Engine Popularity: XP versus VX

[Marked 197]

I jumped onto Google Trends today to compare the RPG Makers over the years.

 

Here's the graph I ended up with:

Key

• RPG Maker XP
  
• RPG Maker VX
  
• RPG Maker 2003
  
• RPG Maker 2000
  

 

There are several interesting things we can observe from the graph.

 

First of all, RMVX and RMXP are more or less tied in popularity and have been pretty much since the release of VX. The most popular RPG Maker of these was RPG Maker 2003.

 

Also what I thought was quite interesting is since the release of RPG Maker VX, the overall graph starts to slope downwards and it appears the RPG Maker popularity is at an all time low. The height of the RPG Maker XP graph is 2006 is nearly 3 times higher than now. However, the overall popularity should be the area under both graphs, so really even though we're seeing really now numbers, because neither engine is dominant, the overal popularity of both engines or more like RPG Maker XP's popularity in 2007.

[Broken Messiah 20]

 

 

 

Wow RPGMaker 2000 died completely. RpgMaker 2003 kept a good fight and rmxp the 'old timer' has to deal with rmvx 'the new school" lol

 

I didnt know thats what google trends does, cool.

 

 

[Bob423 52]

i've never heard of google trends.

 

YAY Mario!

 

this thing is cool

Edited April 4, 2011 by Bob423

[FranklinX 37]

The RPG Maker community is getting weaker. This is more Enterbrain's fault than anything else. They degraded XP and VX. How is degrading a product going to bring more interest?

[Marked 197]

I think there's evidence in the graph to support your statement there Franklin. RMXP killed 2k3, but (it appears) half of us went to VX and the other half stayed with XP.

 

A new engine is definitely needed to spike interest. The graph does suggest RPG Maker is at an all time low. We started in '06, so I'm not surprised new sites can't really enter the market (unless anyone knows of any up and coming RPG Maker sites?)

[FranklinX 37]

I think there's evidence in the graph to support your statement there Franklin. RMXP killed 2k3, but (it appears) half of us went to VX and the other half stayed with XP.

 

A new engine is definitely needed to spike interest. The graph does suggest RPG Maker is at an all time low. We started in '06, so I'm not surprised new sites can't really enter the market (unless anyone knows of any up and coming RPG Maker sites?)

 

A lot of new sites have died within a few months of their creations. There also appears to be a lack of resources for the VX. 2K3 has a lot of resources to make many games with.

[Polraudio 122]

Yea they need to release a new maker already before we crash and flatline like 2k3 did there for a while. Combine VX and XP and i bet we will see a spike and a nice little line on 10.

[Marked 197]

Yeah they definitely need to do something drastic in the next one. So far the community is divided neatly into in XP and VX people, a new engine needs to win the people in both groups.

 

I have an idea.. How about we start a partition? I'll set up a thing where members and guests (to increase numbers, but force a post per IP limit) can post and thats like signing the partition. I'll have a radio button saying that by posting here you agreeing to submit a vote in favor of the partition. We'll aim for 200,000 and then send it off to enterbrain, which I think wouldn't be too hard to get them to actually see it. :D Shall we?

[Bob423 52]

sure, why not? if we get enough people, we could definitely accomplish something.

[ShinyToyGuns 29]

Yeah they definitely need to do something drastic in the next one. So far the community is divided neatly into in XP and VX people, a new engine needs to win the people in both groups.

 

I have an idea.. How about we start a partition? I'll set up a thing where members and guests (to increase numbers, but force a post per IP limit) can post and thats like signing the partition. I'll have a radio button saying that by posting here you agreeing to submit a vote in favor of the partition. We'll aim for 200,000 and then send it off to enterbrain, which I think wouldn't be too hard to get them to actually see it. :D Shall we?

I do believe you mean "Petition"? I think it's a good idea :D

[Bob423 52]

I do believe you mean "Petition"?

thats what i was thinking.

i guess even the mighty Marked makes mistakes

[FranklinX 37]

Yeah they definitely need to do something drastic in the next one. So far the community is divided neatly into in XP and VX people, a new engine needs to win the people in both groups.

 

I have an idea.. How about we start a partition? I'll set up a thing where members and guests (to increase numbers, but force a post per IP limit) can post and thats like signing the partition. I'll have a radio button saying that by posting here you agreeing to submit a vote in favor of the partition. We'll aim for 200,000 and then send it off to enterbrain, which I think wouldn't be too hard to get them to actually see it. :D Shall we?

 

That sounds like a great idea. We should get started on this very soon. We should also make a list of features we want.

Edited April 4, 2011 by RATED-RKOFRANKLIN

[joman195 9]

It should be called RPG Maker Unlimited.

[Marked 197]

You know what, I knew I was spelling it wrong it when I was typing. However, I came prepared. Suck on this:

http://www.rmxpunlimited.net/forums/topic/187-1100-posts/page__view__findpost__p__1210

 

 

'tis a rule.

