   [MMO] Elives Online (Social Anime Rpg)
Main ProjectElives Online (Social 3D Anime Massive Multiplayer Online Game, for both casual and hard core players where players will grow not only by completing quests and killing monsters, they will take their path and grow levels in other ways, so if you are not the grinder type, you have different role to play and will contribute to the world, totally based on players economy. Character, Monsters and gameplay will be enhanced through level ups, from cute at the beginning to more serious once you level up, and few players will reach special god levels with special abilities, instead of normal citizens.)Side Projects- Elives Animation (Anime Opening Promo - Following typical opening of shoujo anime, we will be making a semi-animated anime opening with full theme song as promotional demo for sponsor/investors and additional video for fans/players)- Elives FanKit (Promotional material that will be used by users for their fansites, it will include selected design, icons and other elements to spread fan sites and improve popularity)- Elives Framework (Elives Online Development Framework, modular and well-structured Unity based framework, easy to add new featurs, update and apply bug fixes, will be the core of the game logic and possibly source of revenue as additional component package for Unity, free lite for non commercial and paid for commercial, this will be discussed with developers)- Elives Soundtrack (Elives main theme song and soundtracks used in the game)FounderElives Interactive is starting as an ambitious low budget side project of a creative professional in his early 30s with a penchant for anime online role playing games, extremely keen to combine his vision and knowledge acquired through years of professional career and personal studies in one single objective, the creation and development of a social anime massive roleplaying game as an ultimate and endless virtual life experience for players over the world interested in a persistent fantasy anime world strictly connected to real life dynamics.His professional experience in brand identity, print and web design including understanding of project management will help him to achieve an effective control over resources and talents involved, and ensure a professional visual identity and game visual quality. In addition, vocational interests and personal experience in computer technologies, web languages, singing and music production, sound design, photography, japanese animation and music, as well as being previously an hard core gamer with some studies in game development and related topics will give him a boosting foundation to operate and possibly grow through this challenging low starting budget project as founder, art and content director together with his team.PhilosophyElives Interactive is currently looking for talented individuals to create an international indie game development team. Our ambitious goal is to develop a market competitive anime-based massively multi-player online role-playing game, starting with a low budget development process with compensation in a shared profit basis and potentially expanding with eventual investments as an independent uk-based company with paid freelance and full time employees.At Elives Interactive, we are passionate about creating captivating worlds that will amaze players with a fascinating gaming experience and unique, colorful and charming anime touch. We will utilize the most actual technologies for indie development to ensure the best compromise within our budget of effectiveness and quality. Our target market is wide, starting mainly from browser-based gaming to eventually break into mobile and consoles market, aiming to capture attention of both casual and hardcore gamers with balanced, social, fun and creative gameplay where players can use different gameplay styles based on their way of living the game experience.Business ModelElives Interactive will be using the micro-transaction business model already popular in the Asian market, where players can access and play our game for free and eventually can purchase game enhancements and funny additional elements for their characters from our future in-game store. In addition, our business model will be supported by advertisers, sponsors and possibly investors, once our development will be proven effective, successful and ready to develop a further business plan and establish itself as a company. Once it will be fully established, we will strive to make more deals with third party companies to advertise themselves using our future system to book in-game rooms through a freelance network of promoters and develop new ways to improve and expand our world. I have already a planned feature that may be proposed as partnership with my current "9to5 job" company once developed. CompensationPositions are unpaid at this stage with planned sharing of profit and eventual investors/sponsors funds, but I can evaluate paid position as future reference, as the project could grow big enough to afford all it needs.Before starting the project, a complete development plan will be made and full core team will be created. Unlike typical opensource team, a selected core of people will work on it and share the profit/funds and no one will start working without a good planning apart from a sample work if necessary.At this stage I'm collecting profiles, portfolios and contacts. We will go through a mid-stage of development (ideally 2nd or 3rd Q 2011) to produce a demo and promo video and through a marketers and promoters external team will try to find investors/sponsors. Once the product will be complete, up and running and the business will be profitable enough, some staff will be hired on fulltime or freelance basis depend on the maintainance and updating needs, this will include lead artists, lead content producer, lead client and server developers who will be core part of the project in a possibly long term working relationship in order to keep up with the standards, security, bugfixes and updating world contents. Feel free to contact me for more specific information.Why Join Us?Elives Interactive is expected to be a friendly, serious and capable team of talented individuals interested in anime multiplayer games who believe in this project and can be part of it and take the challenge to develop amazing game contents to spread around the world. If you are a talented student who want to improve your skills and can dedicate your time to our project as a side internship for your career, or a professional with enough spare