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The Return Of Shareware Games

Posted by simoniker on from the commander-keen-looking-smug dept.

An anonymous reader writes "CNN has a new column up looking at the re-emerging trend of shareware as a means to distribute games. With development prices soaring and space on retail shelves getting scarce, smaller companies like PopCap Games and GarageGames are returning to gaming's roots - and making money in the process."

4 of 314 comments (clear)

  1. ambrosia by SweetAndSourJesus · · Score: 5, Informative

    Ambrosia Software has been doing this on the Mac for ages. Their games are always fun, reasonably priced shareware.

    I've bought more than a handful of their titles, and have had more fun with them than most commercial releases provide.

    --

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    the strongest word is still the word "free"
  2. Karma whoring for fun and profit... by ctrl-alt-elite · · Score: 5, Informative

    The poor site didn't stand a chance. Here's Google's cached version.

  3. Return? by malice · · Score: 5, Informative

    We've been making money selling shareware products (really, just electronically distributed/sold products these days) for the past 15 years, and making money at it. Yes, with a real office, real employees, and real paychecks.

  4. Llamasoft and other bleatings by POPE+Mad+Mitch · · Score: 5, Informative

    It seems that the the low cost and ease of distribution and charging that the internet gives us is once more making it viable for the small one-man firms to trade.

    A prime example of this is Llamasoft, Jeff Minters old company. Back in the 80's and early nineties he produced what many people would say are some of the finest examples of really addictively playable games. Revenge of the Mutant Camels, and Llamatron being some of my favourites.

    For many years since the Yak has put most of these old versions on his website for people to download and enjoy, claiming it wasnt worth the expense of trying to sell anymore, but with little or no new material available.

    Now it seems he has relaunched Llamasoft and is releasing new improved games as shareware, with full versions available for about 5UKP, which is serious value for money for work of this high a calibre.