 

Ok, lets do itttt. I shall write a little application to make our petition legitimate. I just think that a topic, for example, wouldn't be as authoritative. So a proper thing won't do us any hard in being successful here.

 

Here's the deal. I got an online quiz to do for one of my courses. If I get 100% tomorrow, I'll write the app tomorrow. It should only take a few hours, might take me to Thursday...

 

@joman195: Yeah true, we actually discussed a change in domain name quite a bit. I even made a topic about it. I eventually came up with gamedevunlimited, nice and simple, (could we shorten that to gamedevu.net?) I even make designs for a new site back in the summer holidays but I didn't finish. However I hope I can just slowly transition this site into what I had planned all the way back then. By the end of it, I'd be a pro coder :P

[joman195 9]

I like the name gamedevunlimited, and then we can still have it named RPG Maker Unlimited because that just sounds like an awesome RPG Maker name. I mean, if you hear they are releasing RPG Maker FZ you're like: That sounds too wimpy for me. But if you hear they are releasing RPG Maker Unlimited you're like: Holy crap! I just jizzed myself in it's awesome splendor!

[Descendant of Orr 1]

Hey...what about RPGMaker95! It took my RPGMaker virginity, how dare you leave it out?

[joman195 9]

Sorry, I forgot about 95, 2000 and 2003. I usually don't think about them because my first RPG Maker was XP.

[ProjectTrinity 8]

They are truly about due in for a new one. I'd sign. That said, if they take too long, I'm going to go on ahead and do what people expect is my next step: Official Indie Studio, yos!

 

Though a PC (=p) 3D RPG Maker with a lot more flexibility than XP both in graphics and in eventing would be a sure fine way to win.

[Descendant of Orr 1]

I really feel like they dropped the ball with the DS RPG Maker. I feel they should continue the RPGMaker line with Windows support, with the capability of exporting to DS, instead of actually having to use the DS to create the game. I feel as if this, like VX, was a step back.

[FranklinX 37]

I totally agree with you. The DS game was a waste of time. It was only released for Japan's fans. They could have saved energy and time by producing a maker for the PC.

[Polraudio 122]

Yeah they definitely need to do something drastic in the next one. So far the community is divided neatly into in XP and VX people, a new engine needs to win the people in both groups.

 

I have an idea.. How about we start a partition? I'll set up a thing where members and guests (to increase numbers, but force a post per IP limit) can post and thats like signing the partition. I'll have a radio button saying that by posting here you agreeing to submit a vote in favor of the partition. We'll aim for 200,000 and then send it off to enterbrain, which I think wouldn't be too hard to get them to actually see it. :D Shall we?

I think its a great idea.

 

and gamedevu.net Sounds very catchy.

[isaacsol 10]

If we were to email them directly with all the signatures on them, we could use this email I prepared (with a fair bit of honorific language too, to make it sound better :P):

 

エンターブレイン 会社へ、

私たちはRPGツクールのファンサイトでございます。新しいPCのRPGツクールが作られる為に、メールしています。今、RPGツクールXPとVXは一番人気なエンジンです。そこの下へ、私たちの署名があります。

どうもありがとうございます、
RMXPUnlimited.net

署名:

 

Translation:

 

To Enterbrain Co.,

We are an RPG Maker fansite. For the purpose of creating a new PC RPG Maker, we are writing/sending this email. Currently, RPG Maker XP and VX are the most popular engines. Below are our signatures.

Thank you very much,
RMXPUnlimited.net

Signatures:

[joman195 9]

I think that is a good email and being polite will give us a better chance of this happening.

[FranklinX 37]

Still we need to include a list of features we would want to have in the program. Not telling them what we want maybe very bad. We may get an even worst program than XP and VX. We need to be clear about this.

[Bob423 52]

yeah, we need to be specific.

[kat.dea 0]

That's really interesting. I've always been amazed at how many people prefer VX to XP, in my opinion it's a step back and I'm hoping my favourite game developers don't make the switch to VX.

I'd love to see a new maker that's an upgrade on XP rather than something new altogether. It'd be great to see something that actually supports more depth in games rather than just a maker that's more user friendly though I feel, from these trends, that Enterbrain may see the drop off in popularity as a reason to develop something that's easier to use and doesn't take much learning in order to pick up new interest.

[Bob423 52]

There were a few things i liked about VX when i tried it a while ago, but overall i prefer XP, since it seems easier to find scripts for XP. and some other things. If they take what was good about both, mashed them together, and added a few things, the result would be amazing.

[joman195 9]

I think that they should take the basics of XP about multiple tiles and layers and all that, add vehicles and make it compatible with RGSS and RGSS2 scripts, and then make alot of the hidden classes visible so scripters have more to work with. I also think Events could be more then what they currently are.

[Bob423 52]

and multiple tilesets for one map

[joman195 9]

That too.