Hate to say it, but yeah, they're desperate for games. The Linux guys buying the bundle are trying to make a statement with their purchase prices, whereas the Windows and Mac guys are really just paying what they think the games are worth, which is honestly just a couple bucks.
You don't hate to say it, and its not true. Its somewhat ironic that just buying the indie bundles alone will have given you 20+ games. Linux is increasingly getting more and more love from game developers with cross platform gaming being where its at. Whats interesting is the games that are available for Linux are the quality indie games, Those heavily DRMed console ports done by the major game companies. I suspect those are best played on a console anyway, although to be fair those interest me less and less...I've already played COD;)
All games worked with the intel on-board cards for indie bundles 1&2, at least on Linux. The Humble Frozenbyte Bundle was a different matter. What was interesting with that bundle is features were fixed intel driver, and problems regarding patents and OpenGL were raised.
I find it difficult to believe that anyone is buying the iPhone has a better ui than Android. Where are the iPhone widgets? Seriously though there is little to nothing in it,
I find it impossible to belive that as a hardware designer(sic) you even talk about the iPhone a device from a hardware perspective is a year and a half out of date, with a known hardware flaw.
I find it incredible that you don't understand that both Android and iOS have FOSS origins, and have benefited in different ways. What is relevant perhaps is as a USER should Apple follow the spirit of the BSD License.
: Personally I'll be buying the phone with the best software/hardware/Open...and that isn't an iPhone
Why regret buying an iPhone I never did. Its overpriced and behind the curve...but its second hand value is just as overpriced, simply swap it for a new phone...or two. They will be better in every way.
How Offensive WTF is "entitlement complex" lets be fair you made that up. I do not have an unlimited supply of money, and that which I do I work hard for. What I am an "informed consumer with limited income", and that means I choose "best value" . I suspect that is why many Linux users paid more the "Humble Bundle Deal". It could be why many linux users (although I see no evidence of this) do not need the reassurance of large brand names to assess quality as they can read a specification sheet, often a supermarket brand or an unknown developing world country branded device will do more for less. Its not an Item of clothing. The only similarity between pirating and open source is the price of software. I believe more and more more that the model of maximising profits by changing large amounts for artificial scarcity is simply a bad model made worse by DRM etc, fortunately the digital age is killing of the old middlemen, and hopefully will bring affordable good content for everyone. Untill then I buy games from second hand stores. I'm not cheap thats what I can afford, and I'm better off than most.
Whats most worrying about your post is its frighteningly misinformed, you are insulting people who don't buy products from companies (Apple/Sony) that not only cost more, are behind the curve technically/artificially restricted/proprietary technology incompatible with standards.In fact all they have going for them is the BRAND. At least use Samsung/Google/LG/Red Hat software/hardware etc. companies that are cutting edge/open standards....well more so anyway;)
I am tired of these things are expensive because of a second hand market. What a load of crap! I bought several second hand games last week, because first hand was simply too expensive. Would I have loved new games in shiny packets in pristine condition. The resale value is PART of the cost of an many items, but models for items with artificial scarcity books/movies/games/music price most consumers out of the market, simply for the maximum profits made from the few privileged. Its disgusting.
The harsh reality is NOW Windows users pay less for these games.
Duh, because there is a glut of games for Windows. When there is a glut of supply people aren't willing to pay as much. This is the most logical explanation for why Linux and Mac people paid more because there is higher demand due to a lower supply of games.
Simple supply and demand arguments don't work in a "pay what you want" which kind of breaks the rules that and 2 out of the three games have always been available for linux. Though it does play a part. The fact that its indie/for charity/attractive selling modal play their part. The fact that its attractive for windows developers...indie developers even to port their software is just a bonus
I don't think he is ignoring them. The harsh reality is NOW Windows users pay less for these games. The fact that a small majority of users are prepared to pay a premium on newly released heavily marketed AAA titles heavily DRMed and platform Dependant. Thats the business model. Its profitable
I think they just had to make it up to five games. Its not unusual for Indie developers to have promotions on pre-order games oil-rush/steel storm/chalies games and others. Revenge of the Titans was only in beta at the time of the second bundle and is its best game. They have a new blog on the Frozenbyte website that provides more information about Jack Claw http://frozenbyte.com/blog/ which will provide keyboard/mouse and Linux/Mac support which is apparently mostly done. The other game Splot!? I can only find a reference to a mysterious game coming this summer!? although I wish the game they offered was Trine2...but yeah Cortex Command is a real disappointment it still has lots of potential. The blog posts of latest development seem promising.
