to find?"
Fairly, although I would recommend having a 'tab' at the top that says 'submit resources' as again, resource submission is such an integral part of GG's premise. There is a tab that says resources yes, but having one that says 'submit resources' (even off to the side and colored a bit differently), would serve not only for simpler navigation, but also alert newcomers upon first entry that they can submit resources.
"Is it too hard to fill out the form?"
Not at all. At least, I don't think so. Very easy process to submit resources.
"Is the form confusing?"
Not at all. Very self-explanatory actually.
"Are we missing something?"
If memory serves, the average time a new visitor stays at a website (unless attracted to the site) while surfing is eight seconds, or something ridiculously small like that. If they aren't 'turned on' by what they see, intrigued, or otherwise enthralled, they move on.
Now, GG is not like the average website in that it caters to a very specific target audience and market (the independent game and multimedia developer.) Thus, if someone comes here, most likely they 'want' to be here and didn't just stumble across it by accident.
And while GG is one of the few (if not the only) developer resource site on the web for games, that won't always be true, so it's imperative GG hold onto every newcomer to the site possible.
You already have the tabs in place like "MAKE GAMES", "PUBLISH GAMES" etc.. which will entice the new developer (or aspiring developer) to read onward, so you've got this part licked. I think making those tabs / links a bit more prominent to the visitors may be beneficial, as ALL aspiring developers love the word "Publish". Personally I think you hit the tab right on the head, you just need to emphasize your key features a bit more on at least the main page. The rest of the site is easy to use, navigate, and find your way around, so you're not missing anything there either.
Are you missing anything in relation to the form (which is probably what your question was so I apologize for my painfully dry discertation), all I can see is what I mentioned earlier. Having the 'submit resources' links more prominently displayed on the pages is all I can see as suggesting improvement in this area.
"Have you used the Search engine? "
I fear I have not :(
"What would make searching easier?"
The search engine makes it about as easy as it can get. If there's an easier way I'd like to see one :)
Jackson
First and foremost gamers are prostitutes. Lord knows I am. You don't even have to give away anything important, it could be a book or a copy of some game. Internal marketing items work well.
I personally have a K.A.A. hunter hunted/cyber gladiators tee shirt I could donate...it has a gravy stain on it but that would come out with some tide n' elbo grease.
cannibalismos