Gee, he's almost as thin as me.

He's hot.

I was hoping for more pictures. Looks like he's got a wee bit of a fivehead.

I'm gonna cry. For real. Akuchizoku. At least tell us you don't want to mess with it anymore.

Don't worry. It'll be done. Things have just been more hectic than I anticipated.

If you want, I can rush it. But I'd rather take my time ;)

I'm so glad that delays are common when it comes to game releases. Otherwise I'd be feeling like quite an ass right now.

I find it fun that "delays" = making/finishing up another game.

You want me to work without inspiration?

don't worry, you don't owe them anything. people are just jerks ;D

Actually, anon, he does since people paid for the game.

Exactry anon2. And all I was asking for was an update. The last official info I heard was something like, it'll be a few more days. That was months ago.

So just little updates here and there for people who paid would be nice.

People didn't "pay" for the game; they donated for it.

"There is no price on the game, instead the "customer" makes a donation of at least $1 to get his copy of the full version."

So what's the difference in buying it? You won't get the game unless you give money. Pretty much the definition of buying a game.

*sigh*

I'd rather Cactus just made a bloody good game and put it out when it's ready. And if inbetween that, he wants to indulge himself by making other games... so what?

It was a donation, not a pair of shackles, people.

Yeah, I donated as well, but I absolutely do NOT want to see Akuchizoku rushed. I loved the demo, and if the final product - however long it takes - can improve on that and keep up the level of quality the whole way through, I'll gladly donate an extra wadge of cash.

People are just impatient and irrational. There's even an angry backlash against Spore building up, because people somehow percieve it as becoming a worse game because it's in development longer.

Largely, people are stupid.

What strikes me as odd, is that people praise Cactus for making games at such a fast pace, but the one game everybody wants to see improved shouldn't be expected to be done at the same pace?

Err yeah, pretty much.

It's up to Cactus what he does, not me. I don't expect anything from him, but I'm glad he does what he does.

And I suppose you could consider it the difference between a quick sketch and a work of art - if analogies are your thang.

Erm, yea, that makes sense. The longer he spends on the game, the better (in theory) it will be.

Be patient people, as has been said, you made a donation, not a payment. If you wanted to be 100% sure you were going to get the product as a result, you should have waited until it was out.

Just enjoy the games Cactus releases in the mean time, and be satisfied knowing that when he does finish it, you are getting a copy.

If his torrent of games is sketches and Akuchizoku is art, how come with every game released, people say it's his best work ever and truly a piece of art, instead of seeing them as the sketches and prototypes they apparently are?

I seem to have missed something. People "donate" in order to get the full version of Akuchizoku, but they didn't get more than the demo and should not expect any support or updates as can be expected for games that have been paid for?

Have some sympathy. The game-making process is a long and terrible one filled with pitfalls that aren't always about graphics or code. Additionally, donors should realize they are supporting Cactus, not any one individual game. Cactus just sweetened the deal by offering donors a playtest for being kind enough to give him money to eat or maintain his happiness.

So the donating was a bit of a misunderstanding. Still, how come the game-making process suddenly is a long and terrible one, while he has made hundreds of games, each one within 12h, and each one praised as an individual masterpiece? I don't quite understand that...

Look- even if you've paid, he's giving you a hell of a lot of stuff to play in the meantime.

If you pre-ordered Spore, how much free stuff are you getting from Will Wright while you wait?

The question I want to ask is, how many of Cactus' other games would you pay for, if they had been released as paid products?

"If his torrent of games is sketches and Akuchizoku is art, how come with every game released, people say it's his best work ever and truly a piece of art, instead of seeing them as the sketches and prototypes they apparently are?"

Is it not possible to appreciate something within its limitations anymore? Can someone not make a really awesome sketch? Can a prototype not be inspiring?

Most of the time in the Cactus release posts, you get a fair mix of those who didn't enjoy the game, those who did... I don't think there's any gestalt Indie reading beast that forms a consensus that they're all masterpieces y'know.

But we've been through this before with Luna-tiki and it wasn't a very solid argument that time either.

So ignoring your attempts at flailing around in an accusatory manner - what you're basically asking is the right to demand that Cactus works on nothing but Akizubibblyunpronouncablething until completion with no distractions or sidetracking?

Or in short, for the sake of a few measly quid - a say in how he leads his life?

Last I heard, a donation doesn't buy you that right, chappy.

It's not a donation if you gave the money expecting something in return. It would of been a donation had he said something like, "Akuchizoku will be free for all, but if you feel like supporting me, I'll gladly accept donations." Labeling a payment as a donation is simply mislabeling.

I don't give a damn how long he takes, I just want to know what's taking so long, and when we can expect a release. If I were to have pre-ordered Spore, and it got delayed, at least I would of been notified of a new release window. In this situation, the release window simply passed and no mention was made about it again.