By virtue of them being DRM free and actually available for free you can download (pirate) them pretty easily. Then you can make a donation to Child's Play or the developers or cancer to make you feel better.
Or you could just buy the games now. The developers still offer them. In fact they still regularly offer discounts on them. Gish running a pay your own price promotion. Puppy Games of Revenge of the Titans is offering their first three games as a bundle called Ultrabundle. . These are not even the only offers out there at the moment Charlie games are offering their acclaimed shooters for $2 and a preorder for its upcoming game for a further $10; Steel Storm II (Steel Storm I is free) is available for prorder at $10. I have my eye on a couple of games Caser http://www.elecorn.com/caster3d/ being the one I'm most interested in that can be had for $5. Hell if you really want to pay nothing for commercial games head to Liberated Games.
It can't be because of the nature of people who use Linux!? Or becuase Linux users prefer accessible small indie developers rather than large corporations!?
I paid more simply becuase I understand the effort put into games and respect the Little guy having a go, with games that don't have DRM/Limited Single Player sold on their on-line experience. Hell the source code offered and donationd to the EFF counted for me too.
They offer an option for downloading via torrent which I am using currently, with my internet connection it would be impossible to get the games any other way.
"Revenge of the Titans" a nice surprise in Humble Bundle 2(Humble Bundle 3 Out Today) is still in active development, and this has extended the gameplay for me. Puppy Games are offering an Ultrabundle of their ealier games now cheaply. Although nothing like as polished as ROTT, they are very much the same modern retro styling as ROTT.
The Free Software Foundation didn't create Linux. Linus Torvalds created Linux and decided to license his code with the GPL. This little fact is the main reason that I call Linux by "Linux" and not "GNU/Linux".
The OS kernel that should be tagged with "GNU" is Hurd since it is actually being created by the FSF therefore it should be called "GNU Hurd".
Before the flaming commences, I'd like to defend myself by saying that I promote GNU software in the workplace and support their hard work. I do have some minor ideological differences with RMS, but that doesn't stop me from using GNU software or supporting the FSF.
Google didn't create Linux either, but everybody uses the name Android. Your anti Free Software Foundation sentiment is dated. I use GNU+Linux+X+Gnome+Firefox daily The reality is I can swap out any of those components with very little change to my daily life. GNU/Linux is a more accurate poorer name for what I use on the desktop, but in reality The HURDS of developers include thousands of individuals, all of which will never get created with there name as Part of an OS. Seriously though I have some major ideological differences with Linus, but that doesn't stop me using the Linux Kernel, because what he and others have achieved is incredible.
What actual features and improvements could they possibly have added in "8 WEEKS" since the release that they have had time to actually put through an Alpha test, Beta test, and then full release that would warrant a VERSION 5!?!
This seems crazy lame to me. The browser has slowly gotten bloated, now the number? Why?
Many Features, One of the problem with Firefox 4 was timing all the new features to coincide all at once. Large projects do not work like small ones. The Linux kernel is released every 12 weeks, but new features that have been in development for years are only included in this release. Not that I think you care judging by the in fashion "bloated" comment. Its half the size of Chrome and take up less memory, Show me the Bloat!
Also false--Apple is switching away from GCC because it's clunky, slow, outdated, and the GCC team is hostile to Apple's extensions and does not want Apple's contributions--every developer I know has been very much looking forward to being able to drop GCC and use LLVM.
The GCC team might go round to Apple Developers houses and set fire to their bins, but GCC produces faster binaries than LLVM.
The GCC thing is bizarre.I understand them wanted to get rid of GPL, because it allows them to take and control what they give back if anything. GCC is a complier, has no impact on their walled garden or anything else, but the major thing is GCC still produces the fastest binaries.
