It strikes me that shareware games are simpler, because they''re downloaded over the internet. I dunno, haven''t had much experience with shareware.
Anyway, your project sounds pretty cool. I''d probably sell the creator and give away the engine and quest free, and let people submit their own quests to your site. That would get people coming back to the site and seeing any future projects you have, and if the site is popular you could make some money from advertising.
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Shareware: should I bother?
Hse: "as much as I´d like to believe that, i think that shareware is dead. Probably for good. Most of the formerly big shareware companies have switched to full retail games (Apogee for instance)."
Apogee has always been and shall always remain a shareware company. All of our 35+ games have been released as shareware, except one, Planet Strike, which was a lame sequel to Blake Stone.
Max Payne and Duke Nukem Forever will have shareware versions, and those shareware versions *will* point to 3D Realms to handle "direct sell" orders.
The problem with shareware games not making as much as they used to in the old days (late 80''s and early 90''s) is that there are far more games released nowadays, and that dillutes how much attention consumers can devote and spend on game across 1000''s of games (retail and shareware combined), compared to only 100''s of games in shareware''s heyday.
Overall, it''s just a tougher, more crowded game market now (and has been for 6-8 years). All game, shareware, retail or otherwise, have a tough time breaking through the noise and getting noticed. That''s why Apogee stopped releasing five or more games a year and focused on just doing one or two top-tier titles at a time. Everything is hit-driven now.
Scott Miller
3D Realms, CEO
Apogee has always been and shall always remain a shareware company. All of our 35+ games have been released as shareware, except one, Planet Strike, which was a lame sequel to Blake Stone.
Max Payne and Duke Nukem Forever will have shareware versions, and those shareware versions *will* point to 3D Realms to handle "direct sell" orders.
The problem with shareware games not making as much as they used to in the old days (late 80''s and early 90''s) is that there are far more games released nowadays, and that dillutes how much attention consumers can devote and spend on game across 1000''s of games (retail and shareware combined), compared to only 100''s of games in shareware''s heyday.
Overall, it''s just a tougher, more crowded game market now (and has been for 6-8 years). All game, shareware, retail or otherwise, have a tough time breaking through the noise and getting noticed. That''s why Apogee stopped releasing five or more games a year and focused on just doing one or two top-tier titles at a time. Everything is hit-driven now.
Scott Miller
3D Realms, CEO
Just thought I'd note that in at least the last three issues of CGW and PCG there have been reviews of 3 or more "Shareware" or other flavor indie games per issue. Not only that, but some of the games have been included on the demo cd's...
All of the games they have mentioned, have had decent graphics, engaging gameplay, and seem to be well polished. It would seem that the issue is not that shareware is dead, but more the market is flooded with "okay" games.
All this means is that the bar is higher, not gone...
My 2 cents...
Cheerio,
hollow
Edited by - mrhollow on June 4, 2001 2:26:32 PM
All of the games they have mentioned, have had decent graphics, engaging gameplay, and seem to be well polished. It would seem that the issue is not that shareware is dead, but more the market is flooded with "okay" games.
All this means is that the bar is higher, not gone...
My 2 cents...
Cheerio,
hollow
Edited by - mrhollow on June 4, 2001 2:26:32 PM
"Shareware is dead!?!"
Come on... I can''t believe that one of the pioneers of quality PC shareware is coming here telling us this... Will the real Scott Miller please stand up? (apologies to Eminem)
Although Spiderweb has already been mentioned... it''s interesting to note that Avernum 2 was included on this month''s CGW demo disk. Sipderweb may be the exception to the rule, but it proves that it''s still possible.
Like Mr. Hollow said, the bar has been raised. Shareware can still be successful, it just needs more work than it once required. I''ve heard some people argue that shareware can''t compete because of how much work new technology requires... ie, a shareware author can''t create a new 3D engine. Luckily, they don''t have to... as technology progresses, the freely available (or cheap) 3D engines progress as well. The tools improve with the technology, bringing the level of work back down to the realm of possibility. Just a thought.
Come on... I can''t believe that one of the pioneers of quality PC shareware is coming here telling us this... Will the real Scott Miller please stand up? (apologies to Eminem)
Although Spiderweb has already been mentioned... it''s interesting to note that Avernum 2 was included on this month''s CGW demo disk. Sipderweb may be the exception to the rule, but it proves that it''s still possible.