The people, your fans, paid money for this game. They didn't donate the money, they paid, knowing full well they'd be getting a game in return. A general time frame was given for a release of the game, and we have yet to see any results, be it a simple news post, or a new release of the game. What you're doing is screwing those people over. Regardless of how you want yourself to look, this is what you're doing.

people! you are missing the point! Look at that picture...all this time I thought cactus was a man! :(

"However, there is no price on the game, instead the "customer" makes a donation of at least $1 to get his copy of the full version. Generous donators will be extremely appreciated and therefore get their names in the credit (and possibly a few subsequent cactus games for free, if the economic situation allows it). For those who feel that games should be free to play, there'll be an optional demo version with a bit over 60% of the content from the full version available for download. Note that the full version will probably be released for free whenever there's no point in requiring donations anymore. So anyone who "buys" the game shouldn't consider it that way. Look at it as a donation, and feel that you've done a good deed instead."

Well, if that doesn't settle it - I don't know what does :p

Also, it says on his website, "preorders may be refunded!" so if you're really pissed off, for some reason, there's always that route.

It says it's a donation, not an order to buy the game. It ALSO says it's a preorder... So it's both payment for the game and not payment for the game but a general contribution...

Do you really think complaining about it not being done and expressing feelings of entitlement would make him want to work on that game?

If anyone wants their money back, I don't mind. Just send me an e-mail. I'll even let you have the full version when it's done even if you want a refund, since it's my own fault for stalling.

I haven't worked on the game for months, because of IGF and other things. I didn't see it coming.

I also haven't touched a single cent of the money that has been donated. It's all still there.

The problem with Cactus is that he wastes all his talent on crappy sketches that play like shit, he's got a lot of creativity and imagination but he must start making longer games with better gameplay if he wants to be great.

The ones expecting a work of art, take a chair, you are in for a long wait, these are just games, kids, not works of art.

When you donated you weren't promised a release date, so you can't complain, I bet the ones complaining donated 1 or up to 10 fucking dollars, come on!, you would waste that much on mountain dews and twinkies you friggin retards, as you can see in the picture Cactus needs that money desperately, he's starting to look like an anorexic balding woman already. Thank that to all the drugs you take to come up with all those weird shits you put in your games, Cactus! hahaha

Oooh, get you, Mr Hilarity.

No-one said anything about waiting for a work of art, it was an analogy.

Also, I don't think Cactus *has* to do anything. I guess that's kinda the point I've been pushing at all along.

Sorry if I'm not down with the backlash here, but you've got to admit all this whinging in every Cactus topic is darn boring - especially when most of it is baseless.

I don't mind when it's constructive (like Lim's jumping gripes), but this moaning for moanings sake is dull, dull, dull.

When a bunch of people passionately argue over your games, you know you've succeeded.

Otherwise they all would've been ignored ;)

Oh look, the "I paid $1" and now I can act like an asshole crowd arrived. Grow-up "anonymous", if that's really your name. Got the balls to really stand up? Print your name and ask for your money back. Or are you just trolling for attention...

Bill

hey NoEuphemisms. go to hell.

The usual bunch of spoiled, jealous people -_-

"he's got a lot of creativity and imagination but he must start making longer games with better gameplay if he wants to be great."

lol go back to FFVII n00b

"...he must start making longer games with better gameplay if he wants to be great."

Nobody ever said he wanted to be great. Not everybody aspires to greatness, a lot of us make games for the same reason that people play them. It's fun. So what if the games are simple? A lot of people enjoy them, even if they are short. Some people enjoy making them, because we enjoy doing it. If that makes us simple minded then I plead guilty, but at least I'm having fun doing it.

Wow. You're all just a bunch of simpleminded biased mobsters. I really can't believe this. You all are trying so hard to defend a FRICKING BUNCH OF VIDEO GAMES, and cactus, you can go to hell you flamer. Just admit he made a mistake and just let it go! But you just
can't do that can you?

BUT MAN! This is just so funny. I'm watching you all contradict yourselves at every turn in a desperate attempt to defend Cactus and his games.And how can someone be spoiled when he's waiting for another quickly made "art analogy"?

P.S. WTH does FFVII have to do with this whole discussion? N00B.

Don't say it if you don't want to get it back in full.

cock in spades from the moon's hell. i am from 2.5 million years ago.

got you guys.

Someone's been impersonating me. I know better than to defend myself with insults :)

Oh, that's just cheap, first insulting someone and then trying to dodge the counter by claiming it was your evil twin.

hello,
i am cactusimpersonator. cactus is very talented and should be left alone. i am also lecarl, supreme high score champion of shotgun ninja.

haha.. so yeah.. *coughcough*.. those interviews, eh? :P

"Oh, that's just cheap, first insulting someone and then trying to dodge the counter by claiming it was your evil twin."

And how does someone like you know? It's not like you can tell, because anybody can just name themselves cactus, or, in your case, Anonymous.

It doesn't matter. If you're unsatisfied with what he's doing right now, and you've "paid" for the game, then go and refund it. Donationware is indeed one type of software distribution.

With the emphasis on distribution.

I'm not sure I understand how people have been contradicting themselves?

I would say cactus set-up the whole refund thing incase of a situation like this and further up I'm sure I saw cactus say he would still provide the game to anyone that got their refund anyways, so where's the problem?