WOW. Lets be fair your promoting a BSD licence over a GPL one, While making strong anti-proprietary statements, mixing with Legality of using the Patently Encumbered H.264 format, and the loser OSvs Android WP7. I do not know where to begin.
Open source is a "development model"(amongst other things), GPL unlike BSD enforces that changes to make a are make available. Whereas Changes can be made to BSD code and that code can be kept secret wrapped up in proprietary software. This is why Linux prefers the GPL License for his code and Apply prefer a BSD License in their propriety product. Notice at no time do I use the word freedom, as I believe a developer can choose whatever licence he wants for their code.
I have no idea why you are talking about free speech. If you advocate free speech you do just that, in fact if you advocate free speech the whole point is that people will say things you agree/disagree with. Personally I would rather live in a world where people can not afraid of speaking.
Companies do not have to open source code completely because of GPL that is simply a lie. It does mean that you cannot create a Samba using samba source and not release samba source, but then thats the point, I find it somewhat strange that you are advocating individuals making money from other work without any benefit those who wrote it.
I find it somewhat strange that you talk about the free and opensource movement(sic) on one hand and companies on the other...when they are often the same. The Linux kernel for instance is programmed mainly by companies. In fact what you really mean in companies who don't want to give back.
H.264 is interesting that you mention it because it is patent encumbered. Introspective of License, you pay. Google spent 100 million buying a company, and Firefox haven't used it in there product. Simply becuase the cost is too high. WP7 on the other hand is simply not a good phone OS and Microsofts ever decreasing market share irrespective of the License.
Not really sure about your final conclusion that beating Microsoft and GPL stopping that, on the desktop BSD/Apple haven't done that, and on the new platform of none desktop based OS. Microsoft are not even in the running.
What is 100% true is Microsoft are happy to leave 60% of their customers using their old insecure browsers. Some of whom only bought there OS last year.
Microsoft doesn't want people using their old browsers so their site to persuade people to change must be a decoy? http://www.ie6countdown.com./ And pushing their new browsers via Windows Update unless you take steps to prevent it must be smoke and mirrors?
Speaking of unsubstantiated, citation please for people who only bought "there" OS last year and are on old insecure browsers?
And when you talk about moving off IE6, you should start with the app developers... But don't let that get in the way of the fun.
I'm taking about IE6/IE7/IE8 and will soon be taking IE9. The way you could tell is that I referring to the 60% market share it has currently. Do you really need a citation when you have market figures. Most people have there computers for five years, most of those 60% will be machines bought in those past five years. I don't talk about IE6 ever being a problem. I might talk about bundling a browser and making inseparable from the OS, or being dependent on Microsoft technology instead of Open Standards. I clicked a button and have Firefox installed...and can remove and replace it with a couple of clicks. XP users can't do that.
I contribute to software development only if it is FLOSS [...] I don't miss Flash: all you get through proprietary tech is [...] idiotic games that belong back in early 1990-ies.
What well-known FLOSS games can you think of that aren't stuck in the Super NES era of game design? Can you think of any that were FLOSS from day one, or whose data files are also free, or both?
I love this post. There are very few games stuck in the Super NES era, although it had some incredible 2D games the like of which we will never see again, but trying to paint FLOSS gaming 2D; 512 × 478 resolution with a maximum 32768 colors is a lie. The Irony is Commercial gaming on a PS has become a poor relation to its console counterpart often limited by what a console can so:). Lets be honest FLOSS gaming is 3D 32bit any resolution. The game I play most at the moment is SuperTuxKart http://supertuxkart.sourceforge.net/ and its my pick simply because its a great genre, and it is a project that is moving and shaking at the moment.
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Hate to say it, but yeah, they're desperate for games. The Linux guys buying the bundle are trying to make a statement with their purchase prices, whereas the Windows and Mac guys are really just paying what they think the games are worth, which is honestly just a couple bucks.