Like Mr. Hollow said, the bar has been raised. Shareware can still be successful, it just needs more work than it once required. I''ve heard some people argue that shareware can''t compete because of how much work new technology requires... ie, a shareware author can''t create a new 3D engine. Luckily, they don''t have to... as technology progresses, the freely available (or cheap) 3D engines progress as well. The tools improve with the technology, bringing the level of work back down to the realm of possibility. Just a thought.
Pyabo: >>>Come on... I can''t believe that one of the pioneers of quality PC shareware is coming here telling us [shareware is dead]... Will the real Scott Miller please stand up? (apologies to Eminem)<<<
Please reread my post, I never said shareware is dead, just said that it''s a lot more difficult nowadays.
There''s still a lot of life left in shareware for game authors, but you have to be a lot smarter now because the market is flooded with competitors, which wasn''t the case in the mid-80''s when I started.
Please reread my post, I never said shareware is dead, just said that it''s a lot more difficult nowadays.
There''s still a lot of life left in shareware for game authors, but you have to be a lot smarter now because the market is flooded with competitors, which wasn''t the case in the mid-80''s when I started.
Ahh. And I thought nobody would ever notice it. 
For sure you can bypass the game lock in Smugglers. That''s the best advertising I can get. If they wouldn''t be able to bypass it they would simply delete it. Now they keep playing it until they are so excited to get the full version that they pay. This system works.
Simple? Sure Smugglers is simple. That was the intention.
For sure you can bypass the game lock in Smugglers. That''s the best advertising I can get. If they wouldn''t be able to bypass it they would simply delete it. Now they keep playing it until they are so excited to get the full version that they pay. This system works.
Simple? Sure Smugglers is simple. That was the intention.
You''re right Scott, I misread your post... I see now you were quoting Hase. My bad.
And a followup to the "shareware is dead" crowd: Check out www.realarcade.com. This is shareware... it''s being done a little differently, but a rose by any other name yadda yadda yadda...
And a followup to the "shareware is dead" crowd: Check out www.realarcade.com. This is shareware... it''s being done a little differently, but a rose by any other name yadda yadda yadda...
It seems to me that no one is noticing that most major apps nowdays are being released as a form of shareware. Hell - I just got a demo of 3D Studio Max that asks for an unlock code!! It is a full version copy and the unlock code just shuts off a 15 day timer. Sounds like shareware to me... Even Microsoft sharewares most of its games nowdays.
Just remember - a demo is just a shareware version in disguise! To say that shareware is dead is to say that some of the largest software companies in the WORLD are distributing to a dead channel. Not likely!
Just my ramble,
Landsknecht
Just remember - a demo is just a shareware version in disguise! To say that shareware is dead is to say that some of the largest software companies in the WORLD are distributing to a dead channel. Not likely!
Just my ramble,
Landsknecht
The issue isnt that shareware is dead, but is whether or not the smaller companies and teams can compete using it. Its true that big companies release software that is shareware in all but name, but that dosent pit my $15 games on downlaod.com against them on an equal playing field.
Shareware could make you a fortune, or nothing at all. What matters most is promotion, not the sales model. You can make it easy as possible to register your game, but if nobody knows about it you wont sell a single copy.
Be aware that its not an either/or choice. Many people (myself included) have games selling through publishers that also have shareware versions that bring in a few dollars each month. Most publishers are happy for you to keep selling a game as shareware after they have the retail rights, as few of them see shareware as real competition. Its comforting to have a least a small revenue stream that is directly under your control rather than being at the mercy of publishers every quarter.
http://www.positech.co.uk
Shareware could make you a fortune, or nothing at all. What matters most is promotion, not the sales model. You can make it easy as possible to register your game, but if nobody knows about it you wont sell a single copy.
Be aware that its not an either/or choice. Many people (myself included) have games selling through publishers that also have shareware versions that bring in a few dollars each month. Most publishers are happy for you to keep selling a game as shareware after they have the retail rights, as few of them see shareware as real competition. Its comforting to have a least a small revenue stream that is directly under your control rather than being at the mercy of publishers every quarter.
http://www.positech.co.uk
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