Originally Posted By: beck123
Sometimes I feel as though we are being used as free beta testers for a (ahem) profit-making enterprise. Not that the game itself isn't fun! I've been doing this kind of puzzle since my childhood, many months ago. Nevertheless, the onniclization of the game reminds me of the folks who took the childrens' card game "crazy eights" and made a bundle marketing it as "Uno."


Valid concern, Beck. Let me address that. (Warning: Relatively long post)

Technically, I'd guess beta testing for a product happens before being launched, not after. Onamography has already gone through the beta testing phase and saw the light of day only after a painfully long (very long) gestation period.

It's already got an estimated 30 million views in the print version of a mainstream newspaper. So it's a little late for beta testing.

As far as profit making is concerned, that isn't the primary motive. Of course, if someone hands over a million bucks for it, I'm not sure how many would turn it down. That's a highly unlikely situation though. Most puzzle designers struggle to get any returns for their efforts. Success stories (like Uno) are extremely rare in the game/puzzle world. For an overwhelming majority, puzzle-making ends up being a passion they pursue while holding on to their day jobs.

So what's the motivation here? For one, trying to push an unconventional concept is far more difficult than it might seem. Most commercial publishers are reluctant to experiment with anything that's not already been established (crosswords, sudoku et al). So this is an experiment (so if you insist on an analogy, we are all guinea pigs more than beta testers) to see how people on the other side of the table perceive and react to a concept such as this.

Coming to the "profit-making enterprise" part, there's no corporate body with devious intentions pushing this. Just the inventor and a bunch of volunteers who believe in the game. A small team that wants to see the idea being embraced by many more.

Your comment ('Not that the game itself isn't fun!') is one of the numerous testimonials that go to show that the concept has potential. There were no false promises or incentives in the first post. And yet this thread has already got over a 100 posts and 2700 views in under 10 days. I find that very encouraging.

Thanks to all you folks who've been having a blast with this concept. I hope the party continues.


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