xianc78 @xianc78@gameliberty.club

@beardalaxy I tried to find a way to get a cracked version of Game Maker Pro working, but I didn't know how to pirate software (outside of ROMs) back then.

There was another program that I forgot to mention earlier. It was DS Game Maker. It was also shareware and let you make DS games, but the Lite version was even more limited than GameMaker Lite. It only allowed you to have three rooms and no save feature.

But it looks like the project is still around and is now FOSS.

https://digitaldesigndude.github.io/DSGM-Resource-Site/index.html

Regardless of your opinions on Georgescu and his stances on certain issues, I think the main thing to take away is that he (as far as I know) was a completely independent candidate who despite all the odds (including not being a contender), won the Romanian election, but of course the elites will find a way to ensure that he would never get in. Our current system won't allow in anyone who goes against the status quo.

@vokainen099 @beardalaxy Yeah I know. Anyway my original point in the OP was that although it doesn't feel like it. These viral indiedevs actually have at least a decade of experience, and they were probably in various gamedev or modding forums back in the day. And that's why those who only started to make games after graduating college are struggling.

I'm not complaining, but I see myself in this in-between because I later learned how to actually program in middle school and high school and I learned to appreciate actually creating something rather than to compete with the professionals. I didn't have enough time to do it as much as I wanted, but I did enjoy every bit of it.

@beardalaxy @vokainen099 Steam Greenlight didn't appear until 2012. Until then, Valve handpicked what games would appear on Steam and the only way to appear on there as an indie was if you had a "proven track record" (i.e we're already successful on other storefronts like Desura or Green Man Gaming, or on places like NewGrounds). Valve actually did receive heavy criticism for it even though it meant quality over quantity.