time and interest for our challenging goals, feel free to contact us to discuss your potential in our team. Our recruitment process will be continued until summer in order to wait for more applicants and define roles in detail.TechnologiesUnity3D, SmartFox Pro Server and Terracotta clustering, it will be developed to be lightweight, scalable, easy to update with new features and a clean and well-structured modular framework. Team members will use design and development software of their choice and exporting their work into common formats usable with opensource applications where possible. Backups will be additionally maintained by the founder with mirrored encrypted drives, updated from time to time during the development process.TimeframeDevelopment will start around Summer 2010 and ideally continue with a complete alpha after 12-16 months, closed beta in 20 months, open beta in 24 months, and final release as free to play after 30 months. (This would a 12-16 months development game for a normal company with full time positions).Once completed and launched with a base set of features, further content will be developed to expand the game, including new features, world expansion, improved graphic, more quests and npcs.Team StructureWe have received applications for various individuals in different areas but we need more talented candidates and we are continuing the recruitment process to expand our team in order to cover design, content and development needs before the official start. Communication ToolsSkype and Google Apps will be used for communication. Huddle for collaboration and project management. Meetings within subteams will be arranged on weekend basis, full team meeting will be instead arranged on monthly basis, at least this is the start plan. We will discuss development strategy, update the team with new development versions, new content and material, and backups.Vacancies- 2D Monsters/Environment designer (with some 3d understanding able to draw anime-oriented bestiary, pets, and colorful internal and external environments)To support our lead character designer.- Lead Unity3d developer (to lead the client dev subteam)(we have already found one who will collaborate with the lead and project manager)- Lead Smartfox developer (to lead the server dev subteam)(we have already found one who will collaborate with the lead and project manager)Located in UK would be a benefit.Websitehttp://www.elives.euContactsIf you have any queries, send an email to elivesinteractive@gmail.com, our new official email for development purpose. If you wish to apply, please include a small excerpt about yourself, skills, experience, and any portfolio links.FeedbackFeel free to ask your questions regarding this project here or by email. I would love to hear any suggestion or request of more specific details to make this advert more effective.[Edited by - nicologames on April 28, 2010 4:48:20 AM]
  Could you please stick to the mandatory template (which has been made sticky) ?Thank you in advance :);  Hope it looks fine now. Just a bit customized :)[Edited by - nicologames on March 25, 2010 8:11:14 PM];  Advert content updated :)Cheers,Nicolo   ;  It looks like you've at least planned things out well. (good tool set and server choices) It looks like you also have a nice business model worked out... But I fear that you're not really going to get many people who will be dedicated to help you, because portfolio work just doesn't cut it as a profit.Especially when it's assumed that artists can use their work for their portfolio on like 90% of projects they work on. I think you did a nice job planning everything out except the compensation part.I'm an artist by profession and I get paid steadily, and I don't think I've had a situation where I wasn't able to use finished work in my portfolio. So I get paid and also get portfolio work to show.Offering "portfolio work" is like offering nothing at all. Because that's really what it is. Why would an artist want to create work for you, to add to their portfolio, when they can create their own visions instead? If you just don't have the money to spare, I would suggest finding someone who can invest in your game, or possibly taking out a loan. If you really feel that your game will succeed financially, then you shouldn't be worried about borrowing money to get it finished.Paying your team shows that you have a commitment to the game that goes above and beyond "I want to make a game" to "this game will be made".With all that said, good luck finding a team. You're going to need a lot of luck to find people willing to work for free.   ;  I also want to add that I have a couple of rich people I could contact and try to convince to invest on it if we give valid reasons and show a solid proposal (that's my job), and in addition my current company is a worldwide leading company in its field, and I'm planning a specific feature that I would develop and present to my managing director for an eventual partnership.   ;  On a short holiday in Spain right now, but I have updated the advert once again.Thanks to everyone interested in the project, pros and non-pros. For anyone else I may not be so fast these few days to reply.Cheers.   ;  Still looking for:- Anime Artist (Cute Shoujo/Chibi style)- Unity3d Developer (to lead the unity development team)- Smartfox Developer (to lead the smartfox dev team)Smartfox devs and Unity devs will complete the Development Team.(We are already a small team, with 2 content producers, 3d modeller, unity and smartfox developers, and me project management/contents/web development)Those 3 position above are necessary to complete the initial core team.So far the project is due to start in June 2010, once we get the right people for the team.Cheers,Nicolo   ;  Lead Anime Character Artist found. Still looking for Unity3d/Smartfox devs (need 2 more as we have already 2) and a environment/monster 2d artist (colorful flat style to match 2d anime style)Cheers,Nicolo   ;  Interesting concept.  Too bad you're not recruiting designers, this is the kind of project I'd probably enjoy having a design position on.  I could apply to design monsters, or clothing, but I'll refrain because I know I'm not happy with projects where I don't have a say in the game's design.One suggestion though, I think it won't be a good idea to have the game start out cute and then change to a different style.  That's like a bait and switch, that kind of thing makes players dissatisfied.  Try some other method of alternating the two styles, to blend them more evenly over the player's play time.   