Microsoft Clears MechWarrior4 Free Launch

Vamman writes "If you've been following the drama surrounding the free release of MechWarrior4, then you're probably aware that the initial announcement, made last summer, was a bit premature. Now, nearly a year since that announcement was made, MekTek Studios has announced that Microsoft Legal has given clearance for the free release of Mechwarrior4. This move by Microsoft Games couldn't come at a better time for the community, as the owners of MechWarrior are attempting a reboot of the franchise."

Comments

Re:Possible Future of Marketing Franchises?

[hairyfeet]

Well I would say it depends on whether they give you good value for the money or whether they just stick the old game on a server and expect to rake in more cash. Because funny that you should mention it but I just bought the original Fallout from GOG when they had it on sale for $3. Why did I buy it when there are still sites that offer the old free version they released a few years ago?

Because GOG goes out of their way to make sure the games play nicely on today's hardware without hassle. Thanks to their customized DOSBox install I have Fallout, Redneck Rampage, Beneath a Steel Sky, and all work perfectly on Windows 7 x64. No tweaking, or dealing with sound issues, or fiddling with DOSBox, it all just works without having to do anything more than install and click on the desktop link. And if that alone wasn't worth $3, they give you soundtracks, strategy guides, wallpapers, etc, and all with NO DRM and easy to backup installers along with unlimited downloads and installs.

So I'd say it all comes down to giving the customer the extra value to make buying an older game worth it. Would I buy Mech 4 off of GOG? If they did it like many of the others, with the expansion pack, mech packs, soundtracks, and all the extras already installed and ready to go, yeah I'd consider shelling out another $5-$10 just to not have the hassle of digging out my old Mech 4 discs and getting them set up for x64. If you want customers to buy older games, especially those for dead OSes, you really need to go the extra mile to make it worth buying. Oh and for those that haven't checked out GOG yet, set you up an account and you can get 3 free games including Beneath a Steel Sky to get you started. But I have a feeling once you see how easy shopping at GOG is, and how nicely they treat you, you'll end up hooked like me.