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Why Port To PC? Shareware Still alive!
An anonymous reader writes "Here is an interesting interview with Tom Anthony, describing why Ambrosia Software are porting their Mac games to the PC market. Do you think their games can really sell after being ported? I thought shareware was dead, but all their games are still using shareware as well."
I've played a lot of shareware games on the Mac, and a lot of them are good. To my understanding shareware on the PC side always had a bad connotation, like it was worthless. It will take a really good game to overcome this stigma. However, I've played almost all of Ambrosia's games and they are the best shareware has to offer. While the graphics aren't always the best, they definately succeed in the fun department. If anyone can make it porting shareware from the Mac to PC, it's Ambrosia.
I got a copy of UltraEdit32 for a class with the intention of using it for the 45 day trial period and then grabbing something else for the trial period. In less than a week I bought the full version. Quality software is quality software.
The Redhat 7.3 Linux "servers" at my job each have a copy of Maelstrom on them. Sweeeeet!!!
I miss Chiral.
Proper try before you buy shareware is fairly dead. Authors only seem to release crippleware these days, incorrectly calling it shareware, figuring that they won't make any money if they release full software. I don't know generally how successful this approach is, but after Slashdot my second favourite site is that one that sounds a bit like AltaVista... And I *do* buy stuff after cracking it, and trying it out properly, although this often takes longer than the ridiculously short "trial period" most crippleware authors seem to think is sufficient. Stuff that expires on a particular date, set after intallation, has often expired before I get to try it. What I don't buy is stuff I can't crack, cos I can't fully try it out.
PSP - you used to be cool, man. Being proper shareware is what got you where you are today, and now you spit in your fans' eyes.
Anyone know of a shareware site that lists crippleware as such, and not calling "X Lite" (where Lite means crippled) proper shareware when it's only a thinly veiled marketing release?
The only reason I have ever made my PC emulate a Mac.
Tim
Omnia vestra castrorum habetur nobis.
I was a member of an Escape Velocity Classic/Override mailing list at one point, and when the announcement came that Escape Velocity Nova was coming out for Windows came, we had a big discussion about the morality of this decision. I was the only Windows user there (you can find instructions for an emulator here). Anyway, the consensus among the Mac users was that this was a bad idea. Their argument was that if Ambrosia started to make games for Windows, then they would realize that they were making much more money there, and decide to stick with Windows, and eventually give up on the Mac community. As I said, I am a PC user, and I am naturally biased in favor of porting to Windows. However, I do think that the Mac community needs to have some game creator that it can call its own. I suppose it all depends on how you feel about the issue.
-Dae
"Alle reden vom wetter. Wir nicht." - SDS Sozialistischer Deutscher Studentenbund.
j00 4r3 3n73r1ng l337 w0r1d.
I've been pissed off ever since ambrosia started doing this. They used to be one of the bragging rights I've had over my windows user friends. Just another example of a great mac only company selling out to the spawn.
I can't really blame them though, it must be bloody hard to make any real money developing only for the mac.
As far as the shareware issue goes at least since EV Nova they have been much more successful in protecting their software from piracy.
As a mac user the only benefit I see from this is that 1. they may have a chance to stay in business and 2. more people will be out there making plug-ins for the EV series.
I remember, nearly twenty years ago, when I had my lovely Atari ST, shareware was software that its authors shared with the general public to enjoy. We had never heard of the GPL, but the spirit was similar.
Over the years, the meaning of the word changed. First you were asked to pay something, if you liked the program, then you would only get the docs if you payed, then nags, and finally the crippleware and timebombs we see today.
Now shareware seems to mean that there is a downloadable evaluation version which can be activated online. This is a pure marketing features and says nothing about the software itself. As soon as MS can devise secure delivery over the net, Office will become shareware, too, finally reducing the notion ad absurdum.
Shareware as a model has the advantage of being able to use viral marketing. If there is a program I really enjoy, I can tell my friends about it and give them a copy. They can do the same if they like it, ad infinitum. This, like many other free formats, cuts the cost of advertising tremendously, very important for a small developer. And depending on the market one can also make a bit of money off of the work, which seems to be harder to do with other formats. The best shareware often is a full version, but then offers additional incentives or bonuses to register.
I think that shareware, at least on the Mac platform where there are less commercial developers, has a long and distinguished history and will continue to play a part on the software scene.
This, in my opinion, is a good move for Ambrosia Software. Why? Exposure to say the least.
Escape Velocity is an incredible series. Several years ago I used to work solely on a Macintosh, I was amazed when I discovered Escape Velocity, mainly because I found it more enjoyable and interesting than a majority of games that were in the PC market at the time. Now, working only with PC's, I'll be watching this PC port very closely.
- - Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand. - -
I have no problem with shareware publishers that are up front about what features are limited about their shareware. The thing I do have a problem with, is when software authors bundle nasty surprises with their software, and then turn around and say that it's shareware.
Case in point: Omen Technology claims that their zmodem implementation is shareware, but has an extremely restrictive license that prohibits actually using the software unless it's used with their other products. And then it attempts to email home when it's used. How exactly is this "shareware"?
There was a time where shareware was a simple way to support independant closed-source software. Unfortunately the popup boxes, countdown timers and trial period expiration warning ruined it for everyone. All of a sudden it was as if someone who you had never met was demanding that you give them money.
Well, you're using a product, that they want to sell to you, for free. It's more like you're wandering through a store eating candy bars off the shelves, and while the owner is nice enough about it, he'd rather you settle your account after you scarf down twenty Milky Ways.
Naggers are a good idea for shareware, since otherwise not enough people would pay for it to allow the author to continue. Although a GOOD nagger is creative, and makes the user step back and evaluate just how valuable the software really is to them.
