Advertising
The bulk of Game-Maker's sales came through direct mail-order, based on a long-running (and apparently costly!) series of ads in the back of early-'90s computer and videogame magazines. There were several configurations of the ad, including full-color, black-and-white, full-page, and partial. In addition, for a couple of years several mail order software vendors used Game-Maker as a sales point. Here are all of the ads, both first and third-party, that have been located to date.
Magazine ads[edit]
Full-color ad #1: The original full-page full-color ad, which appeared in several computer and videogame magazines. The first appearance in Computer Gaming World seems to be issue #99 (October 1992), page #55.
Full-color ad #2: Ad for Game-Maker v1.04, found in Computer Gaming World #100, page #55 (November 1992). Note the price increase to $129. The discrepancy between this and the $89 price point in the earlier ad may be explained by the "suggested retail" note; the first ad is concerned only with direct sales through KD Software. This ad also appears in CGW #101 (December 1992) on page 114.
Full-color ad #3: An updated full-page ad for Game-Maker 2.0, found in Computer Gaming World #114 (January 1994), page #209. Notice the changed imagery, reflecting both the new interface and a shift in what features they chose to highlight. The body text is changed, and the price is now completely absent. Instead, the reader is advised to call for the latest price.
1/3 page vertical full-color ad: A vertical ad found on page 37 of Sierra On-Line's InterAction Magazine, volume VI issue 3. Notice the different copy, the $49 price point, and the promise of three included games (presumably Nebula, Penguin Pete, and Pipemare?).
Copy[edit]
Full-page ad[edit]
You Thought You Loved Computer Games. But...
Until You Play With Game-maker, You've Only Been Playing Around.
A technological breakthrough by Recreational Software Designs lets you do the impossible. Now you can create 256 color VGA computer games without programming.
- Design unlimited numbers of animated monsters and good guys.
- Animated characters walk, run, fly, hop, pop from scene to scene.
- Design your own sounds.
- Make arcade and adventure games as unique as your imagination.
- Modify and enhance GAME-MAKER games.
Mouse driven and graphics based, GAME-MAKER is Computer Aided Game Design at its best. Is a game too easy? Increase the speed. Too boring? Add danger, sounds, and monsters. Too plain? Dress up the graphics, add animation. Too short? Add new levels.
GAME-MAKER includes lots of extras: hundreds of pictures, monsters, objects, good guys and gals, and detailed scenes and worlds. Use these extras in creating your own games. Plus you'll enjoy the sample games included with GAME-MAKER.
$89
Game-Maker requires an IBM compatible 286, 386, or 486 with a color VGA monitor and mouse. Joystick optional. GAME-MAKER is designed and produced by Recreational Software Designs.
Vendor ads[edit]
Remember those shady ads for Chips & Bits in the back of all the game magazines, with their lists of obscure, import, and adult software? Stuff like Metal & Lace?
Vendor ad #1: Here's a November 1992 Chips & Bits ad featuring RSD Game-Maker, found in Computer Gaming World #100 on page #129. A variant also appears in CGW #101 (December 1992), on page #93 and CGW #102 (January 1993) on page #99. That one promises a "FREE** GAME WITH EACH ORDER OVER $100". There's no explanation for the double-emphasized caveat. Games given the same prominence as Game-Maker include Sid Meier's Pirates Gold, id Software's Spear of Destiny, Amazon, and Star Legions.
Vendor ad #2: An ad for Mission Control Software Headquarters, on page #120 of Computer Gaming World #101 (December 1992).
Vendor ad #3: A later Chips & Bits ad, found in Computer Gaming World #106 (May 1993), on page #47. Variants also appear in CGW #107 (June 1993) on page #65, and CGW #108 (July 1993) on page #67.
Vendor ad #4: Another Chips & Bits ad; this one is from Computer Gaming World #112 (November 1993), page #105. Notice that the list price has dropped to $49. This appears to be an ad for Game-Maker 2.0.
Vendor ad #5: A catalog blurb for Game-Maker 2.0, found in Computer Gaming World #116 (March 1994), page #060. The ad is repeated, with some changes, in issue #118 (May 1994), page 144, with the price dropped to $48.
Vendor ad #6: A rather late-era Chips & Bits ad, from Computer Gaming World #125 (December 1994), page #128. The ad lists Game-Maker 2.0, but describes the brand-new 3.0 CD release. Text-only Chips & Bits listings would continue in CGW until at least June 1995.