You don't hate to say it, and its not true. Its somewhat ironic that just buying the indie bundles alone will have given you 20+ games. Linux is increasingly getting more and more love from game developers with cross platform gaming being where its at. Whats interesting is the games that are available for Linux are the quality indie games, Those heavily DRMed console ports done by the major game companies. I suspect those are best played on a console anyway, although to be fair those interest me less and less...I've already played COD ;)
All games worked with the intel on-board cards for indie bundles 1&2, at least on Linux. The Humble Frozenbyte Bundle was a different matter. What was interesting with that bundle is features were fixed intel driver, and problems regarding patents and OpenGL were raised.
I find it difficult to believe that anyone is buying the iPhone has a better ui than Android. Where are the iPhone widgets? Seriously though there is little to nothing in it,
I find it impossible to belive that as a hardware designer(sic) you even talk about the iPhone a device from a hardware perspective is a year and a half out of date, with a known hardware flaw.
I find it incredible that you don't understand that both Android and iOS have FOSS origins, and have benefited in different ways. What is relevant perhaps is as a USER should Apple follow the spirit of the BSD License.
:
Personally I'll be buying the phone with the best software/hardware/Open...and that isn't an iPhone
Why regret buying an iPhone I never did. Its overpriced and behind the curve...but its second hand value is just as overpriced, simply swap it for a new phone...or two. They will be better in every way.
...some Android devices?
Now if only that was "some iOS devices". Choice rocks, doesn't it?
Apple users call choice FRAGMENTATION
lol as a grown up I can work out the meaning of unfamiliar words by looking at the context. Its a skill I learnt before google.
How Offensive WTF is "entitlement complex" lets be fair you made that up. I do not have an unlimited supply of money, and that which I do I work hard for. What I am an "informed consumer with limited income", and that means I choose "best value" . I suspect that is why many Linux users paid more the "Humble Bundle Deal". It could be why many linux users (although I see no evidence of this) do not need the reassurance of large brand names to assess quality as they can read a specification sheet, often a supermarket brand or an unknown developing world country branded device will do more for less. Its not an Item of clothing. The only similarity between pirating and open source is the price of software. I believe more and more more that the model of maximising profits by changing large amounts for artificial scarcity is simply a bad model made worse by DRM etc, fortunately the digital age is killing of the old middlemen, and hopefully will bring affordable good content for everyone. Untill then I buy games from second hand stores. I'm not cheap thats what I can afford, and I'm better off than most.
Whats most worrying about your post is its frighteningly misinformed, you are insulting people who don't buy products from companies (Apple/Sony) that not only cost more, are behind the curve technically/artificially restricted/proprietary technology incompatible with standards.In fact all they have going for them is the BRAND. At least use Samsung/Google/LG/Red Hat software/hardware etc. companies that are cutting edge/open standards....well more so anyway ;)
I am tired of these things are expensive because of a second hand market. What a load of crap! I bought several second hand games last week, because first hand was simply too expensive. Would I have loved new games in shiny packets in pristine condition. The resale value is PART of the cost of an many items, but models for items with artificial scarcity books/movies/games/music price most consumers out of the market, simply for the maximum profits made from the few privileged. Its disgusting.
The harsh reality is NOW Windows users pay less for these games.
Duh, because there is a glut of games for Windows. When there is a glut of supply people aren't willing to pay as much. This is the most logical explanation for why Linux and Mac people paid more because there is higher demand due to a lower supply of games.
Simple supply and demand arguments don't work in a "pay what you want" which kind of breaks the rules that and 2 out of the three games have always been available for linux. Though it does play a part. The fact that its indie/for charity/attractive selling modal play their part. The fact that its attractive for windows developers...indie developers even to port their software is just a bonus
I don't think he is ignoring them. The harsh reality is NOW Windows users pay less for these games. The fact that a small majority of users are prepared to pay a premium on newly released heavily marketed AAA titles heavily DRMed and platform Dependant. Thats the business model. Its profitable
I think they just had to make it up to five games. Its not unusual for Indie developers to have promotions on pre-order games oil-rush/steel storm/chalies games and others. Revenge of the Titans was only in beta at the time of the second bundle and is its best game. They have a new blog on the Frozenbyte website that provides more information about Jack Claw http://frozenbyte.com/blog/ which will provide keyboard/mouse and Linux/Mac support which is apparently mostly done. The other game Splot!? I can only find a reference to a mysterious game coming this summer!? although I wish the game they offered was Trine2...but yeah Cortex Command is a real disappointment it still has lots of potential. The blog posts of latest development seem promising.