It seems that you don't really appreciate cactus' work much anyways, so I'm not sure I understand why you paid for this when you probably won't even enjoy the full version anyhow?

I see people constantly calling his games art. It doesn't sound like analogy that sounds like the public impression.

When you call it an analogy you contradict everything you said about his games before.

Are his games art or an analogy?

But there's nothing to distribute yet Mr Anonymoose, so you can't have it.

Deal with it, seriously. Because no amount of whinging is going to change anything.

If you can't, just take Cactus up on his offer of refunding the donation. Et voila - problem solved.

:bangsheadagainstbrickwall:

There's no contradiction.

In this context I described the difference between a sketch and a fully fledged work of art as an analogy. It's *that* simple. Nowhere did I say *anything* to contradict anything I've said about any of his games previous.

:goestolookforabandage:

lol marcus what kind of name is that, some kind of n00b name? go back to kingdom hearts u newb.

The more I read this, the more I start to get the feeling you got to be a flamer to like Cactus' games, and blind to defend that ripoff he is pulling

I am gay.

My point proven

hey me this anonymous posting system sucks

Thanks for fixing the first name in Tim ^_^.

So would this be the wrong forum to post that I'm looking forward to Achukizoku, whenever it arrives? No rush, I've got plenty to play in the meantime.

Personally, I can't see what Anonymous' beef is.

If he's moaning because he has donated and the game hasn't been released, he has been offered a refund - surely that solves the problem?

If he's moaning just because the game is being a long time in development, I suggest he gets hold of a development package and tries to write a game himself, even if it's only Space Invaders. Then, perhaps, he may start to appeciate how much time and effort goes into making a game, even a simple one.

If he is just trolling (as I suspect) then I can only suggest that after he has finished his homework, he goes outside and plays on his skateboard for a while.

Personally, I have not donated, and have not played any of the games Cactus has written (I am not a games player), but as a hobbyist coder, I am fully aware that there are many factors that can delay release of a game.

I think there is a lesson to be learned here for Cactus, though. The second that cold, hard cash comes into the equation, you start to see a side of people that is not always pleasant.

Just my tuppence.

"If he is just trolling (as I suspect) then I can only suggest that after he has finished his homework, he goes outside and plays on his skateboard for a while."

hehe, or maybe he could go and make a post or two on the freehare, been no updates there for a while

"The second that cold, hard cash comes into the equation, you start to see a side of people that is not always pleasant.

Just my tuppence."

Oh, now you've brought cold hard cash into the comments section.

Well done... :p

Wow. Internet.

I payed $100 for this game! Where is it?!

I made four easy payment of 25 cents. Do I also not deserve this game? Am I to just sit here and wait idly as my gradual dollar fades from me completely? If that dollar were to take on a new form, the form of a game, all would be just. But that dollar isn't mine now. I scrapped for that dollar, and I gave it to this man in hopes he could change it to something worth more. Potential limitless fun. But look now. I have given my dollar, and it remains the same. The only thing that's changed, is it's owner.

"I haven't worked on the game for months, because of IGF and other things. I didn't see it coming."

Thank you cactus! I thank you for that information. It's all I ever wanted (aside from the game).

I think the "a game takes alot of time to develop" argument is worthless concidering the amount of time all of Cactus' other games have taken. 12 hours for a game? 2 days for a game? Then why all of a sudden ages for one while he happily tosses out one game after another while people have paid to be able to support him in developing that one game? A game takes a long time to make, but not for Cactus, and that is what he is known for.

Why don't you just decloak, Raf?

Seriously, you're the only person sociopathic enough keep up this tirade for this long. We all know you hate cactus, we get it :)

concidering + kon-tiki

Hmm, Marcus is my actual name.

And I like Kingdom Hearts.

Seriously, whats up with using peoples names to call them gay and stuff?

This is getting out of hand.

The flaming and trolling here is so obvious it's unfunny.

Tim should just ban comments altogether.

Cactus has agreed to return the money of anybody who wants their donation back, as far as I am concerned that pretty much closes any argument about the honesty of his donation system. If you want your money back, feel free to ask him anytime, but this is no longer the place to complain about it.

As for comments about the artistic merits of his work or lack thereof, you may proceed IF the tone is kept civil and the bashing stops. Tim and I talked it over and any further comments in this thread that are deemed flame bait will be deleted without warning. This isn't to say you can't be critical, just be sure your criticisms are presented in a well thought out and polite manner.

Just like those "ur gay" comments made by Cactus mob are well thought out and in a polite manner?

I think if you simply IP-ban Raf then you'll solve the problem completely to be honest.

You and Tim, huh?

Don't stop typing now guys, let's make this the biggest comment ever!

"cock in spades from the moon's hell. i am from 2.5 million years ago."

Honestly, every time I look at that, I can't help but laugh.

i know this to be true: only in the future will it be the future.

i saw there were 75 posts and i expected there to be something interesting. oh well, i guess.

hey cactus, just curious, but what are you drinking in that picture?

Cactus juices, what else? Nah, probably tea. Tastes much better than coffee.

nice