Escape Velocity had the best nagger EVER. A middling-powerful ship called "Captain Hector" would buzz you every couple of systems and radio in "Don't Forget To Register!".
If you "forgot" for 30 days or more, Captain Hector would get nasty. And it would turn out that Captain Hector is not just a piddling little Argosy, but an Argosy with buffed-up shields, proton torpedoes, heavy laser turrets, and a very bad attitude.
I just got a 12" powerbook, and registered my copy of EV: Nova. Because the storyline is getting interesting, my pilot is cool, and I could hear the quartz oscillating while Captain Hector gleefully polished his Gauss cannon . . .
Most software that I buy today is really in effect Shareware, as I first obtain the trial copy to see what it does. If it does what I need done, I then go out and purchase it.
There are two programs which I have found absolutely invaluable over the years, and paid the Shareware fees.
One is Ultraedit, as mentioned.
The other is filesync
Shareware is far from dead.
A long time asm coder, free/shareware writer John McCarthy (google "3d Vect", "OuterRidge" and "Fortified"), has just released his new game (originally it was just a screensaver demo, but now there is a playable demo) of his new game sonic speedsters. Lot of fun, I have a copy myself.
Does anyone else remember the revolutionary way to punish those who didn't remember to pay the registration fee? The original Escape Velocity showed a pop-up at startup if you continued playing after the first thirty days (I installed it on a system whose system clock I had forgot to set, so I think my normal tally was about 1,564 days of use). However, it didn't block you out from any parts of the game or impose a time limit. Instead, there was a unique NPC in a heavy fighter who in normal gameplay would always hail you with a "Don't forget to register" message. However, after the thirty day trial, the character, known as "Cap'n Hector" after a pet parrot in the ambrosia offices, would exact revenge on those who would steal the bird seed from her mouth. With cries of "Avast, ye scurvy software pirate," this nearly-invincible assassin would swoop down on your ship and assail you with a barrage of torpedoes and rockets. Although at later stages of the game, this was a minor annoyance, in the starting shuttle one rocket blast was instant death. It was definitely the most amusing way to prevent full illegal use that I've ever seen. (Although, to be honest, I finally defeated him with the use of a resource editor. Hector wasn't quite as threatening when she was buzzing around you in a weaponless shuttle :))
So true. EV's are the most creative nags I've ever seen. I've registered EV multiple times, once, years ago, for myself, and again for my little brother who I know would dig the game.
I'm always torn when I hear people badmouth shareware. It's a tired observation, but those of us who give away code need to understand that it just doesn't work for some people. Shareware is pleasant commericial practice. A little prodding is often necessary to get someone perfectly capable and willing to support the developer to actually get off their ass and pull out the plastic.
I remember meeting the Ambrosia guys at a MacWorld conference a few years back. They were swell.
This raises a question that I've been pondering recently.
Awhile ago I was looking for a simple pop3 email checker for my wife's Windows machine. Within the unix / Linux world, there are dozens of very good Open Source apps that do this in various ways. I was surprised at the low number of free (as in no-cost, much less Open Source) apps of this type for Windows. I was shocked that authors of some of these simple apps were requesting fees as high as $20.
Now before I continue with this thought, I'd like to clarify the point in advance. I'm not saying these authors shouldn't be allowed to charge whatever they want for their work. Its their work. Its their price. They're welcome to it.
Having said that, in an environment that is much more immersed in Open Source culture - it seems that many more simple applications (and even not-so-simple applications) are available for free. In the rather large sample of apps that I reviewed, I found that the quality between pay-for-play and their Free Linux counterparts were comparable. So if quality isn't the issue, what is?
Culture.
It dawns on me that Linux (and to varying degrees, unix) comes from a gift culture. There is already so much great, free software available. Especially the tools needed to build more software. Paying back that community seems only natural.
Furthermore, within the Windows culture - even the very tools one needs to develop requires some degree of monetary investment. Not to mention all the other cool little apps one might like to use on one's own desktop. No wonder fees are charged for even the most trivial pieces of software. One has to recoup one's investment. Much less make a profit.
When I used a Mac, I was quite impressed by the quality of the shareware out there. The ratio of good software to crap -- and some of it is *very* good, without even a commercial equivalent, like USB Overdrive -- is much higher on the Mac than Windows. I think some of it may be Visual Basic. It's really easy for a non-programmer to sit down and roll out a complete piece of junk, and have delusions of actually making money on it.
I've found that, when it comes to both shareware and interesting binary hacks, the Mac has a much healthier community than Windows.
On the other hand, the Linux open-source community is even better...
May we never see th
Agreed, despite the best efforts of software crackers to try and kill it.
I'm a shareware author myself, and I gave up on crackers years ago. You come to a point where you realize, no matter what you do, you'll get cracked one way or another. You also come to the realisation that crackers are *never* going to pay for software.
Getting too crazy with registration schemes just makes it harder for the paying customers, and only marginally more difficult for crackers; once someone cracks it, none of that matters any more, yet you're still inconveniencing the paying customers.
So I try to encourage others to stick to simple registration schemes (no "phoning home" or hardware locking) and worry about satisfying their paying customers.
And shareware is not dead. As long as you're not the "I will never pay for software" type, Shareware offers less expensive choices to commercial offerings, with the ability to fully try it out before making a decision. Many times a shareware app will cost 20x less than a similar commercial product, while offering 90% of the features, (usually) faster/more personal support, faster response to feature requests, etc.
Obviously I'm baised, but the last couple months (except for the last 4 days -- very slow right now) have shown me that the Shareware model still works, and quite well.
NGWave - Fast Sound Editor for Windows