By virtue of them being DRM free and actually available for free you can download (pirate) them pretty easily. Then you can make a donation to Child's Play or the developers or cancer to make you feel better.
Or you could just buy the games now. The developers still offer them. In fact they still regularly offer discounts on them. Gish running a pay your own price promotion. Puppy Games of Revenge of the Titans is offering their first three games as a bundle called Ultrabundle. . These are not even the only offers out there at the moment Charlie games are offering their acclaimed shooters for $2 and a preorder for its upcoming game for a further $10; Steel Storm II (Steel Storm I is free) is available for prorder at $10. I have my eye on a couple of games Caser http://www.elecorn.com/caster3d/ being the one I'm most interested in that can be had for $5. Hell if you really want to pay nothing for commercial games head to Liberated Games.
It can't be because of the nature of people who use Linux!? Or becuase Linux users prefer accessible small indie developers rather than large corporations!?
I paid more simply becuase I understand the effort put into games and respect the Little guy having a go, with games that don't have DRM/Limited Single Player sold on their on-line experience. Hell the source code offered and donationd to the EFF counted for me too.
They offer an option for downloading via torrent which I am using currently, with my internet connection it would be impossible to get the games any other way.
"Revenge of the Titans" a nice surprise in Humble Bundle 2(Humble Bundle 3 Out Today) is still in active development, and this has extended the gameplay for me. Puppy Games are offering an Ultrabundle of their ealier games now cheaply. Although nothing like as polished as ROTT, they are very much the same modern retro styling as ROTT.
Arx Fatalis has recently been open sourced http://freegamer.blogspot.com/2011/01/arx-fatalis-open-sourced.html That does not change the code in its current state but future developments and fixes seem likely.
The Free Software Foundation didn't create Linux. Linus Torvalds created Linux and decided to license his code with the GPL. This little fact is the main reason that I call Linux by "Linux" and not "GNU/Linux".
The OS kernel that should be tagged with "GNU" is Hurd since it is actually being created by the FSF therefore it should be called "GNU Hurd".
Before the flaming commences, I'd like to defend myself by saying that I promote GNU software in the workplace and support their hard work. I do have some minor ideological differences with RMS, but that doesn't stop me from using GNU software or supporting the FSF.
Google didn't create Linux either, but everybody uses the name Android. Your anti Free Software Foundation sentiment is dated. I use GNU+Linux+X+Gnome+Firefox daily The reality is I can swap out any of those components with very little change to my daily life. GNU/Linux is a more accurate poorer name for what I use on the desktop, but in reality The HURDS of developers include thousands of individuals, all of which will never get created with there name as Part of an OS. Seriously though I have some major ideological differences with Linus, but that doesn't stop me using the Linux Kernel, because what he and others have achieved is incredible.
What actual features and improvements could they possibly have added in "8 WEEKS" since the release that they have had time to actually put through an Alpha test, Beta test, and then full release that would warrant a VERSION 5!?!
This seems crazy lame to me. The browser has slowly gotten bloated, now the number? Why?
Many Features, One of the problem with Firefox 4 was timing all the new features to coincide all at once. Large projects do not work like small ones. The Linux kernel is released every 12 weeks, but new features that have been in development for years are only included in this release. Not that I think you care judging by the in fashion "bloated" comment. Its half the size of Chrome and take up less memory, Show me the Bloat!
Also false--Apple is switching away from GCC because it's clunky, slow, outdated, and the GCC team is hostile to Apple's extensions and does not want Apple's contributions--every developer I know has been very much looking forward to being able to drop GCC and use LLVM.
The GCC team might go round to Apple Developers houses and set fire to their bins, but GCC produces faster binaries than LLVM.
The GCC thing is bizarre .I understand them wanted to get rid of GPL, because it allows them to take and control what they give back if anything. GCC is a complier, has no impact on their walled garden or anything else, but the major thing is GCC still produces the fastest binaries.
WOW. Lets be fair your promoting a BSD licence over a GPL one, While making strong anti-proprietary statements, mixing with Legality of using the Patently Encumbered H.264 format, and the loser OSvs Android WP7. I do not know where to begin.
Open source is a "development model"(amongst other things), GPL unlike BSD enforces that changes to make a are make available. Whereas Changes can be made to BSD code and that code can be kept secret wrapped up in proprietary software. This is why Linux prefers the GPL License for his code and Apply prefer a BSD License in their propriety product. Notice at no time do I use the word freedom, as I believe a developer can choose whatever licence he wants for their code.
I have no idea why you are talking about free speech. If you advocate free speech you do just that, in fact if you advocate free speech the whole point is that people will say things you agree/disagree with. Personally I would rather live in a world where people can not afraid of speaking.
Companies do not have to open source code completely because of GPL that is simply a lie. It does mean that you cannot create a Samba using samba source and not release samba source, but then thats the point, I find it somewhat strange that you are advocating individuals making money from other work without any benefit those who wrote it.
I find it somewhat strange that you talk about the free and opensource movement(sic) on one hand and companies on the other...when they are often the same. The Linux kernel for instance is programmed mainly by companies. In fact what you really mean in companies who don't want to give back.
H.264 is interesting that you mention it because it is patent encumbered. Introspective of License, you pay. Google spent 100 million buying a company, and Firefox haven't used it in there product. Simply becuase the cost is too high. WP7 on the other hand is simply not a good phone OS and Microsofts ever decreasing market share irrespective of the License.
Not really sure about your final conclusion that beating Microsoft and GPL stopping that, on the desktop BSD/Apple haven't done that, and on the new platform of none desktop based OS. Microsoft are not even in the running.
What do you mean by bloat. Could you clarify that statement Chrome is 30mb while Firefox is 15.
What is 100% true is Microsoft are happy to leave 60% of their customers using their old insecure browsers. Some of whom only bought there OS last year.
Microsoft doesn't want people using their old browsers so their site to persuade people to change must be a decoy? http://www.ie6countdown.com./ And pushing their new browsers via Windows Update unless you take steps to prevent it must be smoke and mirrors?
Speaking of unsubstantiated, citation please for people who only bought "there" OS last year and are on old insecure browsers?
And when you talk about moving off IE6, you should start with the app developers... But don't let that get in the way of the fun.
I'm taking about IE6/IE7/IE8 and will soon be taking IE9. The way you could tell is that I referring to the 60% market share it has currently. Do you really need a citation when you have market figures. Most people have there computers for five years, most of those 60% will be machines bought in those past five years. I don't talk about IE6 ever being a problem. I might talk about bundling a browser and making inseparable from the OS, or being dependent on Microsoft technology instead of Open Standards. I clicked a button and have Firefox installed...and can remove and replace it with a couple of clicks. XP users can't do that.
I contribute to software development only if it is FLOSS [...] I don't miss Flash: all you get through proprietary tech is [...] idiotic games that belong back in early 1990-ies.
What well-known FLOSS games can you think of that aren't stuck in the Super NES era of game design? Can you think of any that were FLOSS from day one, or whose data files are also free, or both?
I love this post. There are very few games stuck in the Super NES era, although it had some incredible 2D games the like of which we will never see again, but trying to paint FLOSS gaming 2D; 512 × 478 resolution with a maximum 32768 colors is a lie. The Irony is Commercial gaming on a PS has become a poor relation to its console counterpart often limited by what a console can so :). Lets be honest FLOSS gaming is 3D 32bit any resolution. The game I play most at the moment is SuperTuxKart http://supertuxkart.sourceforge.net/ and its my pick simply because its a great genre, and it is a project that is moving and shaking at the moment.
I use the awesomebar all the time. Its excellent are finding sites that I have found useful and not thought worth bookmarking. Its a feature I use.